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Dawn - 12:07 Mar 20, 2026
KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Friday forecast rain in Karachi and other parts of Sindh for tomorrow, when the country will celebrate the first day of Eidul Fitr. In its daily weather forecast, the weather body said a westerly wave was “continuously affecting” most parts of the country. It said “rain/thunderstorm with strong winds” was likely in Karachi Division and various other Sindh districts tomorrow. The same was forecast for Larkana, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Sukkur, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Matiari, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad and Dadu districts. However, in a three-day weather outlook for Karachi, the PMD said the weather in the city tomorrow was expected to be “mostly cloudy with chances of isolated thunderstorm/rain at outskirts”. Daytime temperatures will range between 29 and 31 degrees Celsius, while night temperatures could drop to as low as 17-19°C. Humidity levels in the morning were expected to remain b... -
Dawn - 11:28 Mar 20, 2026
Hundreds of Muslim worshippers held Eidul Fitr prayers at the gates of Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday, with Israel closing access to the Al-Aqsa mosque and other holy sites over its war on Iran. “Today, Al-Aqsa has been taken from us. It’s a sad and painful Ramazan,” Wajdi Mohammed Shweiki, a silver-haired Palestinian man in his 60s, told AFP. “It’s a catastrophic situation for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for Palestinians in general and for all Muslims across the globe.” Since Israel and the United States started the war on Iran on February 28, Israeli authorities have closed access to Jerusalem’s world-renowned holy sites over security concerns — Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians and the Western Wall for Jews. As Iranian missile barrages head towards Israel, the authorities have banned gatherings of more than 50 people nationwide to limit potential casualties. In a sign of the risks, police said this week that shrapnel fragments had fallen on the Old City. Research... -
Dawn - 11:08 Mar 20, 2026
Forced by yet another Israeli bombardment on Lebanon to flee his home for the second time in just two years, and mourning lost relatives and friends, Hassan Kiki said he feels much older than 16. “War has aged us… We have lived through what no one else has,” the tall teen from south Lebanon told AFP in Beirut. “I miss my school, my friends… I lost two cousins and two friends in a massacre in Shehabiyeh,” he added, referring to a deadly Israeli strike in his town that killed at least seven people on March 11. Kiki is among more than a million people Lebanese authorities have registered as displaced since the country was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2. On that day, Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel to avenge the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel, which never stopped bombing Lebanon despite a 2024 truce that sought to end the last fighting with Hezbollah, responded with widespread strikes, ground operations along the border, and an evacuation warning for swa... -
Dawn - 10:56 Mar 20, 2026
Energy expert Vaqar Zakaria believes solar power makes “excellent economic sense” — and he lives by it. For over five years, his rooftop panels have slashed his bills, sometimes to zero, even allowing him to sell surplus electricity back through net metering. Last month, he took it further. After buying two electric vehicles, he has almost “declared independence” from the national grid. With more panels and doubled batteries, even his cars run on sunshine. “I am moving away from their fuel, and I don’t need their power,” said the CEO of Hagler Bailly, Pakistan, an Islamabad-based environmental consultancy firm, over the phone from Islamabad. “I call it the hand of God driving my car,” Zakaria said. He is already seeing economic gains from his investment. “The electricity I generate, including battery costs, comes to about Rs12 ($0.043) per unit, while it can be sold to the Islamabad Electric Supply Company at around Rs26 ($0.092) per unit.” However, he adds that he does not currently claim this benefit, as it... -
Dawn - 08:24 Mar 20, 2026
A federal arts panel comprised of members appointed by Donald Trump on Thursday unanimously approved a commemorative gold coin featuring his image, part of a series of coins the US Mint is planning to produce to celebrate America’s 250th birthday this year. The 24-carat gold coin is the latest effort by Trump and his allies to put the president’s name on buildings, government programmes and US currency since his second White House term began in January 2025. During a presentation by a US Mint official to the Commission of Fine Arts, discussion turned to what diameter the 24-carat coin should be, up to three inches (7.6cm). Chamberlain Harris, a White House aide whom Trump appointed to the commission this year, said the biggest possible coin would be Trump’s preference. “The larger the better,” she said, shortly before the coin was approved by the entire panel. People view the portrait of US President Donald Trump, taken by official White House photographer Daniel Torok which is the basis of a proposed US Mint... -
Dawn - 08:12 Mar 20, 2026
Times for this Ramazan’s (1447 AH) last Iftar for the federal and provincial capitals are listed below: Islamabad Iftar Fiqh-i-Hanafia — 6:20pm Fiqh-i-Jafria — 6:30pm Karachi Iftar Fiqh-i-Hanafia — 6:44pm Fiqh-i-Jafria — 6:57pm Lahore Iftar Fiqh-i-Hanafia — 6:14pm Fiqh-i-Jafria — 6:24pm Peshawar Iftar Fiqh-i-Hanafia — 6:26pm Fiqh-i-Jafria — 6:36pm Quetta Iftar Fiqh-i-Hanafia — 6:45pm Fiqh-i-Jafria — 7:03pm -
Dawn - 08:11 Mar 20, 2026
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has lashed out at India at the UN for weaponising water by unilaterally suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) over “baseless” terrorism allegations, calling New Delhi’s actions a direct threat to its agriculture, livelihoods and regional stability. The exchange between the two neighbours took place at a high-level UN event held ahead of World Water Day on March 22, according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s UN mission on Thursday. The spat followed a video message by Minister of Climate Change Dr Musadik Malik, who said India’s decision to place the treaty “in abeyance” undermined decades of cooperation and violates international law. Indian Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, told the world body that New Delhi would continue to hold the treaty “in abeyance until Pakistan … credibly and irrevocably ends its support for all forms of terrorism” — an allegation that Islamabad has already repeatedly rejected as baseless. The Indian envoy also cla... -
Dawn - 07:37 Mar 20, 2026
Protesters heckled and booed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday during a visit to Australia’s largest mosque for Eidul Fitr prayers, voicing anger over his stance on ally Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Some in Australia’s Muslim and Jewish communities are angry over a fine line walked by the centre-left government since Israel began its military campaign in Gaza, expressing concern for Palestinians, repeatedly urging a ceasefire, and backing Israel’s right to self-defence. Video images showed protesters interrupting proceedings about 15 minutes after Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke joined worshippers at Lakemba Mosque in western Sydney to mark the end of Ramazan. Demonstrators booed, told Albanese and Burke to “Get out!” and called them “genocide supporters”, referring to Israel’s killing of Palestinians in Gaza. “Dear brothers and sisters, keep calm a little bit,” one of the organisers told the crowd, urging people to sit down and stop filming the exchange. “It is Eid. It is a joyful day.” ... -
Dawn - 07:06 Mar 20, 2026
LAHORE: The Airport Traffic Controllers of Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) have reportedly prevented around 30 passenger aircraft from entering the Iranian war zone. “Owing to severe weather conditions, several aircraft were on the verge of drifting into Iranian war-zone airspace on Wednesday and Thursday. Timely guidance from the air traffic controllers, particularly coordination with the Karachi Flight Information Region, helped avert a major disaster,” an official source in the Airport Traffic Controllers here said. “Most of the aircraft came under the pressure of extreme weather near the Iran border, creating a highly risky situation. However, the professionalism demonstrated by the Lahore air traffic controllers ensured that the planes were safely diverted away from the danger zone, although no response was received from Tehran Air Traffic Control despite repeated attempts,” he said. These flights were arriving and going to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and other countries. “The Lahore air traffic control, in co... -
Dawn - 06:01 Mar 20, 2026
WASHINGTON: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sailed smoothly past a potential clash with Donald Trump on Iran on Thursday — although the US president whipped up a bit of a storm about Pearl Harbor. Days after lashing out at US allies including Japan for failing to heed his calls to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump praised Tokyo’s efforts related to the Middle East war in vague terms. “I believe that, based on statements (which) were given to us yesterday, the day before yesterday, having to do with Japan, they are really stepping up to the plate,” Trump told reporters as he hosted Takaichi in the Oval Office. After a long pause Trump then added “unlike Nato,” repeating his criticisms of the US-led military alliance with mainly European countries. Trump gave few details about what help Japan might provide in securing the crucial waterway, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil normally passes. But his tone towards Takaichi was far more friendly than the tongue-lashings he has given to allies, ... -
Dawn - 06:00 Mar 20, 2026
The information ministry on Friday rubbished the Afghan Taliban’s claim of Pakistan violating the temporary pause in fighting, terming the allegation “frivolous”. In a post on X, the ministry said, “The claim of so-called Ministry of Defence/spokesperson of Taliban regime that Pakistan has violated the temporary pause — initiated itself by Pakistan in view of Eidul Fitr — is frivolous. “No violation of the temporary pause has taken place along the western border by Pakistan and all such claims are absolutely false,” the statement on the “fact check” asserted. “Such propaganda may probably be initiated by detractors within Taliban regime, aimed at creating false pretext for some Afghan Taliban regime-directed terrorism or other action,” it contended. The ministry stressed that irrespective of who has initiated the propaganda and false claims, “Pakistan has already declared it clearly that any act of terrorism, cross-border attack, drone attack, etc by Afghan Taliban regime and its proxies will result [in] fort... -
Dawn - 03:38 Mar 20, 2026
KARACHI: Often dubbed a safe haven in times of global crises, local gold prices for 10 grams and one tola have dropped to Rs428,208 and Rs499,462, respectively, down by Rs20,833 and Rs24,300, following a steep decline of $243 to $4,767 per ounce on international markets amid the escalating war in the Middle East. On Feb 28, when an illegal attack was launched by the US and Israel on Iran, the rates for 10 grams and one tola stood at Rs472,018 and Rs550,562, based on a global gold price of $5,278 per ounce. On Jan 29, 2026, Pakistan witnessed its highest-ever gold rates, with 10 grams priced at Rs491,135 and one tola at Rs572,862, as the global gold price reached $5,505 per ounce. “History shows that the precious metal has often lost its luster when intense conflicts escalate into full-scale wars among countries,” said Qasim Shikarpuri, president of the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), while speaking to Dawn on Thursday. Prices slip below Rs500,000 per tola He said gold prices would... -
Dawn - 03:21 Mar 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir warned religious leaders that violence in the country, triggered by events abroad, would not be tolerated, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. “Violence in Pakistan, on the basis of incidents occurring in another country, will not be tolerated,” the military’s media wing quoted Field Marshal Munir as saying during a meeting with Shia clerics. According to ISPR, the army chief interacted with the Shia clergy earlier this week in Rawalpindi, where “matters of national security and the role of ulema in societal harmony came under discussion”. The outreach came as the military seeks to manage the domestic environment amid the US-Israeli war against Iran. Army chief interacts with Shia clerics, calls for unity and countering sectarian narratives Protests that erupted in early March, following the start of the war and the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led to several casualties and a security crackdown... -
Dawn - 03:12 Mar 20, 2026
SADIQ Khan and journalist Saima Mohsin address the Iftar event at Trafalgar Square.—X/mayoroflondon • Badenoch defends shadow justice secretary for calling public prayer ‘an act of domination’ • Labour accuses Tories of ‘divisive politics’; Starmer says party seems to have ‘a problem with Muslims’ • Controversy centres on popular ‘Open Iftar’ event LONDON: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch defended her party’s shadow justice secretary, Nick Timothy, after he described Islamic prayers held in public spaces as “an act of domination”, triggering sharp criticism from political opponents and community leaders. The controversy erupted after Timothy shared images on social media showing prayers during a Ramazan gathering at Trafalgar Square in London. He wrote that mass public prayer was “an act of domination” and “straight from the Islamist playbook”. Amid criticism, including from Mayor Sadiq Khan, Timothy restated in The Daily Telegraph that expressions of non-Christian faith pose a “challenge”. Even Prime Min... -
Dawn - 03:02 Mar 20, 2026
• Rawalpindi civil defence department gets first ‘anti-drone gun’ to intercept UAVs • Police suggest deployment of more systems to protect Chinese nationals, key installations LAHORE/RAWALPINDI: After multiple incidents in which drones were intercepted in the garrison city, the Punjab government on Thursday handed over an anti-drone gun to the Punjab Civil Defence Department to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles in Rawalpindi Division. Besides the garrison city, the home department plans to equip civil defence units across Punjab with similar systems to counter drones and similar aircraft, which have been described as “emerging security threats”. According to details, the home department has provided the civil defence with a modern anti-drone gun, EMG-150, which can jam and bring down drones within a range of two to three kilometres. The gun, which weighs 6kg, is equipped with eight frequency bands, enabling it to counter all types of drones and uses a high-gain directional antenna for precise targeting. The... -
Dawn - 02:45 Mar 20, 2026
SMOKE rises after an Iranian retaliatory salvo damaged an Israeli oil refinery in Haifa.—Reuters • Tehran strikes Qatari LNG plant, Saudi and Kuwaiti refineries • Trump warns of ‘furious response’ if attacks on Qatar continue • Rules out troop deployment, but officials say reinforcements under review • Hegseth sets no timeline for war; White House to seek $200bn more from Congress • Global energy markets shaken; Brent jumps to $119, gas prices up 35pc • Riyadh asserts it reserves right to retaliate after refinery drone strike • Netanyahu says Israel ‘acted alone’ in striking Iran gas field • Claims Tehran no longer able to enrich uranium or build missiles DOHA: As Washington rushed to arm its Gulf allies with a $16.46 billion military package, Iran issued its starkest warning yet, vowing “zero restraint” if its energy infrastructure is targeted again, pushing the Middle East closer to a regional war. The developments came after Iranian attacks on the world’s largest LNG plant in Qatar and refineries in Saudi ... -
Dawn - 02:37 Mar 20, 2026
• PM directs emergency measures, consultation with provinces; informed ample stocks available • People asked to avoid unnecessary travel, adapt in light of regional tensions • More austerity measures said to be on the cards ISLAMABAD: As the Iran war escalates into more attacks on key energy facilities, the federal government on Thursday feared a possible shortage of petroleum products in the coming days amid risks of disruptions in the supply chain, urging the public to adopt fuel-conservation measures to reduce consumption. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting to review fuel-saving efforts and austerity measures amid a worsening situation in the Gulf due to the US-Israel and Iran war, which has disrupted fuel supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting was briefed about the country’s fuel reserves and consumption and petroleum cargoes, a handout issued by the PM’s Office (PMO) said. According to the statement, the country needed to be prepared for all kinds of situations and people would h... -
Dawn - 02:30 Mar 20, 2026
LAHORE: The Punjab government on Thursday launched a crackdown on transport owners charging excessive fares from passengers across the province ahead of Eidul Fitr. On the directions of Inspector General of Motorway Police Sultan Ahmad Chaudhry, a campaign is underway in the central region to curb violations. According to officials, fines exceeding Rs4.8 million were imposed on 937 vehicles for overloading, while over Rs700,000 collected as excess fare were returned to passengers of 203 buses. More than 15,000 challans were also issued for violation of prescribed speed limits. Motorway police have urged citizens to exercise caution during Eid travel, adhere to speed limits and ensure seatbelt use and lane discipline, particularly in view of ongoing rain on national highways. In Lahore, chief minister’s special assistant Zeeshan Malik and Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Ijaz visited the General Bus Stand to check transport fares. They received two complaints and fixed the issue. In Multan, Commissioner Aamir ... -
Dawn - 22:03 Mar 19, 2026
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Thursday that it had struck and “seriously damaged” a US F-35 fighter jet over central Iran. In a statement, the IRGC said the aircraft was hit by its air defence systems at around 2:50am (local time) on Thursday (2320GMT Wednesday night), adding that “a US F-35 fighter jet was struck and seriously damaged” over central Iran. It added that “the fate of the aircraft remains unknown and is under investigation,” noting there is a “high possibility” that the jet may have crashed. The IRGC also said the operation came “following the successful interception of more than 125 US-Israeli drones,” adding that the incident “reflects significant and targeted improvements in the country’s integrated air defence systems.” The US military, meanwhile, said in a statement that a US F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing after flying a combat mission over Iran. The military said the pilot was in stable condition. A US official, speaking on the condition of anonym... -
Dawn - 19:06 Mar 19, 2026
The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee said on Thursday that the Shawwal moon had not been sighted and Eidul Fitr would be celebrated on March 21 (Saturday). Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad made the announcement while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. The press conference followed a meeting of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, and zonal and district committee meetings at their respective headquarters. He said that the skies remained cloudy over most parts of Pakistan, while in some areas it was clear. He said that no credible moon sighting testimonies were received. The Ruet-i-Hilal Committee chairman said that the 1st of Shawwal would fall on Saturday. Subsequently, a notification was also issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, which stated that Shawwal moon had not been sighted and the month would commence from March 21. However, there were reports that Eid would be celebrated in some parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur, Bannu and Lakk...
12682 items