Dawn
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Dawn - 09:44 Aug 07, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday refuted rumours circulating on social media that he had stepped down from his position following a controversy. Asif clarified the matter after an X user named Zubair Ali Khan, in a series of posts on the platform late Wednesday night, alleged that the defence minister had handed in his resignation over a controversy but had withdrawn it and was now unreachable. Replying to the post that levelled the allegations against him, Asif wrote: “With apologies, this gentleman has written his wishes in this tweet. Not reality.” He shared a screenshot of the post thread, edited with a red stamp marking it as “FAKE”. The X user, a former journalist, had alleged that the minister resigned due to “intensified controversy regarding the arrest of the additional deputy commissioner revenue (ADCR) of Sialkot a few days ago on charges of alleged financial corruption”. “In the resignation sent to Dr Tauqeer Shah, advisor to the prime minister’s office, Khawaja Asif stated that either th... -
Dawn - 07:15 Aug 07, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday showed its concern over registration of cases against journalists under the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and called for urgent action to address growing concerns of media persons regarding FIRs and arrests of journalists. The Senate committee headed by ruling PTI’s Ali Zafar issued the directives after it was informed by the Ministry of Interior that 689 cases had been registered under the Peca law throughout the country, including nine FIRs [First Information Report] registered against journalists. According to an official handout, the committee received a detailed briefing from officials of the information and interior ministries regarding the number and nature of cases registered under Peca since its passage from the parliament in January, with a special focus on journalists, media professionals, digital content creators, and social media activists. The committee was further informed that only ... -
Dawn - 06:51 Aug 07, 2025
BAJAUR: Life in several areas of the restive Lowi Mamund tehsil here has begun returning to normalcy following the postponement of a potential anti-terrorist operation due to talks between the Bajaur Aman Jirga and the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Residents told Dawn on Wednesday that the Jirga-TTP talks, which had been continuing for the last six days and were meant to convince terrorists to leave the region for Afghanistan, had not only led to the postponement of the Operation Sarbakaf planned by security forces in 16 Lowi Mamund areas but also helped normalise situation in many villages to some extent. They said the Laghari Bazar, a major commercial centre in the tehsil, reopened on Wednesday after remaining closed since July 29 due to the curfew imposed by the district administration in those areas for the launch of the Operation Sarbakaf to flush out terrorists, who were present in the region for several weeks. Attributing normalcy to the ongoing Jirga-TTP dialogue, the residents said they we... -
Dawn - 06:46 Aug 07, 2025
KARACHI: The government’s efforts to artificially bring down the dollar rate are faltering, with market forces pushing back against a Rs250 exchange rate target and foreign currencies reportedly vanishing from the open market. A crackdown on dollar smuggling launched on July 23 has led to a minor depreciation of around Rs3 in both the open and interbank markets. However, this has done little to bridge the gap between market sentiment and official expectations. The dollar continues to trade above Rs280, and a noticeable shortage has emerged. In recent meetings held in Islamabad with banks, currency dealers, and jewellers, authorities reportedly reiterated their desire to bring the dollar down to Rs250. However, participants in the meetings described the target as unrealistic. Some bankers estimate the real market parity to be closer to Rs281. Currency dealers say major foreign currencies — including the US dollar, British pound, and euro — are largely unavailable. “You might find a few hundred dollars at some ... -
Dawn - 05:51 Aug 07, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Although the government managed to secure parliamentary approval for an ordinance promulgated to satisfy Maulana Fazlur Rehman and a group of seminary boards, their registration may be hampered by the fact that the law only applies to the capital territory. During Wednesday’s proceedings, the National Assembly passed the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act 2025, allowing religious seminaries to get registered with the authority of their choice — the federal education ministry’s Directorate General of Religious Education (DGRE), or their relevant DC office under the Societies Act 1860. The new amendment is an addition in section 21-(C) of the law, allowing religious seminaries to choose which body they want to register themselves with. It has already been approved by the Senate. The law became a bone of contention between the JUI-F and the ruling coalition after President Asif Ali Zardari reportedly withheld presidential assent on the bill last year. The bill sailed through the Senate on Oct ... -
Dawn - 04:26 Aug 07, 2025
WASHINGTON: Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir is expected in the US this week for consultations with his American counterparts, official sources told Dawn. Sources said this would be a return visit, following a trip to Pakistan by Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), in late July. In a press statement issued on Aug 4, CENTCOM recalled Gen Kurilla’s recent visit to Pakistan and other countries in the region. During the visit, Gen Kurilla was also conferred the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) by the Pakistani government. Field Marshal Munir previously visited Washington in June, when he was hosted by President Donald Trump for lunch at the White House — an unprecedented gesture typically reserved for visiting heads of state or government. There was no official word on the visit from Inter- Services Public Relations or Pakistan’s embassy in Washington, but during his previous, the army chief had hinted that he expected to return to the US again later in the year. The ... -
Dawn - 02:55 Aug 07, 2025
• Experts, scientists say even moderate rains are causing high death tolls • Pakistan is 152nd in list of countries least ready for climate impact • Report says issue ‘taken seriously’ in Pakistan, but financing is absent ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, one of the countries least prepared to deal with the impact of climate change, was hit particularly hard this year as it received 15 per cent more rainfall than average. This anomaly was a result of human actions that exacerbated the crisis of climate change, said a group of 18 scientists and researchers who were part of the World Weather Attribution group at Imperial College’s Grantham Institute in the UK. The group, which included experts from universities and meteorological agencies in Pakistan, the UK, France and the Netherlands, said the recent floods were triggered by heavier-than-normal rainfall and blamed human actions for the weather anomaly. Pakistan’s monsoon season starts in late June and ends in September. It brings 70 to 80pc of the country’s annual rainfal... -
Dawn - 19:00 Aug 06, 2025
Pakistan lost by 11 runs to Ireland on Wednesday in the first Twenty 20 International (T20I) of their series in Dublin. Skipper Fatima Sana was the pick of the bowlers for the Green Shirts at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground, getting a career-best 4-26 as the team looked to kickstart a packed international calendar — featuring two white-ball World Cups — with a winning performance after bowling the Irish side out for 142. However, that was not meant to be, as the Irish side restricted the visitors to 131 in their chase, with all-rounder Orla Prendergast being adjudicated player of the match for her three wickets and 26 runs. In the first innings, Sadia Iqbal, the number one ranked T20I bowler in the world, started her spell by conceding a boundary to Ireland opener Amy Hunter. Skipper Fatima struck in just her second over, bowling an inswinger to dislodge her opposite number Gaby Lewis’s middle stump. The Irish side then recovered to score 48-1 at the end of the powerplay — courtesy five boundaries from opene... -
Dawn - 18:48 Aug 06, 2025
The body of a missing teenage girl was recovered from a drain near Punjab’s Rawat on Wednesday, according to police. Kahuta Police Station House Officer (SHO) Zakaullah Shah told Dawn.com: “ Fifteen-year-old Sania Bibi, daughter of Muhammad Waris, a resident of Kahuta town, had gone missing from her home the previous day, while her body was found lying in Lang Nullah in the Rawat area on Wednesday morning.“ Shah said that her body was transported to Kahuta Tehsil Headquarter Hospital for a postmortem to ascertain the cause of her death. The SHO further added that her family had told the police that she was mentally ill and had left her home barefoot. “They were searching for her and she probably jumped into the ravine. Her body was recovered miles away in the Rawat area, at the bank of the nullah,” the SHO said. The official added that all aspects of her death would be investigated after receiving postmortem reports. Last month, the prime suspect in the Arshman Akhtar murder case was killed in an alleged enco... -
Dawn - 18:20 Aug 06, 2025
A major rescue operation was launched in the Malook Abad area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district after a section of an emerald mine collapsed on Wednesday evening, trapping multiple workers underground. According to initial reports by Rescue 1122 Swat, the mine caved in suddenly during extraction activity. “Upon receiving the alert, the district emergency officer immediately dispatched a specialised disaster response team to the site, where a full-scale rescue operation was launched without delay,” said Rescue 1122 spokesperson Shafiqa Gul. Gul confirmed that four mine rescuers entered the collapsed shaft, working to reach and retrieve the trapped individuals. “Rescue efforts were being carried out with urgency, utilising all available resources including modern equipment, ambulances and medical teams stationed at the site,” she said, adding that additional support has been requisitioned from nearby mines and emergency units to expedite the operation. “We are doing everything in our capacity to ensure a sa... -
Dawn - 18:17 Aug 06, 2025
The Trump administration’s abrupt decision to terminate foreign aid, including funding through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), delivered a jolt to Pakistan’s social sector, forcing many organisations to halt projects, lay off staff, and scale back operations. Days after beginning his second term in January, Trump announced a pause in all foreign assistance under his “America First” policy. The move further deepened an already challenging funding environment in Pakistan, where donor fatigue and shifting priorities have chipped away at global aid streams in recent years. Still, the development sector has managed to absorb the initial shocks. Experts say a shift in strategy, bolstered by growing support from the Pakistani diaspora and government contributions, has helped NGOs keep their work alive. “Pakistan’s decades-old development sector, particularly the big NGOs, is deep-rooted and is pursuing a multi-sectoral and multi-donor approach to avoid dependence on one or a few donor... -
Dawn - 18:11 Aug 06, 2025
Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industries Rana Ihsan Afzal has said that the government would be able to consider a pardon for PTI founder Imran Khan if he were to issue an apology for his crimes. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. In an interview on DawnNewsTV show ‘Doosra Rukh’ a day ago, Afzal said Imran’s sentence could be commuted if he were to issue a written apology to the president. “If he writes some mercy petition or an apology to the head of state, then in my opinion, his sentence can definitely be forgiven,” Afzal said. “The scope available in the law can be used. Besides this, the government does not have any other power to forgive his sentence,” he said, adding that as the allegations against Imran had been proven, a pardon could be considered based on an apology. He emphasised that the sentencing in the... -
Dawn - 17:59 Aug 06, 2025
A search operation for a missing body continued for a second day after a couple from Karachi drowned in a boat capsize accident in Skardu, officials said on Wednesday. Skardu is a popular tourist destination for local and international visitors. However, accidents are quite common due to the difficult terrain and lack of modern infrastructure. A statement by Rescue 1122 said, “Two people went missing in a tragic boat capsizing incident in the beautiful Kachora area of Skardu. Rescue 1122 divers and rescue personnel of Skardu have recovered the body of a woman after taking immediate action, while the search for the other missing person is still ongoing. The search and rescue operation was ongoing under the supervision of Emergency Officer Islamuddin, it added. Baltistan Police Public Relations Officer Ghulam Muhammad told Dawn.com that a family from Karachi, who were visiting the Kachura Soq Valley in Skardu, had been rafting on a river when the raft capsized at 4pm on Tuesday. “Three operators and a 15-year-o... -
Dawn - 17:45 Aug 06, 2025
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Wednesday revealed that enforced disappearances and other issues were fuelling public alienation and political instability in Balochistan following a fact-finding mission to the province. According to the report, titled Balochistan’s Crisis of Trust, the HRCP undertook the mission from July 9-12 to respond to the “escalating concerns over the deteriorating state of fundamental rights and civic freedoms in the province”. The mission aimed to examine the state of fundamental freedoms in the province and the broader impact of conflict and militarisation on civilian life, the report said in its terms of reference. In a press release issued today, the HRCP said: “The mission’s findings reveal a disturbing pattern of continued enforced disappearances, shrinking civic space, erosion of provincial autonomy and unchecked impunity — conditions that continue to fuel public alienation and political instability.” The mission observed that the state’s framing of the issue “... -
Dawn - 17:20 Aug 06, 2025
The design and policy choices of X created fertile ground for inflammatory and racist narratives targeting Muslims and migrants following last year’s deadly Southport attack in the United Kingdom, a new analysis showed on Wednesday. According to research published by Amnesty International, social media platform X played a “central role” in the spread of false narratives and harmful content, which contributed to riots against Muslim and migrant communities in Britain. The technical analysis of X’s open-source code or publicly available software showed that its recommender system, also known as content-ranking algorithms, “systematically prioritises” content that sparks outrage, provokes heated exchanges, reactions and engagement, without adequate safeguards to prevent or mitigate harm. “Our analysis shows that X’s algorithmic design and policy choices contributed to heightened risks amid a wave of anti-Muslim and anti-migrant violence observed in several locations across the UK last year, and which continues t... -
Dawn - 17:18 Aug 06, 2025
United States envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Wednesday, two days before the expiry of a deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face new sanctions. Witkoff flew to Moscow on a last-minute mission to seek a breakthrough in the three-and-a-half-year war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Russian state TV showed a brief clip of him shaking hands with Putin at the start of their meeting. Russian news agencies said the talks ended after about three hours, and Witkoff’s motor convoy was seen leaving the Kremlin. Russian investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who earlier greeted Witkoff on arrival and strolled with him in a park near the Kremlin, posted on social media: “Dialogue will prevail.” There was no immediate statement from either side on the substance of the talks. Later, Trump called the meeting “highly productive” in a post on Truth Social. “Great progress was made!” the US president wrote. “... -
Dawn - 16:39 Aug 06, 2025
Two individuals, including a police constable, were injured when the South Upper Waziristan deputy commissioner’s (DC) vehicle came under attack near the Habib Kot Adana area of the district’s Ladha tehsil on Wednesday. Upper South Waziristan Police spokesperson Shoaib Mehsood told Dawn.com: “According to the initial information, unknown assailants attacked DC Asmatullah Wazir’s vehicle when he was travelling to Maken area from Ladha.” He said the DC, additional DC (ADC) for planning and development, a police constable and an assistant to the ADC for finance and planning were aboard the vehicle. The police spokesperson said that DC Wazir and the ADC remained safe in the attack, but the assistant for the finance and planning ADC and Constable Gul Nawaz were injured. He said that the injured were taken to the district headquarters hospital for medical treatment. The spokesperson said a police team was sent to the area and was conducting a search to track down the armed assailants. Pakistan has witnessed an upti... -
Dawn - 16:14 Aug 06, 2025
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday halted the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from taking any action against PTI leaders Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub. The ECP on Tuesday disqualified Faraz as the Senate opposition leader, Ayub as the National Assembly equivalent, then-MNAs Zartaj Gul, Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza and other PTI lawmakers following their convictions in cases related to the May 9 riots. On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting the party founder Imran Khan’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested. An anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad last week sentenced over PTI 100 leaders and workers to jail terms of up to 10 years in connection with the riots. Faraz, Zartaj Gul and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan were among those awarded ... -
Dawn - 15:53 Aug 06, 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued an executive order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil, sharply escalating tensions between the two countries after trade talks collapsed. The new measure raises tariffs on some Indian goods to as high as 50pc, among the steepest faced by any US trading partner. The move is expected to hit key Indian export sectors, including textiles, footwear, and gems and jewellery and marks the most serious downturn in US-India relations since Trump returned to office in January. In an executive order issued from the White House, Trump said: “I find that the Government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil. “Accordingly, and as consistent with applicable law, articles of India imported into the customs territory of the United States shall be subject to an additional ad valorem rate of duty of 25pc.” Trump said he determined it “necessary and appropriate... -
Dawn - 15:28 Aug 06, 2025
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday said that the government had found evidence that real estate tycoon Malik Riaz and Bahria Town had engaged in money laundering on a “grand” scale. The development adds to the legal woes of the property tycoon and his real estate company, with the former being an absconder in the Al-Qadir Trust case, while the National Accountability Bureau has announced a fresh auction of six properties of Bahria Town. Delivering a televised press statement, Tarar said: “An important development occurred a day ago in the investigation of the Bahria Town corruption case. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) carried out a successful raid in which very important documents have surfaced that are incontrovertible proof of Malik Riaz and Bahria Town’s corruption.” He said the FIA had been conducting an ongoing investigation, with raids being carried out as well. “The documents that have surfaced reveal money laundering and corruption of a great amount by Malik Riaz and Bahria Town...
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