Dawn
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Found 5467 news
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Dawn - 12:04 Jun 05, 2025
Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan on Thursday submitted a request to National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to constitute a committee to appoint a new chief election commissioner (CEC) and two new members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The constitutional deadline for the appointment of a new chief election commissioner and two members of the ECP expired on March 12, with no action from the government. On Wednesday, it emerged that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote a letter to Ayub inviting him to join consultations to appoint a new CEC. No exact date for a meeting was given, nor were any names released about prospective CECs in the letter, dated May 16. In today’s letter to the NA speaker — seen by Dawn.com — Ayub recalled a previous letter written on January 15 in which he requested that the parliamentary process to appoint a new CEC be initiated. “I am writing once again to remind you that a considerable period has passed since the expiry of the Chief Ele... -
Dawn - 11:30 Jun 05, 2025
The man charged with fire-bombing a Colorado march by people who wanted to raise awareness of Israeli hostages in Gaza is scheduled to be formally charged in state court on Thursday, as those he targeted vowed to carry on their efforts. State prosecutors say Mohamed Soliman, 45, faces nearly 400 years in prison on attempted murder charges in state court. He also faces other state charges. Prosecutors on Wednesday said the number of people injured in the attack rose to 15 ranging in age from 25 to 88. A dog also was injured. Soliman also faces federal hate crimes charges that carry a life sentence. A federal court appearance is scheduled for Friday. The Boulder public defenders office, listed in court documents as representing Soliman, did not respond to a request for comment. Prosecutors say that Soliman, an Egyptian national, on Sunday tossed Molotov cocktails and yelled “Free Palestine” at people taking part in an event organised by Run for Their Lives, an organisation devoted to drawing attention to the ho... -
Dawn - 11:05 Jun 05, 2025
With the heatwave in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa likely to intensify from June 7 to 12, the provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) on Thursday issued an advisory cautioning the public. Day temperatures are likely to remain 5 to 7°C above normal from June 7-12 in Peshawar, Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Kohat, Hangu, Bannu, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, Waziristan, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur and Mohmand, according to a PDMA advisory dated June 5, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com. “Additionally, dust storm/rain-thunderstorm associated with gusty winds are expected over the province,” PDMA said. It noted that rising temperatures in upper areas may enhance the snowmelt rate during the forecasted period, and advised precautionary measures be taken to avoid any loss of life, damages to crops/ infrastructure and livestock. The general public, especially senior citizens and children, sh... -
Dawn - 09:55 Jun 05, 2025
A Karachi resident who was assaulted in the Defence Housing Authority earlier this week says he has forgiven the suspect and does not want to take the case to court, even as a judge rejected the suspect’s bail in a separate hearing. On Monday, Karachi police arrested a main suspect along with two of his employees over charges of beating a citizen named Dheeraj. The suspect, identified as Salman Farooqi, was arrested from DHA and his vehicle was impounded. Farooqi, who was travelling in a luxury car, allegedly assaulted a motorcyclist accompanied by a woman on the Khayaban-i-Ittehad Road following a minor accident. A judicial magistrate on Tuesday remanded Farooqi and his guard, Owais Hashmi in police custody in the case. They were produced in court today by the police following the completion of their two-day remand. Today, Dheeraj appeared in court and identified the suspect. “I was not aware that the court had summoned me,” he said. “The lawyer told me today, so I appeared.” The judicial magistrate asked Dh... -
Dawn - 08:33 Jun 05, 2025
KARACHI: A man attempted suicide after killing his wife and a minor son in Surjani Town on Wednesday, police said. They added that Faisal Sagheer, 45, allegedly killed his wife Sana, 35, and 10-year-old son Mohammed Ali. Later on, he attempted suicide by cutting his throat and got injured. Surjani Town police SHO Mohammed Ali Shah told Dawn that Faisal owned a hardware shop in the area but on the day of the incident, he did not open it. His children study the Quran at the home of his sister in the vicinity of the same area, but on that day they did not attend the class as well. It triggered suspicion among his relatives. Faisal’s sister made calls on the cell phone of her sister-in-law, which was on, but no one responded. Ultimately, she visited the residence of her brother in Yusuf Goth near Karimi Chowrangi, knocked at the door but did not get any response. Then she saw from a window that both her brother and sister-in-law were struggling for their lives. She raised alarm, alerting neighbours who entered th... -
Dawn - 05:46 Jun 05, 2025
ISLAMABAD: A local court on Wednesday approved a 14-day judicial remand for Omar Hayat, the prime suspect in the murder of social media influencer Sana Yousaf, to facilitate his identification parade. The accused was presented before Judicial Magistrate Ahmed Shehzad Gondal by the federal police. Tensions rose in the courtroom when the magistrate noticed the absence of both the prosecutor and the district public prosecutor. Expressing his displeasure, Magistrate Gondal said: “Where are the prosecutors of my court? Usually, no one shows up, but today the courtroom is full.” Upon being informed by the duty prosecutor that the regular prosecutor was on leave, the magistrate ordered the presence of the district prosecutor before the proceedings could continue. The hearing was briefly adjourned, and the accused was taken back into police custody while awaiting the district prosecutor’s arrival. Identification parade to be conducted once victim’s mother, aunt return from Chitral Senator Falak Naz was also present i... -
Dawn - 05:28 Jun 05, 2025
• Ordinance promulgated to empower CM to post PSP officers in Sindh jails in place of officials from prisons service • 105 rearrested out of 216 escapees so far • Meetings between families, inmates resume KARACHI: Police and allied agencies are taking all-out efforts to recapture over a hundred prisoners who escaped from District Prison Malir on Monday night and are still at large, officials said on Wednesday. The jailbreak began on Monday night and continued into the early hours of Tuesday after hundreds of prisoners — spooked by low-intensity quakes — were allowed into the prison courtyard. Later, the prisoners snatched guns from prison staff and forced open the main gate after a shootout and fled. Officials said that 216 inmates had managed to break out of the prison and by Tuesday night 83 of them had been rounded up and police teams were carrying out raids to bring in those still at large. On Wednesday, jail officials accompanying Sindh Prisons Minister Ali Hasan Zardari during his visit to the Malir jai... -
Dawn - 04:58 Jun 05, 2025
• Delay in submission of response to challenges irks court • Fear has gripped media industry, judge told ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued a final deadline to the federal government to respond to the identical petitions filed against “controversial amendments” in the cybercrimes law, and hinted at deciding the matter ex parte if replies to the challenges were not received. Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas issued final notices to the Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Information Technology, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA, and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to submit their replies to the petitions filed against controversial amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). The judge made it clear that the hearing will proceed even if responses were not filed. The petitions filed by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, anchorpersons, and various journalist organisations have challenged the expanded scope of Peca, which, th... -
Dawn - 04:46 Jun 05, 2025
US President Donald Trump signed a new travel ban on Wednesday targeting 12 countries — including Afghanistan, Iran and Yemen — reviving one of the most controversial measures from his first term. Trump said the measure was spurred by a makeshift flamethrower attack on a Jewish protest in Colorado that US authorities blamed on a man they said was in the country illegally. The move bans all travel to the United States by nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Trump also imposed a partial ban on travellers from seven countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Some temporary work visas from these countries will be allowed. The bans go into effect on Monday, the White House said. “The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted,” Trump said in a video message from ... -
Dawn - 04:32 Jun 05, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved a reduction in duties on over 7,066 tariff lines, which include raw materials, intermediate and capital goods aimed at stimulating industrial growth in the country. The premier green-lit the proposals for a formal announcement in the budget speech, which had received earlier approval from the Tariff Policy Board and Steering Committee. However, the premier asked that the implementation committee identify any irritants before the budget announcement. Official sources told Dawn on Wednesday that the government will announce the abolishing of 2 per cent additional customs duty (ACD) on 4,294 tariff lines in the upcoming budget. These are mostly raw materials, which will reduce the industries’ input cost. It was also decided that the ACD will be reduced from 4pc to 2pc on 545 tariff lines, from 6pc to 4pc on 2,227 tariff lines, and from 7pc to 6pc for all products currently subject to a customs duty above 20pc. Orders committee to consult sectors enjoying 1... -
Dawn - 03:05 Jun 05, 2025
• Lender wants agri tax enforced, takes exception to plan to sell surplus power at cheaper rates • Fund calls for strategy to stop tax evasion, financial leakage; opposes provincial energy subsidises ISLAMABAD: Amid final consultations on the budget, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) wants strict compliance with programme requirements, including the coverage of agriculture income tax in provincial budgets to ensure effective collection starting no later than September 2025. The Fund also does not agree with a plan for incentivising enhanced power consumption desired by the federal government to absorb surplus capacity. Informed sources said the IMF wanted a strong commitment from the provinces for expenditure control, notwithstanding expansionary development plans presented by the provinces and approved by the National Economic Council (NEC). The four provinces have already exceeded their development allocations for next year by almost Rs850 billion than the IMF’s estimates. The provinces, on the other ha... -
Dawn - 18:58 Jun 04, 2025
US President Donald Trump said he spoke to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday about Ukraine and Iran, warning that the Kremlin leader had “very strongly” pledged to respond to Kyiv’s stunning drone attack on Russian bombers. Trump said that there was no “immediate peace” on the horizon in Ukraine — which Russia invaded in 2022 — following what he described as a one-hour and 15-minute call with the Russian president. On Iran, Trump said that Putin had offered to “participate” in talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, as Trump accused the Islamic republic of “slow walking” its response to Washington’s offer of a deal. The call came three days after Ukraine conducted a massive, daring drone attack against Russian military airbases, saying it had destroyed several Russian nuclear-capable bombers worth billions of dollars. Trump said that he and Putin had “discussed the attack on Russia’s docked airplanes, by Ukraine and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides”. “It was a go... -
Dawn - 18:24 Jun 04, 2025
Pakistan was appointed as the vice chair of the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) Counter-Terrorism Committee on Wednesday. The committee was established by UNSC resolution 1373 (2001), adopted unanimously on September 28, 2001, after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. The committee, comprising all 15 UNSC members, is tasked with monitoring implementation of the above resolution, which requested countries to implement several measures intended to enhance their legal and institutional ability to counter terrorist activities at home, in their regions and around the world. Pakistan was also appointed head of the UNSC committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), which oversees the implementation of the sanctions measures on the Afghan Taliban. In a press release, the Pakistan Mission to the UN called the appointments a “significant diplomatic development”. It added that Pakistan was also appointed as the co-chair of the UNSC’s Informal Working Group (IWG) on documentation (working me... -
Dawn - 17:48 Jun 04, 2025
One of the main suspects of a double child murder case drowned after jumping into a river as he was fleeing custody in Punjab’s Hafizabad district on Wednesday, according to the police. Two boys were found dead in a metal trunk of a house after both went missing in Kassoki village of Hafizabad district. Two uncles of one of the deceased boys, and their three accomplices, were among the suspects and police had arrested two of them. Police had registered a case against four nominated and two unidentified suspects and started an investigation. Hafizabad Crime Control Department (CCD) Deputy Superintendent of Police Ijaz Ahmed told Dawn.com today that one of the uncles was in CCD custody when the incident occurred. “The suspect drowned and his dead body was later recovered from the canal,” he added. The first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered at Hafizabad’s Kasoki Police Station on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Ali Kamran under Section 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawfu... -
Dawn - 17:31 Jun 04, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited the opposition leader for consultations on appointing the next chief election commissioner (CEC), months after the incumbent’s term expired in January, it emerged on Wednesday. The constitutional deadline for the appointment of a new chief election commissioner and two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) expired on March 12, with no action from the government. The 26th Amendment allowed the CEC and the members to continue till their successors come in. As per Article 215(4) of the Constitution, the appointment of the CEC and members must be completed within 45 days. In a letter dated May 16 and addressed to Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub — seen by Dawn.com — the prime minister noted that the term of the incumbent CEC, Sikandar Sultan Raja, expired on January 27 this year, adding that he was holding office in accordance with the second proviso to clause 1 of Article 215 of the Constitution (term of office of the Commissi... -
Dawn - 17:16 Jun 04, 2025
The world’s largest gathering of people, and perhaps it’s the world’s largest test of communication, takes place in holy sites in Saudi Arabia, where more than two million pilgrims from 180 nations converge for Haj. With those pilgrims come hundreds of languages, dialects, and customs, making effective communication profoundly challenging. According to a press release from the Saudi Ministry for Haj and Umrah, the kingdom is “rewriting the rules of communication at Haj”, making broad use of AI translation tools at the core of a pilgrimage built on clarity, access, and spiritual depth. “One of the most powerful examples came during the Arafat sermon, a central and emotionally resonant moment of Haj,” the press release read. “This year, the sermon was translated in real-time into 35 languages, allowing millions around the world — and every pilgrim on the ground — to hear the message of unity, compassion, and faith in their own tongue”. According to the ministry, the broadcast was enabled by advanced AI systems ... -
Dawn - 16:56 Jun 04, 2025
Beijing hit back on Wednesday at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for saying the world will “never forget” the deadly Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, describing his remarks as an “attack” on China. Troops and tanks forcibly cleared peaceful protesters from Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, after weeks-long demonstrations demanding greater political freedoms. The exact toll is unknown, but hundreds died, with some estimates exceeding 1,000. China’s communist rulers have since sought to erase any public mention of the crackdown, with censors scrubbing all online references. Police were seen by AFP on Wednesday at the entrance to Wan’an Cemetery, a site in west Beijing where victims of the crackdown are known to be buried. Officers were also posted at several intersections leading into Tiananmen Square. On Wednesday evening, a line of buses and a cherry picker partially blocked screens at the German and Canadian embassies showing images of candles, a symbol commonly used to pay tribute to Tiananme... -
Dawn - 16:55 Jun 04, 2025
At least 11 people died on Wednesday in a crowd surge outside a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Bengaluru, where fans were celebrating Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first Indian Premier League title win, authorities said. Thousands of people, some waving the home team’s red flag, lined the streets around the Chinnaswamy Stadium as the team arrived in a bus in the evening, TV channels showed, with some climbing trees and the stadium wall for a better view. As the celebration proceeded, some people outside without passes tried to push through gates and there was further trouble between the perimeter and main arena, police said. Images from the scene showed people climbing over others. At least 11 people were killed and 47 were injured in the incident, Karnataka state chief minister Siddaramaiah, who uses only one name, told reporters. “At a time of celebration, this unfortunate event should not have happened. We are saddened by this. The fans that showed up were beyond our expectations,” he said. One poli... -
Dawn - 16:00 Jun 04, 2025
Nowshera police on Wednesday arrested the prime suspect in the murder of three children last month, with the alleged killer revealed to be the victims’ grandmother, according to a statement issued by Nowshera police. In May, a family suffered from health problems after consuming food believed to be contaminated, resulting in the death of three children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district. Nowshera police spokesperson Turk Ali Shah told Dawn.com, “The family had consumed Mithai [sweets] with tea at night, after which their condition deteriorated. Three siblings died after consuming poisonous food. Their mother was in critical condition.” According to Wednesday’s statement, police formed an investigation team to probe the case, which was registered on May 19 upon the complaint of the victim’s father. An inquiry was launched under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) (police to inquire and report on suicide, etc). “District Police Chief Abdul Rashid formed an investigative team led by SP (S... -
Dawn - 15:25 Jun 04, 2025
More than 200,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since the government renewed a deportation drive in April, with Iran also stepping up expulsions of Afghans. Generations of Afghans have fled to Pakistan and Iran during decades of successive wars, seeking safety and better economic opportunities. Both governments have grown weary of large migrant populations and ordered millions to leave under the threat of arrest. Pakistan has launched a strict campaign to evict more than 800,000 Afghans who have had their residence permits cancelled, including some who were born in the country or lived there for decades. According to the interior ministry, more than 135,000 Afghans left Pakistan in April, while around 67,000 departed in May and more than 3,000 were sent back in the first two days of June. The number of returnees has slowed ahead of the Eidul Azha holiday later this week, but some Afghans were still crossing the main border points from Pakistan today. “We left behind our orchards” and livelihoods, 21-year-old far...
5467 items