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Dawn - 03:25 Jun 11, 2026
• Sanaullah says 12 reserved seats represent families displaced from held Kashmir • Opposition alleges ‘massive rigging’ in GB elections; PTI stages walkout • Minister tells lawmakers Rs5.4bn disbursed in fuel subsidy • House unanimously passes five bills ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday told the Senate that 12 reserved seats for refugees in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly would not be abolished, saying they represented families displaced from India-occupied Kashmir. Responding to a point raised by the upper house’s opposition leader, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Sanaullah said the seats could not be abolished through executive orders. He added that all political parties in AJK, its parliament and other constitutional forums supported retaining refugee representation within the constitutional framework. The adviser said the government had accepted 37 of the 38 demands put forward by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Comm... -
Dawn - 02:18 Jun 11, 2026
• Those earning between Rs230,000-Rs341,000 per month likely to get some relief; maximum tax rate expected to be lowered from 35pc to 30pc • Rs660bn to Rs700bn in fresh tax measures planned, including enforcement and new levies • Govt targets Rs15.3tr FBR revenue in FY2026-27 ISLAMABAD: Significant relief is planned for salaried individuals earning between Rs230,000 and Rs341,000 a month in the upcoming budget, but a large segment of those making between Rs100,000 and Rs183,000 per month may not see any change, official sources told Dawn. Facing limited fiscal space, the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government is set to unveil fresh tax measures worth Rs660 billion to Rs700bn in the 2026-27 budget. The fiscal policies align with commitments under an International Monetary Fund programme aimed at achieving an ambitious revenue collection target. In contrast to the broader revenue measures, the budget carries highly targeted good news for mid- and upper-level income earners. Individuals earning between Rs230,00... -
Dawn - 18:45 Jun 10, 2026
WASHINGTON: Rising inflation and persistent energy price pressures have sharpened political divisions in Washington, with Democrats blaming President Donald Trump’s Iran policy and trade agenda for worsening economic conditions for American households. The latest figures showing inflation at 4.2 per cent in May, compared with wage growth of 3.4pc over the same period, have revived concerns that real incomes are being eroded as the cost of living continues to rise. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticised the administration’s handling of the economy and foreign policy in a sharply worded social media post. “Another month of Trump’s illegal Iran war, another month of Trump’s tariffs, another month of Republican control of Congress. The result? A new all-time high for Trumpflation,” he wrote. He also highlighted remarks by economist Heather Long of Navy Federal Credit Union, who warned that inflation was outpacing wages. “Inflation is so high that it’s erasing all wage gains,” she said. “Inflation: 4.2p... -
Dawn - 18:43 Jun 10, 2026
RAWALPINDI: At least 10 people were killed and 13 were injured when a fire broke out in a van after it fell into a nullah while taking a turn on the Islamabad-Murree Expressway near Khajut on Wednesday, the National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP) said. “The victims are from the same family and were travelling from Multan to Murree,” the NHMP said in a statement. A list of victims issued by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad confirmed the death toll as well. The bodies of the 10 deceased have been dispatched from PIMS Hospital to Multan. According to the preliminary police investigation, the ill-fated passenger wagon carrying 23 people veered off the road while negotiating a sharp turn and was engulfed in flames after colliding with a roadside wall. The wall collision prevented the passengers from disembarking due to the doors closing, resulting in at least 10 deaths, including five children, and injuries to 13 others. The bodies and the injured were taken to Pims. Some of the in... -
Dawn - 18:16 Jun 10, 2026
GILGIT-BALTISTAN: Protests blocking the Karakoram Highway in Diamer and other areas continued for a third day against the repolling and delay in the announcement of official results in various constituencies. Yesterday, the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission ordered re-polling on polling stations in Skardu-II (GBA-8), Astore-I (GBA-13), Diamer-I (GBA-15), Diamer-II (GBA-16) and Diamer-III (GBA-17) and directed that the results of the June 7 election must not be consolidated until re-polling in five constituencies is completed. Supporters of PPP candidate Attaullah from GBA-16 Diamer-II staged a protest outside the district returning officer’s office in Chilas, blocking the Karakoram Highway and demanding the counting of postal ballots and the announcement of the constituency’s final result without delay, as well as the cancellation of re-polling at three polling stations. The Karakoram Highway has remained closed to all traffic for the third day. Travellers between Gilgit-Baltistan and other parts of the co... -
Dawn - 17:22 Jun 10, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The government once again extended an olive branch to the opposition for dialogue on important national issues on Wednesday, as National Assembly (NA) Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai threatened to boycott the House over unfulfilled promises. “I invited you on behalf of the government to come and sit together with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to consult on national issues,” Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on the NA floor, while replying to allegations by the opposition that the government had failed to perform. Referring to the opposition’s demand to allow incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan to meet other party leaders, the law minister said the Constitution did not allow a convict to run a political party, distribute tickets for legislative assemblies, or actively participate in politics. Meanwhile, regarding the recent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, he stated that the opposition had to provide proof of any alleged rigging that took place there. Tarar said that the recent protest in Az... -
Dawn - 17:06 Jun 10, 2026
LAHORE: Guinness World Records has sought medical records from the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI&RC) after its 120-member team of surgeons and support staff claimed a record-breaking achievement by performing 10 liver transplant procedures, including one on a nine-month-old child, in 23 hours and 20 minutes. A Guinness official said a team is also expected to visit PKLI&RC in this regard. The medical institute received a response from Guinness after submitting the case online along with visual evidence. “We have achieved a landmark breakthrough in transplantation medicine, demonstrating a novel clinical approach that expands organ utilisation and advances the treatment of rare metabolic diseases,” said Dr Prof. Faisal Saud Dar, dean of PKLI&RC, during a press briefing on Wednesday. The specialised multidisciplinary team, comprising transplant surgeons, hepatologists, paediatricians, anaesthetists, intensivists, nurses, transplant coordinators and allied healthcare professionals... -
Dawn - 16:59 Jun 10, 2026
No survivors were reported after an Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad on Wednesday during take-off “due to a technical fault”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. Rescue and recovery teams immediately reached the crash site. “All personnel on board embraced martyrdom. There were no survivors,” the ISPR said in a statement. “A board of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact technical cause of the accident,” the military’s media affairs wing said. Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, along with all ranks of the army, expressed “deep grief over the tragic loss of precious lives and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families”, the ISPR said. Smoke billows after a Pakistan Army Aviation Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir on June 10, 2026. — Reuters The army’s aviation wing began operating Russian-made Mi-17 transport helicopters in the late 1990s. Mi-17s are considere... -
Dawn - 16:37 Jun 10, 2026
As the United States and Iran engage in a fresh round of hostilities, Pakistan has urged all sides to exercise restraint and give peace a little more chance. “As we work earnestly and painstakingly, together with our friends and partners, to find a peaceful diplomatic solution to the conflict, and especially when the final objective is just about to be achieved, we sincerely urge all sides to exercise restraint and give peace a little more chance,” said Pakistan Permanent Representative to the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Tuesday. The statement came against the backdrop of the US carrying out attacks in Iran in response to what US President Donald Trump said was the downing of a US Apache helicopter on Tuesday. In retaliation, Iran said it attacked bases and other targets in the Gulf. The clashes mark one of the biggest exchanges in hostilities since the two countries agreed to a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire in April and deepens doubts about the prospects for a ... -
Dawn - 16:32 Jun 10, 2026
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will present the federal budget for the next fiscal year (FY26–27) in the National Assembly on June 12, an adviser to the minister has confirmed. Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad shared the revised budget schedule in a post on X. He added that the Pakistan Economic Survey for the outgoing FY2025–26 would be launched at 2:20pm on Thursday by Aurangzeb. Budget sessions of the National Assembly and Senate have already been summoned by President Asif Ali Zardari. The National Economic Council (NEC), the highest economic decision-making forum of the federation, met earlier on Wednesday to finalise federal and provincial development plans ahead of the budget presentation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who chaired the meeting, said the Centre held consultations with the provinces on all matters “with extreme seriousness, and we made decisions in the best interest of Pakistan”. The NEC finally met after being delayed three times, as negotiations had continued over ... -
Dawn - 15:31 Jun 10, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the Centre and the provinces had taken various decisions in the “best interest” of Pakistan as the National Economic Council (NEC) met on Wednesday. The NEC met to finalise federal and provincial development plans ahead of the presentation of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year (FY2026-27). It is the highest economic decision-making forum of the federation, led by the premier and comprising the four chief ministers and four federal ministers. “The Centre […] held consultations with the provinces on all matters with extreme seriousness, and we made decisions in the best interest of Pakistan,” PM Shehbaz said in remarks aired on television. The prime minister thanked all chief ministers for their “consultations and assistance on all matters”. PM Shehbaz noted that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz could not attend the meeting as she was recovering after her recent medical procedure. “Today, despite having to face big challenges, our economy is stable at the m... -
Dawn - 14:01 Jun 10, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the convictions of two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers — Abdul Rehman alias Bhola and Zubair alias Chariya — for their alleged involvement in the deadly 2012 Baldia factory fire in Karachi. Over 260 workers, including 16 who could not be identified, were burnt alive when the multi-storey Ali Enterprises garment factory was set on fire in Baldia Town on Sept 11, 2012, in what became the deadliest industrial blaze in Pakistan’s history. On Wednesday, a three-judge SC bench, headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed and including Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Shakeel Ahmad, set aside the death sentences awarded to the two accused by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on charges of murder, extortion, arson and terrorism, granting them the benefit of the doubt. Abdul Rehman alias Bhola, a former sector in-charge in the party’s organisational structure, and Zubair alias Chariya were sentenced to death in September 2020 for allegedly setting the multi-store... -
Dawn - 13:46 Jun 10, 2026
LAKKI MARWAT: At least eight policemen were injured when a group of terrorists ambushed a police team in the Darga Saheedan area within the jurisdiction of Khurrum Police Station in Karak district on Wednesday. District Police Officer (DPO) spokesperson Shaukat Khan confirmed the attack and said it occurred when a joint team of local police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) commandos was conducting a search-and-strike operation in the mountainous region. Terrorists attacked the law enforcement personnel from a hilltop using sophisticated weapons, injuring eight policemen, the spokesperson said. The official said the injured policemen were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition and out of danger. A police vehicle was also damaged in the attack, added the spokesperson. “We have credible reports that several assailants were killed, and their accomplices injured in an intense exchange of fire,” he claimed. After the attack, an additional police force led ... -
Dawn - 13:38 Jun 10, 2026
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Wednesday predicted dust and windstorms, rain and thunderstorms across most parts of the country this week from June 11–13, and warned the relevant authorities to remain “vigilant”. A press release issued by the PMD said a western disturbance is likely to approach the upper parts of the country on June 11 and persist until June 13. It added that moist currents from the Arabian Sea are also likely to penetrate the upper and central parts of the country from June 11. Scattered dust and windstorms, and rain and thunderstorms — along with isolated heavy falls and hail — are expected in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Sahiwal, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Nankana Sahib, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Okara, Kasur, Khushab, Sargodha, Noor Pur Thal, Bhakkar, Layyah, Mianwali, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Muzaffa... -
Dawn - 13:16 Jun 10, 2026
Gilgit-Baltistan region, famed for its towering peaks, vast glaciers and pristine lakes, is facing a sharp decline in its prized trout population as climate change, habitat loss and overfishing threaten the species. Its icy, glacier-fed waters provide an ideal environment for the breeding of trout, one of Pakistan’s most prized freshwater fish. In recent years, however, the trout population has drastically reduced due to a slew of climate and human-induced factors, which include habitat fragmentation, pollution, construction of hydropower projects, and, on top of all, overfishing. According to experts and officials, the trout population has been slashed by 50 per cent over the past two decades. “Climate change-induced flash floods have been destroying spawning habitats of trout in most streams and tributaries by changing sediments and gravel size,” said Farasat Ali, an official of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Pakistan. Speaking to Anadolu, he said the local rivers and streams are still in good conditio... -
Dawn - 13:01 Jun 10, 2026
Pakistan has carried out strikes on terrorist hideouts along its border with Afghanistan and killed 26 terrorists, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday. “In the aftermath of recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan […] precise and calibrated strikes were carried out along Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas on hideouts and safe havens of masterminds and planners belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij, killing 26 India-sponsored khawarij,” the minister said in a post on X. “Based on credible intelligence, selective targeting of camps and hideouts was carried out with precision and accuracy,” Tarar said. He elaborated that “four targets were completely destroyed, including a training centre, a hideout, and an ammunition cache and marakiz (centres) belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij Commander Aleem Khan Khushali and Commander Akhtar Muhammad Jani Khel”. The Pakistani government uses the term ‘Fitna-al-Khawarij’ to refer to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates. Tarar affirmed that Pakistan ha... -
Dawn - 12:39 Jun 10, 2026
Workers’ remittances were recorded at $4.3 billion in May, registering growth on both a monthly and annual basis, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday. Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad also shared the data on X, stating that Pakistan had recorded its “highest-ever monthly remittance inflow in history”. According to the SBP, the inflows increased by 20.2 per cent compared to April and were 15.4pc higher than the amount received in May last year. “Cumulatively, remittances reached $38.1bn during July-May FY26, up 9.2pc from $34.9bn recorded in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year,” the SBP said. It elaborated that remittances from Saudi Arabia remained the highest in May at $1,025 million, followed by $1,006.6m from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Remittances from the United Kingdom stood at $645.5m and those from the US at $349.8m, the central bank said. Schehzad said in his post that “with one month remaining in FY26, remittances are on tr... -
Dawn - 11:11 Jun 10, 2026
KARACHI: The mercury in Karachi stood at 37 degrees Celsius as of 1pm on Wednesday, with the feels-like temperature at 49°C due to humidity as a heatwave continues to grip parts of the country. According to data shared by the Met Office, relative humidity was recorded at 56 per cent at 1pm, with southwest winds blowing at 26 kilometres per hour. The city also witnessed hot and humid weather, with a feels-like temperature of 48°C a day earlier as a severe heatwave persisted across the country. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had issued a heatwave warning for various parts of the country last week. The heatwave is expected to persist till June 12. The PMD said temperatures were expected to rise by up to seven degrees Celsius above normal during the heatwave period under the influence of a high-pressure system. The Met Office said maximum temperatures in Karachi were likely to remain between 40°C and 43°C from June 8 to June 12, and warned that night-time temperatures were also likely to rise during... -
Dawn - 09:27 Jun 10, 2026
Saudi Arabia launched its second national carrier Riyadh Air after more than a year of delays on Wednesday, defying the economic turmoil triggered by the Middle East war and strong competition from established Gulf airlines. A London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Riyadh Air’s white and lavender livery took off at 2:30am local time, putting in motion a flagship project in Saudi Arabia’s push to reduce its economic reliance on oil. Riyadh Air, the country’s second state-owned airline after Jeddah-based Saudia, is meant to help turn the Saudi capital into a global hub to rival Dubai, the world’s busiest for international passengers. “We want to bring glamour, we want to bring refinement, we want to bring grace back,” Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas told AFP. The launch, originally planned for 2025, was set back by delivery delays from Boeing, which has suffered a series of manufacturing and safety problems in recent years. It also follows unprecedented attacks from Iran, which has fired thousands of drones and miss... -
Dawn - 08:34 Jun 10, 2026
The committee for monitoring austerity measures and fuel conservation on Wednesday decided to extend the closing time for standalone grocery and kiryana stores by an hour to 10pm. Pakistan had initially announced austerity measures on March 9 to deal with the impacts of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had approved the extension of the austerity measures till June 13. In a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the committee also recommended extending the application of these austerity measures till June 30, according to a statement by the DPM’s office. The measures include a 50 per cent reduction in fuel allowance for official vehicles, with the exemption of operational vehicles such as ambulances and public buses. Other steps include the grounding 60pc of official vehicles and a complete ban on foreign visits by ministers and government officials, excluding those deemed essential for the country’s interests, as specified th...
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