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Dawn - 15:49 Apr 06, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and Pakistan State Oil (PSO) on Monday came under fire for insufficient and lethargic online integration and automation of stock and supply position of oil products for improved visibility and monitoring. Subsequently, the government decided to activate law enforcement and investigation agencies for improved monitoring of retail petroleum outlets and to check hoarding. The development came during a meeting of the cabinet committee, constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to monitor petroleum prices in the wake of the emerging situation. During the meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, members raised questions over certain loopholes in petroleum pricing, particularly in the diesel rate build-up. Informed sources said Climate Change Minister Dr Musadik Malik, who previously held the positions of energy and petroleum minister, suspected that the oil industry had apparently been allowed a windfall and proactive corrective measures were... -
Dawn - 15:24 Apr 06, 2026
PESHAWAR: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Monday issued a flood advisory for several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from April 7 to 8, stating that the Kabul River in Nowshera was likely to witness low to medium-level flood during this period The advisory, issued to the deputy commissioners of several districts, stated that according to met department’s latest analysis, the Kabul River at Nowshera was expected to attain low to medium flood levels and flash flooding was also expected in its associated tributaries along with Kohat Toi, Kurram and Gomal rivers. The advisory said that urban flooding was also expected in Peshawar, Mardan and Nowshera during the period. The authority asked the district administrations to take all precautionary measures to avoid any loss of life, damage to infrastructure/crops, and animals. Further, it said that all authorities concerned were requested to take the safety measures, including identification of vulnerable points and at-risk communities; devising... -
Dawn - 14:27 Apr 06, 2026
Multiple people were sharing a video on several social media platforms since April 4, claiming it showed Iranian forces capturing an American pilot after shooting down a US F-15 fighter jet. However, the video is old and shows a Libyan soldier performing a parachute jump. The Middle East war has entered its 35th day with no let-up in hostilities. The conflict began on February 28, when the US and Israel carried out coordinated airstrikes targeting Iran’s military infrastructure, including missile systems and nuclear-related facilities. The strikes marked a significant escalation in tensions between the countries, following a period of heightened regional instability and previous confrontations. On April 3, Iranian state media said the country’s forces shot down a US jet over its southern region. The US later said that it rescued two of its pilots from Iran. On April 4, a parody account named after former Iranian interim supreme leader Ayatullah Alireza Aarfi shared a video on X allegedly showing Iranian force... -
Dawn - 14:16 Apr 06, 2026
ON March 20, 2026, Pakistan’s prime minister delivered a somewhat unwarranted and empty address to the nation — merely to announce that he had declined one among a dozen or so summaries placed before him each day. The announcement of not consenting to an additional hike in oil prices at the time, came in the wake of previously announced, lukewarm austerity measures. While burdening the poor, such ‘plasters on a bullet wound’ measures provide neither long-term financial reforms nor alter the fundamental societal inequality. The outrageous purchases of a Rs11 billion Gulfstream jet, a Rs90 million luxury vehicle for the Senate chairman and seven luxury cars for judges not simply betray but completely shatter the government’s much-trumpeted commitment to austerity. On the same day, March 20, 2026, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also unveiled a set of austerity measures. Called a “social shield”, he approved a €5bn economic support package of 80 specific reforms focused on tax relief and direct aid to preve... -
Dawn - 14:00 Apr 06, 2026
Judicial magistrate grants bail to PTI protesters arrested for demonstrating near Karachi Press Club
KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Monday granted bail to 24 PTI workers and leaders who were arrested a day earlier for staging a protest near Karachi Press Club (KPC) against the increase in fuel prices due to the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. PTI workers and leaders were arrested after they clashed with police near the press club on Sunday. Judicial Magistrate Abdul Ahad Memon issued the order, a copy of which is available with Dawn, and granted bail to the 24 workers and leaders against surety bonds of Rs5,000 each. However, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) sent four PTI leaders, who were arrested on Sunday, to prison on judicial remand in a case pertaining to rioting during a rally at Banaras Chowk on Aug 24, 2025. PTI counsel Advocate Shujaat Ali Khan told Dawn that after arresting the four leaders — Alamgir Khan, Meeraj, Khalid Mehmood and Daawa Khan — a day ago, police had also implicated them in the old case pertaining to rioting during a rally at Banaras Chowk registered at Peerabad police station. He... -
Dawn - 13:41 Apr 06, 2026
ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Monday rejected a PTI lawmaker’s bill seeking amendments to the Elections Act for enhancing the participation of women in the political process after opposition by almost all the other parties. The development came as the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, under the chairmanship of Senator Tahir Khalil, considered the Elections (Amendment) Bill. One of the provisions sought that all political parties ensure that at least 33 per cent of total office‑bearers at federal, provincial and district levels are women, and that allocation of poll symbol should be denied to those parties which failed to comply. The bill, moved by PTI Senator Dr Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, also proposed conducting intra-party elections by secret ballot under an accredited independent election authority. “At least 33 pc of positions filled through internal elections must be reserved for women, with proportional allocation for non‑Muslims and persons with disabilities,” the proposed bill said. “Th... -
Dawn - 13:13 Apr 06, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday, alluding to the recent regional situation and spiralling global petroleum prices, underlined the need for the introduction of environment-friendly electric vehicles (EVs) across the country, thus saving the country’s precious foreign reserves. Addressing a ceremony for the provision of eco-smart EVs to the Islamabad Traffic Police, the prime minister said that such energy-saving initiatives should be emulated by all law enforcement agencies and provinces. He observed that a total of 15 electric vehicles were provided by the interior ministry, which ran on batteries without using petrol and oil, while another batch of vehicles would be inducted soon. Terming the initiative a significant one, the prime minister said such steps would cast positive impact on the country’s foreign reserves. On the occasion, he also congratulated Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his team for taking this initiative. Federal ministers, Islamabad police high-ups and relevant authorities were ... -
Dawn - 13:00 Apr 06, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed concern over an incident at the Khor Fakkan port in the United Arab Emirates, where a missile interception injured three Pakistani nationals. Gulf countries, including the UAE, have come under attack in Iran’s retaliatory campaign against the ongoing US-Israeli war on the country. In a post on X, the premier said, “Deeply concerned at the incident at Khor Fakkan port in the UAE, where an intercepted projectile caused injuries to civilians, including Pakistani nationals”. He prayed for the “swift recovery” of the injured. The prime minister stated that Pakistan remained in “close contact” with the UAE authorities to extend all possible support to Pakistani nationals in the country. “Pakistan stands in solidarity with the brotherly people of the UAE and reiterates the urgent need for restraint and de-escalation in the region,” the premier added. On Sunday, the Sharjah Media Office said that three Pakistani nationals and a Nepalese national sustained injuries aft... -
Dawn - 12:38 Apr 06, 2026
Two Democrats from the US House of Representatives visited Cuba last week, the first such delegation to go to the island this year since US President Donald Trump imposed a de facto oil blockade in a bid to bring Cuba’s communist-run government to its knees. Congressional representatives Pramila Jayapal, a leading member of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, and Jonathan Jackson, a Democrat with a long interest in Cuba, said they had come to “see the suffering that is happening on the ground” as a result of Trump’s fuel embargo, which they called “an illegal blockade of energy supplies”. The lawmakers’ visit comes at a time of unprecedented tension in the decades-long frosty relationship between the US and Cuba. The Trump administration has closed the tap on remittances to Cuba, threatened to slap tariffs on countries that provide oil to the island and placed it on a list of nations that sponsor terrorism. “This is the most sanctioned part of Planet Earth right now, just 90 miles off our shores,” J... -
Dawn - 12:34 Apr 06, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines has ended all discounts being provided to passengers, with concessions remaining in place only for children and infants, and has also cut its flight operations due to the continuous rise in the prices of jet fuel, the carrier’s spokesperson said on Monday. In recent weeks, jet fuel (JP-1) rates have soared amid global supply chain uncertainty spurred by the US-Israel war on Iran. “The PIA has made a principled decision to end all discounts, with concessions remaining only for children and infants,” the spokesperson said. He added that a strategy was formulated in a high-level meeting to address the rising prices of fuel and potential losses to the airline. The spokesperson said PIA would also restrict its flight operation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to 16 flights per week. “The carrier is also going to suspend flight to Gulf countries, with the exception of the UAE and Saudi Arabia, until the end of April,” he added. Further, he said that the PIA would also... -
Dawn - 12:21 Apr 06, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The country’s fan industry on Monday sought policy interventions to reduce the export of its raw materials for balanced value addition, greater quality exports and energy-efficient fans in the country. They also recommended interventions that could enable financing and energy efficiency initiatives during a virtual meeting with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The group of representatives from the electric fan industry was led by members of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the Pakistan Electric Fan Manufacturers Association (PEFMA). The group highlighted sectoral challenges, export potential, and avenues for policy support. According to an official statement from the finance ministry, Aurangzeb reiterated the government’s commitment to undertaking focused consultations with individual sectors to better understand their operational landscape and support their growth. The group provided an overview of the structure and economic significance of the fan indus... -
Dawn - 11:54 Apr 06, 2026
The four astronauts of Nasa’s Artemis II mission entered the moon’s gravitational sphere of influence early Monday morning as they cruised along a path that will soon take them over the shadowed, lunar far side to become the farthest-flying humans in history. The Artemis II crew, flying in their Orion capsule since launching from Florida last week, are due to awake around 10:50am ET (7:50pm PKT) on Monday for their sixth flight day. By 7:05pm ET (4:05am PKT), they will reach the mission’s maximum distance from Earth of roughly 252,757 miles, 4,102 miles beyond the record held by the Apollo 13 crew for 56 years. As Nasa astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen approach the distance record, they will be sailing around the moon’s far side, witnessing it from roughly 4,000 miles above its darkened surface as it eclipses a basketball-sized Earth in the distant background. The milestone is a climactic point in the nearly 10-day Artemis II mission, the first crew... -
Dawn - 11:49 Apr 06, 2026
A criminal case against Myanmar’s newly-elected President Min Aung Hlaing was filed in Indonesia on Monday by a group of civil society organisations, accusing the leader of acts of genocide against the Rohingya ethnic group. Myanmar is a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), but relations have come under strain since a 2021 coup led by Min Aung Hlaing, leading to civil war and a humanitarian crisis, with large numbers of Rohingya Muslims displaced and forced into refugee settlements. Indonesia, which hosts ASEAN’s headquarters, is the biggest Muslim-majority country in the world, and is among the destinations for Rohingya people fleeing Myanmar or the refugee camps by boat. Myanmar’s armed forces, under thenjunta chief Min Aung Hlaing, launched an offensive in 2017 that forced at least 730,000 Rohingya from their homes and into neighbouring Bangladesh, where they recounted killings, mass rape and arson. The complaint to Indonesia’s Attorney General’s office was filed by Yasmin Ullah, ... -
Dawn - 11:25 Apr 06, 2026
The Foreign Office said on Monday that the peace process is “ongoing” but declined to confirm or deny reports that Pakistan has proposed a framework to end the US-Israel war on Iran, according to state broadcaster Pakistan TV. “There have been several reports of a 45-day ceasefire offer, or 15-point exchange. We do not comment on these individual, specific incidents,” said FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi. The comments by the FO spokesperson follow a Reuters report that claimed Iran and the United States have received a plan to end hostilities, which was put together by Pakistan. The Reuters report, which cited a “source aware of the proposals”, claimed the framework was exchanged with the two sides overnight. Axios, citing US, Israeli and regional sources, first reported on Sunday that the US, Iran and regional mediators were discussing a potential 45-day ceasefire as part of a two-phase deal that could lead to a permanent end to the war. Separately, Iran said it has formulated its positions and demands in resp... -
Dawn - 09:48 Apr 06, 2026
The Supreme Court on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on judicial cooperation with Turkiye’s Constitutional Court. On Sunday, the SC said it will be hosting a high-level delegation from Turkiye’s Constitutional Court from April 6 to 9, led by its president Kadir Özkaya, for the signing of an MoU. The agreement was signed at a ceremony held at the Supreme Court in Islamabad attended by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and Özkaya. Addressing the ceremony before the signing, CJP Afridi expressed hope that the agreement will “provide a forward-looking framework for collaboration between the two judiciaries”. “One that emphasises the exchange of judicial knowledge and best practices, the promotion of comparative constitutional jurisprudence, strengthening of institutional linkages and the advancement of capacity building through joint programmes, research, and judicial exchanges,” CJP Afridi said. He noted that under the MoU, a joint working group comprising judges from the Federal Con... -
Dawn - 09:26 Apr 06, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday sought a report from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman and other respondents on a contempt of court petition alleging violation of its restraining order against tree felling in the federal capital. Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas heard the petition filed by Muhammad Naveed Ahmed, sought a detailed report from the civic authority, and adjourned the hearing indefinitely. During the proceedings, the petitioner’s counsel argued that technically, the matter should have been listed before Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, who had previously been hearing the main case. However, Justice Minhas observed that the court would take notice of the matter and called for a report. Advocate Mudassar Latif Abbasi and Umair Asad appeared on behalf of the petitioner, contending that despite a clear order issued on January 15, 2026, restraining the CDA from cutting trees, the authority had initiated work on the expansion of Ataturk Avenue from D-Chowk to Ayub Chowk. ... -
Dawn - 07:54 Apr 06, 2026
South Korea’s spy agency now believes North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter has been positioned as his successor, lawmakers said on Monday, citing a recent public display of her driving a tank that was likely intended to dispel any doubts. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) told lawmakers its assessment was not based on circumstantial inference but on what it described as “credible intelligence” collected by the agency, according to briefings by ruling and opposition party members after a closed-door parliamentary meeting. The NIS said the imagery of the daughter driving a tank was intended to highlight her supposed military aptitude and dispel doubts over a female heir, lawmakers said. North Korea’s state-run media KCNA last month published photos of Kim and his daughter driving a new tank, following earlier images showing her firing a rifle at a shooting range and using a handgun. Such scenes are intended to pay “homage” to Kim’s own public military appearances during the early 2010s when ... -
Dawn - 07:32 Apr 06, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Pakistan to eliminate distortions in petroleum pricing at the earliest, even though it had tacitly accepted the Rs152 billion subsidy cap extended by the federal government to consumers amid a historic global price surge following the US-Israel attacks on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Senior officials told Dawn that the staff-level agreement (SLA) announced by the IMF on March 29 remains intact, and that the Rs152 billion federal petroleum subsidy had been introduced with the Fund’s prior knowledge. Sources said Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and his team will update IMF management on provincial contributions to the petroleum subsidy during the upcoming spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank next week. However, the IMF continues to oppose across-the-board subsidies on major petroleum products. Initially, the government attempted to balance finances by adjusting the petroleum development levy (PDL) between petrol and diesel.... -
Dawn - 04:20 Apr 06, 2026
LAHORE: In a bid to keep the current fares and freight charges unchanged for three months to facilitate passengers and goods transport customers, the federal government will pay around Rs6 billion to Pakistan Railways (PR) for the increase in operational costs due to the recent increase in diesel prices. “The increase due to the massive surge in diesel price amounts to around Rs1.9 billion per month and the total difference for three months, till June 30, jumps to about Rs6 billion as calculated by the finance ministry for PR operations,” PR Chief Executive Officer Amir Ali Baloch explained while talking to Dawn on Sunday. According to him, as soon as the petroleum prices increased, the PR administration was left with no option but to increase fares and freight charges by 30pc. However, he said the prime minister sought a report from the finance and railways ministries regarding the likely increase in passenger and freight charges. “On this, we worked out the total amount, around Rs6 billion, the PR will have... -
Dawn - 03:14 Apr 06, 2026
ISLAMABAD, April 3: The Supreme Court will resume, on April 7, the hearing of a review petition filed by PTI founder Imran Khan against the closure of his right to defence in the Rs10 billion defamation case. Headed by Justice Ayesha A. Malik, a three-judge bench will take up the review petition, in which the court had earlier stayed proceedings pending before a trial court in Lahore in the Rs10 billion defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against Imran Khan. Earlier, on March 31, a different Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, had adjourned further proceedings in a set of appeals also filed by former prime minister Imran Khan against the April 23, 2025 Lahore High Court (LHC) rejection of his plea to implicate the Punjab government in the Rs10 billion defamation suit brought by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The case was then postponed until a final decision on the present review petition pending before the bench presided over by Justice Ayesha A. Malik. Just...
12427 items