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Dawn - 12:49 Aug 06, 2025
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China for the first time in over seven years, a government source said on Wednesday, in a further sign of a diplomatic thaw with Beijing as tensions with the United States rise. Modi will go to China for a summit of the multilateral Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that begins on Augst 31, the government source, with direct knowledge of the matter, told Reuters. India’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His trip will come at a time when India’s relationship with the US faces its most serious crisis in years after President Donald Trump imposed the highest tariffs among Asian peers on goods imported from India, and has threatened an unspecified further penalty for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil. Modi’s visit to the Chinese city of Tianjin for the summit of the SCO, a Eurasian political and security grouping that includes Russia, will be his first since June 2018. Subsequently, Sino-Indian ties deteriorated sharply ... -
Dawn - 12:43 Aug 06, 2025
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued its record-setting rally for a fourth consecutive session on Wednesday on “strong” corporate results, soaring past 145,000 points. The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 1,041.24 points (0.73 per cent) to reach 144,078.40 points at 1:29pm, from the previous close of 143,037.16 points. The market reached an intraday high of 145,187.17 points at 3:29pm, before closing at 145,088.49, gaining 2,051.33 points (1.43pc) from yesterday. Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif noted that the “boom in business in the stock exchange is a reflection of investors’ confidence in government policies”. The premier said facilitating business and investment in the country was among the government’s top priorities, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. PM Shehbaz said reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue have “improved the tax system and facilitated the business community”. He asserted that the country’s economy was moving on a steady path to progress. Speaking on toda... -
Dawn - 11:07 Aug 06, 2025
Pakistan has started to deport documented Afghan refugees ahead of its deadline for them to leave, according to the United Nations, in a move that could see more than 1 million Afghans expelled from the country. The country’s decision follows the interior ministry’s announcement on July 31 that Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders — the last category of Afghans legally residing in Pakistan without visas — became unlawful residents after their cards expired on June 30. However, the federal government has informed the provinces that the formal repatriation and deportation of over 1.3 million Afghan refugees holding PoR cards will begin on September 1. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that it had received reports of arrests and expulsions of legally registered Afghans across the country before Pakistan’s September 1 deadline for them to leave. The UNHCR said that sending the Afghans back in this way was a breach of Pakistan’s international obligations. “UNHCR is calling on the go... -
Dawn - 10:48 Aug 06, 2025
A Pakistan Mart will be established in Dubai to boost the “global footprint” of exports, state media Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday. Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates share close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties. The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners in the Middle East and a major source of remittances, with a large Pakistani expatriate population living and working there. Speaking to the media about the project, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan called it a “game changer for Pakistani trade boost”. He was quoted as saying, “The Pakistan Mart will facilitate Pakistani traders, enabling them to export their products to regions across the world.” “The initiative is spearheaded by the National Logistics Corporation of Pakistan and the DP World company of UAE,” the report added. Last month, trade with the UAE showed an upward trend. Pakistan’s key export items to the UAE include rice, bovine meat, cotton garments, mangoes, and guavas. Exports increased 1.87 per cent to $2.121 billi... -
Dawn - 09:32 Aug 06, 2025
Four security personnel were among seven martyred in two separate incidents of firing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district and Peshawar city, officials said on Wednesday. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. Four security personnel, including a driver, were martyred when unknown assailants attacked a Federal Constabulary (FC) vehicle in the Garagri area of Karak, which the chief minister and governor strongly condemned today. KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur directed relevant authorities to arrest those involved in the incident as he expressed condolences to the families of those martyred. “We salute the security personnel and their families who sacrificed their lives for the country and the nation,” said a statement from the office of KP CM’s press secretary. Governor Faisal Kundi also condemned the attack, saying: “The sac... -
Dawn - 09:23 Aug 06, 2025
At least 71 people have died — over half of them children — and another 86 have been injured in rain-related incidents across Khyber Paktunkhwa since the start of the monsoon season in late June, according to the latest figures by KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Monsoon rains, which fall across the region from June to September every year, continue to lash many parts of the country. Starting in late June, Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across the country in the past month by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. According to the latest data provided by KP PDMA, the total death toll from rain-related incidents this monsoon season stands at 71, out of which 40 are children, 17 men and 14 women. Swat district recorded the highest number of lives lost, at 22, during heavy rains. According to PDMA, most of the deaths occurred due to floods, landslides and infrastructure collapse. On June 27, 17 people, mo... -
Dawn - 08:03 Aug 06, 2025
Military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has rubbished rumours of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir becoming the president. His statement follows a similar rebuttal by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi early in July, when he clarified that no idea existed “about the president being asked to resign or the COAS aspiring to assume the presidency”. Gen Chaudhry, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general, told The Economist that “talk of his boss becoming president is ‘nonsense’”. The Economist noted that COAS Munir’s popularity has surged since the May conflict with India. It added that the ruling coalition’s recently acquired two-thirds majority in the parliament needed for a Constitutional Amendment “ignited rumours that the army chief could become president too”. The government, as well as the military, have repeatedly warned about “fake news and propaganda” proliferating on social media, with Gen Chaudhry saying that not enough was being done against “digital terrori... -
Dawn - 07:15 Aug 06, 2025
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal stressed Pakistan’s interest in benefitting from China’s technological progress for the development of electric vehicles (EVs), state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday. Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership rooted in mutual trust, economic cooperation and regional connectivity. Over the decades, ties have expanded across different sectors — including trade, energy, defence and infrastructure — with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) symbolising a shared vision for development. Speaking to the media in Beijing during an official visit, the planning and development minister expressed Pakistan’s “desire to benefit from Chinese technological advancements”, according to Radio Pakistan. This includes the development of next-generation batteries, such as sodium-ion batteries, which offer advantages over traditional lithium technology. Iqbal also reaffirmed Pakistan’s interest in developing the EV sector in partnership with China, noting electric v... -
Dawn - 06:35 Aug 06, 2025
The Indian army brought in sniffer dogs, drones and heavy earth-moving equipment on Wednesday to search for scores missing a day after a deadly Himalayan flash flood. At least four people were killed and around 100 are unaccounted for — including 11 soldiers — after a wall of muddy water and debris tore down a narrow mountain valley, smashing into the town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state. “Additional army columns, along with army tracker dogs, drones, logistic drones, earthmoving equipment etc, have been moved… to hasten the efforts”, the army said today. Military helicopters were working to bring in “essential supplies, medicines and (for the) evacuation of the marooned”, it added. Uttarakhand State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the flood was caused by an intense “cloudburst” of rain, and that rescue teams had been deployed “on a war footing”. Videos broadcast on Indian media showed a terrifying surge of muddy water sweeping away multi-storey apartment blocks in the tourist region on Tuesday aftern... -
Dawn - 06:11 Aug 06, 2025
KHYBER: The leaders of banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) agreed on Tuesday that they would not use civilians as a human shield in their armed struggle against security forces, nor would they extort money from anyone in the name of Zakat and Ushr in the restive Tirah valley of Khyber tribal district. Written in Pastho on the letterhead of TTP and duly stamped by its ‘supreme council’ (Rahbari Shura), a Bar Qambarkhel elder read out the five-point agreement in front of a gathering of local tribesmen in response to their demand for ending hostilities against ordinary tribesmen and a pullout from Tirah to restore peace. There was, however, no mention of a pullout from Tirah in the agreement inked between local elders and TTP. The leaders banned TTP vowed to continue their armed resistance against security forces and also punish those, who supported forces or found guilty of spying against them. “Our sole purpose is an armed struggle (jihad) against anti-Islam forces and their collaborators for which we desp... -
Dawn - 18:57 Aug 05, 2025
Property tycoon Malik Riaz on Tuesday called for “dialogue and a dignified solution” amidst Bahria Town’s legal troubles. His appeal comes as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) reserved its verdict on petitions against the proposed auction of Bahria Town properties. The assets were attached in connection with a plea bargain agreement reached in the £190 million case. The development adds on to the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) previous actions against Riaz, who owns Bahria Town and is an absconder in the Al-Qadir Trust case. NAB had said last month that the tycoon and his son Ali Riaz had entered into a plea bargain in the 190 million pounds case, but failed to pay the agreed amount. As a result, NAB had sought details of several properties, which were to be auctioned to recover the amount under Section 33E of NAB Ordinance, 1999. In 2019, the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom had agreed to a settlement worth £190 million with Riaz’s family. Earlier that year, the Supreme Court had accep... -
Dawn - 17:53 Aug 05, 2025
Police detain PTI activists in Lahore, Karachi amid protests marking 2 years of Imran’s imprisonment
Police personnel detained PTI protesters in Lahore and Karachi on Tuesday after party activists took to the streets to officially kick off a nationwide movement for the release of ex-premier Imran Khan, who has been in jail for two years now. Imran, imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023 in a case related to state gifts, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials in alleged terrorism cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots. Imran had issued a nationwide protest call, with a statement attributed to him saying that the “movement that begins on August 5 will continue until democracy is restored in its true spirit”. According to PTI leader Asad Qaiser, August 5 was the inception of the protest, but it should not be considered a “final call”. Lahore Deputy Inspector General (operations) Faisal Kamran told Dawn.com: “More than 30 PTI activists trying to block roads in different areas of the city were taken into custody.” He denied reports of the police arresting hu... -
Dawn - 17:11 Aug 05, 2025
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday disqualified the Senate and National Assembly opposition leaders, 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 (ATC) in Faisalabad last week sentenced over 100 leaders and workers of the PTI, including several key opposition figures, to jail terms of up to 10 years in connection with the May 9 riots. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, Opposition Leader in the Senate Shibli Faraz, MNA Zartaj Gul, Raza, Sheikh Rashid Shafique (nephew of former interior minister Sheikh Rashid), Kanwal Shauzab, Fara... -
Dawn - 16:42 Aug 05, 2025
State broadcaster Pakistan Television on Tuesday announced that it had secured domestic broadcasting rights to all Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events from 2025 to 2027. “PTV Sports proudly announces the acquisition of television rights in Pakistan for all ACC events from 2025 to 2027!” it said in a post on Instagram. It said the events included in the package were the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 and 2027, Women’s Asia Cup 2026 and the U19 and Emerging Asia Cup tournaments. View this post on Instagram The Men’s Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from September 9 to 28 at its new venue — the United Arab Emirates — where it was shifted from original hosts India, due to Pakistan-India political tensions and also due to strains between India and Bangladesh. Dawn previously learnt that this year’s Asia Cup was facing a fresh challenge from the broadcaster. A highly exorbitant rate set for Pakistan’s region by the official broadcaster of the Asia Cup based in India, plus the uncertainty prevailing over the pinnacle clash of ... -
Dawn - 15:52 Aug 05, 2025
Bangladesh will hold elections in February 2026, interim leader Muhammad Yunus said on Tuesday, the first polls since a mass uprising overthrew the government last year. “On behalf of the interim government, I will write a letter to the chief election commissioner requesting that the election be arranged before Ramazan in February 2026,” Yunus said in a broadcast on the one-year anniversary of the ousting of ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Nobel Peace Prize winner Yunus, 85, is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections, and has said he will step down after the vote. “We will step into the final and most important phase after delivering this speech to you, and that is the transfer of power to an elected government,” he said. Yunus had earlier said elections would be held in April, but key political parties have been demanding he hold them earlier and before the month of Ramazan. “I urge you all to pray for us so that we can hold a fair and smooth election, enabling all citizens to ... -
Dawn - 15:09 Aug 05, 2025
A mother of seven children was shot dead allegedly by her husband in an ‘honour’ killing case in Chakiwara area of Lyari on Tuesday, according to police. “Bakhtawar, 40, was shot and killed by her husband at Miranaka [in Chakiwara, Lyari],” Chakiwara Station House Officer (SHO) Sajid Dharejo told Dawn.com. “The husband was arrested, and the pistol used in the murder was recovered,” he added. The police official said that the woman was asleep inside their home near Koyla Godam, Street-7, at around 1:30am when the suspect fired four shots. She sustained three bullet wounds and died on the spot. “The murder appears to be an outcome of ‘honour’ killing,” Dharejo continued. During the initial probe, the arrested man told the police that his wife used to talk with a man on her cell phone. He had warned her not to do it, but she did not give any heed to his warning, the husband claimed. The SHO said the husband is a labourer and hailed from Mansehra. The body of the victim was shifted to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital ... -
Dawn - 15:04 Aug 05, 2025
A United States Coast Guard investigative board concluded on Tuesday that the “inadequate design” of the Titan submersible was a primary contributing factor in its implosion in 2023 that left five people dead. The Titan was on a tourist expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic — a British passenger liner that sank in 1912, killing at least 1,500 on board — when it lost contact with its support vessel during descent. Its remains were found four days later, littering the seabed about 488 metres from the bow of the Titanic wreck. The implosion was preventable, the chair of the US Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation, Jason Neubauer, said as a 300-page report was released following a two-year probe. “There is a need for stronger oversight and clear options for operators who are exploring new concepts outside of the existing regulatory framework,” he said in a statement. A media spokesperson at OceanGate, the US-based company that managed the tourist submersible and suspended all operations after the inciden... -
Dawn - 14:20 Aug 05, 2025
Surging floodwaters and a torrent of mud swept through a village in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, killing at least four people while more than 50 others were missing, authorities and local TV channels said on Tuesday. Teams from the army and disaster response forces had reached the area, local authorities said, with workers trying to rescue people trapped under debris and sludge. TV news channels showed floodwaters and mud surging down a mountain and crashing into the village, sweeping away houses and roads as people ran for their lives. The mudslide cleaved through Dharali village, burying some houses, according to a video update shared by the state chief minister’s office. Four people were killed and many more had been rescued so far, Uttarkashi district administrator Prashant Arya told local media. “A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the Kheer Gad area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement,” the Central Command of the Indian Army sa... -
Dawn - 14:09 Aug 05, 2025
The Gates Foundation announced on Monday it will invest $2.5 billion in women’s health globally by 2030, with Pakistan among the countries set to benefit from work in maternal health, nutrition, contraception, and related areas. Research and development (R&D) in women’s health remains chronically underfunded worldwide, with limited investment in areas like gynaecological and menstrual health, obstetric care, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and maternal nutrition, the foundation said in a statement. Citing a 2021 McKinsey & Company analysis, it said just one per cent of healthcare R&D targets female-specific conditions beyond cancer. Common issues like preeclampsia, endometriosis, and menopause remain largely overlooked despite affecting hundreds of millions. “Investing in women’s health has a lasting impact across generations. It leads to healthier families, stronger economies, and a more just world,” said Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation. “Yet women’s health continues to be ignored, ... -
Dawn - 13:38 Aug 05, 2025
The Gilgit-Chitral road, which was submerged in the flood in the Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, has not been restored even after five days, officials confirmed on Tuesday. Pakistan has been grappling with severe flooding caused by cloudbursts, glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) and intense monsoon rains since June. These extreme weather events have resulted in several deaths and injuries across the country, with the GB region among the hardest hit. “Five days ago, heavy stones and debris accumulated in the river due to the flood at Gopis Khatam, which diverted the river towards the Gilgit-Chitral road, from which the road is now submerged for 2,000 feet,” said Ghufranullah Baig, the deputy director of Disaster Management Authority in GB’s Ghizer district. “Due to this situation, inter-provincial land connectivity between GB and Chitral regions has been cut off,” he added. He said that due to the difficulty of accessing the hard rock and debris on the road, the road could not be restored immediately. “...
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