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Dawn - 05:00 Nov 07, 2025
BAJAUR: People from various areas in Khar tehsil here on Thursday took to the streets and said their houses shouldn’t be targeted in the ongoing operation against terrorists. The demonstration held in the Kosar area along Bajaur-Peshawar Highway was attended by residents of Lra Banda, Shagi, Kosar, Delhi, Janat Shah, Galo Kass, Gooro and surrounding areas in large numbers. The gathering was joined by several political and social activists, including a delegation of Bajaur Aman Jirga led by its chief Sahibzada Haroon Rashid. The participants, who blocked the highway to vehicular movement by sitting on the road, claimed that a number of civilian houses and mosques in Kosar and its adjacent areas were targeted with heavy weapons last night. The angered protesters asserted that the targeting of civilian houses had not only created fear and panic among the local communities but had also put the lives of their families, mainly children, women and elderly people, in grave danger, as they were living in their houses ... -
Dawn - 04:28 Nov 07, 2025
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords to have normalised relations between Israel and Muslim-majority nations. The announcement came after Trump said he had held a call with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. “We will soon announce a signing ceremony to make it official, and there are many more countries trying to join this club of STRENGTH,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The Kazakh government said in a statement that the matter was in the final stage of negotiations. “Our anticipated accession to the Abraham Accords represents a natural and logical continuation of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy course grounded in dialogue, mutual respect, and regional stability,” it added. Kazakhstan already has full diplomatic relations and economic ties with Israel, meaning the move would be largely symbolic, something Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back against on Thursday. “It’s an enhanced relationship beyond ... -
Dawn - 03:09 Nov 07, 2025
• Former law officer says nation must brace itself for long struggle against ‘praetorian judges’ • Ruling elite has inflicted unprecedented harm on independence of judiciary, Akram Sheikh argues ISLAMABAD: As speculations swirl around the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment, legal experts have questioned the rationale behind such constitutional tweaks, especially after the previous 26th Amendment that had effectively brought the superior judiciary under the executive’s control. The “final draft” of this Amendment has hitherto been kept under wraps, but its contours were recently shared by PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari when he said a prime minister-led delegation had sought the PPP’s support for its passage. In a statement, he said the proposal included setting up constitutional courts, restoring executive magistrates, matters related to the transfer of judges, ending the protection of provincial shares under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, and amending Article 243, which pertains to... -
Dawn - 03:02 Nov 07, 2025
• Islamabad says demands ‘non-negotiable’ as third round opens in Istanbul • Taliban leader asks Afghan team to only make ‘realistic’ commitments • Flare-up at Chaman-Spin Boldak looms over talks; at least two killed ISLAMABAD: The third round of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks opened in Istanbul on Thursday, surviving a brief exchange of fire along the border that tested a shaky ceasefire. Mediated by Turkiye and Qatar and held at the Conrad Hotel with restricted media access, the two-day round is focused on finalising a framework for a “monitoring and verification mechanism” agreed in principle last week, and on addressing long-standing disputes linked to militant sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Pakistan’s delegation is led by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Asim Malik and includes senior military, intelligence and Foreign Office officials. The Afghan Taliban side is headed by General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) chief Abdul Haq Waseq and includes senior figures such as Suhail Shah... -
Dawn - 02:40 Nov 07, 2025
• Meets allies to secure their support; tweaks top agenda as Cabinet meets today; draft may be tabled following nod • PPP rejects any cut to provinces’ NFC share; backs limited changes to Article 243 • Remains non-committal on constitutional court for now • Tarar sees no ‘major roadblocks’ to new legislation • PTI says current govt lacks mandate to amend Constitution ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday held consultations with ruling allies to secure support for the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment, with the government expected to table the bill in the Senate within days. The prime minister has also convened a meeting of the federal cabinet today (Friday), with the 27th Amendment topping the agenda. Sources said the amendment could be introduced in parliament after cabinet approval. The premier is due to depart for Azerbaijan later in the day for a one-day official visit. Some media reports suggested PM Shehbaz has decided to establish a parliamentary committee bringing all parties ... -
Dawn - 01:59 Nov 07, 2025
PAKISTAN is in the midst of a dengue outbreak that has once more exposed the dysfunction within its health system. From Karachi to Peshawar, thousands have been infected and dozens are believed to have died since October, even as official figures remain implausibly low. In Sindh alone, families claim more than two dozen deaths in Hyderabad, but the health department acknowledges only eight. Similar gaps between official and ground-level data have been reported in KP and Punjab, where hospitals continue to receive new patients despite the onset of cooler weather. The scale of underreporting is alarming. By the government’s own admission, figures exclude patients tested or treated at private laboratories and clinics — the primary source of care for many. This omission has rendered the provincial response reactive and confused. Testing kits have been scarce due to procurement disputes, fumigation began only after public outrage, and the Sindh High Court has censured senior health officials for incompetence. Clim... -
Dawn - 19:10 Nov 06, 2025
When Zohran Mamdani inveighed against inequality and corruption during his underdog bid for New York City mayor, Joseph Beyanga at Uganda’s Daily Monitor could hear echoes of conversations almost 20 years earlier with the then-intern on the newspaper’s sports desk. “Mamdani would sit with me in the production room. He would always ask me, so who is affected by this one? Who pays the price?” Beyanga, The Daily Monitor’s media manager, told Reuters. “He was always interested in how the big picture affects the everyday person,” Beyanga said. The 34-year-old Mamdani’s resolutely progressive message, focused on lowering the cost of living and addressing inequalities through direct government interventions, propelled him to victory in an election on Tuesday that drew the highest turnout since 1969 in the most populous US city. Young Mamdani lived ‘in a simple way’ despite privilege The son of a Ugandan academic of Indian origins and an Indian-American filmmaker, Mamdani was born and spent several years as a child i... -
Dawn - 19:02 Nov 06, 2025
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday said there are no major roadblocks and impediments with respect to the 27th Constitutional Amendment. Earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held meetings with the delegations of multiple parties in what appeared to be efforts by the government to prepare the ground to get the 27th Constitutional Amendment approved by parliament. Tarar was present during these meetings. Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, the minister said consultations among political parties on the proposed amendment were taking place in a “positive environment” and that a broad consensus appeared to be emerging. “The feeling I got during today’s meetings, in which different political parties were present … I got the feeling that there is no major roadblock or impediment,” he said. “There was no need for any further discussions or debate. Ideas were shared in a positive environment, some of which were agreed upon.” The information minister added that the obje... -
Dawn - 18:40 Nov 06, 2025
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said on Thursday that there was no need for a notification to specify the army chief’s five-year term, as it was established in Section 8C [of the Pakistan Army Act]. “I do not think there is a need [for a notification] and the reason is the lawmaking we did, which specifies that [section] 8C, will be read in the same manner as it has always been part of this legislation and hence, it is five years,” said the state minister. Section 8C of the Pakistan Army Act outlines the “retirement age and service limits prescribed for a general, under the rules and regulations made under this Act, shall not be applicable to the Chief of the Army Staff, during his tenure of appointment, reappointment or extension, subject to a maximum age of sixty-four (64) years. Throughout such tenure, the Chief of the Army Staff shall continue to serve as general in the Pakistan Army”. In November 2024, the government passed six bills, including three related to the extension o... -
Dawn - 18:05 Nov 06, 2025
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday will start negotiations on a US-drafted resolution to endorse President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, said a senior US government official, and authorise a two-year mandate for a transitional governance body and international stabilisation force. The United States formally circulated the draft resolution to the 15 council members late on Wednesday and has said it has regional support from Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates for the text. “The message is: if the region is with us on this and the region is with us on how this resolution is constructed, then we believe that the council should be as well,” the senior US government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. People gather and shop at a local market in Nuseirat, the central Gaza Strip on October 28. — Reuters/File A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain or the United States to be adopted. Wh... -
Dawn - 17:44 Nov 06, 2025
Quinton de Kock’s masterful unbeaten 123 powered South Africa to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second One-day International at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Thursday, levelling the three-match series 1-1 with a chase completed in just 40.1 overs. Chasing 270, South Africa openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius and de Kock made a confident start, adding 81 in 11.5 overs. Pretorius, dropped by Mohammad Nawaz at deep square, raced to 46 off 40 balls with seven fours and a six before edging Mohammad Wasim to Rizwan. De Kock reached his fifty off 55 balls and accelerated seamlessly. De Kock anchored with poise and power for his 22nd ODI century, and Tony de Zorzi, whose aggressive 76 off 63 balls formed a match-winning 153-run partnership for the second wicket with the former after Pretorius had set the tone with 46. De Zorzi shifted gears immediately upon arrival, smashing two sixes off Nawaz in the 23rd over. He fell in the 35th over after hitting nine fours and three sixes — chipping a leading... -
Dawn - 17:05 Nov 06, 2025
Pakistan on Thursday “strongly rejected” claims made by Afghanistan that Islamabad instigated a border clash in the Chaman area, stating that firing started from the Afghan side and that the situation is under control. This development comes as Islamabad and Kabul are having talks in Istanbul to expand a ceasefire called after five days of border clashes last month. In a post on X, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting strongly rejected the allegations coming from Kabul. “Firing was initiated from the Afghan side, to which our security forces responded immediately in a measured and responsible manner,” the ministry wrote. It added that the situation was brought under control thanks to the “responsible action by Pakistani forces” and emphasised that the ceasefire remains intact. “Pakistan remains committed to ongoing dialogue and expects reciprocity from Afghan authorities,” the post concluded. Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid levelled allegations that Pakistani forces opened fire in the S... -
Dawn - 16:45 Nov 06, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held meetings with the delegations of multiple parties on Thursday in what appears to be efforts by the government to prepare the ground to get a 27th Constitutional Amendment approved by Parliament. Among those he met was a seven-member delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), which was led by party Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. A statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said “discussion and consultation took place on the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment” during the meeting. The delegation also included Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori, Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal, Members of National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar, Jawed Hanif Khan, Syed Aminul Haque and Khawaja Izharul Hassan, the statement added. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Information and Broadcasting Minist... -
Dawn - 16:41 Nov 06, 2025
Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Riffat Mukhtar said on Thursday that the agency is investigating reports of workers being offloaded at airports, during a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain, a statement from the ministry said. Over the past few months, numerous incidents have been reported of travellers being offloaded from flights at various airports on grounds of suspicion, despite possessing valid travel documents. The actions follow Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directive to crack down on migrant smuggling after last year’s Greece boat tragedy that claimed several Pakistani lives. The development took place during a high-level meeting today presided over by the minister, in which he was briefed on such incidents. DG FIA Mukhtar, officials Ministry of the Overseas Pakistanis, and a delegation from the Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association were also in attendance. DG FIA Mukhtar informed the meeting participants that in... -
Dawn - 15:52 Nov 06, 2025
PPP Information Secretary Shazia Marri said on Thursday that the party would not support any rollback of the 18th Amendment or the NFC Award if the government sought its backing. Speaking to reporters in Karachi outside the Bilawal House, Marri said that her party will never take away the rights given to provinces. “When it comes to provinces, the PPP has a very clear stance […] the Pakistan Peoples Party wants to see the strengthening of the provinces, and it will never take away its rights or agree to proposals that may [compromise its rights],” she said. However, she added that if any constitutional amendments could improve Pakistan’s governance system, enhance institutional performance, and deliver greater relief to citizens, the PPP would be open to considering and supporting such proposals. “There are fears and speculations that there will be discussions [today] regarding the 18th Amendment or the NFC share. The PPP has a very clear stance on this — we will never step back. Rolling back the 18th Amendme... -
Dawn - 15:47 Nov 06, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Thursday that he was unable to meet the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) earlier today and was denied permission to meet PTI founder and ex-premier Imran Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Afridi has been seeking a meeting with the former premier, who is incarcerated at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, since he was sworn in as the KP CM on October 15. He has been denied access to the PTI founder at least four times since then, despite the IHC’s directives to implement its March order that reinstated a twice-a-week meeting schedule for Imran. Addressing reporters outside the prison, CM Afridi lamented that he was unable to meet the party founder and the chief justice of the IHC, the latter of whom he had waited 90 minutes to meet before leaving empty-handed. “As you all know, there have been continuous efforts through constitutional and legal means; this is the fifth time,” he said, referring to how frequently he was denied a meeting with the PTI f... -
Dawn - 15:40 Nov 06, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday rejected “unfounded and misleading” allegations that members of the Hindu community were denied entry into the country on religious grounds, clarifying the action was “purely administrative” and consistent with Islamabad’s sovereign right to regulate entry into its territory. Earlier this week, Pakistan welcomed Sikh pilgrims from India, with over 2,000 pilgrims granted visas to attend a 10-day festival marking the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh faith. However, Indian media claimed yesterday that an Indian national and six family members were reportedly denied entry into Pakistan, with officials allegedly citing their Hindu faith as the reason for refusal. In a statement today, FO said that these claims are “entirely baseless and represent yet another attempt to distort facts and politicise a matter that was purely administrative in nature”. “High Commission for Pakistan, New Delhi, had issued over 2,400 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to parti... -
Dawn - 14:10 Nov 06, 2025
“Vibe coding”, a word that essentially means using artificial intelligence (AI) to tell a machine what you want instead of coding it yourself, was on Thursday named the Collins Word of the Year 2025. Coined by OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy, the word refers to “an emerging software development that turns natural language into computer code using AI”, according to Collins Dictionary. “It’s programming by vibes, not variables,” said Collins. “While tech experts debate whether it’s revolutionary or reckless, the term has resonated far beyond Silicon Valley, speaking to a broader cultural shift towards AI-assisted everything in everyday life,” it added. Lexicographers at Collins Dictionary monitor the 24 billion-word Collins Corpus, which draws from a range of media sources, including social media, to create the annual list of new and notable words that reflect our ever-evolving language. The 2025 shortlist highlights a range of words that have emerged in the past year to pithily reflect the changing world aro... -
Dawn - 13:46 Nov 06, 2025
Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) President Abdullah Jadoon and Secretary General Awais Jadoon were dismissed from service on Thursday amid an ongoing tiff with the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafiz confirmed the development to Dawn. The national flag carrier also issued two dismissal notices to the engineers, copies of which are available with Dawn. Abdullah’s role was stated as an aircraft engineer (PG-VI), while Awais was an aircraft engineer (PG-VIII). The dismissal letters said that notices were issued to the SAEP president for conducting a press conference without prior authorisation and for disclosing official information to the media, and to the SAEP secretary general, for the unauthorised disclosure of confidential operational information and PIA images. “In order to enquire into the allegations/charges communicated to you via the aforesaid showcause notice, an enquiry was conducted wherein you failed to participate despite providing ample opportuni... -
Dawn - 13:16 Nov 06, 2025
Federal Minister for Frontier Affairs Amir Muqam announced on Thursday that the federal government would take part in the upcoming peace jirga called by the PTI. The announcement was made as Muqam held a joint press conference alongside PTI stalwart Asad Qaiser in Islamabad. Earlier this week, the PTI decided to convene a peace jirga in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly (KPA) on November 12 to discuss the volatile law and order situation in the province. “We have conveyed our requests to the federal government and are grateful that they accepted our invitation,” Qaiser said while jointly addressing reporters after the meeting. “We have come together and we know what policy we want. Whatever it is, the province’s people and leadership need to come together to create a concerted plan of action,” he added. In response to a question, Muqam said that the PTI presented “the reason why we are here” and that the government accepted it. “They said they wanted peace and that we are all one,” he added. Meanwhile, Qaiser w...
7421 items