Dawn
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Dawn - 23:40 Mar 12, 2026
An American KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq while a second plane involved in the incident landed safely, the US military said onThursday. “One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely. This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” US Central Command (Centcom), which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said in a statement. The KC-135 is at least the fourth US military aircraft lost during the war in the Middle East, after three F-15s were shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait. KC-135s, which have been in operation for more than 60 years, generally have a crew of three, a pilot, a copilot and a third who operates the boom used to refuel other aircraft, according to the US Air Force. But some KC-135 missions require a navigator, and the aircraft can carry up to 37 passengers, an Air Force factsheet said. Early in the war, which began on February 28, Kuwaiti forces mistakenly downed three American F-15E fighters, but all six crewme... -
Dawn - 22:32 Mar 12, 2026
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei delivered his first public address on Thursday in the form of a statement read out on state television. Below is a translated transcript of his speech. “Peace be upon you, O you who invite to God and are the divinely guided interpreter of His signs. “Peace be upon you, O you who are a gate leading to God and the guardian of His religion. “Peace be upon you, O vicegerent of God and supporter of His truth. “Peace be upon you, O proof of God and guide to His will. “Peace be upon you, O you who has been brought forward and in whom hope is placed. “Peace be upon you with an all-encompassing greeting. “Peace be upon you, O my master, the master of the Time. “I would like to offer my condolences to my master, Imam Mehdi, on the heart-rending martyrdom of the illustrious leader of the revolution, the wise and beloved Khamenei. “I beseech his holy presence to offer prayers of grace for every member of the great Iranian nation — indeed, for all Muslims of the world,... -
Dawn - 20:55 Mar 12, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a “restricted meeting” with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday, PM’s spokesperson for foreign media Mosharraf Zaidi said in a post on X after the premier landed in Jeddah. The statement said the premier expressed Pakistan’s “full solidarity and support” for Saudi Arabia “in these challenging times”, and agreed to work together for regional peace and stability. The prime minister’s visit comes amid intense hostilities in the Middle East, where Gulf countries — including Saudi Arabia — are facing Iranian attacks, which Tehran says are aimed at US and Israeli sites in response to the latter’s deadly large-scale strikes. The statement shared by Zaidi said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir were also present on the occasion. “At the outset, the prime minister conveyed his respectful regards and best wishes to the custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaz... -
Dawn - 19:00 Mar 12, 2026
An unidentified shooter was killed on Thursday after exchanging gunfire with security in an attack on a synagogue on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, police said. Police said the gunman was dead following the attack on the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield. Law enforcement officers flooded the area soon after the incident, amid heightened tension nationwide over the US-Israeli war on Iran. “At least one individual came to the temple,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters. “Security saw him, engaged him in gunfire. “Nobody at the moment has been confirmed to be hurt except potentially the shooter,” Bouchard added. “We’re looking to see if it was more than one person.” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned the attack on the Temple Israel synagogue. “This is heartbreaking,” she said. “Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace. Antisemitism and violence have no place in Michigan,” she said. The sheriff said law enforcement had been on... -
Dawn - 18:09 Mar 12, 2026
Authorities have announced a public holiday for all of Islamabad’s educational institutions on March 13 (Friday), according to a notification issued by the district magistrate. Shared by the Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon on his X account, the notification stated: “It is hereby notified that March 13, 2026 (Friday), shall be observed as a public holiday for all educational institutions, both public and private, including schools, colleges and universities, located within the revenue limits of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).” The notification did not specify a reason for the decision. Earlier today, the Sindh government, too, announced a public holiday for March 13. While the Sindh government’s notification also did not state the reason for which the public holiday was being announced, Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said on Wednesday that the public holiday would be observed on Friday for Jummatul Wida. -
Dawn - 17:25 Mar 12, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The government has banned the export of all petroleum products and is considering holding back any immediate increase in petroleum prices, despite continued upward movement in the global market. Instead, it plans to draw on a Rs389 billion ‘emergency fund’ to absorb future price shocks. The decision comes after the latest estimates, based on existing tax rates and pricing formula, suggest that the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) going up by Rs56 per litre and that of petrol by Rs41. Petrol and HSD are currently sold on the higher side of Rs322 and Rs337 per litre, respectively, at retail. Likewise, estimates also showed an increase of Rs7 and Rs53 per litre for the prices of kerosene and light diesel oil, respectively. The next price review is scheduled for March 15 (Sunday) but ministers indicate these could be reviewed on March 13 (Friday). Highly placed sources told Dawn that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently told a consultative session — attended by federal and provincial representatives ... -
Dawn - 16:39 Mar 12, 2026
KHYBER: Pakistan and Afghanistan border forces on Thursday agreed on a brief pause amid ongoing clashes to identify and collect a dead body lying at Zero Point at Torkham for the last few days. However, the body, identified by Afghan authorities as a national, could not be retrieved from the location due to delayed consultation among the Afghan authorities and the time for the pause in fighting lapsing, sources told Dawn. They said that local residents had spotted the body and reported it to the security officials, while videos and pictures of the dead body were also shared on social media. Sources said that soon after, security officials from both countries agreed to constitute delegations of local influentials to identify and remove the dead body from the border crossing. The Pakistan side comprised eight persons, including Malak Tajuddin, Shah Khalid, Murad Hussain, Mufti Ejaz, Saeed Khan, Qari Nazeemgul, Mulana Aaqib and Qari Jihad Shah. From the Afghan side, the delegation comprised 11 persons, including... -
Dawn - 16:11 Mar 12, 2026
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari approved on Thursday the appointment of PML-N’s Nehal Hashmi as Sindh governor, hours after it was announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recommended his appointment to the post previously held by MQM’s Kamran Tessori. “President Zardari has approved the appointment of Mr Nihal Hashmi as Sindh governor, acting on the advice of PM under Articles 48 and 101 of Pakistan’s Constitution,” a post on the Presidency’s X account said. It added, “The Commission of Appointment has been signed. He (Hashmi) will take [his] oath before the chief justice of the Sindh High Court.” Earlier, a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said PM Shehbaz had decided to appoint Hashmi as Sindh governor — a move which came as a surprise. According to the PMO, PM Shehbaz met Hashmi at PM House on Tuesday and decided to nominate him as the governor of Sindh. The premier the forwarded a summary in this regard to President Asif Ali Zardari for the final nod. A video of the PM’s meeting wi... -
Dawn - 15:59 Mar 12, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the formation of a medical board in its verdict on a plea seeking the transfer of PTI founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment. A division bench, comprising Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, presided over the hearing. IHC directed Islamabad Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa to constitute a medical board and ordered that Dr Muhammad Arif and Dr Nadeem Qureshi be included. Dr Qureshi, who is a retina specialist from Rawalpindi’s Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, is also part of the medical board constituted on the orders of the Supreme Court. Dr Arif is the head of the ophthalmology department at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad. In its order, the court also directed the authorities to ensure Imran’s meetings with his lawyers and family. Dr Qureshi was instructed to remain in contact with Imran’s family over his medical treatment. The written verdict, a cop... -
Dawn - 15:43 Mar 12, 2026
Accurate GPS is a mainstay of modern life, but because of the Iran war, people in the UAE are finding that their phones think they are out at sea or in cities hundreds of kilometres away. Jamming and spoofing, used as a defensive tactic against missiles and drones, are to blame, experts say, but it’s not just enemy projectiles finding themselves lost in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “I was using the maps while driving until it started taking me through weird roads,” said Hind, a French resident of Dubai who gave only her first name. Instead, she was forced to head back to a main road and “relied on the road signs to figure out where I was”. Despite the occasional inconvenience, the bizarre information given by GPS services, such as delivery drivers floating somewhere in the middle of the Gulf, has become the subject of jokes on social media. Andrew, a delivery driver in Dubai originally from Uganda, said it had become a frequent problem. “For example, a delivery that should have taken 10 to 15 minutes ended... -
Dawn - 15:32 Mar 12, 2026
Iran will avenge the blood of its martyrs, keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and attack US bases, new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday in a statement read out on state television, his first remarks since succeeding his father following his assassination. In the defiant address, Khamenei said the United States must close all its bases in the region. The strait, which runs past Iran’s coast and supplies a fifth of the world’s oil, should remain shut to put pressure on the enemy, he said. “The lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely be used,” Khamenei said of the waterway. Ayatollah Mojtaba vowed to avenge the deaths since the start of the war, saying it would remain among his top priorities. “A limited amount of this revenge has so far taken concrete form, but until it is fully achieved, this case will remain among our priorities,” Khamenei said in a statement read on state television. “We will seek compensation from the enemy, and if they refuse, we will take as much ... -
Dawn - 15:24 Mar 12, 2026
Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday that Pakistan was playing the role of a “bridge builder” during the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. The war began as the US and Israel launched strikes on Tehran on February 28, which also resulted in the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliatory strikes, Iran has targeted US assets and bases in Gulf countries, against which a resolution was adopted in the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Pakistan has been calling for de-escalation, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar holding phone calls with dignitaries from relevant countries over the past few days. On Thursday, Andrabi gave a round-up of the phone calls during his weekly press briefing. During the question-answer bit, a reporter mentioned that Dar had previously spoken about Islamabad “shuttling communications between Tehran and Riyadh to try to ease tensions”. “Has that been Pa... -
Dawn - 15:20 Mar 12, 2026
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed was snapped up by Sunrisers Leeds — a Hundred franchise with links to the Indian Premier League — on Thursday despite fears Pakistani players would be frozen out due to political tensions. The England and Wales Cricket Board last month issued a statement saying all eight of the city-based franchises in the 100-ball-a-side competition were committed to selection based solely on performances. A longstanding political stand-off between India and Pakistan means the two nations only play each other in major global cricket events. Cricketers from Pakistan have not featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 because of diplomatic tensions. The only two Pakistan players in Wednesday’s women’s auction, Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal, went unsold. Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi withdrew from the men’s sale and fellow paceman Haris Rauf failed to attract an offer when put up for his reserve price of £100,000 at the auction in London on Thursday. But Sunrisers bought 27-year-old Ahmed for... -
Dawn - 14:01 Mar 12, 2026
On the 13th day of the US-Israel war against Iran, the conflict appeared to be entering a more volatile phase in which the battlefield could gradually extend beyond conventional air and missile exchanges into attempts to weaken Iran from within; the maritime confrontation in the Gulf continued to tighten pressure on global energy markets and reinforce the centrality of oil flows in shaping the strategic calculations of the belligerents. Reports circulating among Iranian observers and security analysts suggested that Washington and Tel Aviv may now be testing a strategy aimed at fomenting internal dissent while maintaining external military pressure, with recent drone strikes on Basij security infrastructure inside Tehran. This was widely interpreted as an attempt to erode the regime’s internal control mechanisms and probe whether domestic instability could complement the ongoing military campaign. Rescue workers rest next to a damaged residential building in Tehran on March 12, 2026. — AFP The approach bears ... -
Dawn - 13:31 Mar 12, 2026
KARACHI: Police said on Thursday that a statue allegedly depicting a satanic figure was seized from Mehran Town in Korangi Industrial Area, after videos of the effigy went viral on social media. The videos posted on social media had shown a large white statue depicting what appeared to be a human male with a bull’s head sitting down. A senior police officer, who did not wish to be named, told Dawn that police had seized the statue on Wednesday night after videos of it surfaced on social media. The official confirmed that the statue was supposed to be torched at a rally marking Youm Al Quds in the metropolis. He said no case has been registered nor had anyone has been arrested so far. In 2019, a 20-feet-high ‘satanic’ sculpture was the cause of much controversy at the Lahore Museum. The sculpture, striking due to its size and grotesque features, was criticised for its alleged portrayal of the devil and inappropriateness for its historic venue. Following the criticism, the sculpture was first covered and then r... -
Dawn - 13:05 Mar 12, 2026
The Sindh government on Thursday announced a public holiday for March 13 (Friday). A notification issued by the government, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said: “The government of Sindh has been pleased to declare March 13, 2026 (Friday) as a public holiday throughout the province of Sindh for all government offices, autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies, corporations, corporations and local councils under the administrative control of the government of Sindh, except essential services.” The notification did not state the reason for which the public holiday was being announced. However, a day earlier, Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah had said that the public holiday would be observed on Friday for Jummatul Wida. -
Dawn - 12:33 Mar 12, 2026
Airlines in Pakistan, including Pakistan International Airlines, are raising fuel surcharges after war in the Gulf disrupted regional air routes and canceled about 300 flights from the country in recent days, airline officials and flight data show. PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan told Reuters that fuel costs have risen 34 per cent due to the Gulf crisis. He added that the airline was raising fuel surcharges on domestic flights by $20 and up to $100 on international flights. In the past 12 days, the airline has cancelled 165 flights, Khan said, with flights to the Gulf making up 34pc of PIA’s total flights. Other airlines operating in the country have also raised fares as jet fuel prices surge and flight operations are disrupted. Most international flights operated by Pakistani carriers are to the Middle East, making them particularly exposed to the conflict and airspace closures. Recently privatised PIA resumed flights to Europe and Britain after a year-long safety ban last year. -
Dawn - 12:18 Mar 12, 2026
BAJAUR: A cop was wounded after unidentified assailants hurled a hand grenade at a police post in Bajaur district’s Khar tehsil, officials said on Thursday. According to police, the attack occurred on Wednesday night when unidentified attackers hurled a hand grenade at a police post located near the Jinnah Bus Terminal, a major bus station, located around three kilometres from Khar, the headquarters of the district. “One cop was slightly wounded in the attack which caused no damage to the post. Other personnel remained completely safe and secure,” Israr Khan, a spokesperson for the district police, told Dawn. However, Khan noted that a portion of a nearby hotel was damaged in the incident. He stated that a team of police personnel rushed to the scene immediately after the incident was reported and launched a search for those involved. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Law enforcement personnel have increasingly come under attack in KP in recent weeks. Last week, a police officer was martyred a... -
Dawn - 11:48 Mar 12, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Less than a week after the government hiked the prices of petroleum products by a whopping Rs55, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Thursday notified a massive 19-22 per cent increase in the price of regasified liquified natural gas (RLNG) for sales at the distribution stage by the two Sui gas companies for the month of March. The increase was mainly because of increase in terminal charges amid lower import molecules and minor increase in import price, the dataset from the authority showed. The rare increase (19-22pc) in RLNG price for March has come following a minor 0.5pc increase in February and two consecutive monthly reductions in December (6pc) and January (5pc). The prices had cumulatively increased by 4.4pc in October and November. The Karachi-based Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) serves consumers in Sindh and Balochistan and its system losses at the distribution stage stand at 12.55pc, compared to 10.6pc a couple of months earlier. On the other hand, the Lahore-based S... -
Dawn - 11:29 Mar 12, 2026
The speed limits for vehicles on motorways and national highways were reduced on Thursday “in order to promote austerity measures and fuel conservation”, according to a handout issued by the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP). The development comes as the government in recent days announced a host of austerity measures to conserve fuel in view of the global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran. The press release said that the step “was taken in light of the instructions of the prime minister of Pakistan to ensure efficient use of energy and to encourage fuel savings”. The speed limit for cars and light transport vehicles (LTV) has been reduced to 100 kilometres per hour from 120km/h on motorways. Meanwhile, the speed limit for passenger service vehicles (PSV) and heavy transport vehicles (HTV) on motorways has been reduced from 110 km/h to 90 km/h, the press release said. On national highways, the speed limit for cars and LTVs was reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h. For PSVs and HTVs, the ...
10732 items