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Dawn - 03:59 Sep 26, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Foreign assistance inflows to Pakistan almost doubled to $1.377 billion in the first two months (July-August) of the current fiscal year, mainly because of an ongoing umbrella of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This helped the government to start the new fiscal year on a healthy note, unlike last year’s lacklustre beginning in the absence of IMF support. The total inflows, both loans and grants, in the first two months of the current fiscal year amounted to $1.377bn when compared to $714m last year, showing an increase of 93pc. Inflows in August alone amounted to $680m, almost 152pc higher than last year’s $270m in the same month. In July this year, a total of $698m loans and grants flowed into the country compared to $444m in the same month last year, representing a 57pc increase. The $1.345bn in foreign loans and $33m in grants in the first two months of the fiscal year flowing into the country were about 103pc higher and 31pc lower than last year’s $662m loans and $43m grants, respectivel... -
Dawn - 02:31 Sep 26, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has said that taxpayers are free to declare the market value of their movable and immovable assets at their own discretion, in tax returns for the year 2025, without requiring formal valuation or supporting documents. But this flexibility does not apply to high-net-worth individuals, who remain subject to stricter reporting requirements under Section 7E of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. The clarification came in the wake of misinformation, circulating on social media, regarding amendments to the income tax return form. The FBR has so far received 2.7 million tax returns. Tax bar associations have meanwhile requested an extension of the filing deadline. According to an official statement, the income tax return form for 2025 — released on July 7 — explicitly requires taxpayers to declare the market value of their assets, as outlined on page 66 of the form. FBR says high-net-worth individuals subject to more strict reporting requirements; those who have submitted re... -
Dawn - 02:26 Sep 26, 2025
• Two-judge bench declines Justice Jahangiri’s plea to join proceedings • Insists court will first hear and decide maintainability of petitions • Petitioners and their lawyers walk out of courtroom, stage protest KARACHI: Heated scenes were witnessed at the Sindh High Court on Thursday as a two-judge bench declined to entertain the plea of Islamabad High Court Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri to become a party in proceedings on seven petitions, challenging the cancellation of his law degree. The two-judge constitutional bench (CB) comprising Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha and Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon, however, set aside the IHC judge’s application, insisting that it would first hear and decide the maintainability of the petitions before it. Justice Jahangiri, accompanied by IHC Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, pleaded for a right of hearing, saying he was the aggrieved party and Karachi University (KU) had not issued him a notice before canceling his degree. Lawyers for the petitioners, however, objected to... -
Dawn - 00:17 Sep 26, 2025
KARACHI: The Sindh government is considering a plan to introduce O and A Level programmes in public schools across the province, with at least one institution in each district to offer the courses. Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah met the Country Director of Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) in Pakistan Uzma Yousuf, who was accompanied by her delegation. Secretary School Education Zahid Ali Abbasi and other senior officials also attended the meeting. The discussions focused on strengthening Sindh’s education framework, particularly in the areas of curriculum development, teacher training, foundational learning and assessment reforms. Both sides agreed to establish a joint working group to devise actionable strategies and recommendations. Mr Shah said the Sindh government was committed to introducing Cambridge programmes in public schools. Under the initiative, at least one school in each district will offer O and A Level subjects, providing students from disadvantaged background... -
Dawn - 23:38 Sep 25, 2025
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said on Thursday that terrorists were receiving “state patronage” in Afghanistan, from where they launched attacks on Pakistan. His comments come against the backdrop of a tumultuous security situation in Balochistan, which has worsened in recent months, as terrorists, long involved in a low-level insurgency, have stepped up the frequency and intensity of their attacks. The banned so-called Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces. Islamabad, for the last couple of years, has been insisting that terrorists use Afghan soil to lauch attacks across the country. Kabul, however, denies the allegations. Responding to a question during a press conference in Islamabad, CM Bugti reiterated the state’s narrative and said, “Terrorists were provided safe havens and places to run training camps in Afghanistan.” He highlighted that many among the recently killed terrorists wer... -
Dawn - 23:20 Sep 25, 2025
US President Donald Trump hosted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir at the Oval Office in Washington, DC during the early hours of Friday morning. US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also present, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after the meeting said. It added that the meeting was held in a pleasant atmosphere. Photos released after the meeting showed both PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir exchanging views with Trump. Trump was also all smiles as he flashed his signature thumbs up sign during a group photo. The meeting, which was closed to the press, was originally slated to begin at 4:30pm Washington time (1:30am PST) but was delayed by approximately 30 minutes as the US president spoke to reporters after signing executive orders. The meeting itself lasted approximately one hour and 20 minutes. Photos from the White House press pool before it began showed PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir waiting pati... -
Dawn - 20:55 Sep 25, 2025
Pakistan won by 11 runs after stumbling to 135-8 in the virtual semi-final against Bangladesh in their men’s Asia Cup Super Four fixture at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. With that win, the Green Shirts bookëd their final date with archrivals India for the first time in the 17th iteration of the Asia Cup on Sunday. Speaking at the post-match ceremony, player-of-the-match Shaheen Afridi said: “I attacked up-front as the team needed an early breakthrough — the three overs in the powerplay made all the difference.” He dedicated his award to his wife and son. The left-arm pacer scored a vital 19 of 13 balls and got 3-17 with the ball, striking in his signature manner in the very first over of the innings yet again. Skipper Salman Ali Agha said, “If we can win these kinds of games, then we must be a special team.” He commended Mohammad Haris’s crucial 31 runs down the order, terming him a “special player”. On a pitch that spun prodigiously, Pakistan were staring down the barrel at 49-5 in the 11t... -
Dawn - 18:16 Sep 25, 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine, as Erdogan sought a long-awaited deal to buy US stealth fighter jets. As Erdogan visited the White House for the first time since 2019 during Trump’s first term, Trump called on him to use his influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Moscow’s invasion. Trump said that he would discuss Ankara’s wish to buy high-tech F-35 aircraft and was ready to end sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of Russian air defence missiles. Nato ally Turkey was booted out of the flagship US stealth fighter programme during Trump’s first term after it defiantly bought Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system. “I’d like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues this rampage,” Trump told reporters alongside Erdogan in the Oval Office. Trump said Erdogan was “very respected” by both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and “could have ... -
Dawn - 16:51 Sep 25, 2025
The PPP and PML-N continued to engage in a war of words over flood relief on Thursday, as PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari asserted that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was the “sole method” of providing relief to those affected by the recent floods in the country, while PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz accused his party of “politicising” the issue. The two parties, who are coalition partners in the Centre, have recently been arguing over the means for flood relief, with the PPP insisting on the use of BISP and the PML-N disapproving of the proposition. On Wednesday, after the PML-N questioned the transparency of BISP, the PPP accused its senior partner of showing an “irresponsible attitude” by refusing to use the programme’s data to compensate flood-affected people in Punjab. BISP is a national safety net programme in Pakistan that provides cash assistance to poor and vulnerable families, particularly targeting women. Addressing a press conference in Karachi today, Bilawal said: “Across the country, the a... -
Dawn - 16:46 Sep 25, 2025
PTI social media activist Falak Javed Khan was remanded in police custody for five days on Thursday, a day after her arrest by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). Javed was arrested by the agency in the case about fake videos of Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari being uploaded on social media, her lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq said on Wednesday. The activist was presented before a district court in Lahore today before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo, with the NCCIA requesting 30 days of physical remand. The remand order — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — states that Ashfaq argued that there was no material on record to justify Javed’s arrest. “There are illegalities in [the] procedure of warrant and proclamation,” the order read, quoting Ashfaq. “There is nothing on record to show any material to support remand … there is no plausible reason for remand. “There is [a] serious violation of Section 40 (forensic laboratory) [of] Peca, 2016,” he added “It was mandatory to establish a... -
Dawn - 16:39 Sep 25, 2025
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav is facing controversy after the International Cricket Council (ICC) acknowledged remarks he made following India’s Asia Cup group-stage victory over Pakistan on September 14, saying that it is reviewing a complaint lodged by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and has had a formal hearing, Hindustan Times reported on Thursday. The move comes after the PCB lodged an official complaint with the ICC against Yadav for dedicating its September 14 win over Pakistan to “the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack”. At least 24 people had been killed in the April attack, which led to a brief military escalation between India and Pakistan, as New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the attack without evidence. The ICC confirmed that it is reviewing a complaint filed by the PCB and a formal hearing took place today, as per Hindustan Times. “[Match referee Richie] Richardson heard Suryakumar’s explanation and is expected to deliver his verdict on Friday,” Hindustan Times added. The outle... -
Dawn - 14:44 Sep 25, 2025
A lady health worker, part of a vaccination team for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation campaign for girls, was beaten up by local women in Mandi Bahauddin on Thursday, police said. Speaking to Dawn.com, Kuthiala Sheikhan Police Station House Officer (SHO) Sabir Hussain Sindhu said that the incident took place in Chak No 38. “LHW Ghulam Sughra was beaten up by local women while the vaccination campaign was being carried out at a school,” he said, adding that the health worker was also thrown to the ground during the assault. He said that a first information report (FIR) had been registered on the complaint of the health worker but no arrests have been made so far. The FIR of the incident, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, was registered at the Kuthiala Sheikhan Police Station under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code. In the FIR, Sughra stated that she was present along with the ... -
Dawn - 12:45 Sep 25, 2025
Six journalists, including Lahore Press Club President Muhammad Arshad Ansari, approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday to challenge notices issued by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The petition, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, named the NCCIA director, deputy director and inspector from Lahore as well as the director general from Islamabad as respondents in the case. The petitioners were named as Ansari, Sheikh Mujahid Latif, Sheraz Nisar, Ahmed Faraz, Yasir Shamoon and Waseem Sabir. According to the petition, the journalists’ professional duty was to cover criminal cases and highlight issues and defects in the police administration. Further, it said that the petitioners had criticised the formation of the Crime Control Department, the appointment of Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Faisal Kamran without merit and the increasing crime rate in Lahore. The journalists contended that this prompted DIG Kamran to “launch malicious social media campaigns ... -
Dawn - 10:52 Sep 25, 2025
Meta is expanding ‘teen accounts’ to Facebook and Messenger in Pakistan starting this week, placing both new and existing teen users into “safer, more protected experiences,” the organisation said on Thursday. “Teen accounts are already rolled out globally on Instagram, and now Meta is extending the same protections to teens worldwide on Facebook and Messenger,” Meta said in a statement. Teen accounts were introduced by Meta a year ago, which, according to the statement, was “a significant step to keep teens safe across Meta’s apps”. “Since then, hundreds of millions of teens have already been placed into Teen Accounts across Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.” The statement added: “Teen Account protections were designed to address parents’ top concerns with automatic safeguards that limit who teens can interact with, filter the content they see, and ensure their time online is well spent.” While there’s always more work to be done, Meta says it is “encouraged to see that Teen Accounts are bringing parents mo... -
Dawn - 10:01 Sep 25, 2025
Indian police patrolled the northern city of Leh on Thursday, a day after protests demanding greater autonomy for India-held Ladakh turned deadly when security forces opened fire. At least five people were killed, 30 police officers were injured and several more protesters wounded. The city — usually bustling with tourists — appeared deserted, with most main roads blocked by coils of razor wire and guarded by police in riot gear, an AFP reporter said. Protests erupted on Wednesday, with crowds demanding greater autonomy in the sparsely populated, high-altitude desert region that is home to some 300,000 people and which borders China and Pakistan. India’s Ministry of Home Affairs said that an “unruly mob” had attacked police, reporting in a statement issued late on Wednesday that “more than 30” officers were injured. Protesters torched a police vehicle and the offices of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while officers fired tear gas and used batons to disperse crow... -
Dawn - 09:15 Sep 25, 2025
Traders in Gilgit-Baltistan have decided to continue their sit-in despite the government agreeing to conditionally exempt imports routed through the Sost Dry Port from key federal taxes, trade leader Javed Hussain — who has been leading the protest — told Dawn.com on Thursday. Local traders in GB have been staging a protest sit-in, blocking the port since July. The protest was launched against the government’s taxation policies and suspension of customs clearance at the port. Yesterday, the government agreed to tax exemptions on imports coming through the port — provided that the goods were for local consumption and meet strict eligibility conditions. The total annual value of tax exemptions was capped at Rs4 billion. This was announced after talks between the federal government, GB government and local business leaders in Islamabad. But, Hussain said traders were not satisfied with this agreement. “After the agreement and its announcement in Islamabad, it was suggested to us to end the protest. But we don’t ... -
Dawn - 09:09 Sep 25, 2025
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has hailed the Rs1.2 trillion bank loan secured to settle Pakistan’s circular debt as the “largest financing and largest restructuring transaction” in the country’s history. On Wednesday, the government signed loan facilities worth approximately Rs1.225tr with 18 banks to settle the outstanding dues of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) parked in circular debt. These dues will be serviced through a Rs3.23 per unit surcharge on consumers for a period of six years. The signing ceremony was held at the PM Office, witnessed virtually by the prime minister from New York. No official announcement was made, although ministers confirmed the signing of the agreement. Under the agreement, the government will have 30 days to request disbursements from banks for prompt utilisation to avoid penalties. Today, the ceremony was aired on television, with both the premier and the finance minister addressing the gathering. In his remarks, Aurangzeb said that facility “resolves the structural ... -
Dawn - 08:23 Sep 25, 2025
A police constable was shot dead by unknown assailants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Thursday morning, police said. Bannu’s District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas Kulachi told Dawn.com that the incident occurred in the Bacha Khan Chowk area of the district’s Domel tehsil. “The police constable was on his way to arrive for duty when unknown armed motorcyclists opened fire on him,” Kulachi said. The DPO added that the constable, Qadus Khan, was critically injured and taken to the Khaleefa Gul Nawaz (KGN) hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The spokesperson for the Bannu regional police, Khanzala Quraishi, told Dawn.com that the constable was the guard of the Wazir sub-divisional police officer. “After the incident, the station house officer of the Domel area went to the crime scene along with a team to investigate the incident,” Qureshi said. DPO Kulachi, meanwhile, said that an operation against the ‘terrorists’ was underway in various locations of the district to eliminate the threat... -
Dawn - 08:14 Sep 25, 2025
Pakistan has called for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be regulated by the United Nations charter, particularly its military use, warning that “AI must not become a tool of coercion.” As artificial intelligence advances without meaningful checks, Pakistan’s call at the UN reflects wider concerns voiced by developing nations that powerful states will shape the rules to their advantage. Earlier this year, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution urging inclusive and equitable AI governance that bridges the digital divide, while countries in the Global South, from Indonesia to Brazil, have warned that unchecked deployment risks deepening inequalities. Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, while speaking at a high-level debate on AI under the agenda item ‘Maintenance of international peace and security’ during the sidelines of the 80th UNGA session in New York, highlighted AI’s potential for misuse and called for the UN Charter and international law to “fully govern the develo... -
Dawn - 08:05 Sep 25, 2025
Hundreds of thousands of people in southern China were clearing up Thursday after powerful Typhoon Ragasa crashed through Guangdong Province, ripping down trees, destroying fences and blasting signs off buildings. Ragasa churned into Guangdong, home to tens of millions of people, with winds up to 145 kilometres (90 miles) per hour, on Wednesday after sweeping past Hong Kong and killing at least 14 in Taiwan. AFP journalists at the impact point around the city of Yangjiang on Thursday saw fallen trees, while road signs and debris were strewn across the streets. A light rain and breeze still lingered as residents worked to clean up the damage; however, authorities have not reported any storm-related fatalities. On Hailing — an island administered by Yangjiang —relief workers attempted to clear a huge tree that had fallen across a wide road. Cars drove on muddy tracks to get around the wreckage as the team worked to saw off branches. A seafood restaurant had sustained heavy damage, its back roof completely colla...
7421 items