Dawn
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Dawn - 20:08 Mar 29, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that both the US and Iran had expressed confidence in Pakistan to facilitate talks between them amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. He made these remarks in a televised address after a quadrilateral moot on the ongoing Middle East crisis. The meeting in Islamabad was also attended the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt. Dar said he had also held “very productive” bilateral meetings with the three foreign ministers, who also called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “As you know, the purpose of this visit of the foreign ministers was to participate in the second meeting of consultations among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, which was held today in Islamabad. “You may recall that our first meeting was held in Riyadh on March 19, 2026,” he added. Sharing details of today’s quadrilateral meeting, Dar said the four foreign ministers had a very detailed and in-depth discussion on the current regional situation. “We al... -
Dawn - 18:18 Mar 29, 2026
The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) direct flight to London in six years took to the skies on Sunday afternoon after a special inauguration ceremony at Islamabad International Airport and landed at Heathrow airport hours later. The national flag carrier is expected to operate four weekly flights from Islamabad to London. These will be operated from Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4, according to an earlier statement issued by the PIA spokesperson. PK-785’s voyage was inaugurated by Defence Secretary Lt Gen (r) Muhammad Ali, British High Commissioner Jane Mariott, and Chairman PIA Consortium Arif Habib, who jointly cut the ribbon, state-run Pakistan TV reported. The flight was scheduled to take off at 12:50pm, but faced a slight delay, eventually departing at 1:19pm. On March 26, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had said that the PIA would commence its first direct flights from Islamabad and Lahore to London’s Heathrow Airport on March 29 and 30, respectively. Last September, PIA had received the go-ahead... -
Dawn - 18:03 Mar 29, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the “remarkable restraint” exercised by Saudi Arabia amid the Middle East crisis in a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Islamabad, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Sunday. He also assured him of Pakistan’s full and unwavering solidarity and support, the statement said. The Saudi foreign minister called upon PM Shehbaz after the conclusion of quadrilateral ministerial meeting in Islamabad, attended by the FMs of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye. PM Shehbaz shared with FM Faisal Pakistan’s extensive diplomatic outreach during the current crisis, including mediation efforts for de-escalation and attempts to bring both the United States and Iran to the negotiating table, the PMO said. The Saudi FM also shared the latest Saudi perspective on the regional situation with the prime minister, who assured the visiting dignitary of Pakistan’s full and unwavering solidarity and support. The premier also emphasised Saudi Arab...
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Dawn - 16:08 Mar 29, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The PTI expressed concern on Sunday over reports about the health of Bushra Bibi, the spouse of the party’s incarcerated founder Imran Khan, demanding that she be taken to a hospital for diagnosis and treatment. The PTI’s demand came after a document dated March 28 began circulating on social media. The document is titled ‘Information regarding the health condition of female convicted prisoner Bushra Bibi, wife of Imran Khan Niazi’. It states that Bushra Bibi had been examined by a Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) doctor, according to whom the patient had a “history of blurring of vision and a black spot in the right eye for the past 11 days”. “She also complained of headache and flashes in the right eye,” the document said. Dawn has been unable to independently verify the authenticity and veracity of the document, which also carries a signature attributed to the medical officer at the Adiala jail. PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said these reports coming “from the... -
Dawn - 13:58 Mar 29, 2026
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, along with several civil society organisations, on Sunday called on authorities to immediately halt all planned and ongoing eviction operations in Islamabad’s low-income areas and katchi abadis (informal settlements). The call was made in a statement issued by the HRCP following a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad. “The All Party Alliance for Katchi Abadis, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, National Commission for Justice and Peace, Awami Workers Party, Aurat March Islamabad and allied civil society organisations strongly condemn the imminent threat of demolition and forced eviction facing residents of Allama Iqbal Colony, a 25-year-old, predominantly Christian working-class settlement reportedly slated for clearance in the coming week,” the statement read. It added: “We unequivocally reject the ongoing pattern of evictions carried out by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad, without due process, adequate notice or lawful rehabil... -
Dawn - 13:45 Mar 29, 2026
Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday mass, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said. “This morning, the Israeli Police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, together with the Custos of the Holy Land, the Most Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as they made their way to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass,” a statement from the Patriarchate said. It said the two were stopped while proceeding privately without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and had to turn back. “As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the statement said. “This ... -
Dawn - 13:32 Mar 29, 2026
United States (US) President Donald Trump’s challenge to the longstanding rule that anyone born in the US, with only narrow exceptions, is automatically a citizen echoes a similar dispute that took place on the shores of San Francisco more than a century ago. In the late 19th century, amid a wave of fervent anti-Chinese sentiment, the US government sought to prevent a young man named Wong Kim Ark from re-entering the country upon returning by steamship from a trip to his parents’ homeland of China, contending that, despite being born in the US, he was not a citizen. On March 28, 1898, the US Supreme Court (SC) disagreed, recognising that the Constitution’s 14th Amendment grants citizenship by birth on American soil, including to those like Wong whose parents were foreign nationals. A descendant worries Now his great-grandson, a San Francisco area resident, worries that the principle enshrined by his ancestor’s case may be in peril. “Wong Kim Ark knew he was an American. And he demanded that his citizenship be... -
Dawn - 13:13 Mar 29, 2026
By the 30th day of the US-Israel war on Iran, it has become increasingly clear that the conflict has crossed a critical threshold and is no longer confined to Iranian territory. The conflict is now spilling outward due to Iran’s sustained resilience, the coordinated actions of its regional proxies, and growing domestic unrest in Bahrain. These factors are effectively eroding the tactical gains achieved by US and Israeli forces. Inside Iran, US and Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours continued to target a mix of military, industrial, and increasingly civilian infrastructure, with reported hits on residential blocks in Tehran, academic institutions, aerospace facilities, energy sites and a water filtration plant in Khuzestan, alongside continued pressure on the Bushehr nuclear complex. This expanding target set tells about a shift in the US-Israel alliance’s war focus toward degrading Iran’s broader scientific and industrial base rather than only its military capabilities. Civilian casualties are becoming mo... -
Dawn - 12:39 Mar 29, 2026
Chairman Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Consortium Arif Habib on Sunday sounded the alarm over the sustainability of PIA operations in the wake of a recent 150 per cent hike in jet fuel rates, calling on the government to reverse the hike in prices. “PIA could be forced to shut down” if jet fuel prices continue to remain high, Habib warned in an interview aired on Bol News. Jet fuel (JP-1) rates have been increased without a formal announcement in recent weeks amid global supply chain uncertainty spurred by the US-Iran war. Official rates seen by Dawn suggest JP-1 prices were raised by Rs84 per litre, or 21.65pc, to Rs472 from Rs388 per litre with effect from March 21. Since March 1, the price has surged by nearly 150pc from Rs190 per litre. Habib connected the hike in jet fuel prices to the government’s subsidisation of the fiscal burden from rising oil prices on ordinary citizens, saying that the government had decided to raise the price of high-octane fuel and aviation fuel to raise money for a cros... -
Dawn - 12:01 Mar 29, 2026
As the war in Iran threatens to imperil United States President Donald Trump’s legacy, the political stakes also are rising for two of his top lieutenants: Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The pair, widely viewed as potential successors to Trump, have been thrust into still-developing negotiations to end the war at a moment when the Republican Party is already weighing its post-Trump future. Vance has taken a cautious approach, reflecting his scepticism toward prolonged US military involvement, while Rubio has aligned himself closely with Trump’s hawkish stance and emerged as one of the administration’s most vocal defenders of the campaign. Trump has said both men were involved in efforts to force Iran to accept US demands to dismantle its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and allow oil traffic to pass freely through the Strait of Hormuz. With the next presidential election due in 2028 and term limits barring Trump from running again, the president has been putting the succes... -
Dawn - 11:49 Mar 29, 2026
The information ministry on Sunday refuted a notification about a “complete and comprehensive lockdown” across the country on weekends, stating it was fake. In a post on its “fact checker” account on X, the ministry shared the notification being circulated on social media, with “fake” over it. “Avoid sharing fake news and false posts. Be a responsible citizen and only trust verified sources,” the ministry said in its post. The undated fake notification falsely quoted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as directing the enforcement of several additional measures in “view of the continuing Gulf oil crisis”. As per the document, a “complete and comprehensive lockdown throughout the country” was ordered for every Saturday and Sunday, starting from April 5 onwards. “The lockdown shall take effect every Saturday from 12:01am (00:01 hrs) and continue till 11:59pm (23:59 hrs) every Sunday,” the fake order read. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a host of austerity measures in view of the global oi... -
Dawn - 08:01 Mar 29, 2026
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) on Sunday dismissed reports of price hikes in essential medicines across the country, stating that the rates have not “undergone any upward revision”. The statement comes as stakeholders in recent news reports alleged that an unprecedented increase in medicine prices had been observed since February 2024. Pakistan Drug Lawyers Forum President Noor Muhammad Mehr, a day earlier, told Dawn that the price of the insulin delivery device HumaPen Ergo II had increased by 114 per cent The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), however, claimed that the prices of essential medicines had remained unchanged despite a more than 20 per cent rise in fuel prices. In its statement, Drap said that it “strongly refutes the factually incorrect news reports circulating on various media channels regarding the recent increase in prices of medicines”. The regulatory body stated that medicine supply in Pakistan remained “unaffected” by the conflict in the Middle Eas... -
Dawn - 07:04 Mar 29, 2026
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the ground test of an upgraded rocket engine, state media reported on Sunday, marking another key step in its weapons programme. Defence experts believe North Korea is planning to use its solid-fuel rocket engines for launching intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The engines enable faster missile launches as they require little preparation before ignition. The latest test was “part of the national defence development plan in the period of the new five-year plan”, Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without elaborating on the date or location of the test. It was the first officially confirmed high-thrust solid-fuel engine test since September last year, when state media said an engine generated a maximum thrust of 1,971 kilonewtons. KCNA reported the recent test had achieved a higher thrust of 2,500 kilonewtons. The development demonstrates North Korea’s “resolve to acquire missiles capable of hitting targets around the globe”, Hong Min,... -
Dawn - 06:21 Mar 29, 2026
Seafarers’ helplines say they are overwhelmed with messages from crews stuck in the Gulf by the Middle East war, desperately seeking repatriation, compensation and onboard supplies. “Writing to urgently inform you that our vessel is currently facing a critical situation regarding provisions and one crew health conditions,” read an email from one seafarer on March 24 to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)’s Seafarer Support team. “Immediate supply of food, drinking water, basic necessities is required to sustain the crew,” said the message to the team’s helpline. The ITF said it had received more than 1,000 emails and messages from seafarers stuck around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region since the war erupted with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Bomb strikes Some sought to clarify what their rights are while navigating a war zone, while others sent videos of bombings striking next to their ship and asked the federation for help to get off board, according to ITF documents s... -
Dawn - 04:55 Mar 29, 2026
PESHAWAR: A Pak-Afghan peace jirga will be held in Peshawar on March 31 to urge the leadership of both countries to immediately de-escalate tensions and work towards peace, former chief secretary Arbab Shehzad Khan said here on Saturday. Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club, Mr Khan, who is head of Aspire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which, along with Qaumi Islahi Tehreek, is organising the jirga, said the forum would be attended by national and political leaders, tribal elders, religious scholars, members of civil society, traders and media representatives from KP as well as Afghans residing in Pakistan. Qaumi Islahi Tehreek chief Haji Sohrab Ali Khan was also present at the presser. Mr Shehzad Khan stressed that war was not a solution to any problem and that ultimately issues were resolved through dialogue. He added that the forum would focus on promoting sustainable peace through mutual respect, confidence-building measures and serious negotiations. Former chief secretary says forum to urge leadersh... -
Dawn - 04:25 Mar 29, 2026
• 42-year-old rickshaw driver was sole breadwinner and father of three • Experts urge govt to relocate all dogs from streets to shelters with animal rights activists’ support • Absence of life-saving RIG at most hospitals termed unacceptable KARACHI: As the city lost another life to rabies on Saturday, raising the tally to seven this year, medical experts expressed their utter disappointment over the persistent government failure in addressing the public health crisis triggered by a massive increase in dog population across Karachi, while calling for humane dog culling as the last resort to provide immediate relief to hapless citizens. The latest victim, a 42-year-old rickshaw driver and resident of a Garden locality, was the sole breadwinner and father of three. Family sources said that the patient was “treated” at a major government tertiary care hospital in Saddar for serious dog bite injuries over a month ago. Two weeks back, they said, he developed fever, restlessness and pain at the wound site, forcing ... -
Dawn - 04:19 Mar 29, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s exports to major Western European markets are experiencing a consistent decline despite GSP+ status, sparking concerns over diminishing demand for Pakistani goods. The decline occurs as the European Union has signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with India on Jan 27, a major textile competitor of Pakistan, and amid initial concerns that Pakistan might be excluded from the GSP+ scheme, which offers duty-free access for certain products. Trade analysts warn that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East may further reduce export demand, as rising energy costs are likely to constrain consumer spending in Europe, which is already under pressure from the economic fallout of the Ukraine war. They caution that these strains could decrease purchasing power and further impact demand for imported goods, including those from Pakistan. Official data compiled by the State Bank of Pakistan showed that exports to European countries recorded a marginal year-on-year increase of 0.95 per cent to $6.122 billi... -
Dawn - 04:06 Mar 29, 2026
LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday offloaded two passengers at Multan International Airport over their alleged involvement in an illegal immigration attempt. According to an FIA spokesperson, the action was taken by immigration staff at Multan airport during routine screening of outbound passengers. Noor Islam and Sikandar Alam were scheduled to depart for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. However, initial scrutiny raised suspicions, prompting officials to refer them to secondary screening for detailed profiling. During further examination, the officials found Moroccan visas affixed to their passports. Upon questioning, both admitted that their actual destination was Spain, rather than Saudi Arabia. The FIA officials said the development aligns with recent alerts issued by FIA headquarters regarding a growing trend in which travellers attempt to use Umrah visas as a cover to enter Europe illegally via Morocco. Following the findings, both passengers were offloaded from the flight and shif... -
Dawn - 04:02 Mar 29, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Port activities in Pakistan have increased following Iran’s retaliatory closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to illegal US-Israel attacks. Meanwhile, fuel supply to Pakistan via sea remains steady and regular. The details released by the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) showed that it recorded the highest vessel traffic. In March, 450,000 tonnes of petroleum fuel were handled across 17 ships, with arrivals from Oman, Fujairah, Singapore, Sohar, Yanbu, and Iraq. With the introduction of night navigation for LPG ships, modernised systems and dedicated terminals ensured smooth operations without congestion, while bunkering activities also increased. This includes 11 ships carrying 417,000 tonnes of petroleum products and six ships carrying 33,000 tonnes of LPG. As war wages in the Persian Gulf, the shipping lines rerouted to Pakistan. The transhipment operations too have increased, and the Qasim International Container Terminal, situated in Port Qasim, handled 3,485 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) ac... -
Dawn - 03:40 Mar 29, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank is expected to approve a loan of $250 million to Pakistan for resilience, early action, and disaster preparedness in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one of the country’s most flood-prone regions. The loan, provided by the International Development Association (IDA), aims to improve flood resilience in selected areas of the province. It is expected to be approved by the World Bank’s executive board in June this year. The province has sustained significant damage and losses from flooding over the years, with approximately $2.3 billion in cumulative damages from major flood events in 2010, 2022, and 2025 alone. More recently, the 2025 monsoon triggered localised riverine, glacial, and flash flooding, resulting in 509 fatalities. Building flood resilience is fundamental to KP’s long-term development, poverty reduction, and job creation. However, the scale of flood risk facing the province far exceeds what public finances can absorb through reactive recovery and reconstruction. Funding to be provided...
10732 items