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  • 4 Punjab districts allowed to manufacture kite-flying material to meet Basant demand
    Dawn - 17:28 Feb 02, 2026
    LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday gave approval for the manufacture of permissible kite-flying material in four more districts of the province owing to the increasing demand and soaring prices of these commodities ahead of the much-anticipated Basant festival in Lahore. Basant will be celebrated in Lahore from February 6-8, albeit under tight curbs, following the Punjab government’s move to lift the ban on the festival after a hiatus of 18 years. Celebrations, however, will remain restricted to the provincial capital, which until now was the only district where the manufacture of permissible kite-flying material was allowed. According to a February 1 letter by the Punjab Home Department to deputy commissioners (DC) concerned, the provincial cabinet has given approval for manufacturing the kite-flying material in Faisalabad, Kasur, Multan and Sheikhupura as well. The letter, seen by Dawn, said that the manufacturers should register themselves with the relevant DCs and through the Punjab government’s e-Bi...
    Tags: Punjab Basant
  • ‘Nobody in Pakistan will be allowed to rationalise violence,’ says Asif after attacks in Balochistan
    Dawn - 16:46 Feb 02, 2026
    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that the state’s bottom line was that “nobody in Pakistan will be allowed to rationalise violence”. “When you try to rationalise violence or dress it up as a freedom movement — it is not acceptable because it is not true. This is a cover to legitimise criminal activities,” he said while addressing the National Assembly. Asif made these remarks while briefing the House on the security situation in Balochistan, where terrorists carried out a large-scale coordinated attack on Saturday. According to the military’s media affairs wing, more than 150 terrorists have been killed in retaliatory action. After Speaker Ayaz Sadiq asked him for a briefing, he began his address by recalling that the restoration of peace in Balochistan had been “disrupted” several times over the decades. However, he maintained that there had been long spells of peace in the province as well, and development work was also carried out in Balochistan. The defence minister said during the initial dec...
    Tags: Asif Pakistan Balochistan
  • Fire at mobile market in Karachi’s Saddar brought under control
    Dawn - 16:43 Feb 02, 2026
    KARACHI: A large fire that erupted on Monday evening at Saddar’s mobile market was brought under control, according to police and rescue officials. South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the fire broke out on the 7th floor parking of the Al Najeeb mobile market at around 07:45pm. He said the fire had erupted in a parking area located on the 7th floor of a high-rise building. He said that three cars were damaged in the blaze. He said the fire had been controlled while cooling work was ongoing. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that two persons were adversely affected due to suffocation, who were rescued and provided first medical aid on the spot. He said the fire had erupted due to a short circuit failure in an electronic vehicle parked at the scene, which spread and engulfed two other vehicles. He said four fire tenders and one snorkel managed to control the blaze, however, cooling work was ongoing. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the situation was “under control ...
    Tags: Saddar
  • Govt rules out talks with terrorists as Senate condemns spate of attacks in Balochistan
    Dawn - 16:40 Feb 02, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday ruled out talks with terrorists as the upper house of Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the spate of terrorist attacks in Balochistan, while also urging the government to ensure a transparent investigation into the incidents. Speaking in the Senate, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah ruled out talks with terrorists. He urged all political forces to adopt a unified national stance against terrorism, fully support law enforcement agencies and the armed forces, and honour the sacrifices of martyrs and their families. Responding to the points raised by opposition leader Raja Nasir Abbas, he said: “No one is angry in Balochistan; there is no issue of rights. They are taking action against Pakistan on the instructions of the enemy.” He said that terrorists should be called terrorists without any ifs or buts and that action should be taken against them without any ambiguity. He pointed out that the enemy was humiliated during Marka-i-...
    Tags: Senate Balochistan
  • Annual consumer price index rose 5.8pc year-on-year in January
    Dawn - 15:45 Feb 02, 2026
    Consumer price inflation rose 5.8 per cent year-on-year in January, official data showed on Monday, underscoring the central bank’s warning that price pressures could temporarily breach its target band as economic activity picks up. The reading comes a week after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) held its policy rate at 10.50pc, saying inflation could exceed its 5pc to 7pc medium-term target range for a few months this year, even as growth gains momentum and imports push the trade deficit wider. The reading from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PSB) compared with 5.6pc in December, when prices fell on a monthly basis due to lower perishable food costs. On a month-on-month basis, inflation increased by 0.4pc in January. The SBP said it viewed the real policy rate as sufficiently positive to stabilise inflation over the medium term, even as it flagged stronger domestic demand and external pressures as upside risks to prices. The finance ministry had projected inflation would remain within a 5pc to 6pc range in...
    Tags: January
  • Pakistan team lands in Sri Lanka for T20 World Cup
    Dawn - 15:41 Feb 02, 2026
    The Pakistan cricket team on Monday arrived in Sri Lanka for the T20 World Cup, which is set to begin on February 7. In a post on X, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that a 15-player squad had arrived in the country. “The 15-player national squad includes Captain Salman Ali Agha, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Naeef, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan, and Usman Tariq,” the PCB said in an earlier post, the informed of the squad’s department for the global event’s venue. In the latest update about the aquad’s arrival in Colombo, the board said the team would rest on Monday and Tuesday. “The team will play a warm-up match against Ireland on Feb 4,” PCB added. The T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is set to begin on Feb 7. On Sunday, the government gave the go-ahead for Pakistan’s participation in the tournament, but barred it from playing against arch-rival India...
    Tags: Pakistan T20 World Cup Sri Lanka
  • Air India grounds Boeing Dreamliner plane after pilot flags fuel control switch issue
    Dawn - 15:06 Feb 02, 2026
    Air India said on Monday it had grounded one of its Boeing Dreamliners after one of its pilots reported an issue with the fuel control switch, which is at the centre of an ongoing probe into a deadly air crash last year. “We have grounded said aircraft and are involving the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis,” the airline said, adding that the matter has been communicated to India’s aviation regulator. Boeing and India’s civil aviation ministry, which houses the aviation regulator, did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment. The Tata Group and Singapore Airlines-owned carrier has faced intense scrutiny since a Dreamliner crash in June last year killed 260 people. Air India said on Monday it had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the regulator last year, and had found no issues. A cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots of the June 12 Air India flight suggeste...
    Tags: Air India
  • CDF Munir vows to strengthen Pakistan-Libya ties
    Dawn - 14:41 Feb 02, 2026
    Chief of Defence Staff (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Libya, according to the military’s media affairs wing. In a statement, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Libyan Arab Armed Forces Commander-in-chief Field Marshal Khalifa Abu-al-Qasim Haftar and Deputy Commander-in-chief Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar called on CDF Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. “During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, with particular focus on security dynamics in respective regions and professional cooperation,” the statement said. “The discussion underscored the importance of continued engagement and collaboration between the armed forces of Pakistan and Libya,” it said. CDF Munir welcomed the distinguished guests and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Libya, it said. “He emphasised Pakistan’s support for peace, st...
    Tags: CDF Munir
  • Norway crown princess showed poor judgement over Epstein ties, PM says
    Dawn - 13:03 Feb 02, 2026
    Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Monday the Nordic country’s crown princess, Mette-Marit, displayed poor judgement in having contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, following fresh reports of her ties with the late US sex offender. New files related to Epstein published by the US Justice Department on Friday included extensive email correspondence between Mette-Marit and Epstein after he was found guilty of child sex crimes in 2008. On Saturday, Mette-Marit, the spouse of the heir to the throne Haakon, apologised for maintaining contacts, saying she showed poor judgement. On Monday, Stoere agreed with her. “I am really using her own words. She says she has showed bad judgement. I agree and I think it is worth saying that when I am asked my opinion about this,” Stoere told reporters. Asked whether he had been in contact with the royal palace about the matter, Stoere said he had not. The prime minister added that Mette-Marit, and other prominent Norwegians who were named in the latest Epstein documents...
    Tags: Epstein
  • PTI moves SHC against alleged detention of workers in Sindh under MPO, seeks immediate release
    Dawn - 12:17 Feb 02, 2026
    KARACHI: PTI on Monday challenged in the Sindh High Court (SHC) the alleged detention of over 180 party workers during raids in Karachi and other parts of Sindh under the controversial Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. On Sunday, the PTI alleged that the Sindh police carried out pre-dawn raids on the houses of its workers and leaders and picked up around 180 of them. The provincial government has denied the allegations of detention. A two-member constitutional bench comprising Justice Muhammad Saleem Jessar and Justice Nisar Ahmed Bhanbhro took up the plea for hearing on Monday. Advocate Ali Tahir appeared as the petitioners’ counsel. However, Justice Bhanbro recused from hearing the case. Subsequently, the bench ordered the registrar’s office to fix the hearing for Tuesday as the “counsel pleads urgency”, according to a short order available with Dawn. The case will now be fixed before another two-member bench of the SHC. The petitioners — PTI Sindh General Secretary Mansoor Ali and Insaf Lawyers ...
    Tags: Sindh
  • PM Shehbaz appreciates partnership, support from World Bank in meeting with President Banga in Islamabad
    Dawn - 11:59 Feb 02, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: World Bank Group (WBG) President Ajay Banga called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday as Pakistan acknowledged the group’s valuable support, which has been instrumental in advancing the country’s economic development and reforms. According to the PM Office, the prime minister welcomed Banga for his first official visit as the president of the WBG. The premier appreciated the group for its long-standing partnership with Pakistan and its commitment to supporting the development priorities of the country, especially through the 10-year WBG Country Partnership Framework (CPF). Shehbaz also appreciated Banga’s leadership in transforming the WBG into a more impactful development partner. He said that the government of Pakistan was vigorously working on an economic reform agenda, with a multi-pronged, comprehensive, structural, homegrown programme aimed at sustainable economic stability. The prime minister also appreciated the support of the global financial institution in resilient infrastructure...
    Tags: Shehbaz
  • Pakistan launches first polio vaccination drive of 2026
    Dawn - 11:06 Feb 02, 2026
    Pakistan’s first polio vaccination campaign of the current year was launched on Monday across the country. The nationwide drive is being held from February 2 to February 5 in most cities, while Sindh is conducting a week-long campaign until February 8. Strict security measures have been taken in various districts, keeping in view past attacks on polio teams. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, in a post on X, said: “The first nationwide polio vaccination drive of 2026 is underway, with health workers going door to door.” “This campaign is a vital step towards protecting our children and eliminating polio once and for all,” she stressed. The first lady encouraged all parents with children aged five years or below to ensure their kids receive the vaccine every time it is offered, pointing out that this was the “only way to eliminate polio for good”. Speaking at the formal inauguration of the drive in Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah noted that the campaign aimed to vaccinate 10.5 million children in t...
    Tags: Pakistan
  • Militant violence surges in January after December lull: PICSS
    Dawn - 10:52 Feb 02, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: After a noticeable decline in violence in December 2025, the first month of the new year witnessed a renewed surge in anti-state violence, leading to higher fatalities among militants, civilians and security personnel, according to official statistics. Data released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) shows that combat-related deaths in January 2026 rose by 43 per cent compared to December 2025. During the month, 242 militants were killed, while 73 civilians and 46 security force personnel lost their lives. Twelve militants were injured, while at least 71 civilians and 52 security personnel were also wounded. PICSS reported that January saw 87 militant attacks nationwide, marking a 28pc increase from the 68 attacks recorded in December 2025. Of these, 38 attacks took place in mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 20 in the province’s tribal districts (erstwhile Fata), 27 in Balochistan and two in Punjab. Balochistan emerged as the primary theatre of militant a...
    Tags: December PICSS January
  • TTAP condemns spate of terrorist attacks in Balochistan, labels it ‘security failure’
    Dawn - 10:03 Feb 02, 2026
    The opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Monday condemned the spate of attacks in Balochistan last week, and called it “a security failure on the part of the provincial government and law enforcement agencies”. On Saturday, the military’s media affairs wing said terrorists of Fitna-al-Hindustan carried out a spate of attacks across Balochistan. 18 civilians and 15 personnel of security forces were martyred in the attacks on Saturday. In a statement, posted on X, the TTAP condemned the attacks and expressed sorrow with the martyrs. It noted that “a terrorist attack in the province on such a large scale was a failure on the part of the provincial government and LEAs”. The opposition alliance stated that the series of attacks showed the “extent to which the rule of law has become limited in the province and the lack of concern for the lives and property of citizens.” “For how long will we turn a blind eye to the fact that the provincial government — which does not have the public’s supp...
    Tags: TTAP Balochistan
  • Security forces kill 22 more terrorists in Balochistan, taking 48-hour total tally to 177
    Dawn - 09:50 Feb 02, 2026
    Security forces killed 22 more terrorists during the ongoing security sweeps in Balochistan, taking the tally of terrorists killed over the past two days to 177, said security officials. Terrorists carried out a large-scale coordinated attack in the province on Saturday. The military’s media affairs wing said terrorists of Fitna-al-Hindustan carried out a spate of attacks across Balochistan on Saturday, responding to which the security forces killed more than 150 terrorists. The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. The terrorists were killed overnight as security sweeps continued across the province following Saturday’s attack, with security officials adding that the “noose is tightening”. Mobile internet services remain suspended Residents of Quetta and other cities in Balochistan continued to face difficulties on Monday as mobile internet services remained suspended for the third day ...
    Tags: Balochistan Security
  • Israel reopens Gaza’s Rafah border crossing to Egypt, with limits
    Dawn - 08:22 Feb 02, 2026
    Israel reopened the border between Gaza and Egypt on Monday for people on foot, a move that would allow Palestinians to leave the enclave and let back in those who want to return after fleeing Israel’s war in the enclave. The reopening of the Rafah border crossing will be limited, with Israel demanding security checks for Palestinians entering and exiting. Israel and Egypt were expected to impose caps on the number of travellers. Israel seized the border crossing in May 2024, about nine months into the Gaza war that was brought to a tenuous halt by an October ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump. Rafah’s reopening was an important requirement under the first phase of Trump’s broader plan to stop fighting between Israel and Hamas. An Israeli security official said that European monitoring teams had arrived at the crossing, which “has now opened to the movement of residents, for both entry and exit.” Foreign Journalist barred from Gaza In the first nine months of Israel’s assault in Gaza, launched af...
    Tags: Gaza Egypt Israel Rafah
  • Former UK minister Mandelson quits Labour after new Epstein revelations, media say
    Dawn - 06:38 Feb 02, 2026
    Former British government minister Peter Mandelson has resigned as a member of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party after new reports of his ties with disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, media reported on Sunday. Mandelson, who was dismissed by Starmer as Britain’s ambassador to the United States last year after previous revelations about his connections to Epstein, said he did not wish to cause “further embarrassment” to Labour, the reports said. “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this,” Mandelson said in a letter to the Labour Party reported by the BBC and other news organisations, which Reuters was not immediately able to obtain. Mandelson said he believed allegations about financial payments to him by Epstein, which appeared in British media based on files released by the US Department of Justice, were false and he would investigate them. “While doing this, I do not wish to cause further embarrass...
    Tags: Epstein Mandelson Labour
  • MQM founder Altaf Hussain hospitalised in London
    Dawn - 06:03 Feb 02, 2026
    Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain was hospitalised in London on Sunday night after his “health deteriorated”. In a post on Sunday night, the party said doctors had conducted a medical examination of the MQM leader and admitted him to the hospital. Hussain currently lives in London, where he has been in self-imposed exile since 1992. He was later granted British citizenship. From London, Hussain played an active role in politics, regularly broadcasting political speeches to his followers in Karachi. “Mr Altaf Hussain was taken to the hospital on Sunday evening due to ill health, where after an initial examination, the doctors have admitted him to the hospital,” said the post on X. The party elaborated that doctors “administered an injection to him, and started an IV drip in view of weakness in his body”. Doctors will conduct a detailed examination of the party founder on Monday, added the post. The party founder was also “administered a blood transfusion on Sunday night on the advice of doct...
    Tags: Altaf Hussain London
  • India unveils record $85bn defence budget
    Dawn - 05:51 Feb 02, 2026
    NEW DELHI: India will spend a record amount on infrastructure and defence, the finance minister said in her national budget speech on Sunday, with plans for high-speed rail, submarines and fighter jets. New Delhi plans to spend $133 billion on infrastructure and $85 billion on defence, a respective rise of around nine and 15 percent compared to last year’s budget. Data centres, artificial intelligence, and the mining and processing of rare earths will also receive government support, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told parliament. She said public spending on infrastructure had increased dramatically from around $21 billion (2 trillion rupees) in 2014-15 and that it was now at an “all-time high”. Rajnath says armed forces would be equipped with fighter jets, drones, ships, submarines and critical hardware The defence spending hike comes after a four-day conflict with Pakistan last May that killed at least 70 people, and saw both sides make extensive use of drones as well as intense missile and artillery b...
    Tags: India
  • Kazakh president to arrive in Pakistan tomorrow for two-day official visit
    Dawn - 05:37 Feb 02, 2026
    Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will undertake a two-day official visit to Pakistan on February 3–4, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two countries maintain friendly diplomatic relations, with Kazakhstan being Pakistan’s top export destination among Central Asian countries. During the visit, which he will undertake at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Kazakh president will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior cabinet ministers and other high-ranking officials. “President Tokayev is expected to meet with the President of Pakistan, hold talks with the prime minister, and address the Pakistan-Kazakhstan Business Forum.” Having a unique geographical location, Kazakhstan offers an excellent opportunity for Pakistan to connect to Russian, Central Asian, and Eastern European markets. Kazakhstan, by landmass and resources, is the largest economy of Central Asia. The foreign ministry said President Tokayev’s visit will provide Islam...
    Tags: Kazakh Pakistan

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