Dawn
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Dawn - 19:00 Aug 08, 2026
MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said on Saturday that the Election Commission had decided, for security reasons, to first complete the electoral process in four constituencies of Bagh and Haveli districts and hinted that polls in the remaining seven constituencies of Poonch division could be held by Aug 20 or 21. Talking to a group of journalists at his office, he said the commission would be in a position to announce the election date for Poonch and Sudhnoti within the next seven days, adding that voters in the two districts would have to be given time to campaign. Poonch division, comprising 11 constituencies — three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch and two in Sudhnoti districts — has a total of 1,154,626 registered voters. Monday’s polling, however, will be held in four constituencies in Bagh and Haveli, where 460,371 voters — 238,664 men and 221,707 women — are eligible to cast their ballots at 803 polling stations with 1,25... -
Dawn - 18:17 Aug 08, 2026
LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan (JI) has decided to intensify its campaign against the petroleum levy and inflation, announcing simultaneous sit-ins in all four provincial capitals on August 16 to press the government to withdraw the levy. The decision was taken after extensive deliberations at a special meeting of JI’s central and provincial office-bearers, chaired by party chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman at Mansoora on Saturday. Rehman said the sit-ins would be staged outside the Punjab chief minister’s house in Lahore and the governor houses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan. Under the plan, the JI and its youth and women’s wings will participate in Independence Day activities on August 14, using the occasion to mobilise people around the party’s vision of a just system. The JI chief added that the previous day’s nationwide protest had given the party’s campaign against the petroleum levy and inflation a new direction and fresh momentum; and that over 510 organised and peaceful protests were held ac... -
Dawn - 17:58 Aug 08, 2026
The initial findings of the second post-mortem examination of 25-year-old businessman Mir Raza Ali revealed multiple injuries and a congealed black substance in his mouth and throat, Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said on Saturday. Raza, owner of eatery Wafflix, had gone missing on July 28. The 25-year-old’s body was found a day later with a gunshot wound in bushes near Shahi Qila Ground in Gulistan-i-Jauhar. His body was exhumed earlier today after the Sindh government restored the original medical board. Dr Summaiya told Dawn that Raza had multiple injuries to his head and face, including fractures to his nasal bone and skull. She said there were also injuries to his right flank and feet. The police surgeon added that a congealed black substance was found in Ali’s mouth and throat. She further said that DNA samples had been collected and sent to a laboratory, along with samples for chemical analysis and gunshot residue testing. The cause of death, she added, would remain reserved until the laboratory repor... -
Dawn - 15:19 Aug 08, 2026
Hamas said on Saturday it remained ready to proceed with a US-backed Gaza peace plan and urged pressure on Israel, which insists it did not agree to the latest part of the deal. Hamas informed US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace that it stood by the latest stage of the plan, under which the group would hand over weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing committee in the war-battered territory. “Hamas and other factions have confirmed to mediators their readiness to begin implementing the agreement and move to the second phase, provided it receives Israeli approval and that Israel begins implementing the agreement,” a Hamas official told AFP. “Hamas is urging the US administration to exert pressure on Israel to compel it to abide by the agreement and move to the second phase,” the official said on condition of anonymity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces a tough reelection fight in October and wide opposition from his right-wing base to the Gaza deal, said on Tuesday that Israel had ... -
Dawn - 14:58 Aug 08, 2026
Typhoon Dolphin lashed Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings, while China shut ports and halted ferries ahead of the storm’s expected arrival on its east coast. Five elderly people, three of whom fell due to strong winds, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in Okinawa while another person was injured in Kagoshima prefecture, authorities said. Nearly 39,000 buildings were without power in Kagoshima while just over 12,000 were affected in Okinawa. Domestic airlines, ANA and Japan Airlines, cancelled flights to and from Okinawa. The typhoon had maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometres per hour with gusts reaching 216 kph. Okinawa and Amami Island in Kagoshima prefecture are the main areas expected to be affected in Japan. Typhoon expected to make landfall in China In China, where the typhoon is expected to make landfall between late on Sunday and early on Monday, authorities have designated Dolphin as an orange-category typhoon, t... -
Dawn - 14:42 Aug 08, 2026
OpenAI said on Friday it cannot rule out that its upcoming AI model, Astra, has “critical” cybersecurity capabilities, prompting the startup to pause some internal development and trigger safety protocols. Under OpenAI’s safety guidelines, a model reaches the “critical” threshold if it can autonomously identify and exploit severe, real-world software vulnerabilities, known as zero-day exploits, or execute complex cyberattacks against highly secure targets without human intervention. Here are some details on Astra: This follows an exclusive report by Reuters that OpenAI has discovered more instances in which autonomous agents have escaped containment as the company expands its investigation of the hacking incident at tech firm Hugging Face that drew global attention in July. In the last few weeks, OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta Platforms have disclosed that their AI models broke into other companies’ systems during cybersecurity testing, highlighting how advancing AI capabilities are straining developers’ ability ... -
Dawn - 13:58 Aug 08, 2026
Two weeks after youth-led protests forced India’s education minister to resign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is grappling with the fallout from one of its toughest political challenges in years. Led by the online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the demonstrations spread from New Delhi to other cities, broadening from anger over exam irregularities into a wider movement over unemployment, opportunities for young people and what critics describe as Modi’s increasingly authoritarian rule. While demonstrations are largely over after achieving key demands, AFP looks at what the protests revealed — and what could come next. Modi under pressure The resignation of the education minister on July 25 marked a rare climbdown for a prime minister who has spent more than a decade cultivating an image of unwavering resolve. The authorities have since attempted to woo the youth, and parliament has hiked penalties for leaking exam papers. Police have withdrawn cases against protestors in several cities after critici... -
Dawn - 13:13 Aug 08, 2026
THE botched case of a young Karachi businessman, Mir Raza Ali, who died under suspicious circumstances, took a new turn recently when his parents alleged kidnapping, torture and murder, while the police, at least initially, leaned towards suicide. The police surgeon questioned the post-mortem report on television; the deceased’s father filed a plea seeking exhumation of the body and the constitution of a medico-legal board. A day after the court’s permission, exhumation was postponed after the family objected to the sudden reconstitution of the board. Regrettably, reports submitted by medico-legal surgeons have been disputed with disturbing regularity in the country. Criminal cases rest on their findings. Any loopholes can bury justice for victims and their kin. Yet, not only have these assessments often been flawed, pressure is exercised to have the evidence altered. An inaccurate record of a victim’s wounds hinders the dispensation of justice. Medical examiners in such a critical area cannot cut corners. Mo... -
Dawn - 12:46 Aug 08, 2026
Pakistan and New Zealand discussed boosting cooperation in various fields, with a special focus on agriculture and education, as the two sides held a Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting in Wellington, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday. The third Pakistan-New Zealand JTC meeting and the fifth round of Pakistan-New Zealand Political Consultations were held in Wellington on Thursday, “marking a significant step in deepening bilateral engagement between the two countries”, the FO said. A key outcome of the meetings was the signing of the Education Cooperation Arrangement between Pakistan and New Zealand, which is “expected to significantly deepen collaboration in the education sector”. At the JTC meeting, both sides “deliberated on improving market access and enhancing cooperation in sustainable agriculture, including exploring technical collaboration in wool production and plant protection”, the FO said. The discussions focused on bolstering bilateral trade and investment, with particular emphasis on tech... -
Dawn - 12:02 Aug 08, 2026
LAHORE: Heavy rain lashed Lahore on Saturday, inundating low-lying areas, major roads and several underpasses, making movement difficult for pedestrians and motorists in different parts of the city. The downpour disrupted normal traffic as rainwater accumulated on roads and in low-lying localities, leaving motorists struggling to navigate waterlogged stretches. Pedestrians also struggled to move through streets and roads where water had accumulated. According to rainfall data from the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), the city received an average of 24.6mm of rain. The highest rainfall of 104mm was recorded at the airport, followed by 75.6mm at Kahna, 62.6mm at Hadiara Defence Road and 58.6mm at Manawan. Tajpura sub-divisional officer’s (SDO) office recorded 40.2mm of rain, while 32.8mm was recorded at the Mughalpura SDO office. Shadipura received 28.4mm, Nishter Town 28mm, Chowk Nakhuda 11mm, Johar Town SDO Office 11mm, while 10.8mm was recorded at the Wasa head office in Gulberg. Upper Mall received 9mm, ... -
Dawn - 11:21 Aug 08, 2026
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Saturday that the PML-N would form the government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) with a two-thirds majority. He made the remarks while addressing a rally in Bagh ahead of the third phase of elections in the region. The third phase was originally slated to be held in the 11 constituencies of Poonch division, but will now only be held in its Bagh and Haveli districts due to law and order concerns. Addressing the rally, Sanaullah said that in the first two phases, the PML-N had secured 24 seats. He said that six more seats were required for a two-thirds majority government. Expressing confidence that the public will vote for his PML-N, the minister asserted that four more seats would be added following the August 10 polls, while five more would be added when polls would be held in the rest of Poonch Division. “The PML-N will form a government with a two-thirds majority. The people of Kashmir have trusted PML-N. They have trusted Mian Nawa... -
Dawn - 11:05 Aug 08, 2026
The body of Institute of Business Administration (IBA) graduate and businessman Mir Raza Ali was exhumed on Saturday, his father’s lawyer said after the Sindh government restored the original medical board. The exhumation had been scheduled for Friday morning but was postponed after Raza’s family objected to the abrupt reconstitution of a medical board and inclusion of members from outside Karachi division. “The investigation officer was present when the body was exhumed and the examination was carried out. All eight people of the medical team were present; the parents were also nearby. And most importantly, a judicial magistrate … was present,” Advocate Jibran Nasir told the media in Karachi on Saturday. The lawyer contended that “incomplete CCTV footage and out-of-context messages” have been used to ignite rumours and reach hasty conclusions since Raza’s death. Raza, owner of eatery Wafflix, had gone missing on July 28. The 25-year-old’s body was found a day later with a gunshot wound in bushes near Shahi Q... -
Dawn - 09:42 Aug 08, 2026
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has welcomed the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, terming it an “important strategic step”. The pact aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empowers the three states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them. In a statement posted on X, OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha expressed his “strong appreciation and support” for the agreement, describing it as an “important strategic step” that reflected the three countries’ commitment to strengthening regional and international cooperation. Taha said the agreement constitutes “a fundamental pillar for supporting security and stability in the region and across the Muslim world”. He added that it embodies a “shared resolve to address growing security challenges and strengthen solidarity and constructive partnerships” among the OIC member states. The OIC is the second largest organisation after the United Nations, with Pakis... -
Dawn - 07:38 Aug 08, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The leadership of the Senate and National Assembly on Saturday agreed to enhance institutional cooperation and coordination for a stable parliamentary democratic system. According to a statement issued by the Senate Secretariat, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani met National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah at his residence. The meeting focused on parliamentary affairs, matters of national importance and inter-institutional coordination, it said. The Senate chairman said close coordination between the two Houses was indispensable for upholding “strong democratic traditions and an effective parliamentary system”. He added that, “mutual cooperation and effective liaison between the Senate and the National Assembly were essential for the stability of the parliamentary system”. Sadiq said institutional collaboration must be further strengthened for effective legislation and to meet public expectations, the statement said. The participants reaffirmed their ... -
Dawn - 07:17 Aug 08, 2026
When the United States Supreme Court in June ruled in favour of broad citizenship rights for babies born in the country, one of the most conservative justices complained that the decision was so sweeping it would even cover so-called birth tourists. Women “who come here solely for the purpose of giving birth” would be able to get automatic citizenship for their children, Samuel Alito wrote, dissenting from the 6-3 ruling that invalidated President Donald Trump’s first attempt to curtail US birthright citizenship. Undeterred by the court’s ruling, Trump tried again on Thursday, signing two executive orders largely aimed at birth tourism. That part of Trump’s action, which is certain to face legal challenges, is likely doomed, legal experts said. It targets a category of people that legal experts said the Supreme Court already addressed. “These children are citizens based on their birth on US soil,” said University of Virginia law professor Amanda Frost, who studies birthright citizenship. “Illegal conduct by t... -
Dawn - 05:38 Aug 08, 2026
Young people applying for entry-level jobs in Sindh’s bureaucracy have been protesting that only 70 out of over 4,300 of them have passed the exam held by the Sindh Public Service Commission. They sat ten written papers for the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE), whose shockingly slim number of successful candidates was announced on May 6. This is how assistant commissioners, assistant directors and section officers at Grades 16 and 17 are hired. Lower than 16 is for drivers and clerks hired in the districts. The highest grade is 22. Think chief secretary level. The SPSC typically passes at least five candidates per seat in its written examinations. However, according to spokesperson Hifzullah Kaka, that doesn’t necessarily apply to the CCE. Nevertheless, the 2024 results still struck protesters as impossible to accept. Alarm bells started ringing when the detailed marks certificates were uploaded after the results were announced. For instance, the 100-mark optional subject Criminology with a single exam ... -
Dawn - 05:35 Aug 08, 2026
The US government will invest $3 billion in critical minerals and battery projects as part of a push to increase domestic production and boost national security and industrial policy, US President Donald Trump said on Friday. “We’re reclaiming America’s rightful place as the minerals superpower of the world,” Trump told more than 200 mining executives, educators, investors and fellow politicians at a roundtable at the State Department aimed at supporting the industry, which he said had not received enough attention from Washington in recent years. He announced a slew of investments during his speech, including a $1.4bn conditional loan from the Defence Department’s Office of Strategic Capital for Sila Nanotechnologies, which makes lithium-ion battery parts. The OSC also extended a $400 million conditional loan to scandium miner Sunrise Energy Metals and a $150m conditional loan to magnet developer Niron Magnetics. The US Export-Import Bank will lend $58m to Westwater Resources, Global Advanced Metals and 5E A... -
Dawn - 04:57 Aug 08, 2026
The military media affairs wing said on Saturday that a captain was martyred while seven terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district. In a statement, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said security forces conducted an IBO in Hangu on Friday following reports about the presence of terrorists belonging to Fitna al Khawarij — a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. During the operation, troops effectively engaged the terrorists, it said. “In desperation, the khawarij took refuge inside a mosque, blatantly disregarding the sanctity of the place of worship. In ensuing fire exchange, seven khawarij, belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna al Khawarij were sent to hell,” it said. The statement went on to say that during the exchange of fire, 27-year-old Captain Hamza Akram, a resident of Punjab’s Narowal district who was “leading his troops from front and relentlessly pursuing” the terrorists, embraced ma... -
Dawn - 03:48 Aug 08, 2026
PAKISTAN’S announcement that it would allocate 2,000 megawatts of electricity for Bitcoin mining and AI data centres has triggered a predictable debate: can the country afford to supply that much power? It is an important question, but not the most useful one. Bitcoin mining, AI training and real-time digital services do not exactly place identical demands on the electricity system. Pakistan’s electricity challenge is about more than the amount of generation capacity available. It is about when and where electricity is needed, whether the network can deliver it reliably, and how that demand is managed during periods of stress. During the hottest months, cooling demand pushes the grid towards its limits. At other times, generation capacity remains underused. But nationally available capacity does not automatically translate into reliable electricity at the location and hour a data centre requires it. Transmission constraints, substation capacity and power quality matter just as much as the headline allocation.... -
Dawn - 03:44 Aug 08, 2026
THE police are a vital pillar of our social fabric, serving not only as guardians of the law but also as protectors of the community, said President Asif Ali Zardari on Police Martyrs Day on Aug 4. “Their exemplary courage, firm dedication and ultimate sacrifice in the service of the nation will always inspire pride and command the deepest respect of every citizen of Pakistan,” he added. The prime minister, too, honoured the bravery of police officers who had laid down their lives in the line of duty, noting that the force displays “exceptional professionalism and unflinching resolve” in the nation’s fight against terrorism, violent extremism and crime. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies reported that the first seven months of 2026 witnessed 2,786 deaths linked to terrorist violence and counterterrorism operations — 434 security forces’ personnel lost their lives, including 152 police officials in KP and 89 in Balochistan. So far, July has been the deadliest month of 2026, with 112 secur...
12682 items