Dawn
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Dawn - 09:33 Aug 29, 2025
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Hyderabad has arrested three “most-wanted” terrorists affiliated with the banned Sindhu Desh Revolutionary Army (SRA) in Jamshoro district during an intelligence-based operation, a statement from CTD said on Friday. In 2020, the interior ministry banned the SRA, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz-Aresar Group (JSQM-A), and Sindhu Desh Liberation Army (SLA) under the Anti-Terrorism Act. “CTD Hyderabad established a network to eliminate these terrorists through which information about them was obtained,” the statement said, adding that they were planning to carry out bomb blasts and targeted killings in Hyderabad city. “The terrorists of the banned SRA were wanted in the cases related to firing on cargo trawlers going to Punjab, especially in the areas of district Sujawal.” The statement detailed that the terrorists were found to possess a hand grenade, explosive material, detonator, ball bearings, nut bolts, remote control, battery, and prohibited weapons, including an 8MM rifle and ... -
Dawn - 07:06 Aug 29, 2025
Far above Kabul, the cash-strapped Taliban government has located a potentially lucrative revenue stream: Afghanistan’s airspace. As Israel and Iran’s exchange of missiles threw flight paths into disarray this year, the skies above Afghanistan offered carriers a less turbulent and faster route to ply — for a flat $700 overflight fee, according to industry insiders. The US aviation authority eased restrictions on the country’s airspace and paved the way for commercial flyovers in 2023, two years after the Taliban takeover. Airspace that had long been avoided — as the country endured four decades of war and shifting powerbrokers — suddenly became a viable option, allowing carriers to abbreviate routes and save on fuel costs. But it was not until the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June that the route really gained traction, allowing the Taliban government to potentially rake in millions. Faced with shuttered airspace over Iran and Iraq, and unpredictable openings and closures across the Middle East, airli... -
Dawn - 06:25 Aug 29, 2025
SHARJAH: Salman Ali Agha is not too concerned by Pakistan’s recent losses. Instead, Pakistan T20 captain is looking forward to his “quality side with exciting youngsters and amazing seniors” doing well at the upcoming tri-nation series and the subsequent Asia Cup. The Salman-led team face Afghanistan in a T20 tri-nation series opening match in Sharjah on Friday. The event, a warm-up for next month’s T20 Asia Cup, also includes hosts UAE. Besides Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UAE, the Asia Cup will also include defending champions India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman and Hong Kong. Pakistan’s white-ball fortunes are dipping after they crashed out of last year’s T20 World Cup in the group stage before failing to win a match at the ODI Champions Trophy. This year they lost a T20 series in Bangladesh 2-1 but overcame the West Indies by the same margin. Pakistan, under Salman, are going through a transition with former skippers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan out of the T20 squad. Both the veteran players have been u... -
Dawn - 06:19 Aug 29, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Thursday directed all licensed entities in the oil and gas sector to ensure adoption of digital payment solutions for all transactions by Oct 31 as part of the government’s push towards a cashless economy. According to the directive, oil marketing companies, gas utilities, CNG stations, LPG and LNG operators, refineries and lubricant marketers must introduce and prominently display digital payment options — particularly the State Bank of Pakistan’s Raast QR code — at their outlets. “No outlet will be allowed to refuse customers opting for digital transactions. Full compliance is required by Oct 31, 2025,” the regulator said. While consumers will still have the option to pay in cash, businesses will be bound to accept digital payments. Ogra said the initiative supports the State Bank’s digitisation programme and is aimed at improving financial inclusion, transparency and operational efficiency across the energy sector. Companies have been advised to coo... -
Dawn - 06:08 Aug 29, 2025
A subedar and a sergeant of the Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts were martyred, while another soldier was injured when terrorists opened fire on their checkpoint along the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Diamer district on Friday morning, officials said. The Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts are a federal paramilitary force responsible for internal security in GB and for guarding its borders. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Diamer Abdul Hameed told Dawn.com that the terrorists attacked the GB Scouts checkpoint situated at the KKH near Chilas of Diamer district on Friday at 12:15 am. “Unknown armed men fired at the checkpoint from an elevated hilltop position, injuring three scout personnel, two of whom succumbed to their injuries later,” he said. “A total of nine people were present at the checkpoint when the attack took place.” The deceased were identified as Naib Subedar Khush Dad and Havaldar Ashraf, while Lance Naik Sajid Ali sustained abdominal injury and is under treatment, he said. “The police, led by the deputy inspect... -
Dawn - 05:56 Aug 29, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has tightened compliance protocols by mandating quarterly return filings from couriers and payment intermediaries responsible for collecting or deducting withholding tax. The revenue authority issued draft amendments to the Income Tax Rules, 2002, through SRO 1634 of 2025. The draft will be finalised after receiving feedback from stakeholders. The proposed protocols will only apply to domestic e-commerce outfits and couriers. Under the proposed amendments, in line with Sub-Section 2 of Section 165 and Sub-Section 1 of section 165C, any courier or payment intermediary tasked with tax collection or deduction under Division II or Division III of Part V of Chapter X of the Ordinance, or under Chapter XII, must submit a quarterly statement. These are to be filed electronically using the format prescribed in Part X of the Second Schedule to the rules. The deadlines for filing are set as April 20 for the quarter ending March 31, July 20 for the quarter ending June 30, Oc... -
Dawn - 05:39 Aug 29, 2025
Olympic 100m champions Noah Lyles and Julien Alfred will head to the world championships in Tokyo in two weeks’ time on the back of impressive victories at Thursday’s Diamond League Finals. Lyles and Alfred were but two of the cream of track and field’s elite who rose to the top in a scintillating night of action at a 25,000 sell-out Letzigrund Stadium. American Lyles became the first track athlete to win six Diamond League Final titles by producing a strong finish to outpace Botswana rival Letsile Tebogo for victory in the men’s 200m. View this post on Instagram Lyles, the reigning world champion in both the 100 and 200, trailed Tebogo coming off the corner before reeling in his rival to cross the line in 19.74 and win by 0.02 seconds. “Six in a row, the most in track!” Lyles said. “That’s pretty cool, I’m not going to lie. I saw Letsile lean on the finish line and I leaned on the finish line but I knew I won. The most important is getting wins. I know if I panicked I was not going to win. If you are tight y... -
Dawn - 05:17 Aug 29, 2025
Iga Swiatek weathered an unexpected storm to reach the US Open third round on Thursday, while defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner delivered a masterclass and Naomi Osaka rediscovered her groove at Flushing Meadows. But the day’s most dramatic moments belonged to Coco Gauff, who wiped away tears mid-match before rallying to beat Donna Vekic and avenge her Olympic heartbreak from Paris. Second seed Swiatek, fresh from her Wimbledon triumph and Cincinnati title, was forced to grind it out against unseeded Suzan Lamens in a 6-1 4-6 6-4 thriller on Arthur Ashe Stadium that proved far trickier than expected. “It got a bit complicated in the second set, but I’m happy that I could reset and start playing better in the third,” said the 2022 champion, who sealed victory with an ace to set up a clash with 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya. World number one Sinner had no such trouble, dismantling Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-3 6-2 6-2 in ruthless fashion to book a third-round date with Canadian 27th seed Denis Shapovalov. Osak... -
Dawn - 03:07 Aug 29, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench has dismissed a pro bono petition, challenging the ongoing privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL), ruling that the Privatisation Commission has complied with the statutory requirements under the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000. The court ruling paved the way for smooth selling of the national flag carrier. The petition, filed by Advocate Sardar Amber Maqsood, alleged that the Privatisation Commission had failed to issue proper notices of intent under Section 23 and did not conduct a lawful valuation of PIACL’s assets under Section 24 of the Ordinance. The petitioner also sought suspension of the process until the establishment of a Privatisation Appellate Tribunal. Justice Jawad Hassan, who authored the detailed judgement, observed that the Privatisation Commission had advertised its intent to privatise PIACL in leading international and national newspapers, including Financial Times, China Daily, The Wa... -
Dawn - 03:02 Aug 29, 2025
RAWALPINDI: Another spell of monsoon rains is likely to penetrate all parts of the country from August 29, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasting “heavy to very heavy” rainfall with occasional gaps in several regions till September 2. The Met Office said strong monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal were likely to enter the upper parts of the country from August 29, while a westerly wave was also expected to approach the upper and central parts from August 30. These conditions will bring widespread rain, “at times very heavy” with thunder and lightning in Kashmir’s Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, and Mirpur areas from August 29 to September 2. The Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, and Shigar districts will witness rain-wind/thundershower (with isolated heavy falls) from August 30 to September 1 with occasional gaps. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rain-wind/thundershower (with isolated heavy ... -
Dawn - 02:53 Aug 29, 2025
KABUL: At least three people were killed and seven wounded in two separate incidents in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Khost provinces, which Afghan authorities claimed were strikes carried out by Pakistan. There was no official word from Islamabad, and Afghan authorities did not provide any evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the incident, either. Islamabad has repeatedly warned Kabul to prevent its soil from being used to stage attacks in Pakistan, and that it is fully capable of targeting terrorists who carry out such attacks. Quoting Afghan authorities, the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that three children were killed and several others wounded when ‘drones’ hit the home of one Haji Naeem Khan in Khost’s Spera district, near the border with North Waziristan. AFP photographs from Spera showed people standing outside a badly damaged home in the Lahori Village. Meanwhile, Afghan officials claimed that four sons and two wives of a man named Shahsawar were among those injured when his house was destr... -
Dawn - 18:39 Aug 28, 2025
Iga Swiatek survived a second-set scare to beat the Netherlands’ Suzan Lamens 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 on Thursday, as the 2022 champion battled back on Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the US Open third round. The second seed has looked like a top contender after picking up her sixth major at Wimbledon and clinching the Cincinnati tune-up tournament and she cleaned up some mid-match errors to keep her campaign on track. She will play 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya in the third round. Swiatek was in control as she broke in the second game when her opponent hit the ball long and she saved a break point in the third game with an unreturnable serve. The Pole broke her opponent from the baseline again in the sixth game, as Lamens was unable to fire off a single winner in the first set. It looked as though it would be a similar story when Lamens went down an early break in the second set, but the Dutchwoman showed signs of life when she hit a backhand winner that just hit the baseline to level it in the fourth game. Swiatek retaliate... -
Dawn - 18:20 Aug 28, 2025
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that Tehran would respond to a decision by France, Britain and Germany to trigger a mechanism reimposing UN sanctions under a moribund 2015 nuclear deal. “The Islamic Republic of Iran will respond appropriately to this illegal and unjustified action by the three European countries, in order to protect and guarantee its national rights and interests,” Araghchi told his French, British and German counterparts in a phone call, according to a statement from his ministry. He called on the three countries to “appropriately correct this wrong decision in the coming days”. While Araghchi did not specify what retaliatory measures Iran might take, Tehran has previously warned that such a move could lead to the exclusion of the European powers from any future negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme. In a statement, the Iranian foreign ministry said: “This decision by the three European countries will seriously undermine the ongoing process of interaction and coope... -
Dawn - 16:48 Aug 28, 2025
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Thursday sent PTI founder Imran Khan’s nephew Shershah Khan to jail on judicial remand in a case pertaining to the Jinnah House attack during the May 9, 2023 riots. The Lahore Police arrested Shershah, son of Imran’s sister Aleema Khan, from outside his home on August 22. His brother Shahrez Khan, who was picked up the day before, was also handed over to police custody for eight days over the same allegations. Lahore police presented Shershah before the court of ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill today upon the completion of his five-day physical remand. Advocate Rana Mudassar Umer, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, and Barrister Taimur Malik appeared as Shershah’s counsel, while Imtiaz Ahmad Sipra was the prosecutor. Aleema, along with her sisters Uzma Khan and Noreen, appeared in the court, while Shershah was presented amid tight security. The prosecution sought a 30-day physical remand, while the defence counsel requested that the suspect be discharged from the case... -
Dawn - 15:52 Aug 28, 2025
Canada and India announced new high commissioners to each other’s countries on Thursday, in the latest sign of improving ties frayed by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation that India was linked to the killing of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil. India’s previous high commissioner left Canada in October. Ottawa said he was among six diplomats who were expelled after they were linked to the murder of separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, while India said it had withdrawn the envoy. India also said that same day that it had ordered the expulsion of six high-ranking Canadian diplomats, including the then-acting high commissioner. Trudeau’s successor, Mark Carney, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to reinstate senior diplomats when they held their first bilateral meeting in Canada in June. Canada’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday that veteran diplomat Christopher Cooter would take up the post, which had been vacant since the previous incumbent left last year. “The ap... -
Dawn - 13:42 Aug 28, 2025
Drastic weight loss, ferocious sparring and lax regulation have created a dangerous environment in Japanese boxing, as the sport battles for its future in the country after two fighters died. Super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, fought separate bouts on the same card at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall on August 2 and died days later following brain surgery. Another Japanese boxer died after a bout in Tokyo in December 2023 and one more has been in a coma since May this year. The twin tragedies this month sent shockwaves through Japanese boxing, with authorities scrambling to investigate and under pressure to tighten safety. Although no clear causes for the deaths have been identified, several factors have emerged that paint a high-risk picture of Japan’s boxing scene. “I believe it is safe but the results are everything,” Hideyuki Ohashi, manager and promoter of Japan’s undisputed super bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue, told AFP. “Three people have died (since December... -
Dawn - 13:30 Aug 28, 2025
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Thursday resigned from four standing committees in the National Assembly (NA), he confirmed in comments to Dawn.com. PTI lawmakers have begun resigning from membership and chairmanship of all standing committees in the NA after instructions from party founder Imran Khan, after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in July and August disqualified a large number of PTI members and leaders in relation to their involvement in the May 9, 2023 riots against Imran’s arrest. “I resigned from the committees based on the instructions of the PTI founder and the political committee,” Gohar said over the phone. “I submitted my resignation to the speaker’s office and resigned from the committees on law and justice, human rights, IT and the House Business Advisory Committee.” PTI Chief Whip Aamir Dogar also announced his resignation from NA standing committees in a post on X, where he wrote that he submitted the resignations upon the instructions of the party founder and ex-premi... -
Dawn - 13:05 Aug 28, 2025
A Norwegian teenager detained after the killing of an Ethiopian-origin worker at an Oslo hostel also planned an attack on a mosque, police said on Thursday. The 18-year-old was arrested after the killing on Saturday night of Tamima Nibras Juhar, a 34-year-old social worker, at the Oslo hostel where she was a staff member and the suspect was a resident. The youth is now the subject of a murder and terrorism enquiry after police said he had expressed “opinions hostile to Muslim people”. The suspect “declared that he had the intention of committing an attack against a mosque at Hoenefoss”, a town about 60 kilometres (40 miles) north of the Norwegian capital, police said in a statement. “It is important to stress that there are still many indications that the suspect’s capacity to carry out further attacks was limited,” police added. The youth was said to have acted alone. He has been identified by media as German national Djordje Wilms, who moved to Norway from Serbia as a child, although police have not confirm... -
Dawn - 12:39 Aug 28, 2025
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet approved a technical supplementary grant of Rs30.216 billion on Thursday to ensure the smooth closure of the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) of Pakistan. Established in 1971, USC was a state-owned enterprise tasked with supplying essential commodities at subsidised rates, primarily targeting low-income households, and operated over 4,000 retail outlets nationwide. It formally ceased operations at the end of July. A press release by the government’s finance division today said that the grant represented a “major step in responsibly addressing the longstanding financial burden of USC on the national exchequer”, adding that it also safeguarded the interests of employees affected by the closure. “By approving severance, compensation and payment of outstanding dues, the government is ensuring that workers receive their entitlements, thereby cushioning the social and economic impact of USC’s winding up,” the press release said. The committee was chaired by t... -
Dawn - 11:01 Aug 28, 2025
The final of this season’s Champions League in Budapest will kick off at 6pm local time (9pm PKT) rather than 9pm (midnight PKT) to “enhance the matchday experience”, UEFA announced on Thursday. The 2026 final will be played at the Puskas Arena on Saturday, May 30. “An earlier kick-off makes day trips more feasible, reduces travel stress, and allows fans to enjoy the occasion without worrying about late-night logistics,” said Ronan Evain, executive director for Football Supporters Europe, which worked on the subject with UEFA. Unlike the Europa League and Conference League finals, which are played in midweek, the Champions League showpiece has been held on Saturdays since 2010. “While a 21:00 CET kick-off is well suited for midweek matches, an earlier kick-off on a Saturday for the final means an earlier finish — regardless of extra time or penalties,” said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. Paris Saint-Germain won their maiden European Cup in last season’s final, beating Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich.
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