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Dawn - 16:33 Sep 09, 2025
At least nine pigs’ heads were found outside several mosques in the Paris region on Tuesday, the city’s police chief said — an incident that has sparked alarm over rising anti-Muslim hatred. “Pigs’ heads have been left in front of certain mosques … Four in Paris and five in the inner suburbs,” Laurent Nunez told a press conference, adding that officers were not “ruling out the possibility of finding more”. Police have opened a probe into incitement to hatred aggravated by racial or religious discrimination, Nunez said, calling the acts “despicable”. The consumption of pork is forbidden in Islam as the meat is believed to be impure. Several of the heads had the surname of President Emmanuel Macron scrawled on them in blue ink, the Paris prosecutor’s office told AFP. Nunez said there could be parallels with past incidents linked to “foreign interference” but urged “extreme caution”. In early June, three Serbs were charged over the vandalism of Jewish sites in a case investigators suspect was backed by Russia. F... -
Dawn - 15:32 Sep 09, 2025
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Tuesday acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while sentencing Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and others to 10 years in prison over yet another May 9 riots case, pertaining to the burning of police vehicles near Jinnah House. Following the arrest of ex-premier Imran Khan on May 9, 2023, from the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) premises, riots erupted across the country and went on for at least 24 hours. Protesters vandalised and torched government buildings and military installations, while also breaking into the residence of the Lahore corps commander. The state subsequently launched a crackdown against him and his party, filing several other cases against Imran and party leaders since the events of May 9. Sarwar Road Police had registered a case against the PTI leaders on charges of setting police vehicles on fire near Jinnah House (Corps Commander House). Advocate Rana Mudassar confirmed the development to Dawn.com, saying ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill acq... -
Dawn - 14:52 Sep 09, 2025
Five members of a family were killed in a road accident on the Hazara Motorway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Haripur district late on Monday night, according to Rescue 1122. Faraz Bilal Sidiqqui, the spokesperson for Rescue 1122 in Haripur, told Dawn.com that the accident took place when a trailer en route to Rawalpindi collided with a car near Maqsood interchange on the motorway. “As a result, five members of a family, including three men and two women, were killed,” he said. Sidiqqui added that rescue personnel shifted the dead bodies to a type-D hospital in Havelian. Accidents are common on highways and motorways across Pakistan, caused by reckless driving, speeding, driver fatigue, and poor vehicle maintenance. Poor road conditions contribute to mishaps, while weak enforcement of traffic laws allows violations to go unchecked, worsening the situation. In August, a policeman deployed on the security of a Chinese delegation had died while six others, including a deputy superintendent of police, were injured when ... -
Dawn - 14:45 Sep 09, 2025
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan won the Senate by-election from Punjab on Tuesday, according to unofficial results. According to Form-56 of the election results, the government candidate Sanaullah won after getting 250 votes. The polling was held at the Punjab Assembly. Out of 363 members of the provincial legislature, 251 cast their ballots and one vote was rejected. Sanaullah and the opposition’s Salma Ejaz, wife of disqualified candidate Ejaz Chaudhry, were in the fray. However, the opposition PTI had boycotted the by-election for the seat that fell vacant due to the disqualification of party senator Chaudhry. The government alliance had a majority of 263 voters, while the opposition had the support of 100 voters. The polling process in the Punjab Assembly continued uninterrupted from 9am to 4pm. Addressing the media after his victory, Sanaullah said, “The PTI did not choose to boycott the democratic process but chose to escape from the elections. Their boycott of the... -
Dawn - 13:29 Sep 09, 2025
School teachers across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will soon require a licence to continue teaching, as part of the government’s efforts to ensure high educational standards, the province’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said on Tuesday. Last year, Sindh became the first province to introduce a teaching licence test under its teaching licence policy — introduced in 2023 — in a bid to ensure a higher calibre of educators in schools. According to a notification issued by the department, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, “only registered and licensed teachers will be authorised to teach at schools”, for which the education department will set up a regulatory body. The regulatory body will be responsible for issuing licences, as well as renewing them based on the teachers’ performance, the notification said. The establishment of the licensing regulatory body aims to “improve the quality of education”, enhance student learning outcomes, by ensuring that only “licensed and professionally qualifie... -
Dawn - 13:15 Sep 09, 2025
Pakistan captain Salman Agha and his Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav will not tell their teammates to temper aggression when the arch-rivals clash in a geopolitically-charged men’s Asia Cup contest in Dubai on Sunday. It will be the first cricket match between the sides since four days of military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May this year. While players from both sides have shared cordial relations over the years despite geopolitical realities, both captains were asked if they would instruct their players to dial down their aggression, considering the larger context. “You don’t need to say anything to any player because every individual is different,” a relaxed-looking Salman said at the captains’ pre-tournament media interaction in Dubai on Tuesday. “If someone wants to be aggressive in the field, they are more than welcome to do that. “When it comes to fast bowlers, they are always aggressive and you can’t stop them because that’s what keeps them going. “So from my side, there is no... -
Dawn - 12:11 Sep 09, 2025
Pakistan’s Drug Regulatory Authority (Drap) on Tuesday ordered the withdrawal of a batch of Anarob antibiotic drip after it was found to contain harmful levels of bacterial toxins. Anarob Infusion is an intravenous antibiotic drip containing metronidazole, commonly used in hospitals to treat serious bacterial infections in the stomach, skin, lungs, joints, and other parts of the body when oral medicines are not effective. A medical product alert issued today said Drap’s Central Drugs Laboratory had informed the body that samples of the drug were declared “substandard” due to being out of specification for bacterial endotoxins. “Use of this contaminated infusion may cause severe adverse reactions such as fever, chills, septic shock and life-threatening complications. Hospitalised and immunocompromised patients are at the greatest risk,” the authority warned. It said its field force and Provincial Drug Control departments were directed to immediately conduct market surveys to detect and remove the affected batc... -
Dawn - 11:04 Sep 09, 2025
At least four firemen and one cameraman of a private TV channel were injured on Tuesday when a huge fire destroyed a garment factory in New Karachi Industrial Area, according to police and rescue services officials. Central District Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi told Dawn.com that the factory building that originally caught fire collapsed, and four firemen were injured as a result. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan, in a statement, said, “Besides the four firefighters, a cameraman of a private TV channel was also injured due to the building collapse.” New Karachi Industrial Area Station House Officer (SHO) Rizwan Qureshi told Dawn.com that the fire erupted at around 6:30am and factory building collapsed around noon. According to SSP Siddiqi, the presence of diesel drums compounded the fire, which spread rapidly, engulfing two more industrial units in its vicinity. The injured firefighters were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, while further checks were being car... -
Dawn - 11:02 Sep 09, 2025
Pakistani authorities allegedly spying on millions through mass surveillance systems: Amnesty report
Pakistani authorities have allegedly been surveilling over four million of its citizens, via tools of mass surveillance, acquired from private foreign companies, further clamping down on the country’s cyber landscape, an Amnesty International report revealed on Tuesday. The report, titled “Shadows of Control: Censorship and Mass Surveillance in Pakistan“ alleged that “Pakistani authorities have continued to unlawfully surveil the country’s citizens, including regular citizens, journalists, as well as prominent politicians.” The rights watchdog stated that Pakistani authorities allegedly “use the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS) to surveil a significant portion of the population’s digital activity through Pakistani telecommunications providers.” The number of phones under surveillance could be higher as all four major mobile operators have been ordered to connect to LIMS, Amnesty technologist Jurre van Berge told Reuters. The report, citing the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), said that tel... -
Dawn - 09:50 Sep 09, 2025
Pakistan and Kazakhstan on Tuesday signed the Action Plan of Cooperation to boost bilateral ties, according to a statement by the Foreign Office. The two countries maintain friendly diplomatic relations, with Kazakhstan being Pakistan’s top export destination among Central Asian countries. According to Kazakh envoy Yerzhan Kistafin, bilateral trade was growing and surged to $239 million. Earlier today, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a “tête-à-tête” with his Kazakh counterpart Murat Nurtleu, the FO said in a post on X. They held a meeting in Islamabad where both sides “reaffirmed their resolve to deepen their political and economic ties”, state media Radio Pakistan reported. “The two sides also vowed to enhance regional connectivity and maintain close coordination ahead of the forthcoming [Kazakhstan’s] presidential visit in November this year,” it added. In another post, the FO noted that the delegations held high-level talks on the “full spectrum of Pakistan- Kazakhstan cooperation... -
Dawn - 07:25 Sep 09, 2025
KARACHI: Amid an ongoing operation against gangs operating in riverine areas, more than 260 dacoits have contacted police and expressed their willingness to surrender along with their weapons, on the condition that the government facilitates their reintegration into society, it emerged on Monday. Well-placed sources told Dawn that the present flood situation in the riverine areas was one of the key factors behind the dacoits’ willingness to surrender. They said that the development was discussed during the inaugural meeting of the Katcha Areas Monitoring Committee (KAMC), which reviewed the ongoing anti-bandit operations, the security situation and the provincial government’s broader strategy. The sources said that the Larkana police have informed their high-ups that more than 260 dacoits in the Katcha area have expressed their willingness to surrender in view of the impending flood threat. Over 260 dacoits contacted Larkana police, sought reintegration support from govt, meeting told Talking to Dawn, Home Mi... -
Dawn - 07:16 Sep 09, 2025
KASUR: The district administration continues to evacuate, transport, provide food and fodder to the flood-hit villagers as the Sutlej is flowing with ‘exceptionally high’ flood level. However, flood victims have alleged discriminatory behaviour in relief efforts. They claim that Ganda Singh Talwar post has received undue attention due to visits by ministers and prominent political figures, while other severely affected areas like Kanganpur, Mandi Usmanwala, and Balloki, where relief camps were officially set up are being neglected. During a provincial assembly session on Saturday, PML-N MPA Ahsan Raza openly criticised his own government for the allegedly biased distribution of aid. He accused the administration of favouritism in distributing food and fodder, particularly at politically significant points. Flood victims across multiple areas continue to face severe hardships due to a shortage of boats. This shortage has not only hampered evacuation efforts but also delayed the supply of essential food, fodder... -
Dawn - 06:07 Sep 09, 2025
KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Monday granted bail to a man and his wife who were arrested for allegedly burning their teenage maid with an electric iron at their home. The couple, identified as Shahroz Muhammad Ali and Kanwal, were arrested on Sunday by the Ferozabad police, which registered a case against them under Sections 328-A (cruelty to a child) and 337-A (i) (shajjah) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 14-(1) of the Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act, 2017. The said section of the child law states: “Whoever employs any child shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with a fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees, or with both.” On Monday, the investigating officer produced the couple before Judicial Magistrate (East) Hameedullah and sought their physical remand for further interrogation. Meanwhile, the defence counsel requested the court to grant them bail, arguing that the offences mentioned in the FIR were bailable. After hea... -
Dawn - 06:01 Sep 09, 2025
A report published by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) on Tuesday found that national laws in many Commonwealth member countries severely impede press freedom and unduly restrict the right to freedom of expression. A press release stated that the CHRI, the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) called on member states to urgently repeal “laws that criminalise legitimate public speech” and take decisive action to protect media workers and watchdogs from violence and intimidation. “The report Who Controls the Narrative? Legal Restrictions on Freedom of Expression in the Commonwealth finds that criminal provisions for speech offences, including defamation and sedition, as well as violations of national security laws, are arbitrarily applied to intimidate and silence journalists, human rights defenders, and government critics,” the press release read. “A key objective, the authors argue, must be to decriminalise defamation laws in 41 Commonwealth c... -
Dawn - 05:15 Sep 09, 2025
KARACHI: Following a surge in sugar prices, consumers are now facing higher costs for flour and roti across various parts of Pakistan as wheat and flour prices continue to rise. In Karachi, tandoor operators have raised the price of various roti varieties by an average of Rs2 per piece, which will mainly impact low- and middle-income groups, particularly daily wage earners and the labour class, who typically rely on eating their meals at local eateries. The sharp rise in prices is evident in branded flour, with some millers raising the cost of a five-kilogram bag of fine flour to Rs700, up from Rs500 on Aug 1 and Rs600 on Sept 1, despite the arrival of the new wheat crop earlier this year. Retailers report that large-scale traders are likely profiting from the rise in prices, taking advantage of the higher demand for old flour stocks. Some market analysts believe the ongoing wheat crisis is unrelated to the recent floods in Punjab and other regions, as the new wheat crop was harvested in March/April. However,... -
Dawn - 04:11 Sep 09, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The government announced on Monday that Pakistan and China had agreed to form a consortium of bilateral and multilateral partners to finance the $7 billion Mainline-1 (ML-1) railway project, along with a four-year action plan (2025-29) for the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Speaking at a news conference, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to China, the two sides had agreed to constitute a consortium of financiers, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), China and Pakistan, for the 1,700-km Karachi-Peshawar railway line. He said China had assured financing not only for ML-1 but also for the Karakoram Highway. Negotiations with multiple financiers would be concluded within a month. He added that ML-1 and the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway would already have been completed, had it not been for the 2018 political change, alleging that the subsequent PTI gove... -
Dawn - 02:42 Sep 09, 2025
LAHORE: Floods in Punjab, which have submerged more than 1.3 million acres of farmland along the eastern rivers, have caused significant damage to the Kharif crops, particularly cotton, prompting fears of food inflation. Floods have displaced two million people, submerged 2,000 villages, and led to the relocation of 760,000 residents and 516,000 heads of cattle from the affected areas. The satellite imagery of 24 Punjab districts in the command areas of the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers shows that around 3,661 square kilometres, or 4.7 per cent of the total area, remained under floodwaters. The floods have devastated key crops, including rice, sugarcane, corn, vegetables, and cotton. According to the Pakistan Business Forum, approximately 35pc of the cotton crop in central and southern Punjab has been destroyed, with losses reaching as high as 40-50pc in Bahawalnagar, the province’s largest cotton-producing district. Kissan Board leader claims losses to tune of Rs500bn; over 1.3m acres of farmland submerge... -
Dawn - 02:33 Sep 09, 2025
KARACHI: Remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis have remained robust despite the rationalisation of incentives for banks and exchange companies. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), remittance inflows in the first two months of FY26 rose by 7pc, dispelling fears that a reduction in incentives would lead to a decline in remittances. In August, remittances totalled $3.137 billion, showing a 6.6pc year-on-year increase. However, the monthly inflows saw a slight decline of 2.4pc compared to July, when they were $3.214bn. While the growth in the first two months of FY26 is positive, it pales in comparison to the remarkable growth witnessed during the same period last fiscal year. Remittances surged by 44pc in 2MFY25 compared to FY24. This extraordinary growth contributed to a record annual total of $38.3bn, which helped maintain exchange rate stability and allowed the SBP to increase its foreign reserves by $7.8bn, reaching $14.5bn. The government does not expect remittance growth to match the record l... -
Dawn - 18:00 Sep 08, 2025
Weeks of torrential monsoon rains have unleashed catastrophic floods across the country, killing more than 920 people, displacing nearly two million, submerging vast stretches of farmland, and sweeping away homes, schools and livestock. The disaster could now trigger one of the country’s largest internal migrations since the devastating 2010 floods, aid agencies and local experts warn. “Migration has already started in several areas as unprecedented rains and floods have left nothing behind for millions of people,” Shaukat Ali Chadhar, president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Agriculture, told Anadolu. Chadhar said the ongoing deluges have already affected around 10m people dependent on agriculture across the country, mainly in Punjab. “A multi-pronged combination of rains and floods has affected the farmers in many ways, destroying stored and standing crops, agricultural lands and livestock,” he explained, saying it could take up to 18 months for the land to become cultivable again. “This gloomy s... -
Dawn - 17:45 Sep 08, 2025
The Rawalpindi Police on Monday booked PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, party lawyer Naeem Panjutha and others for violence against a journalist outside Adiala Jail. A first information report (FIR) was filed at the Saddar Bairooni Police Station today on the complaint of Supreme Court Press Association President Tayyab Baloch under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 382 (theft after preparation made causing death, hurt or restraint in order to committing of the theft), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Baloch said that he was present outside Adiala Jail at around 3:55pm for reporting with other journalists when Aleema and other people began a media talk after a hearing for the Toshakhana case. “During this time, a person named Naeem Panjutha called out: ‘Teach him a lesson for questioning Aleem...
5467 items