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Dawn - 04:07 Apr 03, 2026
KARACHI: The Gul Plaza Judicial Commission has concluded its proceedings and announced that the inquiry report will be handed over to the provincial government on April 7. In early February, the single-member commission, headed by Justice Agha Faisal of the Sindh High Court, began its inquiry into the Jan 17 devastating fire in Gul Plaza Shopping Mall that claimed lives of 73 people. Commission’s Registrar Iqbal Hassan Khatti on Thursday sent a letter to the law secretary, informing him about the conclusion of the proceedings and submission of the inquiry report. According to the letter, the commission was constituted under Section 3 of the Sindh Tribunals of Inquiry Ordinance 1969 vide gazette notification, issued on Feb 10, to scrutinise the devastating inferno at Gul Plaza as per terms of reference stated in the notification while the period prescribed for completion of the inquiry was eight weeks. “It is hereby intimated that the commission has concluded the inquiry entrusted thereto and seeks to submit i... -
Dawn - 02:35 Apr 03, 2026
• Finance minister to hold key talks with Fund, World Bank officials through April 17 • Islamabad to seek safety nets, subsidy reforms, emergency financing options • Oil, gas volatility threatens Pakistan’s reserves, widens current account gap WASHINGTON: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is expected in Washington on April 11 for the 2026 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, a visit that has acquired added significance as developing economies grapple with the widening economic fallout of the ongoing war in Iran. Mr Aurangzeb is scheduled to remain in the United States through April 17. During his visit, he will hold a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings with senior officials of international financial institutions and other stakeholders. The minister will also address Pakistani media on April 17 before departing for Islamabad. The Spring Meetings, set for April 13–18, will bring together finance ministers, central bank governors, policymakers and development expe... -
Dawn - 02:25 Apr 03, 2026
• Trump says more will follow after earlier threatening to bomb Iran back to ‘Stone Ages’, claims war nearly over • Tehran vows ‘crushing’ attacks on US after Trump threats • Iran launches missiles towards Israel; fire near Mashhad airport after projectile hits fuel tank • Dozens of countries discuss coalition to secure passage through Hormuz WASHINGTON / TEHRAN / BAGHDAD / PARIS: The US and Israel on Thursday stepped up attacks on Iran, targeting a century-old medical research centre in Tehran, a bridge near the capital and steel plants after President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran back to “the Stone Ages”. Hours later, Trump said the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed. He posted footage on social media of smoke rising from the B1 bridge in Karaj, around 35 kilometers southwest of Tehran and warned that there would be further destruction unless Iran comes to the table to end the five-week war. “The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again - Much more to follow! It is t... -
Dawn - 02:18 Apr 03, 2026
• Petrol raised by Rs137 to Rs458 per litre; diesel up by Rs184 to Rs520 • Petroleum levy raised on petrol, cut to zero on HSD • Kerosene price increased by Rs34 to Rs458 per litre • Rs100 per litre subsidy for bikers capped at 20 litres per month • Small farmers to receive Rs1,500 per acre support • Early market closures planned to save 1,200MW of electricity ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday announced an unprecedented increase of 43 per cent and 55pc in the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD), respectively, along with early market closures and targeted subsidies for bikers, farmers and transporters to cushion the impact of global oil price shocks amid the US-Israel war on Iran. Under the revised rates, the ex-depot price of petrol has been increased by Rs137.23 per litre (42.7pc) to Rs458.41 from Rs321.17, while HSD has been raised by Rs184.49 per litre (55pc) to Rs520.35 from Rs335.86, with immediate effect. The price of kerosene was also increased by Rs34.08 per litre to Rs457.80. Petroleum l... -
Dawn - 22:33 Apr 02, 2026
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced on Thursday that the price of petrol was being raised to Rs458.4 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) to Rs520.35 per litre. He made the announcement while addressing a press conference alongside Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. Breakup of the new petrol prices Soon after his announcement, the energy ministry also notified the new prices, with petrol’s price being raised by Rs137.24 per litre and diesel’s by Rs184.49 per litre. The government also increased kerosene prices by Rs34.08 per litre to Rs457.80 per litre. Malik said the new prices would be effective from Friday. The latest hike comes amid a global fuel crisis resulting from the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28. It was announced around a week after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he had rejected a third recommendation for an increase of Rs95 per litre in the price of petrol and Rs203 per litre in that of HSD since the war began. Previously, the PM said he had rejected a... -
Dawn - 20:44 Apr 02, 2026
KARACHI: At least five people were killed on Thursday as heavy rain lashed the metropolis, while the city administration declared an emergency. According to police and rescue officials, the deaths occurred in separate incidents; four people died due to electrocution while a fifth was killed due to a crumbling building amid the heavy rainfall. Site Superhighway Industrial Area Police Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammed Nawaz told Dawn that Shahabuddin, 40, was trying to fix an electrical issue in Ahsanabad when he suffered an electric shock and died. He said the deceased was believed to be an employee of K-Electric. PIB Colony police SHO Rana Mohammed Ajmal said that a 35-yer-old man, Abdul Waleed, died when he touched an electric pole near Faizan Milad Masjid. Surjani Police SHO Sohail Khaskheli told Dawn that 7-year old Dua Batool Sarfraz was killed when she suffered an electric shock inside her home in Sector-7-A. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Edhi Foundation said in a statement that a 23-year-old man,... -
Dawn - 19:41 Apr 02, 2026
The 34th day of the US-Israel war against Iran unfolded in the immediate aftermath of US President Donald Trump’s speech, which, rather than opening any pathway to de-escalation, appeared to have hardened positions across the conflict spectrum. The remarks triggered swift Iranian retaliation, and reinforced a trajectory of sustained attrition with an increasingly central focus on economic pressure and maritime control. In his speech, Trump declared that US and Israeli objectives were nearing completion, while committing to another two to three weeks of intensified strikes and warning that Iran could be pushed “back to the Stone Age” if it failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s formulation looked to be a combination of coercive diplomacy and continued military escalation, even as it left ambiguity over the precise end state being sought. The immediate Iranian response underscored the limited deterrent effect of the speech as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched one of its largest single-ni... -
Dawn - 18:19 Apr 02, 2026
US President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her post, a White House official said on Thursday, following mounting frustration with her performance, including her handling of investigative files related to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump had also reportedly grown frustrated that Bondi was not moving quickly enough to prosecute critics and adversaries whom he wanted to face criminal charges. In a social media post, Trump praised Bondi as a “Great American patriot and a loyal friend” and said she will move to a job in the private sector. Trump said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer, will lead the Justice Department in the interim. During her tenure as the top US law enforcement official, Bondi was a combative champion of Trump’s agenda and dismantled the Justice Department’s longstanding tradition of independence from the White House in its investigations. But it was repeated criticism over the Epstein files, including from Trump... -
Dawn - 17:52 Apr 02, 2026
MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court on Thursday ruled that Afghan nationals residing in the region, even if subject to repatriation policies, could not be detained or deported without due process of law and directed the government to immediately establish a legal mechanism to regulate such cases. In a detailed judgment authored by Justice Syed Shahid Bahar, the court disposed of three identical constitutional petitions challenging the detention of Afghan nationals allegedly taken into police custody for repatriation. The petitioners had contended that despite possessing valid documents and residing lawfully in AJK for decades, they were taken into custody by police without lawful justification and faced imminent deportation. The government, in its reply, maintained that Afghan nationals were being taken into custody as a precautionary measure under a broader repatriation policy, though it conceded that no specific criminal charges had been levelled against them. The court observed that ... -
Dawn - 16:24 Apr 02, 2026
The secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Thursday called for the UN Security Council to authorise the use of force to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks. Iran has placed a stranglehold on the key shipping lane — threatening fuel supplies and buckling the global economy — in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on the country that triggered the month-old Middle East war. “Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, prevented commercial vessels and oil tankers from transiting, and imposed conditions on some to pass through the Strait,” said Jassem al-Budaiwi, head of the GCC. He spoke in New York at the first Security Council meeting on cooperation with the GCC, which comprises Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman. “We call upon the Security Council to assume its full responsibility and take all necessary measures to protect maritime routes and ensure the safe continuation of international navigation,” al-Budaiwi said. Bahrain has proposed a draft ... -
Dawn - 15:52 Apr 02, 2026
Meetings with Imran continue to remain suspended as authorities stop PTI leaders outside Adiala jail
ISLAMABAD: Meetings with the incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan continued to remain suspended on Thursday as authorities yet again stopped party leaders outside Adiala jail. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja had previously given a list of six names to jail authorities for a meeting with Imran. The leaders included Seemabia Tahir, Haider Mehdi, Raja Saqib Ali, Jahangir Ahmed Butt, Malik Najam Khan and Muhammad Owais Qaiser. Talking to Dawn, Tahir, a member of the party’s core committee, said that the time slot for meetings was from 2pm to 4pm. She said that workers and leaders reached Adiala jail at 1:45pm. “At the Dhagil check post, we informed authorities that our names were included in the list and, as per orders of the apex court, we should be allowed to meet Imran. But we were not allowed to move ahead. We were left with no option, so we started protesting,” she said. “We remained there till 4:30pm and finally decided to return,” she said. Replying to a question, she said that it was unfortunate th... -
Dawn - 15:34 Apr 02, 2026
UN experts have called for an international investigation into the killing of three Lebanese journalists in an Israeli strike, saying Israel had not provided “credible evidence” of their supposed links to armed groups. The three journalists, including Al Manar correspondent Ali Shoeib, were killed on March 28 in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon. “We denounce strongly what has now become a standard, dangerous practice of Israel to target and kill journalists and then claim, without providing any credible evidence, that they were involved with armed groups,” the experts said in a statement. The Israeli army claimed that Shoeib was a member of the Radwan force, an elite unit of Hezbollah, operating “under the guise of a journalist”. According to the experts, Israel’s only “evidence” for its claims was a photoshopped image of the journalist. Israel also confirmed it killed journalist Fatima Ftouni of Al Mayadeen and her brother, cameraman Mohammed Ftouni, alleging he was “an additional terrorist in Hezbollah... -
Dawn - 15:00 Apr 02, 2026
Pakistan is holding talks with Afghanistan to end the current conflict between the two countries, but Kabul must “demonstrate visible and verifiable actions”, said Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Thursday. Since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan on February 26, diplomatic contact between the two sides had largely ceased. The talks in the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi were being held between senior officials of the two countries, the spokesperson said in his weekly press briefing. The meeting was focused on sharing perspectives on the latest escalation. No major outcomes were expected, though it was believed that China was pushing for confidence-building measures, such as reopening trade routes. The spokesperson recounted the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Beijing earlier this week at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, saying that it “provided an opportunity for both sides to hold in-depth d... -
Dawn - 14:56 Apr 02, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has approved a series of initiatives related to transshipment with the aim of strengthening Pakistan’s maritime sector amid evolving regional security dynamics following the US-Israeli attack on Iran, it emerged on Thursday. The initiatives were approved based on recommendations of the high-level committee constituted by the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, headed by Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry. According to an official handout, the decisions mark a significant step toward positioning Pakistan as a competitive and resilient transshipment hub in the region”. Among the key initiatives, the government has approved the handling of bulk and break-bulk cargo under transshipment arrangements. The handout added that the measure was expected to significantly enhance port throughput, attract new shipping lines, and facilitate regional trade by enabling the efficient movement of commodities such as grains, coal, minerals and project cargo. The government also approved ... -
Dawn - 14:55 Apr 02, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Amid a continuous surge in the global market, Pakistan on Thursday said it would seek flexibility in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme to create room for evolving contingencies following the US-Israeli war on Iran and pass on the burden of petroleum prices to consumers. This was announced by the Ministry of Finance after a meeting between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the US Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker ahead of upcoming spring meetings with the IMF and the World Bank later this month. An official statement by the ministry said both sides discussed Pakistan’s ongoing engagement with international financial institutions and development partners, including efforts to maintain reform momentum under the IMF programme. “The finance minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to fiscal discipline while seeking flexibility in light of evolving global and regional challenges,” the statement said. The minister also briefed the US diplomat on ongoing efforts to manage energy sector c... -
Dawn - 14:07 Apr 02, 2026
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday reminded his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh that the “illusion of space for war between two nuclear states is inconceivable and has drastic consequences”. The reprimand was ostensibly in reaction to Singh’s recent statement, in which he warned Pakistan against any attempting “misadventure” under the shadow of the ongoing Middle East war, as reported by Indian media. A post on X, in which Asif did not specifically refer to the statement but tagged Singh, said: “Repeated rhetoric reflects not strength, but visible strategic anxiety as the anniversary of the staged false flag operation in Pahalgam approaches — an episode that failed to withstand international scrutiny and exposed New Delhi’s reliance on manufactured crises. “Such threat-mongering is not new; it is part of a predictable pattern — externalising internal fragility, and attempting to provoke escalation under the garb of unsubstantiated allegations for vested political interests,” he said. The Pahalgam epis... -
Dawn - 13:00 Apr 02, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the Centre and provinces need to set their priorities and make collective efforts to provide relief to the needy amid the global oil crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran. He made the remarks while addressing a high-level meeting, attended by Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, the chief ministers from all four provinces and federal ministers. The premier said that the Centre and provinces should utilise their resources sagaciously and curtail their development projects as much as possible while also utilising their resources on agricultural-related initiatives. “We have to spend this money on public goods and transport. Now we have to set our priorities jointly,” he added. He also highlighted the government’s initiatives to protect the economy and the common man from the adverse impact of the global oil crisis. In his remarks, PM Shehbaz also said that like other countries across the world, Pakistan was “being severely affected ... -
Dawn - 12:34 Apr 02, 2026
Indian police this week seized 414 cooking‑gas canisters hidden in a graveyard in Hyderabad city and arrested those involved in trying to sell them on the black market amid shortages due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, a government official said on Thursday. Authorities have stepped up raids to curb hoarding of liquefied petroleum gas canisters after the US-Israeli war against Iran disrupted shipping, causing supply shortages. India, the world’s number two Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) importer, meets about 60 per cent of its demand through overseas purchases, mostly from the Middle East. “Just yesterday, around 2,600 raids were carried out and about 700 cylinders were seized,” Sujata Sharma, a senior official in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, told a regular briefing on the Middle East crisis. “In addition, around 400 cylinders were recently found at one location inside a graveyard in Hyderabad. Ten people have been detained there, and the distributor involved has been suspended,” she said.... -
Dawn - 11:29 Apr 02, 2026
The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 index sank by 3,500 points on Thursday, after a press conference by United States President Donald Trump dampened investor hopes of a quick end to the war on Iran. The KSE-100 index dropped by 4,073.85 points, or 2.62 per cent, to stand at 151,505.26 points as of around 12:15pm, in a change of course from the bullish momentum it had sustained over the past two days. It closed at 152,011.26 points, down 3,500.30 points or 2.25pc, from the previous close of 155,511.56. Topline Securities said that the local bourse remained under pressure, “tracking the negative momentum in global markets” after remarks by Trump on the ongoing war on Iran dented investor sentiment. “Escalating geopolitical tensions, coupled with a surge in oil prices, kept market participants on the back foot, reinforcing a cautious stance throughout the session,” it said. “Selling pressure prevailed across the board, dragging the index to an intraday low of 5,489 points. The market eventuall... -
Dawn - 11:08 Apr 02, 2026
Eight Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, on Thursday strongly condemned Israel’s move to pass a law making death by hanging a default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly attacks. The joint statement, shared by the Foreign Office, was released by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The statement said that the countries “strongly condemned the Israeli occupying power’s enactment of a law in its Parliament (Knesset), that allows the imposition of the death penalty in the occupied West Bank and its de facto application against Palestinians”. They warned against the “increasingly discriminatory, escalating Israeli practices that entrench a system of apartheid and a rejectionist discourse that denies the inalienable rights and the very existence of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”. “The ministers underscored that this legislation constitutes a dangerous escalation...
8986 items