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  • WHO sees low risk of Nipah virus spreading beyond India
    Dawn - 06:33 Jan 30, 2026
    There is a low risk of the deadly Nipah virus spreading from India, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday, adding that it did not recommend travel or trade curbs after two infections were reported by the South Asian nation. Pakistan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are among the Asian locations that tightened airport screening checks this week to guard against such a spread after India confirmed infections. “The WHO considers the risk of further spread of infection from these two cases is low,” the agency told Reuters in an email on Friday, adding that India had the capacity to contain such outbreaks. “There is no evidence yet of increased human-to-human transmission,” it said, adding that it has coordinated with Indian health authorities. But it did not rule out further exposure to the virus, which circulates in the bat population in parts of India and neighbouring Bangladesh. Carried by fruit bats and animals such as pigs, the virus can cause fever and brain inflammation. I...
    Tags: Nipah India
  • Trump says ‘hopefully’ no need for military action against Iran
    Dawn - 04:14 Jan 30, 2026
    US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he hoped to avoid military action against Iran, which has threatened to strike American bases and aircraft carriers in response to any attack. Trump said he is speaking with Iran and left open the possibility of avoiding a military operation after earlier warning that time was “running out” for Tehran as the United States sends a large naval fleet to the region. When asked if he would have talks with Iran, Trump told reporters: “I have had and I am planning on it.” “We have a group headed out to a place called Iran, and hopefully we won’t have to use it,” the US president added, while speaking to media at the premiere of a documentary about his wife Melania. As Brussels and Washington dialled up their rhetoric and Iran issued stark threats this week, UN chief Antonio Guterres has called for nuclear negotiations to “avoid a crisis that could have devastating consequences in the region”. An Iranian military spokesman warned Tehran’s response to any US action would not ...
    Tags: Iran Trump
  • Five terrorists killed in ‘large-scale’ Bannu operation
    Dawn - 03:54 Jan 30, 2026
    BANNU: Five terrorists, including a ‘commander’, were gunned down in a sec­urity operation in Bannu’s Domel tehsil, which also resulted in the death of three civilians and injuries to several others. The operation, which continued from morning till evening, was launched in the Sperka and Kotka Akbar Ali Khan areas of the tehsil and at least seven militants were inju­red in the heavy shootout. The security forces targeted the terrorists’ hideouts with more than 25 quadcopter strikes, while a heavy exchange of fire continued throughout the clashes, sources claimed. The slain commander was identified as Zewaran alias Al-Badri, who was wanted in several cases. Following the operation, continuous surveillance by drones and helicopters was being carried out in the region to round up the remaining terrorists trying to flee the area. According to locals, the operation also resulted in the death of three civilians, including two women, whose bodies were retrieved from a house in the afternoon. A local resident told Da...
    Tags: Five Bannu
  • Pakistan opposes any use of force against Iran
    Dawn - 02:58 Jan 30, 2026
    • PM speaks to Iranian president; FO says region cannot afford war • Diplomacy the ‘only viable way forward’, Dar tells Araghchi • Iranian army chief warns of ‘crushing response’ to any attack • Turkiye offers mediation; Russia cautions use of force will ‘fuel chaos’ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday opposed the use of force and coercive measures against Iran, stressing that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy as Western pressure on Tehran intensified with a continuing US naval build-up in the Gulf and fresh European designations and sanctions. The Pakistani position was articulated across official engagements and public statements, including a telephone call bet­ween Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezesh­kian, con­­tacts between the two foreign ministers, and remarks by the Foreign Off­ice spo­kesperson at the media briefing. In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Shehbaz “underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and diplomatic engage...
    Tags: Pakistan Iran
  • Power bills to bite harder
    Dawn - 02:56 Jan 30, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) on Thursday reported that power consumers across the country would be paying Rs1.41 per unit higher fuel charges in February bills than in the current month, as industrialists said the base electricity tariff had already increased by Rs2-3 per unit with effect from Jan 1 for the full fiscal year. At a public hearing presided over by legal member of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), Amina Ahmed, the government also reported that it was working on another tariff package under which unutilised electricity would be offered at marginal cost — the actual cost of power supply — to various consumer categories during day time to absorb surplus capacity because of low demand amid rising solar penetration. “The government is currently working on various options to offer an incentive tariff package (as an alternative to growing net metering), and soon we will approach Nepra for approval”, after its clearance from the federal cabinet, said an of...
  • KP seeks Centre’s help amid loss of revenue due to border closure
    Dawn - 02:39 Jan 30, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The continued closure and suspension of trade at the Pak-Afghan border since October has led to a 53.02 per cent decline in revenues of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, prompting the province to seek urgent intervention from the federal government. The border closure triggered sharp revenue losses for KP as the collection of infrastructure development cess (IDC) fell to Rs3.48 billion, from Rs7.42bn, during the first seven months of the current fiscal year over the corresponding period of last year. Muzammil Aslam, the KP chief minister’s finance adviser, has written a four-page letter to Commerce Minister Jam Kamal, seeking an urgent meeting of provincial and federal stakeholders. The meeting is expected to deliberate on the revenue implications for KP and the challenges faced by exporters and traders, including stuck payments and the loss of business activity. Collection of cess has dropped to Rs3.48bn in 7MFY26 from Rs7.42bn The provincial government has already constituted a revenue review co...
  • EU-India deal a wake-up call, say exporters
    Dawn - 02:33 Jan 30, 2026
    KARACHI: Exporters and analysts fear that the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will pose serious challenges to Pakistan’s export base and hurt its textile exports. An office-bearer of a traders’ association said India “has now opened an economic front”, after facing defeat on the battlefield, by signing trade deals with several countries and the European Union. Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, chairman of the Businessmen Panel Progressive (BMPP) and vice president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), cautioned that the agreement could erode Pakistan’s competitive edge in European markets. Despite Pakistan’s GSP Plus status, which allows duty-free access for nearly 80 per cent of its exports to the EU, the country’s textile exports stand at $6.2 billion, marginally ahead of India’s $5.6bn exports even though the latter faces a 12 per cent tariff. “Once India secures zero-rated access under the EU deal, Pakistan’s advantage will vanish and our exports could suffer a severe blow,” Saq...
  • Amid uncertainty over Pakistan’s T20 World Cup participation, Iceland quips it is ‘unavailable’ to replace Green Shirts
    Dawn - 19:27 Jan 29, 2026
    Amid uncertainty about Pakistan’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup, Iceland has quipped that its team is unavailable to replace the Green Shirts in the tournament. Pakistan is expected to make a final decision by next week, over the cricket team’s participation in next month’s Twenty20 World Cup, keeping open the possibility of a boycott over Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the tournament. Amid the uncertainty, Iceland Cricket had earlier quipped that it needed Pakistan to decide on its participation soon, saying they were “ready to take off”. It is worth mentioning that Iceland is not a member of the International Cricket Council. However, on Thursday, Iceland Cricket’s X account — known for its wisecracks — said: “It is with a heavy heart that we now announce our unavailability to replace Pakistan in the upcoming T20 World Cup. “Regardless of whether they [Pakistan] now withdraw, the short timescales ensure it is impossible for our squad to prepare in the professional manner necessary to compete eff...
    Tags: Green Shirts Pakistan T20 World Cup Amid Iceland
  • Bangladesh-Pakistan flights resume after 14 years
    Dawn - 19:02 Jan 29, 2026
    After a 14-year hiatus, the first direct flight between Pakistan and Bangladesh landed at Jinnah International Airport on Thursday night, as Biman Bangladesh Airlines completed its inaugural flight from Dhaka to Karachi. In a statement, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said that the Bangladeshi carrier returned to Karachi after 14 years and was given a traditional water cannon salute upon landing. The authority hailed the flight as “a new chapter” in the relationship between the two countries. Data from FlightRadar24 showed Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG341 landed in Karachi at 11:03pm, having departed Dhaka at 8:15pm. Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori spoke to the press at the airport, stating that cooperation with Bangladesh would not be limited to aviation but would extend to other sectors. “I absolutely want to say that today, after several years, the conspiracies have died,” Tessori said, holding India responsible for “driving a wedge” between the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh. He fu...
  • Trump says ‘looks like’ Hamas will disarm in Gaza deal progress
    Dawn - 19:00 Jan 29, 2026
    US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that it “looks like” Hamas would give up its weapons, a step the group has not confirmed, in what would be a major step forward in the fragile Gaza ceasefire with Israel. “A lot of people said they’ll never disarm. It looks like they’re going to disarm,” Trump told a cabinet meeting. Trump hailed cooperation with Hamas after Israeli forces brought back the remains of the last captive held in Gaza, Ran Gvili. “They did help us with those bodies, getting them back, and that family is so grateful,” Trump said. Trump had asked for an update on the Middle East from his roving special envoy Steve Witkoff, sitting in the side of the room as cabinet members and media listened. An upbeat Witkoff voiced high confidence in Hamas following through. “We’ve got the terrorists out of there and they’re going to demilitarise. They will because they have no choice,” Witkoff said. “They’re going to give it up. They’re going to give up the AK-47s,” he told Trump. Hamas has said that the...
    Tags: Gaza Hamas Trump
  • Jurists’ body and partner organisations condemn Imaan and Hadi’s ‘arbitrary arrest’, conviction
    Dawn - 18:49 Jan 29, 2026
    The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and its partner organisations on Thursday published a joint statement condemning the “arbitrary arrest” and conviction of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatta, and called for their release. Imaan and Hadi were sentenced on January 24 under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act’s (Peca) sections 9 (glorification of an offence), 10 (cyberterrorism), and 26-A (false and fake information). They were handed a total of 17 years in jail, with the longest sentence being 10 years, and fined Rs36 million each collectively. The joint statement released on Thursday — signed by the Balochistan Bar Council, the Hyderabad Bar Association, the Karachi Bar Association, the Sindh High Court Bar Association and other global bodies — condemned the “arbitrary arrest and subsequent conviction” of Imaan and Hadi, calling for their immediate release and measures to ensure the conviction was set aside. “Both lawyers have faced targeted reprisals, including harassment th...
    Tags: Jurists Hadi Imaan
  • KP CM Afridi says he will camp near Adiala jail overnight along with PTI workers
    Dawn - 17:48 Jan 29, 2026
    RAWALPINDI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who reached a police picket near Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Thursday afternoon, announced that he, along with PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and other party members and supporters, would be camping at the spot overnight. Afridi, who has been seeking a meeting with the incarcerated prime minister since he assumed office of the provincial chief executive in October last year, but to no avail. He again reached Factory Naka — a police picket near the Adiala jail — today in yet another attempt to meet Imran, with Thursday and Tuesday being court-mandated dates for meeting with the former prime minister. However, he, as well as Imran’s sisters and lawyers, have been barred from meeting him for the past several weeks — a restriction that has made sit-ins and protests near the prison a usual occurrence. On several occasions, police have also used force to disperse the protesters, who often camp at Factory Naka. Speaking to the media on Thursday, A...
    Tags: Afridi Adiala
  • Pakistan committed to working with EU on trade initiatives, especially through GSP+: PM Shehbaz
    Dawn - 17:20 Jan 29, 2026
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said Pakistan was committed to working closely with the European Union (EU) on mutually beneficial trade enhancement initiatives, especially through the GSP+ status. According to a handout by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), PM Shehbaz made these remarks while meeting the EU’s Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis, who called on him in Islamabad. According to the EU, GSP+ status is a special incentive awarded to developing countries to “pursue sustainable development and good governance” in exchange for cutting import duties to zero on two-thirds of the tariff lines of its exports. Governments with this status need to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, good governance and the environment. According to the handout issued on Thursday, the premier welcomed the ambassador and reaffirmed “Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthen cooperation with the EU in all areas of mutual interest, particularly trade, investment, development,...
    Tags: Pakistan Shehbaz
  • 3 arrested after woman, daughter die from falling into open sewer line in Lahore
    Dawn - 16:58 Jan 29, 2026
    LAHORE: Police on Thursday arrested all three people nominated in the first information report (FIR) report registered after a woman and her minor daughter died after falling into an under-construction sewer line a day earlier. The FIR was filed by the woman’s father and named the construction project’s manager and safety management. The FIR — available with Dawn — was filed at the Bhatti Gate police station under Section 322 (manslaughter) of the Pakistan Penal Code. In the complaint, the deceased woman’s father stated that his son received a call from his son-in-law informing him about the incident. “Upon receiving this information, I, my son … my son-in-law … and my friend … reached Data Darbar at about 2:30am,” the complainant stated in the FIR. “There, my son-in-law … informed us that his wife … and his daughter … had fallen into the said manhole.” The FIR noted the woman’s husband added that her body had been recovered, but at the time, the daughter’s body was still missing. The complainant named three ...
  • PM Shehbaz congratulates nation on completion of PIA’s privatisation
    Dawn - 16:22 Jan 29, 2026
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday congratulated the nation on the completion of Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) privatisation as he, alongside Chief of Defence Forces and Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, witnessed the signing of documents pertaining to the transaction. The documents were signed by the government and a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation Limited at a ceremony in Islamabad, where several federal ministers were also present. The Arif Habib-led consortium had won the auction for 75 per cent shares of PIA in December last year, making a winning bid of Rs135 billion. After the documents were signed, PM Shehbaz said, “I want to congratulate the entire nation from the bottom of my heart on the completion of PIA’s privatisation, the process for which began a month ago.” He commended Arif Habib and his team, terming them “committed business ambassadors of Pakistan”. “Their performance in the industrial growth and progress of Pakistan is very prominent,” he added. He said as Habi...
    Tags: Shehbaz
  • Saim’s all-round show takes Pakistan past Australia in first T20
    Dawn - 16:21 Jan 29, 2026
    Saim Ayub gave an outstanding all-round performance, taking two wickets after a blistering 40-run knock as Pakistan defeated Australia by 22 runs in the first Twenty20 International at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday. This is Pakistan’s first T20I victory against Australia in more than seven years. Winning the toss and batting first, Pakistan scored 168 runs at the loss of eight wickets in the allotted overs. Despite Sahibzada Farhan’s duck in the first over, Saim and skipper Salman Ali Agha managed to anchor Pakistan’s innings with a 74-run partnership. Returning to Pakistan’s T20 side after a troubled Big Bash League season, Babar Azam could score only 24 runs before losing his wicket to Adam Zampa. For Australia, spinner Adam Zampa grabbed four wickets, including the crucial ones of Babar, Saim, and Salman. Xavier Bartlett and Mahli Beardman also took a couple of wickets each for Australia. While defending the target, Pakistan’s decision to include four spinners proved to be vital in dismantling the A...
    Tags: Pakistan Saim Australia
  • Imran Khan underwent ‘20-minute medical procedure’ at Islamabad’s Pims, confirms info minister
    Dawn - 16:14 Jan 29, 2026
    Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday confirmed that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan underwent a medical procedure for an eye ailment last week at a hospital in Islamabad. Speaking to Geo News, Tarar said the former premier, who is imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad for a “20-minute” medical procedure on the night of January 24. “Eye experts examined him in Adiala jail, after which they recommended that it was necessary to take him to Pims for a small medical process. Last Saturday night, he was taken to Pims on the recommendation of these eye doctors and experts,” Tarar said. He added that at Pims, Imran’s “eyes were further examined, and after his written approval, a 20-minute medical procedure was performed”. The ex-premier was then taken back to the Adiala jail with “important instructions”. “During the medical procedure, his vitals and everything were stable. He’s absolutely healthy,” Tarar stated. The ministe...
    Tags: Pims Imran Khan Islamabad
  • Foreign Office ‘does not subscribe’ to judge’s opinion on ‘terrorist states’ in Imaan Mazari case
    Dawn - 15:27 Jan 29, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday stated Pakistan did not “subscribe to the opinion” of the judge — who convicted lawyer Imaan Mazari-Hari and her spouse, Hadi Ali Chattha — on “terrorist states”. In his verdict, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka had noted: “Currently there are four countries designated as terrorist states, which are Cuba, the Democratic Republic of Korea, Iran and Syria.” Asked about that judgment during his weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, FO spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said, “This judgment […] is the view of the learned judge. Pakistan, of course, does not subscribe to this opinion. “And frankly, this kind of designation does not exist either under the United Nations (UN) or under international law,” he said. Judge Majoka had made the observation while noting that Pakistan was “not included in the list of terrorist states”. It is worth mentioning that the UN does not maintain a list of “terrorist states”. The United Nations Secu...
  • Sindh govt announces judicial inquiry into deadly Gul Plaza blaze
    Dawn - 15:09 Jan 29, 2026
    Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Thursday announced that a judicial inquiry will be conducted into the Gul Plaza fire. “To further probe this and to promote departmental transparency, the sub-committee decided … a letter is being penned to the honourable Sindh High Court (SHC) chief justice,” Memon told a press conference in Karachi. He added that the SHC top judge will be requested to appoint a serving judge to “review everything and decide on it”. A cabinet sub-committee — chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and including ministers Memon, Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani, and Ziaul Hassan Lanjar — reviewed a report submitted by a two-member team. “The meeting with the chief minister went on for four to five hours and important decisions were made in light of the commissioner and additional IG’s report,” Memon noted. The senior minister then listed the decisions taken by the sub-committee. He observed that the Civil Defence department conducted fire safety audits of Gul Plaza and other buildi...
    Tags: Gul Plaza
  • India should consider age-based curbs on social media, adviser says
    Dawn - 12:22 Jan 29, 2026
    India’s chief economic adviser proposed age-based limits on access to social media platforms he said were “predatory” in their approach to keeping users online, signalling a potential blow to Meta and YouTube in their largest user market. Such a shift would pull India in line with a growing global trend, after Australia became the first nation last year to ban social media for children younger than 16. On Monday, France’s National Assembly backed legislation to ban children under 15 from social media and Britain, Denmark and Greece are studying the issue. The adviser, V. Anantha Nageswaran, recommended in India’s annual economic survey that families promote screen-time limits, device-free hours and shared offline activities. “Policies on age-based access limits may be considered, as younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content,” he wrote in the survey, which was published on Thursday. “Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults.”...
    Tags: India

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