Dawn
Source:
https://www.dawn.com
Found 10758 news
-
Dawn - 11:06 Feb 02, 2026
Pakistan’s first polio vaccination campaign of the current year was launched on Monday across the country. The nationwide drive is being held from February 2 to February 5 in most cities, while Sindh is conducting a week-long campaign until February 8. Strict security measures have been taken in various districts, keeping in view past attacks on polio teams. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, in a post on X, said: “The first nationwide polio vaccination drive of 2026 is underway, with health workers going door to door.” “This campaign is a vital step towards protecting our children and eliminating polio once and for all,” she stressed. The first lady encouraged all parents with children aged five years or below to ensure their kids receive the vaccine every time it is offered, pointing out that this was the “only way to eliminate polio for good”. Speaking at the formal inauguration of the drive in Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah noted that the campaign aimed to vaccinate 10.5 million children in t... -
Dawn - 10:52 Feb 02, 2026
ISLAMABAD: After a noticeable decline in violence in December 2025, the first month of the new year witnessed a renewed surge in anti-state violence, leading to higher fatalities among militants, civilians and security personnel, according to official statistics. Data released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) shows that combat-related deaths in January 2026 rose by 43 per cent compared to December 2025. During the month, 242 militants were killed, while 73 civilians and 46 security force personnel lost their lives. Twelve militants were injured, while at least 71 civilians and 52 security personnel were also wounded. PICSS reported that January saw 87 militant attacks nationwide, marking a 28pc increase from the 68 attacks recorded in December 2025. Of these, 38 attacks took place in mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 20 in the province’s tribal districts (erstwhile Fata), 27 in Balochistan and two in Punjab. Balochistan emerged as the primary theatre of militant a... -
Dawn - 10:03 Feb 02, 2026
The opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Monday condemned the spate of attacks in Balochistan last week, and called it “a security failure on the part of the provincial government and law enforcement agencies”. On Saturday, the military’s media affairs wing said terrorists of Fitna-al-Hindustan carried out a spate of attacks across Balochistan. 18 civilians and 15 personnel of security forces were martyred in the attacks on Saturday. In a statement, posted on X, the TTAP condemned the attacks and expressed sorrow with the martyrs. It noted that “a terrorist attack in the province on such a large scale was a failure on the part of the provincial government and LEAs”. The opposition alliance stated that the series of attacks showed the “extent to which the rule of law has become limited in the province and the lack of concern for the lives and property of citizens.” “For how long will we turn a blind eye to the fact that the provincial government — which does not have the public’s supp... -
Dawn - 09:50 Feb 02, 2026
Security forces killed 22 more terrorists during the ongoing security sweeps in Balochistan, taking the tally of terrorists killed over the past two days to 177, said security officials. Terrorists carried out a large-scale coordinated attack in the province on Saturday. The military’s media affairs wing said terrorists of Fitna-al-Hindustan carried out a spate of attacks across Balochistan on Saturday, responding to which the security forces killed more than 150 terrorists. The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. The terrorists were killed overnight as security sweeps continued across the province following Saturday’s attack, with security officials adding that the “noose is tightening”. Mobile internet services remain suspended Residents of Quetta and other cities in Balochistan continued to face difficulties on Monday as mobile internet services remained suspended for the third day ... -
Dawn - 08:22 Feb 02, 2026
Israel reopened the border between Gaza and Egypt on Monday for people on foot, a move that would allow Palestinians to leave the enclave and let back in those who want to return after fleeing Israel’s war in the enclave. The reopening of the Rafah border crossing will be limited, with Israel demanding security checks for Palestinians entering and exiting. Israel and Egypt were expected to impose caps on the number of travellers. Israel seized the border crossing in May 2024, about nine months into the Gaza war that was brought to a tenuous halt by an October ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump. Rafah’s reopening was an important requirement under the first phase of Trump’s broader plan to stop fighting between Israel and Hamas. An Israeli security official said that European monitoring teams had arrived at the crossing, which “has now opened to the movement of residents, for both entry and exit.” Foreign Journalist barred from Gaza In the first nine months of Israel’s assault in Gaza, launched af... -
Dawn - 06:38 Feb 02, 2026
Former British government minister Peter Mandelson has resigned as a member of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party after new reports of his ties with disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, media reported on Sunday. Mandelson, who was dismissed by Starmer as Britain’s ambassador to the United States last year after previous revelations about his connections to Epstein, said he did not wish to cause “further embarrassment” to Labour, the reports said. “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this,” Mandelson said in a letter to the Labour Party reported by the BBC and other news organisations, which Reuters was not immediately able to obtain. Mandelson said he believed allegations about financial payments to him by Epstein, which appeared in British media based on files released by the US Department of Justice, were false and he would investigate them. “While doing this, I do not wish to cause further embarrass... -
Dawn - 06:03 Feb 02, 2026
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain was hospitalised in London on Sunday night after his “health deteriorated”. In a post on Sunday night, the party said doctors had conducted a medical examination of the MQM leader and admitted him to the hospital. Hussain currently lives in London, where he has been in self-imposed exile since 1992. He was later granted British citizenship. From London, Hussain played an active role in politics, regularly broadcasting political speeches to his followers in Karachi. “Mr Altaf Hussain was taken to the hospital on Sunday evening due to ill health, where after an initial examination, the doctors have admitted him to the hospital,” said the post on X. The party elaborated that doctors “administered an injection to him, and started an IV drip in view of weakness in his body”. Doctors will conduct a detailed examination of the party founder on Monday, added the post. The party founder was also “administered a blood transfusion on Sunday night on the advice of doct... -
Dawn - 05:51 Feb 02, 2026
NEW DELHI: India will spend a record amount on infrastructure and defence, the finance minister said in her national budget speech on Sunday, with plans for high-speed rail, submarines and fighter jets. New Delhi plans to spend $133 billion on infrastructure and $85 billion on defence, a respective rise of around nine and 15 percent compared to last year’s budget. Data centres, artificial intelligence, and the mining and processing of rare earths will also receive government support, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told parliament. She said public spending on infrastructure had increased dramatically from around $21 billion (2 trillion rupees) in 2014-15 and that it was now at an “all-time high”. Rajnath says armed forces would be equipped with fighter jets, drones, ships, submarines and critical hardware The defence spending hike comes after a four-day conflict with Pakistan last May that killed at least 70 people, and saw both sides make extensive use of drones as well as intense missile and artillery b... -
Dawn - 05:37 Feb 02, 2026
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will undertake a two-day official visit to Pakistan on February 3–4, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two countries maintain friendly diplomatic relations, with Kazakhstan being Pakistan’s top export destination among Central Asian countries. During the visit, which he will undertake at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Kazakh president will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior cabinet ministers and other high-ranking officials. “President Tokayev is expected to meet with the President of Pakistan, hold talks with the prime minister, and address the Pakistan-Kazakhstan Business Forum.” Having a unique geographical location, Kazakhstan offers an excellent opportunity for Pakistan to connect to Russian, Central Asian, and Eastern European markets. Kazakhstan, by landmass and resources, is the largest economy of Central Asia. The foreign ministry said President Tokayev’s visit will provide Islam... -
Dawn - 03:09 Feb 02, 2026
MIRPUR: Thousands of people converged on a playground in this lakeside city on Sunday to pay their last respects to President Barrister Sultan Mahmood, as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) bade farewell to a veteran leader who rose to prominence at a relatively young age and went on to play a long and decisive role in the region’s politics. The 70-and-a-half-year-old president, who breathed his last in an Islamabad hospital on Saturday evening after protracted illness, was accorded a gun carriage funeral — a state honour reserved for figures the state considers of exceptional national importance. On Saturday, the coffin was transported directly from Islamabad to the president’s ancestral village of Chechiyan, located about 15 kilometres on the outskirts of Mirpur. On Sunday, it was brought in a large vehicular procession to the Quaid-e-Azam Cricket Stadium in the heart of the city, where it was draped with the AJK’s national flag and placed on a military gun carriage before being taken into the packed ground amid ... -
Dawn - 19:56 Feb 01, 2026
After around a week of uncertainty, the government gave the nod on Sunday to the Pakistan cricket team for participation in the T20 World Cup but barred it from playing against India on February 15, when the Green Shirts are scheduled to play their only group-stage match against the arch-rivals. “The government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan cricket team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” a post of the government’s X account said. On Monday, Pakistan Cricket Board chief and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the possibility of a boycott of the T20 World Cup loomed over Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the tournament. After the meeting, Naqvi had said he had briefed the PM on the “International Cricket Council (ICC) matter” and a “final decision would be taken either on Friday or next Monday”. The meeting took place... -
Dawn - 19:00 Feb 01, 2026
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was hopeful of agreeing a deal with Iran after the country’s supreme leader warned that any US attack on the Islamic republic would trigger a regional war. Following the Iranian authorities’ response to anti-government protests that peaked last month, Trump has threatened military action and ordered the dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday likened the recent protests to a “coup”, warning that a US attack would trigger a broad conflict. “The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” he said, telling Iranians they “should not be scared” of Trump’s rhetoric. “They (rioters) attacked the police, government centres, IRGC centres, banks, and mosques, and burned the Quran … It was like a coup,” Khamenei said, adding that “the coup was suppressed”. Asked about the Iranian leader’s warning, Trump told reporters on Sunday: “Of course he is going to say that... -
Dawn - 18:33 Feb 01, 2026
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday expressed the firm resolve to eliminate terrorists after a spate of coordinated attacks across the province, adding that 145 militants were killed within a span of 40 hours. The military’s media affairs wing said terrorists of Fitna-al-Hindustan carried out a spate of attacks across Balochistan on Saturday, responding to which the security forces killed 92 terrorists. The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. Addressing a press conference in Quetta on Sunday, CM Bugti said 145 terrorists were killed in 40 hours, adding that their bodies were in the custody of the authorities. “This is the highest number since Pakistan is facing this war on terror,” he highlighted. “Our 17 law enforcement people, including police and FC and one Navy personnel, were martyred, and our civilian casualties are 31, including some injured,” CM Bugti said. The I... -
Dawn - 18:04 Feb 01, 2026
All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz grabbed five wickets for Pakistan on Sunday as Green Shirts whitewashed Australia in a three-match T20 series by 3-0 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The last time Pakistan had clean-swept Australia in a T20 series was in October 2018 in the UAE. While defending a gigantic 208-run total, Pakistan dominated the visitors by clinching a 111-run victory. The stage was set by Shaheen Afridi, who took the wicket of the Australian captain Mitchell Marsh in the first over. In the next over, Mohammad Nawaz dismissed Australia’s Matthew Short, as Babar Azam took his catch, and in the following over, Shaheen Afridi struck back with Matt Renshaw’s wicket. In his five-wicket haul, Mohammad Nawaz also dismissed Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green. Stoinis and Green added 23 and 22 runs, respectively, for Australia, while seven other batters could not even reach double figures. Apart from Nawaz’s five and Shaheen’s two wickets, Abrar Ahmed and Naseem Shah also grabbed a wicket each. In the first inn... -
Dawn - 17:31 Feb 01, 2026
World Bank President Ajay Pal Singh Banga visited the Gurudwara in Hasanabdal and an archeological site in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, according to official statements, which said that adviser to the KP CM also held discussions with him on the province’s economic affairs. President Banga, accompanied by his spouse and senior officials, visited the Jaulian Buddhist archaeological site at Khanpur in KP, a handout said. “On this occasion, Adviser to the KP Chief Minister on Finance Muzzammil Aslam and MNA Faisal Amin Gandapur accorded a warm welcome to World Bank President Ajay Banga. Federal Minister for Finance Aurangzeb also participated in the visit along with his spouse,” it further stated. During the visit, Aslam presented a shield to the World Bank president and held discussions on the province’s economic affairs, it added. Advisor to the KP cheif Minster on Finance, Muzammil Aslam, presents a sheild to Ajay banga in KP on Feb 1. —Photo provided by author For his part, KP Archaeology Director General Ab... -
Dawn - 17:11 Feb 01, 2026
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced on Sunday a “long weekend” in the province, declaring a Basant holiday. “Punjab will enjoy a long weekend with Kashmir Day on February 5, a provincial Basant holiday on the 6th, followed by Saturday and Sunday. We hope people across Punjab take this time to relax, recharge, and make the most of the break,” she posted on X. The kite-flying festival was banned in 2007 in Punjab because of an increasing number of deaths and serious injuries caused by sharp strings, particularly to motorcyclists and pillion riders, as well as by celebratory gunfire. But now, a three-day Basant festival is set to kick off in Lahore from February 6, following the Punjab government’s decision to lift a ban on the historic event after 18 years, with strict regulations. -
Dawn - 16:34 Feb 01, 2026
KHYBER: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced on Sunday that he would soon convene a grand jirga for consultations with stakeholders across the province for a protest march on Islamabad. The CM shared his plans at a jirga at Khyber’s Jamrud Sports Complex, which he had announced last Sunday while responding to the federal government’s stance that neither the Centre, nor the military, had issued any directives for the “depopulation” of the Tirah Valley. The federal and provincial governments have been trading barbs over who authorised the evacuation process in the valley after hundreds of Tirah residents vacated their homes amid concerns about a planned military actions. The evacuations, which were carried out in line with a plan agreed upon by all stakeholders — including local elders, the provincial government and the military — seem to have become a bone of contention after the displaced populace found themselves stranded in cold weather under open skies, with mismanagement by the author... -
Dawn - 15:38 Feb 01, 2026
WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, highlighting the “exponential rise” cross-border terrorist attacks from Afghanistan, has said that the situation has become “intolerable for Pakistan”. His remarks come against the backdrop of a spate of coordinate attacks in Balochistan on Saturday. Clearing operations following the attacks continued on Sunday while Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said in the afternoon that 145 militants had been killed within a span of 40 hours. The military’s media affairs wing said the attacks were carried out by Fitna-al-Hindustan — a term that the state has designated for Balochistan-based terrorist groups to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. Pakistan has also been raising alarm over the presence of terrorists in Afghanistan and accuses the Afghan Taliban of harbouring them. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to rein in terrorist outfits operating out of Afghanis... -
Dawn - 12:16 Feb 01, 2026
Israel said on Sunday it was terminating the humanitarian operations of the international charity Doctors Without Borders in Gaza after the organisation failed to provide a list of its Palestinian staff. “The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism is moving to terminate the activities of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the Gaza Strip,” the ministry said. The decision follows “MSF’s failure to submit lists of local employees, a requirement applicable to all humanitarian organisations operating in the region”, it added, stating that the group will cease its work and leave Gaza by February 28. In December, the ministry announced it would prevent 37 aid organisations, including MSF, from operating in Gaza from March 1 for failing to provide detailed information about their Palestinian staff. It had alleged that two MSF employees had links with Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which the medical charity vehemently denies. On Sunday, the ministry said MSF had committed in early January ... -
Dawn - 12:13 Feb 01, 2026
Pakistan, along with seven other Muslim-majority countries, condemned on Sunday the repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza by Israel, asserting that these actions risked undermining efforts for restoring stability at a time when regional and international partners were working collectively to advance the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan. The eight countries — Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan , Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and United Arab Emirates — had worked with Trump’s administration on a plan last year on a plan to end Israel’s genocide and invasion in Gaza. Implementation of the plan began in October 2025, leading to a ceasefire in Gaza more than two years after the onslaught began. Israel, however, has repeatedly violated the the truce, carrying out strikes in the Strip. Meanwhile, work is ongoing on the second phase of Trump’s plan, shifting focus from ceasefire implementation to demilitarisation, technocratic governance and reconstruction. In a joint statement, the foreign mini...
10758 items