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Dawn - 07:18 Oct 05, 2025
The Foreign Office said on Sunday that it was actively engaged with international partners to ensure the “safety and prompt repatriation of its citizens” who had been illegally detained after Israeli forces earlier this week intercepted a flotilla heading to break the siege of Gaza and deliver aid. Those detained by Israel also include former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan. “Through the diplomatic channels of a friendly European country, we have confirmed that former senator Mushtaq Ahmad is in the custody of the Israeli occupying forces and is safe and in good health,” the FO statement said. It added, “We have been further advised that, in accordance with local legal procedures, [former] senator Mushtaq will be presented before a court. Upon the issuance of deportation orders, his repatriation will be facilitated on a fast-track basis.” The FO said it had previously, too, coordinated the safe return of individuals who disembarked earlier. “In this context, we express our profound gratitude t... -
Dawn - 03:23 Oct 05, 2025
• Health secretary calls the advice ‘shocking,’ says such unions are ‘high-risk and unsafe’ • MP Iqbal Mohamed defends such marriages as culturally significant, urges genetic screening over bans LONDON: Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) has found itself at the centre of a political and cultural row after a government-backed education programme published — and then quietly removed — online guidance describing the potential benefits of first-cousin marriage. UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the advice “shocking” and demanded an apology, saying first-cousin marriages are “high-risk and unsafe.” MP Iqbal Mohamed, however, defended such unions as culturally significant for many families. Speaking in the Commons, he acknowledged health risks but said many families see such unions as positive for building bonds and financial security, urging genetic screening instead of a ban. The document, published by NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme last week, stated that consanguineous unions can bring “s... -
Dawn - 02:10 Oct 05, 2025
A school is supposed to be a place of nurturing care and compassion; where diversity in pace and interests is celebrated. Learning difficulties, when they arise, should be addressed gently and without attaching any stigma. This child-centric objective can only be realised when teaching aligns with students’ interests and aspirations. This objective is impossible under a regime of standardised curricula, stressful competition and a narrow definition of success based on exam performance. Today, teaching objectives have shifted from children’s interests to worshipping the demi-gods of the educational system: curriculum, syllabus, exams, grades and ranking. In their devotion, teachers can lose sight of their nurturing roles, harming the experience of happy schooling and childhood itself. A MISGUISED ASSEMBLY LINE Compounding the issue for children is the anxiety and drudgery of exams, which can strip meaning from what is taught — and learned — in the classroom. Schools follow a standardised programme of studies... -
Dawn - 19:11 Oct 04, 2025
Muslims around the world celebrated the 1500th birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) on September 6. This year’s festivities for the 12th of Rabiul Awwal — the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar — gained greater prominence due to the milestone of 15 centuries having passed since the Holy Prophet’s birth. India, with the world’s third-largest Muslim population, also saw the day being observed in areas with Muslim residents, such as the city of Kanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh. And it is here, where the sequence of events began that subsequently triggered “crackdowns, FIRs (first information reports), detentions, arrests, internet shutdowns, political sparring and a wave of protests” from UP, Uttarakhand, Gujarat to Maharashtra, according to Indian media outlet The Wire. The Frontline reported that Zafar Wali Gali, a lane in Syed Nagar in Kanpur’s Rawatpur area, was decorated for Eid-i-Miladun Nabi on Sept 4 and a lightboard with the slogan, “I Love Muhammad”, was installed at the... -
Dawn - 19:06 Oct 04, 2025
The National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Saturday arrested three people suspected of gang-raping and blackmailing a minor in Abbottabad, according to a police official. Haripur Sub-Inspector (SI) Basit Ashraf said in a statement that the suspects were part of a gang who allegedly raped a minor boy at gunpoint and filmed the assault, using the footage as blackmail. “The NCCIA carried out an operation in Abbottabad,” he was quoted as saying. “The NCCIA registered a case against nine suspects … they assaulted the victim multiple times and blackmailed him and his family with the videos.” SI Ashraf said that the suspects allegedly shared the videos on WhatsApp and used them to blackmail the victim’s family. “Mobile phones and pornographic videos were recovered from the suspects during the raids,” he stated, adding that they would be used as evidence. In July, Haripur police arrested a seminary teacher for allegedly sexually abusing a visually-impaired five-year-old child in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hari... -
Dawn - 18:48 Oct 04, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake a three-day visit to Malaysia at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim from October 5-7, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday. In a statement, the FO said that a high-level delegation comprising the PM, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other federal ministers and senior government officials will depart on Sunday. “The visit reflects the strong and enduring strategic partnership between Pakistan and Malaysia, rooted in mutual respect, shared interests, and close cooperation across a wide range of sectors,” the statement read. According to the FO, PM Shehbaz will hold bilateral talks with Malaysian PM Ibrahim and discuss key regional and global developments, as well as enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade, IT and telecommunications, the Halal industry, investment, education, energy, infrastructure, digital economy and people-to-people ties. “The leaders are expected to witness the signing of Agreements/MoUs for coop... -
Dawn - 17:41 Oct 04, 2025
Pakistani film Moklani: The Last Mohanas has won the country’s first-ever award at the Jackson Wild Media Awards, according to a press release from production company Jawad Sharif Films. Formed in 1991 as the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, the Jackson Wild Media Awards recognise achievements in wildlife filmmaking. According to the group’s website, it works to “maximise the impact of storytelling that highlights our urgent and collective responsibility to protect and restore our planet”. According to the press release, the film — directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Jawad Sharif — was chosen from a pool of over 500 entries and declared the winner in the Global Voices Category at the Awards Gala in Jackson, Wyoming, on October 2. “Over 200 international judges screened more than 1,000 hours of media before selecting the film as [the] winner in the Global Voices Category,” the press release read. “The film tells the story of the Mohanas of Manchar Lake, an indigenous fisher folk community whos... -
Dawn - 16:48 Oct 04, 2025
A 4.3-magnitude earthquake was recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday night, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said. Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines means that tectonic movements remain a frequent occurrence in the region. According to PMD, the earthquake was recorded 22 kilometres south-east of Pattan at 8:59pm, with a depth of 31km. The jolts were felt in Pattan, Shangla and Battagram Earlier this week, a 3.2-magnititude earthquake was felt in parts of Karachi. According to PMD, the earthquake was recorded seven kilometres north west of Malir. Earlier in September, the PMD reported that an earthquake of magnitude 5.5 was felt in areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Shocks were felt in Chitral, Peshawar and Swat. -
Dawn - 16:20 Oct 04, 2025
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Saturday that the conspiracy hatched by the ill-wishers of Pakistan has failed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and the government will fully implement the commitments it has made with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). “The scenes that Pakistan’s ill-wishers wanted to see, the unrest, chaos and disorder in AJK, their conspiracy has failed. The federal government will fully implement the commitments it has made, and with the 15-day mechanism that has been established, I am confident that there will be no further opportunity for such grievances to arise again,” said the minister while addressing a press conference following the agreement between the two sides. Iqbal was accompanied by Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam and PPP’s Qamar Zaman Kaira. The signing of the agreement comes after two rounds of talks between the high-level government delegation and the JAAC in as many days. Talks between the JAAC, the AJK government an... -
Dawn - 15:41 Oct 04, 2025
PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro on Saturday assailed Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s remarks regarding the contentious canals issue as a violation of the decision made by the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The war of words between the two sides, that kicked off over flood compensation, expanded to water rights on the Indus River as CM Maryam told the PPP leadership to keep its advice to itself. In response, the PPP had lawmakers stay away from parliamentary proceedings to protest the diatribe. PPP and PML-N bigwigs met in Islamabad on Wednesday to find a way out of the row, with the former asking CM Maryam to “rethink her tone” while speaking about water rights of the provinces. However, she declared a day ago that she would never apologise to the PPP over her outburst, while the latter said she did not represent the people of Punjab as her government was a byproduct of Form 47. In a statement issued today, the PPP leader said her remarks regarding the controversial canal project were a “violation o... -
Dawn - 15:26 Oct 04, 2025
The Pakistan military warned on Saturday that any future conflict with India could lead to “cataclysmic devastation” and the country will “resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint”. The statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) comes in the wake of provocative remarks by top Indian civil-military leadership and stressed that Pakistan would “not hold back” in such a case. “In the face of highly provocative statements of the Indian defence minister and its army and air chiefs, we caution that a future conflict might lead to cataclysmic devastation. In case a fresh round of hostilities is triggered, Pakistan shall not hold back. We shall resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint.” Indian media outlet NDTV reported a day ago that Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi warned Pakistan that it must stop state-sponsored terrorism if it wanted to retain its place on the map. According to the report, Gen Dwivedi said Indian forces would “not show any restraint this time”, potentia... -
Dawn - 14:29 Oct 04, 2025
The death toll in an Indonesian school collapse rose to 17 on Saturday, officials said, as rescuers deployed heavy machinery to recover dozens more victims believed still buried under the rubble. Part of the multi-storey boarding school collapsed suddenly on Monday as students gathered for afternoon prayers. Rescuers retrieved two bodies and a body part from the rubble today, bringing the death toll to 17, National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) operation director Yudhi Bramantyo said in a statement. “The evacuation process is still ongoing. Debris removal is focused to the north side in an area not integrated with the main structure,” Yudhi said. Local search and rescue agency head Nanang Sigit confirmed the updated toll in a separate statement. Earlier today, authorities said they had recovered nine bodies on Friday. Rescuers were searching for 49 people still missing, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) chief Suharyanto said before prior to the retrieval of the latest bodies. More victims could... -
Dawn - 13:55 Oct 04, 2025
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on Saturday that it would resume flights to the United Kingdom from October 25, with nonstop flights from Manchester to Islamabad. This comes a day after the Pakistan High Commission in London announced that the national carrier would resume flight operations to the UK this month as PIA received its Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit from the UK Civil Aviation Authority and Third Country Operator approval, but no exact date was given. PIA announced its “historic return” to British skies with a post on X today, which read: “The wait is finally over! Pakistan International Airlines proudly reconnects Manchester and Islamabad, bringing loved ones closer once again.” In yesterday’s announcement, the high commission said flight operations to Manchester would be resumed during the first phase, after which Birmingham and London would follow suit. In July, the UK removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, allowing Pakistani airlines to apply to operate flights in Bri... -
Dawn - 13:09 Oct 04, 2025
A district and sessions court in Islamabad issued bailable arrest warrants for YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan and two officials from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s anti-corruption body, it emerged on Saturday. The arrest warrants, issued by Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah yesterday and available with Dawn.com, were issued for Khan, head of the Directorate of Anti-Corruption Sadeeq Anjam and Adviser to the KP Chief Minister on Anti-Corruption Musaddiq Abbasi, over their alleged involvement in a social media campaign against Islamabad Judge Humayun Dilawar. Dilawar was the judge who convicted PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case in 2023 and sentenced him to three years in prison. All three warrants were issued under Sections 20 (offences against dignity of a natural person), 24 (cyber stalking) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 and Sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequ... -
Dawn - 12:35 Oct 04, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that Palestinian group Hamas’s response to US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan “creates a window for a ceasefire and ensuring peace that we must not allow to close again”. Late Friday night, Trump told Israel to immediately stop bombing Gaza after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, but vexing issues like disarmament appeared unresolved. Subsequently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel was preparing for an “immediate implementation” of the first stage of Trump’s Gaza plan for the release of Israeli hostages following Hamas’s response. Meanwhile, the world welcomed Hamas’s positive response, with Pakistan also doing the same. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the premier said: “Alhamdolillah, we are closer to a ceasefire than we have been since this genocide was launched on the Palestinian people. Pakistan has always stood by the Palestinian people and shall always do so.” H... -
Dawn - 12:28 Oct 04, 2025
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday lauded the security forces for eliminating more than 14 terrorists in Khuzdar district. Earlier, a statement issued on X by state broadcaster PTV News said security forces “foiled an attempt to harass peaceful people in the Zehri area” of the district and destroyed multiple terrorist hideouts during an operation while killing over 14 Fitna al-Hindustan members and injuring over 20. In May, the government designated all terrorist organisations in Balochistan as Fitna al-Hindustan — a new phrase aimed at framing India’s alleged role in terrorism as a deliberate destabilisation strategy, potentially to galvanise domestic support. Congratulating the security forces, Naqvi hailed the operation as a “major success”, saying that the nation was “proud of the professional capabilities and courage of the security forces”. He further said: “Security forces are determined to eliminate Indian-sponsored terrorists in Balochistan. The people of Balochistan stand with the security ... -
Dawn - 11:32 Oct 04, 2025
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik has said that authorities are in contact with X (formerly Twitter) over the use of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan’s account on its platform and an investigation into who has been operating it is underway. Speaking on Dawn News TV’s programme ‘Doosra Rukh with Nadir Guramani’ on Friday, Barrister Aqeel Malik said: “Investigations are underway [into who is operating PTI founder’s X account].“ “Evidence and further material will come forward, and that will disclose where the account’s links are and who is running it,” the state minister added. “At this moment, all I can say is that there is definitely an [the authorities’] engagement with X. Along with this, I believe that the legal process which is being adopted in this investigation [and] its results will also be before you very soon.” Imran was recently quizzed in prison by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials about his “anti-state” tweets, critical remarks on foreign policy... -
Dawn - 10:19 Oct 04, 2025
Japan’s ruling party picked hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi as its head on Saturday, putting her on course to become the country’s first female prime minister in a move set to jolt investors and neighbours. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has ruled Japan for almost all of the postwar era, elected Takaichi, 64, to regain trust from a public angered by rising prices and drawn to opposition groups promising stimulus and clampdowns on migrants. A vote in parliament to choose a replacement for outgoing Shigeru Ishiba is expected on October 15. Takaichi is favoured as the ruling coalition has the largest number of seats. Inherits party in crisis Takaichi, the only woman among the five LDP candidates, beat a challenge from the more moderate Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, who was bidding to become the youngest modern leader. A former economic security and internal affairs minister with an expansionary fiscal agenda for the world’s fourth-largest economy, Takaichi takes over a party in crisis. Various other part... -
Dawn - 10:11 Oct 04, 2025
Test skipper Shubman Gill has replaced Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI captain, the country’s cricket board said on Saturday, starting with the series in Australia. The 38-year-old batsman Rohit and fellow stalwart Virat Kohli, 36, were both however named in the squad for the three-match series beginning on October 19. Top-order batsman Gill, 26, is now Test and one-day skipper, and vice captain of India’s T20 side. He took over the Test captaincy from Rohit starting with the series in England in the summer, earning praise for both his leadership and batting. He led from the front, scoring 754 runs in five Tests to help India draw the keenly contested series 2-2. Gill also leads Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. Rohit, one of India’s most successful limited-overs captains, led the side to a record third Champions Trophy title in Dubai earlier this year. He and Kohli have both retired from T20Is and Tests. Gill’s vice-captain for the Australia series will be Shreyas Iyer. India currently top both the OD... -
Dawn - 09:35 Oct 04, 2025
Light to moderate rain was likely in parts of Sindh and Balochistan on Saturday as cyclonic storm ‘Shakhti’ over the Arabian Sea had moved westward during the past 12 hours and further intensified into a “severe cyclonic storm”, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said. “It is likely to move west-southwestwards and reach northwest and adjoining central north Arabian Sea by Oct 5, then it will recurve and move east-northeastwards during subsequent 24 hours and weaken gradually,” a notification issued by the PMD said. It said that under the influence of the storm, wind/thunderstorm and light to moderate rain was likely today in Sindh’s Badin, Thatta, Sujawal and Jamshoro districts, and Balochistan’s Hub, Lasbela, Awaran and Kech districts, as well as at isolated places in Karachi Division. The notification stated that sea conditions were likely to remain “rough to very rough” with squally winds gusting 55 kilometres/hour near the Sindh coast. It also advised fishermen not to venture into the deep sea t...
7421 items