Dawn
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Dawn - 02:31 Nov 29, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology (IT) and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the Cybersecurity Act 2025 was essential for national security and reflected the government’s whole-of-nation approach to cybersecurity, marking a major reform initiative. She noted that the Act will establish the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) to lead nationwide incident response and threat intelligence, while expansion of the Pakistan Computer Emergency Response Team (PKCERT), and the development of secure digital public infrastructure under the Digital Economy Enhancement Project (Deep) will further strengthen national cyber resilience. Ms Khawaja was addressing a gathering at FAST National University, Islamabad, on the theme ‘Securing Pakistan’s Digital Frontier: CyberShield, Policy & the Future’. The event was hosted by the FAST Public Policy and Research Society (FPPRS). She added that Pakistan’s long-term objective is to build a cyber-resilient, innovation-driven digital nation where secur... -
Dawn - 02:23 Nov 29, 2025
• Expenditures swell 11.9pc against revenue growth of 11.4pc in July-October • Public debt records first quarterly decline of Rs1.371tr in five years • Key crops cotton, rice see production fall; sugarcane and chillies rise ISLAMABAD: With a 256 per cent surge in current account deficit, the government on Friday expressed cautious optimism over the country’s economic outlook with stubborn inflation in 5-6pc range due to pressure on food prices and agriculture production. In its economic update and outlook for November, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) said the industrial activity continued to strengthen amid implementation of reforms. However, all major fiscal indicators — FBR collection, non-tax revenue, budget surplus and primary surplus — were down as percentage of GDP. The report showed the tax-to-GDP ratio was slightly lower at 2.96pc in first four months of 2025-26 when compared to 3pc last year. Non-tax revenues were also reported at 2.32pc of GDP against 2.63pc in comparable period. Fiscal surplus was al... -
Dawn - 02:23 Nov 29, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The prices of all petroleum products are estimated to decrease by up to Rs6.30 per litre on Sunday for the next fortnight ending Dec 15, due to slight variations in the international market. Based on existing tax rates, informed sources said the ex-depot price of high-speed diesel (HSD) is expected to drop by about Rs3.70 per litre (about 1.4pc), depending on the final calculation, while the petrol rate would also come down by about Rs4.3 per litre or 1.5pc. Petrol and HSD prices have increased by about Rs12.50 and Rs29 per litre, respectively, since June 1, 2025. The ex-depot prices of Kerosene and light diesel oil (LDO) are also estimated to reduce by Re1 (0.3pc) and Rs6.35 per litre (3.7pc), respectively. The kerosene and LDO rates currently stand at Rs194.34 and Rs170.80 per litre, respectively. The ex-depot petrol price currently stands at Rs265.45 per litre, which may come down to Rs261.75. Petrol is primarily used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws, and two-wheelers, and has a d... -
Dawn - 19:01 Nov 28, 2025
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah voiced support on Friday for meetings between incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan and his family members, subject to certain conditions. Imran has been in jail since August 2023, serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges. His family and party members have protested outside Adiala Jail in recent days, demanding a meeting but have been repeatedly denied despite orders from the courts. Imran’s sister Aleema Khan filed a contempt of court petition against the Adiala jail superintendent and others over their failure to comply with an earlier Islamabad High Court (IHC) order that reinstated a twice-a-week meeting schedule for the incarcerated former premier. Speaking on the matter in an interview on Geo News show ‘Naya Pakistan’, Sanaullah said: “There should be permission for meetings and they should definitely take place, but a 90-minute press conference cannot take place after an hour’s meeting; no law allows this.” He further said that pol... -
Dawn - 18:49 Nov 28, 2025
An Afghan national accused of shooting two National Guard members will be charged with first-degree murder, a US official said Friday, after one of the soldiers died of her wounds as Donald Trump pledged to suspend migration from “third-world countries.” The announcement marks an escalation in charges facing the assailant, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who the US media said was part of the “Zero Units” — a CIA-backed Afghan paramilitary force. “There are certainly many more charges to come, but we are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree,” Jeanine Pirro, the attorney for Washington, DC, told the Fox News programme ‘Fox & Friends’. “It is a premeditated murder. There was an ambush with a gun toward people who didn’t know what was coming.” Pirro’s announcement comes after Attorney General Pam Bondi pledged on Thursday to “seek the death penalty” against Lakanwal, describing him as a “monster.” Pirro said Lakanwal opened fire with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolv... -
Dawn - 18:20 Nov 28, 2025
The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) restored power supply to four housing projects in Bahria Town Lahore after the society’s administration paid outstanding bills amounting to Rs682 million. “The power supply has been restored to four Bahria town projects, including main Bahria Town near Mohlanwal,” a Lesco spokesperson told Dawn. The power supply was suspended yesterday, inviting criticism from the residents, who also announced holding a protest demonstration in front of the Bahria Town offices after Friday prayers on this issue. According to Lesco CEO Mr Ramzan Butt, the last date for bill payment was November 21, which was extended to November 23 on the request of the housing society’s officials. After failing to pay, the officials had requested another day’s extension and continued securing more until Wednesday. “Since the final and last date was November 27 (yesterday), they, instead of paying bills, approached the court, reportedly. But before they could get the court decision, we disconnected th... -
Dawn - 18:07 Nov 28, 2025
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Friday that Pakistan’s hastily adopted constitutional amendments seriously undermine judicial independence and raise grave concerns about military accountability and respect for the rule of law. In a statement issued in Geneva, the human rights chief said the latest constitutional amendment, like the 26th amendment last year, had been adopted without broad consultation and debate with the legal community and wider civil society. Turk warned that the amendments run counter to the separation of powers that underpin the rule of law and safeguard the protection of human rights in Pakistan. “Under the changes adopted on November 13, a new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has been given powers over constitutional cases, replacing the previous authority of the Supreme Court, which will now only deal with civil and criminal cases,” the statement read. It added that the systems for appointing, promoting and transferring judges changed in a manner raising “ser... -
Dawn - 17:25 Nov 28, 2025
The Russian Embassy on Friday announced that a monument to Yuri Gagarin, the first man to travel to space and return, was unveiled in Islamabad’s Fatima Jinnah Park. Gagarin became the first man in space in April 1961, when he uttered the famous words “Let’s go” as his Vostok rocket blasted off from southern Kazakhstan. After a voyage lasting just 108 minutes, the 27-year-old cosmonaut ejected from his capsule and parachuted down into a field in the Saratov region of central Russia. According to a post on X, the unveiling ceremony was attended by Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev, Power Minister Awais Leghari, Russian Ambassador Albert P Khorev, Pakistani Ambassador to Russia Faisal Niaz Tirmizi and pilot-cosmonaut Elena Serova. “This is the greatest feat in our shared history. A huge number of scientists are engaged in space research. Let this work benefit all countries of the world,” the statement read, quoting Tsivilev. The post added that the unveiling was scheduled to coincide with the 10th meeting... -
Dawn - 17:05 Nov 28, 2025
The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi said on Friday that three Pakistani prisoners in India were repatriated via the Wagah border. The border, which connects Lahore with the Indian city of Amritsar, is the only active land crossing between the two neighbours. It was closed to general traffic following a brief but intense military conflict earlier this year. The high commission identified the prisoners repatriated today as Asghar Ali, Ramzan and Muhammad Idrees, saying that it would continue working towards the “release and repatriation of all Pakistani prisoners in India”. The Foreign Office (FO) told Dawn the identities of the arrested fishermen and when they were taken into custody. Ramzan, 43, from Lahore, was arrested in 2010 by India on charges of illegally crossing the border and possessing narcotics. After receiving consular access, his status as a Pakistani national was confirmed in February 2011. Meanwhile, Muhammad Idrees from Narowal was arrested in 1995 for allegedly crossing the border illeg... -
Dawn - 17:01 Nov 28, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was on Friday elected chairman of the Economic Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Ministers (ECO-COM), according to the Foreign Office (FO). The ECO was founded as the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) in 1964 by Pakistan, Iran and Turkiye, before it changed its name in 1985. The organisation’s website states that its purpose is “to create amenable and conducive conditions for the continued promotion of sustainable economic development in the region”. The 10 member states include Pakistan, Iran, Turkiye, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. According to an FO statement, today’s meeting of the COM was held virtually and Dar underscored the body’s important role in fostering prosperity, economic integration and connectivity in the region. “He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the ECO Vision 2025 and expressed Pakistan’s intent, as incoming chair of the ECO COM, to work closely with member stat... -
Dawn - 16:21 Nov 28, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) said on Friday that the current ceasefire with Afghanistan was not a “traditional” one but contingent on whether any terrorist activity took place against Pakistan from the neighbouring country’s soil. Relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban are at their lowest point in the four years since the group came to power. Border crossings between the two countries have remained closed since October 11 and trade has been at a standstill following ground fighting and Pakistani airstrikes across their 2,600-kilometre frontier that killed dozens on both sides in the worst fighting since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul. Following those clashes, Turkiye and Qatar stepped in to mediate. The first round in Doha produced a fragile ceasefire, while the second, also in Doha, ended with only a general agreement to develop a mechanism for verifying compliance and a decision to continue talks. The third round concluded without any concrete agreement. The situation deteriorated again followi... -
Dawn - 15:12 Nov 28, 2025
Pakistan is probably the only cricketing nation where the discussion around pitches becomes bigger than debates on team selection or performance. This obsession did not appear recently. It really took shape three years ago, when Pakistan went through a painful home stretch. They lost a Test series to Australia with two dull draws and one defeat, were whitewashed 3-0 by England on lifeless tracks, and drew both home Tests against New Zealand. These series exposed a major flaw. Instead of being an advantage, Pakistan’s home conditions had become neutral or even harmful. Flat pitches were presented as good for batting and supposedly good for long term development, but they killed any chance of producing results. When the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman at the time, Ramiz Raja, defended this philosophy by saying it would take a year for Pakistan to be able to prepare proper five-day Test pitches, fans felt even more frustrated. Pakistan was not only losing matches but also losing identity. The shift that ha... -
Dawn - 15:00 Nov 28, 2025
Police on Friday detained 24 PTI leaders and workers following a protest at the Karachi Press Club (KPC), held to demonstrate the party’s concerns over former prime minister Imran Khan’s well-being. Reports about Imran’s ill health had swirled on social and foreign media a day ago, prompting both government and PTI leaders to dismiss the rumours and state that the former prime minister — currently held incarcerated at Rawalpindi’s Adial jail — was doing well. Several PTI workers, including women, carried banners bearing slogans in favour of the former premier as they moved towards KPC today. The party workers and leaders chanted slogans and delivered speeches. Authorities had sealed all routes leading to the KPC by placing barricades and parking vehicles. A sizeable police presence was noted at the KPC and in the surrounding areas, supported by women personnel. PTI Sindh spokesperson Mohammed Ali Bozdar said 20 PTI workers and leaders were detained; however, South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed... -
Dawn - 13:55 Nov 28, 2025
The lowest price offered in the tender from the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to purchase 100,000 metric tonnes of rice for supply to Bangladesh was estimated at $394.95 CIF liner out, European traders said on Friday. CIF liner out terms include cost, insurance, and freight shipping to a port in Bangladesh, as well as the seller’s unloading costs. No purchase has been reported and offers are still being considered, they said. Reports reflect traders’ assessments, and further price and volume estimates are still possible later. The lowest offer was reportedly submitted by the company Jhulay Lal. There were 11 participants in TCP’s tender, with other prices ranging from $397.25 to $424.80 a tonne CIF liner out, traders said. Bangladesh has been undertaking a series of import tenders in the past weeks to cool local prices. The TCP tender seeks long-grain white rice to supply to Bangladesh. Price offers have to be valid for 21 working days after submission. The rice must be available for shipment within 4... -
Dawn - 13:55 Nov 28, 2025
A Nasa rover has recorded evidence of lightning on Mars for the first time, its microphone picking up the sounds of tiny “zaps” whipped up by the dust storms constantly sweeping across the planet. Scientists have long debated whether electrical discharges could be sparking in the dusty and little-known Martian climate - but proof has been hard to come by. It turns out that Nasa’s Perseverance rover, which has been roaming the red planet since 2021, was inadvertently recording the sounds of lightning, according to a study published in Nature this week. These are far from the thundering, kilometre-long lightning bolts we see on Earth. Instead, they are “little zaps” similar to “what you might feel in dry weather when you touch your car door and there’s a bit of static electricity,” lead author Baptiste Chide of France’s CNRS research centre told AFP. While low in energy, these discharges are happening “absolutely all the time — and everywhere” on Mars, the planetary scientist said. The process starts when tiny ... -
Dawn - 13:45 Nov 28, 2025
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has launched a project to build a new air traffic control (ATC) tower and a modern rescue and firefighting station (RFFS) at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, a PAA press release said on Friday. According to the press release, the design phase of the project is expected to be completed within six months, with a two-year construction period for the tower and the station. “The facilities will be designed and constructed by MM Pakistan in [a] joint venture with CEMOSA and Fairbanks Architects from Spain, bringing international expertise in airport planning and communication and navigation/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) systems integration,” the press release read. A photo of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi from December 26, 2024. — Abyan Amir It added that senior architect Bruce Fairbanks and CNS/ATM specialist Juan Cruz Canabate participated in a four-day workshop at Jinnah International, where they interacted with local aviation professionals to establish d... -
Dawn - 13:37 Nov 28, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss all aspects of their countries’ “privileged strategic partnership” when Putin visits New Delhi next week, the Kremlin said. India, a major buyer of Russian oil, has also bought its weapons for decades, though a top defence official said the country had bought US arms worth nearly $30 billion in the past decade and aims to produce more of its own equipment. “They (the Russians) have been our friends through both fair and foul weather, and we are not going to sort of stop our defence cooperation with them anytime soon, but I do want to stress that India follows a policy of strategic autonomy,” Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said in New Delhi on Friday. India was diversifying its suppliers, he told an industry event, adding: “But more than anything else we are trying to ensure that we increasingly do spend the bulk of our money within the country.” Putin last visited India in December 2021, just a few months before Russia... -
Dawn - 13:32 Nov 28, 2025
The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has observed that the November 23 by-elections were marred by “recurring violations” of campaigning restrictions and “gaps” in results transparency. The ruling PML-N secured close to 64 per cent of the total votes polled in the by-elections for six National Assembly constituencies held on Sunday as it emerged victorious on all seats. Five constituencies were located in Punjab and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These seats, except for one, were vacated due to the disqualification of the opposition PTI MNAs. The PML-N also won six out of seven Punjab Assembly seats in the province by securing 82.41pc of the polled votes. On the seventh seat, it had not fielded its candidate in PP-269, Muzaffargarh, against PPP nominee Alamdar Qureshi. The elections monitor had issued its by-election observation report a day earlier. In an accompanying press release, it noted: “The November 23rd by-elections for 13 National and Punjab Assemblies constituencies, though largely well-managed, ... -
Dawn - 13:02 Nov 28, 2025
Noor Zaman staged a stunning 3-2 victory over compatriot Hamza Khan to retain his title at the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Serena Hotel International Squash Championship in a battle of the junior world champions. Hamza dominated the first two sets 11-9, 11-7 before second seed Noor flipped the script and took the next three games 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 to win the final and retain his title at the Mushaf Squash Complex on Friday. Noor kept his cool as he began his comeback in the third game before demolishing Hamza in the fourth. The final remained relatively smooth-sailing as both players accepted the referee’s rulings and kept arguments to a minimum. Noor dominated the fifth set with a massive 6-1 lead over Hamza before he scored another point, only for Noor to switch gears and take the score to 9-2. Hamza was inching his way back to victory at 8-10 when Noor won the game and match, dropping his racket and throwing his hands in the air in celebration. The two embraced in a long hug and exchanged words before walking ... -
Dawn - 13:01 Nov 28, 2025
The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Friday fixed a date for the Arshad Sharif murder case, where the request for an independent probe into the killing would be heard. Prominent journalist Sharif was shot in the head when Kenyan police opened fire on his car in October 2022. He had left Pakistan in August 2022 after multiple cases of sedition were registered against him in different cities. The suo motu case was taken up by a six-member constitutional bench headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan in the Supreme Court. However, after the passage of the 27th Amendment and the formation of the FCC, it was granted jurisdiction over both constitutional and suo motu cases. On Friday, the FCC cause list showed that a hearing had been scheduled for December 3, with the attorney general, the Islamabad inspector general of police (IG), and the foreign secretary among other respondents. It will be heard by a two-member bench comprising Justices Aamir Farooq and Rozi Khan Barrech, regarding an “independent and transparent ...
7393 items