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Dawn - 07:34 Dec 05, 2025
Former special assistant to the prime minister Mirza Shahzad Akbar, who currently resides in the United Kingdom (UK), was declared a proclaimed offender on Friday in a case pertaining to alleged controversial statements made on social media platform X. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) had registered the case against Akbar in July this year over allegedly defamatory and controversial remarks shared on his social media account. According to the court order, issued by Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Abbas Shah, the decision was taken after Akbar failed to appear before the court despite multiple summons. The order also directed the authorities concerned to issue an arrest warrant for Akbar to ensure his production before the court. The order noted that the accused did not cooperate with the investigation and remained absent during the legal proceedings. A challan in the case has already been submitted to the court. With the proclamation order now in place, law enforcement authorities are expect... -
Dawn - 05:00 Dec 05, 2025
The US plans to expand the number of countries covered by its travel ban to more than 30, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday. Noem, in an interview on Fox News’ ‘The Ingraham Angle’, was asked to confirm whether the administration of US President Donald Trump would be increasing the number of countries on the travel ban list to 32. “I won’t be specific on the number, but it’s over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries,” she said. Trump signed a proclamation in June banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricting those from seven others, saying it was needed to protect against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats. The bans apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, such as tourists, students and business travellers. Noem did not specify which countries would be added to the list. “If they don’t have a stable government there, if they don’t have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are a... -
Dawn - 02:58 Dec 05, 2025
• Invites legal opinion on whether provinces are bound by federal expenditure priorities • Seven working groups to be formed; second meeting to be held between January 8 and 15 ISLAMABAD: Building the case on overburdening and rising debt servicing costs post-2010, the federal government on Thursday proposed mobilising additional consolidated revenues amounting to more than five per cent of GDP over the next three years (roughly Rs6.5 trillion per annum at the current exchange rate). The suggestion came during the much-delayed inaugural meeting of the 11th National Finance Commission (NFC), which also sought legal opinion on whether provinces are bound by federal expenditure priorities. The Centre urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to increase the tax-to-GDP ratio by 3 to 3.5 percentage points from around 10pc at present in three years and asked the provinces to enhance their share of revenues to 3pc of GDP — through taxes on property, agriculture income and sales tax on services — from the existing 0.2... -
Dawn - 02:46 Dec 05, 2025
WASHINGTON: Forty-four Democratic members of the US House of Representatives have written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding immediate sanctions on senior Pakistani officials over what they described as an “escalating campaign of transnational repression and worsening human rights crisis in Pakistan”. The effort is led by Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Congressman Greg Casar, and includes signatures from Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, two Muslim members of the House known for their advocacy on Palestinian and other Muslim issues. In the letter, made public on Wednesday, the lawmakers called for targeted measures, including visa bans and asset freezes on officials responsible for threatening US citizens and residents who criticise Pakistan’s military establishment, as well as their family members in Pakistan. There was no immediate reaction from Pakistan’s Foreign Office, or the embassy in Washington. More than 40 lawmakers write to Marco Rubio, ask for sanctions against officials involv... -
Dawn - 18:51 Dec 04, 2025
Several universities in the United Kingdom have suspended or restricted admissions for students from Pakistan and Bangladesh following tougher immigration rules introduced by the Home Office and rising concerns over alleged visa abuse, the Financial Times has reported. At least nine higher education institutions have placed the two countries in a “high-risk” category for student visas and have tightened their enrolment policies to protect their ability to sponsor international applicants, according to the report published on Thursday. The move follows a surge in asylum claims lodged by international students, prompting UK ministers to warn that the study route “must not be used as a backdoor” to settlement. Among the universities taking action, the University of Chester has suspended recruitment from Pakistan until autumn 2026, citing a “recent and unexpected rise in visa refusals”. The University of Wolverhampton is not accepting undergraduate applications from either Pakistan or Bangladesh, while the Univer... -
Dawn - 18:50 Dec 04, 2025
The federal government on Thursday ruled out any further meetings for Uzma Khanum and others who violated the prison code while meeting PTI founder Imran Khan. Uzma met the party founder in prison on Tuesday after weeks of effort. The meeting took place as rumours regarding Imran’s health began circulating in local and foreign media, despite claims by the government and PTI leaders that the former prime minister was in good health. These speculations, however, gained traction due to the government’s reluctance to let visitors, including his family members and legal team, meet Imran over the past few weeks. Uzma subsequently detailed instructions from Imran to the party regarding political and other matters. Addressing a press conference with Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on the entire situation, the information minister announced: “There is no room in the [prison] rules for political discussions and it was reported that political discussions occurred, so meetings are now banned for Uzma Khan. This won’t happ... -
Dawn - 18:30 Dec 04, 2025
Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir was appointed Pakistan’s first chief of defence forces (CDF) on Thursday after President Asif Ali Zardari signed off on the summary recommending the appointment. A press release from the presidency said the president also signed off on the two-year extension in the tenure of Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and extended his best wishes to both military commanders for their upcoming terms. The CDF position, created under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, will replace the now-abolished office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) chairman, which formally ended on November 27. It would be a dual-hatted position combined with the office of the army chief. Following the appointment of the COAS as CDF, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif conveyed his best wishes to Field Marshal Munir. According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier said that the appointment of the chief of defence Forces is aligned with contemporar...
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Dawn - 18:13 Dec 04, 2025
President Donald Trump’s envoys were to meet Thursday with Ukrainian negotiators for the third time in two weeks to press his plan to end the war as his administration eased economic pressure on Russia. Two days after the envoys met Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Treasury Department partially suspended measures that Trump had announced in October when he finally vowed to get tough on Moscow. The Treasury Department suspended until at least April 29 economic sanctions against Lukoil-branded gas stations outside of Russia. A ban remains on place to prevent the money from flowing back to Russia, which has been under sweeping US and EU sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump’s sanctions had been one of the most concrete means to pressure Russia, which European diplomats accuse of trying to avoid pressure by pursuing negotiations. Easing isolation Steve Witkoff, Trump’s business partner-turned-roving global ambassador, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, will meet in the M... -
Dawn - 18:11 Dec 04, 2025
Pakistan rubbished claims published in an Amnesty International report on Thursday that a spyware, manufactured by an Israeli company, was actively being used in the country. According to a senior intelligence officer, who spoke to Dawn on condition of anonymity, the report was an “an attempt to malign Pakistan”. “There is not an iota of truth in it,” he stressed. The official was referring to a claim made in the Amnesty International investigation, titled “Intellexa Leaks”, which described the story of a human rights lawyer based in Pakistan. The lawyer, according to the report, had approached Amnesty International in the summer of 2025 after receiving a suspicious link on WhatsApp from an unknown number. Amnesty Security Lab investigated the link and identified it as a Predator attack attempt based on the technical behaviour of the infection server. Predator is a highly invasive spyware manufactured by the Israeli company Intellexa. According to Amnesty International, the investigation was based on a combin... -
Dawn - 17:50 Dec 04, 2025
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met United Kingdom (UK) High Commissioner Jane Marriott on Thursday, where he handed over the extradition papers for former special assistant to the prime minister Shahzad Akbar and YouTuber Adil Raja. The development comes three days after Naqvi announced a crackdown on those involved in fake news, declaring that the government would repatriate from the UK YouTubers involved in this activity or the targeting of state institutions. Currently, no formal extradition treaty exists between Pakistan and the UK, though Section 194 of the UK Extradition Act 2003 contains provisions for special “ad hoc” extradition arrangements. According to a statement released by the interior ministry, Naqvi held an “important” meeting with Marriott in Islamabad, where the two discussed Pak-UK relations, security cooperation and issues of mutual interest. Federal Secretary for Interior Muhammad Khurram Agha and other relevant officers were also present, it said. They also discussed the return of Pakis... -
Dawn - 17:17 Dec 04, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India on Thursday for a two-day visit aimed at deepening defence ties, as New Delhi faces heavy US pressure to stop buying oil from Moscow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was at the airport to welcome the Russian leader in person, greeting him on the red carpet with a hug, before riding together in the same car. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin sit in a car as they depart Palam Air Force Base after the latter’s arrival in New Delhi. —AFP Putin, on his first visit to India since the Ukraine war, is accompanied by his Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, with possible deals on fighter jets and air defence systems expected to be discussed. In an interview with India Today, Putin said he was “very happy” to be meeting “my friend” Modi. “The range of our cooperation with India is huge,” he said in remarks translated by the broadcaster, citing ship and aircraft manufacturing, nuclear energy and space exploration. The Indian premier... -
Dawn - 16:00 Dec 04, 2025
The Balochistan government on Thursday announced that it would launch a crackdown against 300 suspected terrorists, while approaching Interpol to apprehend leaders of proscribed organisations residing outside of Pakistan. According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, the decision was made during a high-level meeting under the chairmanship of CM Sarfaraz Bugti. During the meeting, officials presented evidence of links between overseas leadership of banned outfits and their local networks through call recordings. “After reviewing the material, the provincial government approved stringent and extraordinary measures to dismantle the outfits and tighten the noose around their operatives. “The provincial government, therefore, decided that it would seek Interpol’s assistance to nab the suspected terrorists who took refuge outside Pakistan,” the statement said. Interpol, or the International Criminal Police Organisation, is the world’s largest international police body, dedicated to helping police ... -
Dawn - 16:00 Dec 04, 2025
Police on Thursday blocked routes leading to the Karachi Press Club ahead of a press conference by Aurat March over the alleged “abduction” of two Baloch girls and briefly detained an activist, with organisers claiming that other members were also manhandled. Aurat March, a women’s rights group, was set to hold a press conference at 3pm over the alleged “abduction” of two Baloch girls — 15-year-old Nasreen Baloch and 24-year-old Mahjabeen Baloch. Authorities closed off roads leading to KPC ahead of the press conference, which eventually began with a delay of approximately 20 minutes as the organisers said they were “stopped by the police” at the gate of the press club. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) member Qazi Khizar said an activist named Sara was taken by the police from outside the KPC. Within a few hours, Aurat March confirmed to Dawn that she had been released. Dawn has reached out to the police for a comment on the detention. Senior journalist Dodal Chandio said in a post on Facebook that “... -
Dawn - 15:58 Dec 04, 2025
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia has agreed to extend the $3 billion deposit held with the bank for another year. It said the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has rolled over the deposit, which was set to mature on Monday. “The extension of the term of the deposit is a continuation of the support provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which will help in strengthening the foreign exchange reserves of Pakistan and contribute to the country’s economic growth and development,” the bank said. The $3bn deposit was initially agreed upon in 2021 and rolled over in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Last week, the SBP said its foreign exchange reserves rose by a meagre $9 million to $14.560bn during the week ending Nov 21. However, the country’s total liquid foreign reserves decreased to $19.605bn from the previous week’s $19.738bn due to a decline in commercial banks’ foreign exchange holdings, which fell from $5.1... -
Dawn - 14:40 Dec 04, 2025
Australia pace bowler Mitchell Starc said Thursday he could not be compared with Wasim Akram after he surpassed the Pakistani great as the leading left-arm pace bowler in Test history. Starc’s six-wicket haul on day one of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane gave him 418 Test wickets, four more than Wasim. “Wasim’s still a far better bowler than I am,” said Starc. “So as far as I’m concerned, he’s still the pinnacle of left-armers and certainly he’s right up there with the best bowlers to ever play the game. “It’s nice to be spoken of up around that, but I’ll just try to keep churning a few out.” Starc led the Australian attack in the day-night match at the Gabba in the absence of his usual strike partners Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, who are injured, and spinner Nathan Lyon, who was dropped. “I don’t think I’ve ever played in an attack without one of the three of them playing,” Starc said. “So it’s a little bit different in that regard.” The 35-year-old, who has taken 16 wickets in the series, was the only ... -
Dawn - 13:24 Dec 04, 2025
A third Afghan national has been arrested in the US, days after another Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, shot two National Guards, for providing “material support to ISIS-K”, according to a statement issued by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday. Jaan Shah Shafi, who entered the US in 2021 under former president Joe Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome, “provided support to the ISIS-K. He also provided weapons to his father, who is a commander of a militia group in Afghanistan,” the press release stated. It further stated that Shafi applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), but his application was terminated once DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ended TPS for Afghans. He was arrested in Waynesboro, Virginia. The Trump administration halted the Afghan refugee resettlement program on January 20 and suspended the entry of Afghan nationals, for “protection and safety of Americans”. Nearly 190,000 Afghan nationals entered the US during Biden administration, the statement read. Lakanwal, who wo... -
Dawn - 13:11 Dec 04, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was prevented for the ninth time by prison authorities from meeting PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail on Thursday. Imran’s sister Uzma Khan met the party founder in prison on Tuesday after weeks of effort, with CM Afridi and other party leaders scheduled to meet him today. The meeting took place as rumours regarding Imran’s health began circulating in local and foreign media, despite claims by the government and PTI leaders that the former prime minister was in good health. These speculations, however, gained traction due to the government’s reluctance to let visitors, including his family members and legal team, meet Imran over the past few weeks. According to a post on X by the PTI, CM Afridi went to Adiala jail to visit Imran, but access was not granted. Afridi addressed the media outside the prison after the continued lack of access. He said he would update the media on the immediate course of action — whether he would stage a sit-in or not. The PTI also... -
Dawn - 12:52 Dec 04, 2025
The building of a garment factory in Karachi Export Processing Zone collapsed on Thursday after a fire erupted there, Rescue 1122 said, adding that efforts were under way to douse the flames. An initial statement by the rescue service said, “As soon as the Central Command and Control of the Rescue 1122 received the information, a fire and rescue team, along with an ambulance and a fire brigade truck, were dispatched to the scene.” It added that the team was trying to bring the fire under control. An update by Rescue 1122 later said the factory’s building had collapsed due to the intensity of the fire, adding that two firefighters had been injured due to the collapse. They were being provided first aid, the statement said. Separately, a statement by Sukkan police said that the fire erupted in a warehouse and no casualties had been reported thus far. Further investigation was under way, the statement added. This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media c... -
Dawn - 12:08 Dec 04, 2025
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday told the inaugural meeting of the 11th National Finance Commission (NFC) that the Centre was there to listen to the stance of the provinces. State broadcaster PTV shared images from the meeting on social media platform X, which showed Aurangzeb greeting Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. It said that the meeting was held at the Finance Division. According to a handout issued by the finance ministry, he made the comments in his opening remarks. The minister chaired the meeting as negotiations for the sharing of federal divisible resources between the Centre and the provinces formally began. The press release said that at the outset of the meeting, the minister stressed that it had provided an opportunity for mutual cooperation, upholding constitutional responsibility. He noted that the forum was established under Article 150 of the Constitution, adding that the 10th NFC Award had expired in July this year. “In... -
Dawn - 11:31 Dec 04, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that Pakistan was ready to provide landlocked Kyrgyzstan access to regional and global markets through its ports. The premier made the remarks as he addressed the media in Islamabad alongside Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov, following discussions between the two leaders. Zhaparov arrived in Islamabad yesterday on a two-day maiden visit to Pakistan. PM Shehbaz said in a post on X that the visit was the first by a Kyrgyz president in 20 years. Detailing the discussions held today, the prime minister said that Kyrgyzstan was a landlocked country and therefore, “Pakistan stands ready to provide Kyrgyz Republic access to regional and global markets through our ports of Karachi, Bin Qasim and Gwadar”. View this post on Instagram “During our fruitful discussions today, we had a detailed exchange on […] bilateral relations as well as important regional and international developments,” PM Shehbaz said about his meeting with Zharapov. Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal ...
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