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Dawn - 13:14 Mar 04, 2026
EU expresses solidarity with Spain following Trump’s trade threat; Madrid says it ‘won’t be vassals’
The European Union (EU) stands in full solidarity with Spain, European Council President Antonio Costa said on Wednesday, following US President Donald Trump’s threats to cut trade with Madrid over its stance against Washington’s attacks on Iran. “I have just held a call with President Sanchez to express the EU’s full solidarity with Spain. The EU will always ensure that the interests of its member states are fully protected,” Costa said on the social media platform on X. Trump lashed out at the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday, criticising its refusal to grant use of the Rota naval base and Moron air base, as well as his refusal to join Nato allies in a pledge to boost defence spending. “So we’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” Trump said. Meanwhile, the European Commission said it was “ready” to defend EU interests. “We stand in full solidarity with all member states and all their citizens and, through our common trade policy, stand ready... -
Dawn - 12:39 Mar 04, 2026
Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced nationwide protests on Friday against US-Israel attacks on Iran and to express solidarity with the neighbouring country, according to a press release issued by the party’s information secretary. The statement said that JI emir met Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam in Islamabad and addressed a press conference following the meeting, in which he strongly criticised the US, Israel, and India and described them as an “evil trinity”. It added that Rehman also termed the Board of Peace led by US President Donald Trump, of which Pakistan is a member, as deceptive and demanded the government withdraw from it. The statement added that during the meeting, the JI emir also conveyed condolences over the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian leaders in US-Israeli strikes. “He offered prayers for the departed and assured the ambassador that the people of Pakistan and Jamaat-i-Islami stand firmly with Iran in the current... -
Dawn - 12:28 Mar 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday cautioned over oil stocks amid global uncertainty due to the US-Israel and Iran war, but said that there was no emergency-like situation in Pakistan. Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, the minister suggested conserving fuel as a preventive measure. “We are not going for rationing of fuel as there is no fuel shortage in the country, but things could become serious if the war drags on,” Aurangzeb said in response to the query by Saleem Mandviwala, the chairman of the committee. The committee was informed that there were petrol and diesel stocks for 28 days, crude oil stocks for 10 days, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for 15 days. “But some cargoes have been stuck in Qatar and to offset this short supply, the output from local gas fields was being enhanced,” he added. The committee was informed that the finance ministry would hold daily meetings with the relevant departments to monitor the country’s fue... -
Dawn - 12:00 Mar 04, 2026
Gold prices climbed 2 per cent on Wednesday, rebounding from their lowest in more than a week reached in the previous session, as the dollar took a breather and mounting tensions in the Middle East drove investors toward safe havens. However, gold prices in Pakistan registered a significant drop of Rs10,000 per tola, settling at the rate of Rs 539,962 per tola. Spot gold gained 2.2pc to $5,198.58 per ounce by 10:17 GMT, after falling more than 4pc on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures for April delivery added 1.7pc to $5,211.20. The U.S. dollar fell 0.2pc, making greenback-priced gold more affordable for buyers using other currencies. “After the past few days of position unwinds and dollar strength, markets are back to a more typical macro risk-off stance, with silver higher too. A pause in the rise of the dollar and Treasury yields helps with their opportunity costs,” said Jamie Dutta, market analyst at Nemo.money. “Gold and silver’s safe-haven characteristics can shine again.” Spot silver advanced 5.3pc to $86.39 p... -
Dawn - 11:58 Mar 04, 2026
Operatives from Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence signalled openness to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to talks on ending the war, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing officials briefed on the matter. The offer was made through an unnamed country’s spy agency, the NYT said, citing Middle Eastern officials and officials from a Western nation who spoke on condition of anonymity. The White House and the CIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Officials in Washington are sceptical as to whether Iran or the Trump administration is really ready for an “off-ramp”, at least in the short term, the report added. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday ruled out for now any negotiations with the United States, days after the US and Israel launched joint strikes on his country. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Tehran wanted to talk but it was too late, as the United States continued its military operation against Iran. -
Dawn - 11:42 Mar 04, 2026
Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam was dropped from the squad for a One-Day International series against Bangladesh, despite scoring a century in his last ODI series. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 15-man squad on Wednesday that excluded Babar who made an unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka in November. He endured a torrid time at the Twenty20 World Cup, however, managing just 91 runs across four innings as Pakistan exited at the Super Eight stage. Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will captain the side for the three-match series starting next week in Dhaka. The PCB called up six uncapped players including Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood and Shamyl Hussain who played against the England Lions in Abu Dhabi before the series was called off due to the conflict in the Middle East. Pakistan squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Junior, Muhammad Ghazi ... -
Dawn - 09:53 Mar 04, 2026
Pakistan’s benchmark KSE-100 index was trading in the red, down 1,354.88 points by the close of the session on Wednesday, taking back the recovery seen earlier in the day. In early trade on Wednesday, the index briefly slipped more than 2,300 points around 9:20am, touching an intraday low of 154,790.73 before regaining ground by 10:30am, trading 381.98 points higher. This volatility suggests that investor confidence still remains cautious, following a turbulent start to the week. On Tuesday, the market staged a sharp rebound of 5,159.10 points to close at 157,132.09, recovering a significant portion of Monday’s record 16,000-plus point plunge, the largest single-session decline in the history of the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The turbulence reflects broader global uncertainty. Escalating US-Israel clashes with Iran have pushed oil prices to a 19-month high and weighed on international equities, as investors grapple with the risk of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East. Topline Securities noted that the “over... -
Dawn - 08:12 Mar 04, 2026
On Sunday afternoon, protesters in Islamabad pressed shoulder to shoulder, most of them dressed in black, and chanted slogans that rippled through the crowd. “Death to America, death to Israel,” they shouted in unison. Among them was also Kazim Hussain, who clutched a portrait of Ayatollah Khamenei. The student, also an activist affiliated with Shia group Imamia Students Organisation (ISO), believes that the crisis unfolding in Iran was not a distant geopolitical conflict playing out beyond Pakistan’s western border. For him, it is deeply personal and emotionally moving. “This is not just an attack on Iran. It concerns all Shia Muslims,” he said, raising his voice above the chants as the crowd marched toward the US embassy. “The death of Ayatollah Khamenei will not end the movement. It has strengthened it.” Kazim’s words reflect a growing wave of anger and grief within Pakistan’s Shia community following the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader amid escalating attacks by Israel and the United States, as wel... -
Dawn - 07:57 Mar 04, 2026
The US State Department said on Wednesday it had ordered non-emergency personnel from US consulates in the cities of Karachi and Lahore and their families to leave Pakistan due to security concerns. “The Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and the family members of US government personnel from US Consulates Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to safety risks,” the US Mission in Pakistan said in a statement. It said there was no change to the status of its embassy in Islamabad. The advisory noted “an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran and significant disruptions to commercial flights” amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. While there is also an additional consulate in Peshawar, the updated travel advisory did not mention anything about it. Following the onset of hostilities between Iran and the US and Israel since February 28, the State Department has issued similar instructions for its staff in multiple regional countries. These include Jordan, Bah... -
Dawn - 07:41 Mar 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday formally requested that Saudi Arabia provide an alternative oil supply route through Yanbu to maintain its fuel supply chain in the wake of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the United States-Israel attack on Iran. The request was made by Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik to the Saudi ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki during a meeting. The Saudi ambassador assured full support in this regard, according to a statement by the petroleum division. During the meeting, both sides discussed matters of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation. The minister apprised the ambassador about the current situation and the implications of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on global energy markets. He stated that Pakistan is closely monitoring the evolving situation on a daily basis, as the majority of Pakistan’s energy supplies transit through the strait. The minister emphasised that Pakistan’s government was actively endeavouring to ensure continui... -
Dawn - 05:45 Mar 04, 2026
The Pakistan Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (USE) announced the temporary suspension of its in-person consular services “until further notice” on Wednesday in view of the evolving regional situation. A circular issued by the embassy referred to an advisory by the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation recommending remote work for the private sector, discouraging workers from remaining in open areas. The embassy termed the measure “precautionary”, saying it had been taken “in the interest of the safety and well-being of community members and embassy staff alike”. It provided emergency contact numbers for community members to remain in touch if they needed assistance: +971 2 4447800 (Landline) +971 50 121 0260 (Mobile) +971 50 124 8934 (WhatsApp) The embassy added that updates regarding resumption of services would be communicated “in due course” through official channels. It advised Pakistani nationals to follow the instructions of local authorities and stay informed through official announceme... -
Dawn - 05:09 Mar 04, 2026
GENEVA: The United States made a “totally stupid decision” to attack Iran while in negotiations, and betrayed Gulf nations by trashing their diplomatic efforts, Tehran’s UN ambassador in Geneva Ali Bahreini said on Tuesday. The ambassador insisted Tehran had made no approach to Washington for negotiations, saying “there hasn’t been any contact from our side”. Trump had claimed earlier that the Iranian leadership “wants to talk” and had “contacted Washington” for this purpose. Ali Bahreini said Tehran had no problem with its neighbours, but could not let US bases in the Gulf be used as launch pads for attacks on Iran. “War was not our option. War was imposed on Iran,” Bahreini told UN correspondents. Ambassador Ali Bahreini denies Trump’s claim that Tehran has reached out to Washington for talks “Nobody should expect Iran to show restraint in front of aggression. We will continue our defence until the point that this aggression is stopped,” he said. On Feb 26, Washington and Tehran held indirect negotiations i... -
Dawn - 03:18 Mar 04, 2026
GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan government on Tuesday decided to constitute a judicial commission to investigate the overall security situation in the region. At least 13 people, including a security official, were killed and over 100 injured, while government and non-government infrastructure, private properties and security installations were vandalised during protests that erupted after the martyrdom of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US and Israeli attacks on Iran. According to a press release, the GB government also decided to launch a large-scale de-weaponisation campaign in the region, and relevant institutions have been directed to immediately complete all necessary arrangements in this regard. In view of the security situation, curfew will remain in force in Gilgit and Skardu until further orders, with limited relaxation allowed for movement and emergencies. Meanwhile, a meeting of the Special Apex Committee was held in Gilgit under the chairmanship of GB caretaker Chief Minister retire... -
Dawn - 03:15 Mar 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: In a significant political development, the government on Tuesday invited the main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to sit together and shun their differences specifically for the sake of external and internal security threats to Pakistan and fragile security situation in the region. The ruling PML-N extended the olive branch to the PTI when Special Assistant to PM on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah met Mehmood Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas, leaders of the opposition in the National Assembly and the Senate, respectively, inviting them to attend an important in-camera briefing, convened by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at his office at 11:00am today. However, the PTI has decided not to attend any meeting unless a meeting with its founder Imran Khan is arranged. Govt had invited all parties to the briefing, convened by PM Shehbaz The decision was made during the meeting of the party’s political committee, held on Tuesday. Earlier, after meeting opposition leaders, Mr Sanaullah and Minister ... -
Dawn - 03:09 Mar 04, 2026
The US Congress meets this week to consider a Senate war powers resolution and two competing measures in the House of Representatives aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s authority to expand US military operations against Iran without explicit congressional approval. The Senate resolution, led by Senator Tim Kaine (Democrat–Virginia), invokes the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which was enacted during the Vietnam War to check presidential war-making authority. If adopted, it would require the termination of the US armed forces’ involvement in hostilities against Iran unless Congress authorises their continuation. “The Constitution says we’re not supposed to be at war without a vote of Congress,” Kaine said. “The lives of our troops are at risk. We ought to come back to Washington right away and vote on this.” In the House, Rep. Ro Khanna (Democrat–California) and Rep. Thomas Massie (Republican–Kentucky) have introduced a bipartisan resolution directing the president to remove US forces from hostilities ... -
Dawn - 02:33 Mar 04, 2026
• Iran says building housing Assembly of Experts, tasked with electing new supreme leader, was ‘not in use’ • Death toll rises to 787 after Tehran rocked by intense bombing; Tel Aviv hit by retaliatory salvos • Khamenei to be laid to rest in Mashhad • Trump shatters Pehlavi’s ambitions, says ‘someone from within’ should take over Iran • Rubio reveals US invasion triggered by fear of imminent Israeli attack • US president contradicts secretary of state, says he may have ‘forced Israel’s hand’ • US lawmakers outraged after Washington empties embassies, orders citizens to flee Middle East without any official help • Gulf states continue to reel from attacks WASHINGTON: Explosions tore through Tel Aviv, Tehran, Qom and Beirut on Tuesday, as financial markets around the world tumbled at the prospect of a prolonged disruption to global energy supplies, on the fourth day of the US-Israeli war against Iran. Israeli and US strikes on Tuesday hit the Assembly of Experts building in Qom, which is tasked with electing Ir... -
Dawn - 18:56 Mar 03, 2026
The government has invited parliamentarians to an in-camera briefing on the regional situation scheduled for Wednesday, according to Law Minister Azan Nazeer Tarar. Speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday, the minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had invited parliamentary leaders and party heads to “sit down and develop a course of action so we can move forward”. “There are sensitivities we have to take into account and things that you cannot discuss openly, considering the tension in the region and our relations with brotherly Muslim countries,” the minister said. He said that while Pakistan shared friendly relations with Iran, “we also have long-standing relations with other countries”. “In particular, Saudi Arabia, with whom we are in a defence agreement,” the minister said. “I am requesting both sides of the aisle that this is a sensitive situation and we must sit together for Pakistan and for the security of the wider region,” he said. He further said that Prime Minister’s Adviser on Politica... -
Dawn - 18:25 Mar 03, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) said on Tuesday night that PTI founder Imran Khan was examined at Adiala jail for the follow-up treatment of his eye ailment, which showed that his vision had “improved remarkably”. However, the party asserted that any medical examination carried out without the presence of Imran’s personal physicians and his immediate family lacked “transparency and credibility”. In a press release, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the Pims administration said that Imran was examined by a medical board comprising Dr Nadeem Qureshi, the head of the vitreoretinal department at Al–Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi, and Dr M Arif Khan, the head of the ophthalmology department at Pims, Islamabad. The same team had examined Imran last month in Adiala jail, where the former premier is incarcerated. “This examination was performed as a follow-up of his second dose of intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF,” the press release said. According to the American Academy... -
Dawn - 17:48 Mar 03, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday held a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which the latter said Turkiye would “contribute to the re-establishment of the ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan”. According to a post on X by the Turkish Presidency, the two leaders discussed ties between Pakistan and Turkiye and also “regional and global issues”. “Condemning the terror attacks carried out in Pakistan, President Erdogan said Turkiye will continue to stand by Pakistan in its anti-terror fight, and that it will contribute to the re-establishment of the ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, reached through Turkiye’s initiatives as well,” the Presidency said. “Stressing that engaging once again in diplomacy in the region regarding the conflicts that began with the attacks against Iran will be extremely beneficial, President Erdogan noted that Turkiye stands ready to provide all the support it can to that end,” it added. Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz said that in the phone... -
Dawn - 17:09 Mar 03, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Privatisation Commission board on Tuesday recommended the inclusion of the Faiji Fertiliser Company (FCC) in the Arif Habib-led consortium that won the auction for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). Last December, the consortium had successfully bid Rs135 billion for a 75 per cent stake in the national flag carrier. The FFC was initially among the bidders but had withdrawn from the process ahead of the auction. It had later joined the winning consortium on December 25. It should be mentioned that the Privatisation Commission board’s recommendation has now paved the way for the consortium to buy the remaining 25pc stake in PIA for the consortium to take full control of the flag carrier. On Tuesday, the Privatisation Commission held a meeting, which was chaired by the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation, Muhammad Ali. According to a press release, in accordance with the terms of the share purchase and subscription agreement, the FFC was nominated by the consortium, with Arif Habib ...
12436 items