Dawn
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Dawn - 03:29 Jun 16, 2025
• Petrol hiked by Rs4.80, diesel rates rise by Rs7.95 • Crisis deepens in Balochistan as supply from Iran disrupted • ME conflict worries global markets QUETTA/KARACHI: The federal government has jacked up the prices of both petrol and diesel, with their rates climbing by Rs4.80 and Rs7.95 per litre, respectively. According to a Finance Division notification issued on late Sunday night, the new prices had been determined “based on the recommendations of Ogra (Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority) and the relevant ministries”. High-speed diesel (HSD), which previously cost Rs254.64 per litre, will now be sold for Rs262.59. Similarly, petrol, which cost Rs253.63 per litre, will now be available for Rs258.43. Previous estimates suggested that petrol and diesel prices would increase by about Re1 and Rs5 per litre, respectively, for the next fortnight, owing to higher international market prices. Fuel crisis deepens in Balochistan Meanwhile, the fuel crisis in Balochistan has taken a serious turn amid the escalating I... -
Dawn - 03:27 Jun 16, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly speaker has refused to form a parliamentary panel to pick a new chief and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) before the completion of the consultation between the prime minister and opposition leader. Earlier, on Feb 11, Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said he had formally written to the government and the opposition, seeking nominations for the parliamentary panel. “The parliamentary committee will be formed once the nominations are received,” he had said during a sitting of the National Assembly. A spokesperson for the National Assembly said on Sunday that the speaker has so far not received any formal letter from the prime minister about the formation of the parliamentary committee for the appointment of the CEC and two members of the ECP. “The process will commence only once the letter is officially received”, the spokesman added. He further said that the premier had already initiated the required consultation with the Leader of the Opposition on May 16, 2025... -
Dawn - 20:04 Jun 15, 2025
The Finance Division on Sunday night notified hefty increases in the prices of both petrol and diesel, with the rates climbing by Rs4.80 and Rs7.95 per litre, respectively. According to a notification seen by Dawn.com, the finance division stated that the new prices had been determined “based on the recommendations of Ogra (Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority) and the relevant ministries”. From June 16, high-speed diesel (HSD), which previously cost Rs254.64 per litre, will now be sold for Rs262.59. Similarly, petrol, which cost Rs253.63 per litre, will now be available for Rs258.43. Previous estimates suggested that petrol and diesel prices would increase by about Re1 and Rs5 per litre, respectively, for the next fortnight, owing to higher international market prices. Based on existing tax rates, informed sources said that the ex-depot price of petrol was estimated to go up by about Re1 per litre depending on final calculation on June 15, followed by a Rs5 per litre increase in HSD. Earlier this week, ... -
Dawn - 18:38 Jun 15, 2025
As Israel and Iran continued an intense exchange of missiles for a third day, Israel’s National Emergency Service reported on Sunday night that at least four people were injured in Haifa following Iranian missile strikes, Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera reported. Israel launched an air offensive against Iran on Friday, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop Tehran building an atomic weapon, which the latter has consistently denied, saying its uranium enrichment programme is for civilian purposes. What we know so far: Trump insists Israel and Iran should ‘make a deal’ Production suspended after Israel hits Iran’s South Pars gas field At least 13 killed, over 380 injured in Israel as Tehran responds with another missile barrage Germany, France, UK offer talks over nuclear programme British minister signals possible support for Israel; Iran denies asking Cyprus to convey messages to Israel 3 drones reportedly aimed at US base in Iraq shot down as Trump warns against att... -
Dawn - 16:56 Jun 15, 2025
The Indus River remains colonised, declared activists, lawyers, and civil society members at a climate justice conference in Karachi on Sunday, calling for resistance against extractive policies and the erasure of indigenous knowledge. Arranged by the Climate Action Centre, ‘The Indus Resistance Conference’, held for the first time, is a forum aiming to amplify the voices of “frontline defenders” against the exploitation of natural resources. The first of its kind, the conference brought together women, the working class, lawyers, students and journalists committed to the cause of climate justice. Pakistan was ranked as the most vulnerable country to climate change in 2022. “The Indus River is on its deathbed,” said Yasir Darya, founder of the Climate Action Centre (CAC), as he initiated the one-day conference, addressing resource theft and climate injustice in Sindh. He called for granting the river “personhood status” to ensure its preservation against what he termed “colonial policies, water theft, and cap... -
Dawn - 15:28 Jun 15, 2025
The ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel has started affecting Balochistan, with the provincial government issuing orders on Sunday to close all borders and crossing points with Iran in Turbat, Panjgur and Gwadar for an indefinite period. The development comes as Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that 450 Pakistani pilgrims were evacuated from Iran earlier today, with more to follow from the neighbouring country as well as from Iraq. Israel launched an air offensive against Iran on Friday, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop Tehran building an atomic weapon, which the latter has consistently denied, saying its uranium enrichment programme is for civilian purposes. According to statements issued by deputy commissioners (DC) across the province today, the Balochistan government has closed all Iranian borders adjacent to the Gwadar district and imposed a ban on travel corridors due to the deteriorating situation in the region. A statement issued by the Gwada... -
Dawn - 15:09 Jun 15, 2025
A couple from Faisalabad was killed in a suspected “honour” killing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Maulana Kaly Fatma area of Mardan district on Saturday, police officials said. According to the first information report (FIR) filed by the slain man’s brother, Mazhar Iqbal, 51-year-old Zafar Iqbal had returned from Faisalabad to Mardan after many years. Zafar was accompanied by his wife, Farzana alias Gul Bibi, aged 40. Mazhar stated that the couple was at his house when the suspects forcibly entered and opened indiscriminate fire on his brother and sister-in-law, killing them on the spot. He added that he, along with his wife and children, narrowly escaped the attack. He nominated suspects Sarbuland, Munir Khan, Asad Shah, and Imran — all residents of Jehangira — along with Wajid and Muhammad Hussain from Babenai. The complainant urged the police to register a case against them for trespassing, attacking his family, causing bodily damage, and murdering his brother and sister-in-law, the FIR said. Muhammad Faheem, sp... -
Dawn - 14:41 Jun 15, 2025
US President Donald Trump’s administration is considering significantly expanding its travel ban by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. Earlier this month, the Republican president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying the move was needed to protect the United States against “foreign terrorists” and other national security threats. The directive was part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students from US universities and deport others. In an internal diplomatic cable signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action. “The Department has... -
Dawn - 14:34 Jun 15, 2025
American entrepreneur Michael Saylor on Sunday lauded Pakistan’s efforts to move towards cryptocurrency and digital assets, according to a press release from the office of the State Minister on Blockchain and Crypto Bilal Bin Saqib. Pakistan is establishing itself as a key player in the global cryptocurrency economy and setting trends rather than following them in the digital currency space, said Saqib, who is also the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) Chief Executive Officer. The PCC was officially launched in March to “regulate and integrate blockchain technology and digital assets” into the country’s financial landscape. According to the press release, Saylor had a meeting with Saqib and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, where the discussion revolved around how Bitcoin can serve as a tool for sovereign reserves, monetary resilience and driving long-term digital economic transformation. Calling Saylor “one of the most influential voices in Bitcoin’s institutional adoption”, the statement outlined that his en... -
Dawn - 13:25 Jun 15, 2025
Group of Seven (G7) leaders will gather in the Canadian Rockies starting on Sunday amid growing splits with the United States over foreign policy and trade, with host Canada striving to avoid clashes with US President Donald Trump. While Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says his priorities are strengthening peace and security, building critical mineral supply chains and creating jobs, issues such as US tariffs and the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine are expected to feature heavily. US ally Israel launched a barrage of strikes across Iran on Thursday, a blow to Trump’s diplomatic efforts to prevent such an attack. The summit will take place in the mountain resort of Kananaskis, some 90 kilometres west of Calgary. The last time Canada played host, in 2018, Trump left the summit before denouncing then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “very dishonest and weak” and instructing the US delegation to withdraw its approval of the final communique. “This will be a successful meeting if Donald Trump... -
Dawn - 12:11 Jun 15, 2025
Ukraine on Sunday said it had received another transfer of 1,200 bodies from Russia as part of an exchange agreement struck in Istanbul talks earlier this month. “Another 1,200 bodies which the Russian side claims belong to Ukrainian citizens, including military personnel, were returned to Ukraine,” Kyiv’s headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war wrote on social media. “In total, 4,812 bodies have been returned this week,” Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said on Facebook. “I am grateful to everyone involved in this humanitarian mission,” he said. Ukraine has not said whether it has transferred any bodies to the Russian side. The two sides agreed a large-scale exchange of prisoners and bodies of killed soldiers during their latest round of direct talks in Istanbul on June 2. Both Russia and Ukraine typically do not disclose their military losses. In a rare public estimate, President Volodymyr Zelensky told US news outlet NBC earlier this year that more than 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have bee... -
Dawn - 11:21 Jun 15, 2025
Several suspects were arrested and a cache of heavy weapons seized during a joint search and strike operation carried out by the police, counter terrorism department, and the army in Bannu district of Khyber Pakthunkwa. In a statement, Bannu police spokesperson, Khanzala Quraishi, said law enforcement agencies received a tip-off about the presence of suspicious individuals in Barganto and Kam Chashmi areas within the jurisdiction of Domel police station. Acting on the information, a large-scale operation was swiftly launched on the instructions of Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan and led by District Police Officer Saleem Abbas Kalachi, on the reported presence of terrorists. Bannu Brigade Commander Brigadier Naveed Ahmed, SP CTD Fazal Wahid, SP Investigation Sajid Mumtaz, SP Rural Mahmood Nawaz, SDPOs, SHOs, CTD officials, Quick Response Force (QRF), Ladies Police, BDS, and Pakistan Army personnel participated in the operation. During the operation, police deployed modern technology, including drone camera... -
Dawn - 10:31 Jun 15, 2025
Officials from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) surveyed the site of Air India plane crash that killed at least 271 people, sources said on Sunday, with families continuing to wait for DNA profiling results to identify charred bodies. Along with the NTSB, officials from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were in Ahmedabad in western India’s Gujarat state surveying the crash site, said one source with direct knowledge. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board bound for Gatwick Airport south of London began losing height seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on Thursday, and erupted in a huge fireball as it hit buildings below. All but one on board were declared dead in the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade. Around 30 people died on the ground. Air India and the Indian government were looking at several aspects of the crash including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. The secr... -
Dawn - 09:50 Jun 15, 2025
At least three members of a family died and three others went missing on Sunday after their car plunged into a river stream in the Shinbar area of district Nagar, Gilgit-Baltistan. Rescue 1122 official Nizamuddin told Dawn.com that the family was returning from a marriage ceremony when their car plunged into a stream, resulting in the drowning of six people and injuries to one. He said rescue divers had recovered three bodies, while a search operation was ongoing to locate the remaining three missing individuals. Sajid Ali, spokesperson for the Nagar district police officer, also confirmed the incident and said the car was en route to Chalt Bala when it plunged into the river stream. He added that the bodies were transported to the District Headquarters Hospital in Nagar, while the injured had been referred to a hospital in Gilgit for further treatment. The spokesperson identified the deceased as Ghulam Abbas, Sher Baz Ali, and Zohaib Ahmad. Those reported missing are Sharafat Hussain, Muhammad Hussain, and A... -
Dawn - 09:47 Jun 15, 2025
Police have registered a first information report (FIR) in the case of a 14-year-old girl with mental and physical disabilities being allegedly sexually assaulted in Punjab’s Hafizabad district. Sahil’s Six Months Cruel Numbers data reveals that a total of 1,630 cases of child abuse were reported from across the country last year. In the first six months of 2024, 862 cases of child sexual abuse, 668 cases of abduction, 82 cases of missing children and 18 cases of child marriages were reported. 48 cases of pornography after sexual abuse were also recorded. The victim was brought to the hospital due to her health condition, where, during a medical check-up, it was discovered that she was six months pregnant. An application for action was filed by the victim’s family on Saturday at the City Hafizabad Police Station, on which case number 1152/25 was formally registered on Sunday under Section 376 (3) (Whoever commits rape of a minor or a person with mental or physical disability, shall be punished with death or i... -
Dawn - 09:19 Jun 15, 2025
Karachi is expected to receive rain on Monday, accompanied by a dust thunderstorm, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The PMD has predicted that a “westerly wave is affecting upper parts of the country & moist currents also penetrating in eastern parts of the province”. Cloudy weather with temperatures ranging from 36–38 degrees Celsius is expected to persist throughout the metropolis tomorrow. Humidity levels are expected to touch 70-80 per cent in the morning. “Dust-thunderstorm /rain likely in Karachi division on tomorrow & isolated places at outskirts of Karachi division on Tuesday,” the weather advisory read. Under the influence of this system, the following parts of Sindh are expected to receive rain accompanied by dust thunderstorm at isolated places today: Ghotki, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Qamber Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Khairpur, Dadu, Nosheroferoz, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparker, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, T.M.Khan, T.A.Yar, Hyderabad, Mitiari, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin and Jamshoro ... -
Dawn - 08:45 Jun 15, 2025
US President Donald Trump hosted the largest US military parade in decades on his 79th birthday on Saturday, as protesters rallied across the country to accuse him of acting like a dictator. Trump hailed the United States as the “hottest country in the world” after watching tanks, aircraft, and troops file past him in Washington to honour the 250th anniversary of the US army. But it formed a stark split screen with turmoil at home and abroad, as police used teargas to disperse protesters in Los Angeles and US ally Israel traded missile fire with Iran in a rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East. Trump’s parade on an overcast night in Washington came after tens of thousands of “No Kings” demonstrators thronged the streets in cities including New York, Philadelphia, Houston and Atlanta. Trump largely avoided his usual domestic political diatribes in an unusually brief speech, and instead focused on praising the US army, saying that they “fight, fight, fight, and they win, win, win”. View this post on Ins... -
Dawn - 08:36 Jun 15, 2025
THE ‘ancient’ sculpture.—Dawn MITHI: An apparently centuries-old wooden sculpture of a robed, bearded man has been discovered in the hilly region of Karoonjhar, Nagarparkar, intriguing historians and archaeologists about its cultural origins. Sources privy to the discovery said the artefact was recovered near a seasonal riverbed in the Karoonjhar hills by area residents and social activists. The intricately carved wooden statue depicts a robed man with traditional features, and is believed to be of considerable antiquity. Preliminary observations suggest it may be linked to ancient eastern cultures, though its exact provenance remains unclear. Researcher and writer Khalid Kumhar, who had extensively documented the historical geography of Tharparkar, remarked that the design and posture of the statue appeared to reflect influences of East Asian or Chinese culture. “The statue does not match known relics of Buddhist or Jain iconography common to this region,” he noted. The discovery drew the attention of the S... -
Dawn - 08:17 Jun 15, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Vowing to start work on Hyderabad-Sukkar Motorway (HSM) this year, federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Saturday said the project had been divided into five segments. The minister also revealed that the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has expressed willingness to fund the project while final decision regarding the loan approval was expected in September this year after its board meeting. Commenting on the media talk of Sindh chief minister regarding the motorways, Mr Aleem said that he takes responsibility for the past year only but does not want to comment on the inaction of previous governments regarding the construction of the HSM and Karachi motorways. He emphasised the corporate importance of connecting Karachi Port to the National Motorway network, highlighting that without this connection, the motorway’s utility for import, export, and business would be of no use. Minister vows to start work on the project this year He pointed out that various political parties, including t... -
Dawn - 07:28 Jun 15, 2025
In 1977, when an alliance of anti-government parties kicked off a protest movement against alleged fraud in the elections, the then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto made a television address in which he thumped the chair he was sitting on and declared, “Ye kursi bohat mazboot hai [This chair is very strong].” A few days later, a furniture brand known for its chairs, Chairman, released a press ad with the caption, “Humari kursi sab se mazboot hai [Our chair is the strongest].” That one press ad put the brand smack dab in the middle of a political discourse that was raging at the time. Some understood the ad as mocking Bhutto, while others believed it was supporting him. The brand was doing neither. It was simply trying to gain some relevance during a time when a majority of Pakistanis were split into two camps and politics was all they were talking about. Uncannily, Chairman did something that was ahead of its time. There is now enough evidence that in today’s polarised societies, consumer brands and their a...
1284 items