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Dawn - 08:51 Nov 22, 2025
I have spent the past few weeks staring at what seem to be digital ghosts; they look human, speak the way we do, and cause anger and despair. But they are not real. They are machines wearing human skin. Something is shifting in Pakistan’s social media landscape. It is not merely a rumour. It is not the old cycle of misinformation. It feels darker. Artificial intelligence is reshaping reality frame by frame until the internet resembles a hall of mirrors. For me, it began on November 8, when an account called ‘PakVocals’ posted a video on X that claimed to show journalist Benazir Shah dancing in a nightclub. The caption was cruel. It tried to mock her by using derogatory comments against her professional credibility. At the time of writing this piece, that video had garnered more than half a million views. It did exactly what it was designed to do: turn a journalist into a target. Mission accomplished! To most viewers, the clip probably passed as real, but for me, something felt off. When the mask slips I opene... -
Dawn - 08:24 Nov 22, 2025
After months of trading insults, US President Donald Trump and incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani smiled at each other, swapped compliments and pledged to collaborate on tackling crime and affordability in the nation’s biggest city at an unexpectedly friendly meeting at the White House on Friday. The political opposites, a Republican billionaire and a young democratic socialist, have clashed over everything from immigration to economic policy. But it was clear the two forged a rapport in their first encounter. Mamdani, a 34-year-old state lawmaker, stood by Trump’s desk as the 79-year-old president smiled up at him and patted him warmly on the arm, having only recently falsely caricatured Mamdani as an anti-Semitic communist, among other jibes. “We agree on a lot more than I would have thought,” Trump said after letting journalists and cameras into the Oval Office at the end of a private meeting with the mayor-elect. “We have one thing in common: We want this city of ours that we love to do very well... -
Dawn - 08:18 Nov 22, 2025
Ten large Indian trade unions condemned the government’s rollout on Friday of new labour codes, the biggest such overhaul in decades, as a “deceptive fraud” against workers. The unions, aligned with parties opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanded in a statement late on Friday that the laws be withdrawn ahead of nationwide protests they plan to hold on November 26 (Wednesday). Modi’s government implemented the four labour codes, approved by parliament five years ago, as it seeks to simplify work rules, some dating to British colonial rule, and liberalise conditions for investment. It says the changes improve worker protections. While the new rules offer social security and minimum-wage benefits, they also allow companies to hire and fire workers more easily. Unions have strongly opposed the changes, organising multiple nationwide protests over the past five years. The Labour Ministry did not immediately respond on Saturday to a Reuters request for comment on the union demands. The government has held o... -
Dawn - 07:41 Nov 22, 2025
The Ministry of Commerce has rescinded the suspension of Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) 760 of 2013, which governs the trade of precious metals, allowing for the import and export of gold, it emerged on Saturday. In May, the government had enacted the 60-day import and export ban on precious metals and gemstones to stabilise its foreign exchange reserves. The restriction was also linked to the military conflict with India as a potential strategy to limit the flow of precious metals via Dubai. In a fresh SRO2198 dated November 21, the Ministry of Commerce rescinded its May directives for the ban, thereby allowing the import and export of gold and other precious metals. The ministry further said the period of suspension so far under SRO760 was “accordingly condoned, thereby enabling exporters to avail the mandatory entitlement period of 120 days under the entrustment scheme”. The entrustment scheme provides a facility for the export of jewellery against imported gold supplied as a partial advance payment, by ... -
Dawn - 07:17 Nov 22, 2025
Influential right-wing United States lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene announced on Friday that she is resigning from Congress, one week after former President Donald Trump withdrew his support for the Georgia Republican. Her last day in office will be Jan 5, 2026. In a video posted online, the 51-year-old congresswoman, elected in 2020, said she had “always been despised in Washington DC and never fit in”. Greene added she did not want her supporters and family to endure “a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the president we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while Republicans will likely lose the midterms”. The resignation marks the clearest sign yet of a growing rift in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, which has been shaken by strong Democratic victories in this month’s off-year elections, including the leftist New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who met with Trump earlier on Friday. Greene’s break with Trump appeared linked to his flip-flop on releasing emails connected t... -
Dawn - 07:09 Nov 22, 2025
A terrorist plot to blow up a bridge in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district was foiled on Saturday. According to an official statement from KP police, terrorists attempted to blow up Dawa bridge in Bannu’s Basia Khel area using an improvised explosive device (IED). It said that the plot was thwarted due to timely action by the Bannu police bomb disposal squad. It said that the terrorists had attached the IED, a bucket full of 8-10 kilogrammes of explosive material, to the central pillar of the bridge. “The local people praised the timely action taken by Bannu police,” the statement said. It also quoted Bannu Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan as saying that it was necessary to “eliminate elements inconveniencing the public by destroying infrastructure”. He asserted that such elements do not deserve any mercy. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terror activities, particularly in KP and Balochistan. The spike in incidents followed the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ending a ceasefire with the gover... -
Dawn - 05:41 Nov 22, 2025
Rescuers raced to find more than a dozen people still missing on Saturday after a week of heavy flooding in Vietnam, where authorities said at least 55 people have died. Relentless rain has lashed south-central Vietnam since late October and popular holiday destinations have been hit by several rounds of flooding. Whole city blocks were inundated this week in coastal Nha Trang, while deadly landslides struck highland passes around the Da Lat tourist hub. At least 55 people have been killed across six provinces since Sunday, while the search continues for 13 others, the environment ministry said in a statement released on Saturday. Mountainous Dak Lak province was the hardest hit, with more than two dozen fatalities, it said. Rescuers were still plucking people from treetops and the roofs of homes as floodwaters receded there on Friday, state media reported. Multiple highways remained impassable Saturday and 300,000 people were without power, after a blackout that initially affected more than a million, the en... -
Dawn - 04:50 Nov 22, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken up a case challenging the operations of Saudi oil company Aramco-branded fuel stations in the federal capital, issuing notices to the country’s top oil regulator and other respondents for allegedly allowing the foreign entity to operate without a license. The petition, filed by Mohammad Shafiq Mir, owner of a PSO station on Srinagar Highway, was heard by Justice Mohammad Azam Khan. The court has ordered a response from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Aramco Asia Singapore Pvt Ltd, Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd (GO), Askar Oil, and several other government bodies. The petitioners counsel Kashif Ali Malik argued that the Saudi state-owned oil company, has been running petrol pumps under its own branding without being a registered corporate entity in Pakistan and without obtaining a mandatory marketing license from OGRA. The petitioner contends that this violates the OGRA Ordinance, the Pakistan Oil Rules 2016, the Petroleum Act, and the Explosives Act. H... -
Dawn - 04:42 Nov 22, 2025
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday expressed concern over excessive construction taking place in the city, declaring it a main source of contribution to pollution. Hearing several identical petitions regarding smog and environmental pollution, Justice Shahid Karim observed that the anti-smog gun would be of no use under these circumstances. He noted that the environment department had extensive powers only if it chooses to use them. The judge further remarked that the Air Quality Index (AQI) was also high because of smoke-emitting vehicles. He expressed concern over the vehicles causing pollution and ordered that environmental squads must be visible on the roads for the next two weeks. Justice Karim pointed out that the vehicles coming from Karachi were causing increased smoke and a higher AQI on GT Road. He said many vehicles on the roads were still emitting smoke. The judge also sought a report on the failure to enforce time restrictions for commercial activities. He expressed dissatisfaction over the ... -
Dawn - 03:04 Nov 22, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Amid media reports regarding his potential removal from office, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday to discuss matters concerning the province, including the imposition of governor’s rule, the PM Office said in a statement. A source in the PM Office said the prime minister expressed full confidence in Mr Kundi and gave signals that the government has no intention of removing him. The discussion covered key administrative issues concerning KP and the country’s overall political situation. Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Engineer Amir Muqam and Federal Minister for Public Affairs Unit Rana Mubashir Iqbal also attended. A few days ago, the governor denied reports about his removal but said he would “accept whatever the decision will be by the leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party”. The issue of imposing governor’s rule was also discussed, reportedly due to a rigid stance by KP’s newly elected Chief Minister Sohail Afridi towards the Centre, ar... -
Dawn - 02:37 Nov 22, 2025
• Buyers deposit dollars in FCY accounts, then withdraw to invest in cryptos • Dollar sales to banks drop to $3bn in 10 months KARACHI: The country has lost an estimated $600 million to illegal crypto transactions, a development that has sharply reduced the flow of dollars into the banking system as people buy dollars from exchange companies and route them into cryptocurrencies through unlawful channels. “Last year, during the first 10 months of the calendar year, we sold banks about $4 billion, which fell to $3 billion during the same period this year. These disappeared dollars were mostly invested in crypto currencies,” said Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan Chairman Malik Bostan. He said people buying dollars from exchange companies are depositing them in their foreign currency (FCY) accounts, from where they withdraw the dollars and purchase cryptocurrencies through illegal means. During Jan-October this year, Pakistanis retained about $400m in their FCY accounts, while $600m left the country wit... -
Dawn - 02:36 Nov 22, 2025
• FO says Islamabad understands ‘economic pain’ caused by closures but security threat ‘existential’ • Can’t let ‘our people be killed indiscriminately’ • Scheduling of planned Turkish delegation’s visit in connection with Pak-Afghan conflict still awaited ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday said that the resumption of trade with Afghanistan depended on the Taliban regime ending cross-border terrorism, and also linked the fate of key regional energy projects to Kabul halting its support for terrorist groups. “The onus of delay in the reopening of the border crossings rests with the Afghan Taliban regime,” Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said at a weekly media briefing. Pakistan and Afghanistan’s bilateral trade, estimated at $1.6 billion to $1.8bn in 2023-24, with key border gateways like Torkham and Chaman handling most of the traffic, has been suspended since mid-October, following deadly clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters. This suspension is estimated to b... -
Dawn - 02:25 Nov 22, 2025
• Aurangzeb-led commission to chart strategy, form sub-groups for new award • Provinces, Centre to give 10-minute briefings on fiscal positions • Terms of reference cover distribution of five key federal tax categories • Commission to debate cost-sharing for provincial, national, transnational projects • PM expected to engage with leadership of key allies before formal sitting ISLAMABAD: After yet another rescheduling, the federal government has convened the inaugural meeting of the 11th National Finance Commission (NFC) on Dec 4 to set the housekeeping framework for subsequent technical, financial and legal discussions on horizontal and vertical resource sharing among the federating units. According to notices sent to the provinces, the first NFC meeting, to be presided over by Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, will take up three agenda items. It will begin with general discussions on “strategy for deliberations on the 11th NFC award, including proposed formation of sub-groups for deliberations on... -
Dawn - 02:24 Nov 22, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan (FCCP) on Friday received the first-ever appeal against a Sindh High Court (SHC) decision after a dedicated Filing and Information Desk was formally opened. FCCP Registrar Muhammad Hafeezullah Khan inaugurated the desk on the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). “The establishment of this desk marks a significant step toward enhancing public facilitation and improving access to judicial services,” says a handout issued by FCCP. At the inauguration, the desk received two fresh cases, marking the commencement of its operational functions. The desk has been established to serve multiple purposes, including filing of new cases for FCCP, providing information and assistance to litigants, lawyers and the general public and receiving applications for attested copies of judicial records. Before the setting up of the information desk, the lawyers were facing difficulty since they had no idea where to file petitions or appeals. Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, wh... -
Dawn - 19:57 Nov 21, 2025
An Indian fighter aircraft, the indigenously developed Tejas, crashed during a demonstration flight at the Dubai Air Show on Friday, a witness and officials told AFP. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited-built Tejas jet crashed at about 2:10pm local time. View this post on Instagram Videos circulating on social media showed the aircraft failing to recover from an aerial maneuver and bursting into a ball of flames after impacting the ground as onlookers watched in shock. A plume of smoke billowed from the crash site as emergency vehicles sped towards it. The incident happened on the last day of the Middle East’s biggest airshow, which features a flying display each afternoon. Hundreds of people were watching from a grandstand, while the apron was packed with planes, helicopters and other hardware on static display. In September, India signed a $7 billion order for 97 upgraded Tejas Mk1A fighter jets to replace its Russian MiG-21 fleet after decades of use. In a post on X, the Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed the ... -
Dawn - 18:54 Nov 21, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s top security official denied on Friday that he had agreed to a Trump administration peace plan, and European leaders hastily sought a response to a draft that endorses most of Russia’s key wartime demands. Washington has presented Kyiv with a 28-point plan that would require Kyiv to give up additional territory, scale back the size of its military and forever abandon hope of joining the Nato alliance. Ukraine’s European allies said they had not been consulted over the plan and scheduled an urgent phone call to discuss the situation. Britain and Germany said their leaders would take part. Zelensky’s office did not say whether he would join in. US officials said the plan was drafted after consultations with Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, a close Zelensky ally who served as defence minister until July. “This plan was drawn up immediately following discussions with one of the most senior members of President Zelensky’s administ... -
Dawn - 18:04 Nov 21, 2025
The PTI and the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Friday staged demonstrations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab in protest of the 27th Constitutional Amendment and the mistreatment of PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Concurrently, the PTI and TTAP staged a protest in Karachi, where police detained about half a dozen people to prevent them from moving towards the demonstration’s scheduled venue. In KP, the demonstrations were staged on the directives of the PTI’s KP President Junaid Akbar, after the TTAP made the decision to march. They were held at the district level, where charged PTI workers chanted slogans against institutions while holding portraits of the party founder. In Peshawar, dozens of PTI workers held a protest outside the Peshawar Press Club, which was addressed by Provincial Minister for Local Government Meena Khan Afridi, Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Sher Ali Arbab and the PTI’s Peshawar district president Irfan Saleem. In his speech, Afr... -
Dawn - 17:39 Nov 21, 2025
The federal government on Friday authorised the deployment of the army and the civil armed forces for the upcoming by-elections on November 23. By-polls are due in NA-18 (Haripur), NA-96 (Faisalabad-II), NA-104 (Faisalabad-X), NA-143 (Sahiwal-III), NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan-II), NA-129 (Lahore-XIII), PP-73 (Sargodha-III), PP-98 (Faisalabad-I), PP-115 (Faisalabad-XVIII), PP-116 (Faisalabad-XIX), PP-203 (Sahiwal-VI), PP-269 (Muzaffargarh-II) and PP-87 (Mianwali-III) on Sunday. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had sent letters to the federal secretaries of defence and interior on Thursday, requesting them to deploy civil armed forces/army to allow peaceful conduct of polling and also to take other appropriate measures to protect the lives of election officials, voters and the public at large. An order, available with Dawn, issued today from the interior ministry said the government authorised the deployment of “sufficient strength” of civil armed forces as second-tier responders on standby in quick reacti... -
Dawn - 17:24 Nov 21, 2025
Pakistan on Friday said that the recent death sentence for former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina was an “internal matter” for the country and that its people were fully capable of solving their own issues. A Bangladesh court had sentenced Hasina to death on Monday, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. The ruling came months ahead of parliamentary elections expected to be held in early February. Addressing his weekly press briefing today, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said several queries were received regarding the development, on which he said: “This is an internal matter of Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh are fully capable of addressing their issues in accordance with their own democratic and constitutional processes.” Hasina was found guilty of ordering lethal force by a tribunal in the capital Dhaka, 15 months after resigning and fleeing to India in the face of a student-led uprising that kil... -
Dawn - 16:49 Nov 21, 2025
Security forces killed 13 terrorists during two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said in a statement on Friday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement that a joint intelligence-based operation (IBO) was carried out in the Pahar Khel area of Lakki Marwat district, conducted by security forces and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). “During the conduct of [the] operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location and after an intense fire exchange, ten khawarij were sent to hell,” the statement read. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) The CTD said in their statement earlier today that two key commanders were among the terrorists killed in the IBO, which was launched at 7:30am. “During the operation, 10 terrorists were killed, including two key commanders of the Teepo Gul group: Commander Niaz Ali, known as Akasha and Commander Abdullah, known as Shipunkoi,”...
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