Dawn
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Dawn - 19:10 Aug 20, 2025
All public and private schools and colleges in Karachi will remain closed today as heavy rains have left parts of the city waterlogged, the Sindh Education Department announced. Power was nearly restored across the city, and only a few roads had remained inundated after Tuesday’s heavy downpour before a late evening spell of heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds on Wednesday interrupted Karachiites’ hopes for a quick return to normalcy. The Sindh government had ordered all private and public educational institutions across the city to remain closed on Wednesday, after Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab declared a rain emergency. Notifications issued on Wednesday by the Sindh government’s college and school education departments stated that schools will remain closed today due to the heavy rain. The notices are available with Dawn.com. The government notified that the closure will apply to all private and public institutions in Karachi division, which are under the administrative control of the Sindh government’s Col... -
Dawn - 18:23 Aug 20, 2025
Three children were among four more people killed in rain-related incidents in Karachi on Wednesday evening, raising the death toll to 14 as the metropolis was lashed with heavy rainfall for a second consecutive day. Tuesday’s rains had severely strained Karachi’s fragile infrastructure, causing stormwater drains and sewers to burst, and also disrupted industrial operations across the economic hub. Several areas experienced extended power and internet services outages which continued late into Wednesday, disrupting everyday life and adding to citizens’ misery. Due to the severity of the situation, the provincial administration had announced a public holiday in the city today. An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said in a statement that two unidentified children drowned in the Lyari River in Liaquatabad’s C-1 Area and near Al-Asif Square in Sohrab Goth, while Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan told Dawn.com that their rescue team continued the search operation until nightfall, but it was halted du... -
Dawn - 18:12 Aug 20, 2025
India on Wednesday test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, a government statement said, in an apparent show of strength ahead of a threatened US tariff increase. The Agni-5 missile was successfully launched in India’s eastern Odisha state, with authorities saying it “validated all operational and technical parameters.” The test-fire came a week before US tariffs are set to double from 25 per cent to 50 pc, unless India meets President Donald Trump’s demand that it stop buying Russian oil. India last tested the Agni-5 missile in March 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this month that, in the face of US tariffs, India was seeking self-reliance with energy independence and the development of its own defence systems. New Delhi has deepened defence cooperation with Western countries in recent years, including in the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan and Australia as an apparent counter to rival China. But India’s relations with China have wa... -
Dawn - 18:04 Aug 20, 2025
A letter, penned by Supreme Court Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar, has exposed another deepening rift within Pakistan’s apex court, this time over Chief Justice Yahya Afridi’s failure to implement what the two judges argue was a legally binding decision by a Supreme Court Committee to hear challenges to the controversial 26th Constitutional Amendment before a Full Court. The letter, which has surfaced amid a brewing controversy, reveals a clash over judicial independence, transparency, and the handling of one of Pakistan’s most politically charged constitutional issues: the 26th Amendment, which alters judicial authority and tenure, and has been a lightning rod for debate, with opposition parties and legal experts questioning its impact on the judiciary’s autonomy. The letter states that on October 31, 2024, Justices Shah and Akhtar, members of the Supreme Court Committee formed under the Practice and Procedure Act, 2023, had pushed for a Full Court hearing to address petitions challenging the... -
Dawn - 17:29 Aug 20, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday visited the flood-affected districts of Swat, Buner and Shangla in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as 14 more bodies were recovered from debris in Swabi’s Dalori. Record rains in KP, which started on August 15, have wreaked havoc on different parts of the province. Last week, the provincial government declared an emergency as torrential rains ravaged homes, displaced families, and left a trail of destruction across Buner, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and beyond. “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by federal ministers and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, visited the flood-affected districts of Swat, Buner, and Shangla,” the Press Information Department said in a press release. Separately, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, while speaking to the media in Peshawar, expressed gratitude to the federal and provincial governments, Pakistan Army, political parties and their organisations, as well as all individuals and institutions that came forward to provide a... -
Dawn - 16:19 Aug 20, 2025
The national men’s T20 squad arrived in Dubai for the upcoming Asia Cup and Tri-Nation series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday. The tri-series against Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates, which starts on August 29, and the Asia Cup from September 9 will both take place in the UAE. In a post on X, the PCB said the team arrived in Dubai in four groups, adding that it would participate in a pre-series training camp from August 21-27 and take part in a training session at the ICC Cricket Academy tomorrow. The squad departed from Pakistan in four different groups “to ensure a smooth and organised arrival of players and support staff in Dubai”, state media PTV reported. While the ICC Cricket Academy will serve as the “primary training facility” for players, the team was scheduled to play a T20 practice match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the state broadcaster said. All training sessions and practice matches will take place in Dubai according to the official schedule, PTV stated... -
Dawn - 16:05 Aug 20, 2025
Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Danyal Chaudhry on Wednesday met British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott to discuss cooperation between Islamabad and London. Pakistan and the United Kingdom have been engaged in the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue (ESD) since 2011, which has deepened and broadened the dialogue between the two countries, covering areas such as trade, economic growth and development, cultural cooperation, security, and education. During the meeting, held in Islamabad, Chaudhry highlighted Pakistan’s ‘democratic trajectory’ and emphasised that constructive dialogue and strong institutions were essential for a sustainable democracy. “The meeting also touched on matters concerning Pakistani-origin citizens in the UK, including taxation and general facilitation,” the press release read. “Marriott welcomed ongoing efforts to support overseas Pakistanis and expressed interest in further collaboration to enhance services for the diaspora.” Chaudhry stressed, during the ... -
Dawn - 15:59 Aug 20, 2025
Pakistan, China and Afghanistan on Wednesday committed themselves to bolstering joint efforts against the menace of terrorism and deepening their collaboration in key spheres. A statement to this effect followed the Sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue held in Kabul between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Chinese and Afghan counterparts, Wang Yi and Amir Khan Muttaqi, respectively, on the topics of political, economic and security cooperation. “The three sides committed to strengthening joint efforts against terrorism. They also reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration in trade, transit, regional development, health, education, culture, and combating drug trafficking, as well as extension of CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) to Afghanistan,” the Foreign Office (FO) said on the meeting. Before the meeting, Dar met FM Muttaqi on the sidelines and the two are said to have noted the positive movement in political and economic ties between Pakistan and Afghan... -
Dawn - 15:38 Aug 20, 2025
Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan has nominated Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the post of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja said on Wednesday. “Azam Khan Swati has been nominated as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate,” Raja added. He also said Imran has asked for five names to decide on his nominee for the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly. The announcement comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan earlier this month disqualified PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan as the NA opposition leader and Shibli Faraz from the same role in the Senate, along with other opposition MNAs and MPAs, following their convictions in May 9 cases. Both PTI opposition leaders were formally removed from their posts on August 8. Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, Raja said that Imran had nominated Achakzai, who currently leads the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), to take Ayub’s place. “The PTI founder has entrusted the ... -
Dawn - 13:48 Aug 20, 2025
The federal government officially established the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA), appointing a chairperson and one other member to the body, it emerged on Wednesday. As one of three bodies formed under the Digital Nation Bill — approved by the federal cabinet in June — the PDA will comprise a chairperson and two members, who will work to develop, implement and monitor the national digital master plan. The authority will also establish a monitoring and evaluation framework for digital transformation projects. The Digital Nation Bill aims to create a digital identity for citizens in order to centralise social, economic and governance data, and to provide for the transformation of Pakistan into a digital nation, enabling a digital society, digital economy and digital governance, according to its stated objectives. According to a pair of notifications from the Cabinet Division — dated August 19 and available with Dawn.com — Dr Sohail Munir has been appointed as the PDA chairperson, while Dr Muhammad J. Sear has... -
Dawn - 12:25 Aug 20, 2025
Massive, sudden downpours of rain known as cloudbursts have struck Pakistan and India during this monsoon season, killing hundreds of people in the flash floods and landslides they have triggered. Rescue workers and residents gather after cloudburst following the heavy rains and floodings, in Jibrari village in Salarzai Tehsil, Pakistan on August 15, 2025. — Reuters Why are cloudbursts and why do they occur? By a widely accepted definition, a cloudburst means more than 100 mm (4 inches) of rainfall in one hour, over a small area. This year, the monsoon, which originates in the Bay of Bengal and then sweeps westwards across northern India to Pakistan every summer, has brought deadly cloudbursts. Weather studies say cloudbursts typically occur in South Asia when warm, monsoon winds, laden with moisture, meet the cold mountain air in the north of India and Pakistan, causing condensation. With a warming planet, the monsoon has hotter air, which can carry more moisture. India’s weather department data shows cloudb... -
Dawn - 12:14 Aug 20, 2025
Iran “cannot completely cut cooperation” with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog but the return of its inspectors is up to the country’s security chiefs, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday. The remarks come nearly two months after Iran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following its 12-day war with Israel in June. Iran has cited the IAEA’s failure to condemn Israeli and American strikes on its nuclear facilities as the reason for its decision, which saw the watchdog’s inspectors leave the country following the passing of new legislation by parliament. “We cannot completely cut cooperation with the agency,” Araghchi said, noting that new fuel rods need to be installed at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant in the coming weeks, which will require the presence of IAEA inspectors. “Under the law passed by parliament, the return of inspectors will be possible through a decision of the Supreme National Security Council,” he told the official IRNA news agency in... -
Dawn - 12:14 Aug 20, 2025
India and China agreed on Tuesday to resume direct flights and step up trade and investment flows as the neighbours rebuild ties damaged by a 2020 border clash. The Asian giants are cautiously strengthening ties against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy, staging a series of high-level bilateral visits. The two countries would resume direct flights and boost trade and investment, including reopening border trade at three designated points, and facilitate in visas, the Indian foreign ministry said. Direct flights have been suspended since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. No date was given for their resumption. The latest statements came at the end of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s two-day visit to New Delhi for the 24th round of talks with Indian National Security (NSA) Adviser Ajit Doval to resolve their decades old border dispute. The border talks covered issues related to pulling back troops both countries have amassed on their Himalayan border, delimitation of border... -
Dawn - 11:12 Aug 20, 2025
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik has said he expects negotiations between the PTI and the government to start in a few days, but Imran Khan’s release from jail would not be part of the discussion. Since Imran’s incarceration last year in several cases, PTI’s relations with the government and the establishment have deteriorated sharply. Last year in November, protests by the party had escalated into violence amid state repression. Subsequently, in December last year, Imran Khan had formed a five-member committee to hold talks with “anyone”, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to set up a counterpart panel. Despite several rounds, however, the talks ended abruptly and without results. Ties have been further strained after several PTI leaders’ recent convictions in May 9 cases. In an interview on DawnNews TV programme Doosra Rukh, aired on Tuesday night, the minister said that he saw negotiations “starting in a few days”. “PTI leaders have contacted us as well as other leadership, ... -
Dawn - 11:07 Aug 20, 2025
The National Cyber Emergency Services Response Team (PKCERT) on Wednesday issued data protection guidelines for organisations handling citizens’ personal information, citing an increasingly insecure cyberspace environment. PKCERT is a federal entity responsible for protecting Pakistan’s digital assets, sensitive information and critical infrastructure from cyberattacks, cyberterrorism, and cyber espionage. The advisory, applicable to companies holding Personally Identifiable Information (PII), prescribes immediate, medium- and long-term measures, which include classifying data sets based on their sensitivity, advanced encryption methods, multi-factor authentication, and others. Organisations collecting, processing, storing, or transmitting PII may include “financial services, telecommunications and internet providers, commerce and logistics [companies], government agencies, healthcare institutions, educational entities, as well as third-party and outsourced service providers,” the notification said. In its re... -
Dawn - 10:49 Aug 20, 2025
Senior journalist and former caretaker information minister Murtaza Solangi has been appointed spokesperson for the President of Pakistan, he confirmed on Wednesday. A former director general of Radio Pakistan, Solangi served as the caretaker minister for information and broadcasting from August 2023 to March 2024. “Mr Murtaza Solangi is appointed as Spokesperson of the President of Pakistan on honorary/pro bono basis with immediate effect until further orders,” said a notification by the president’s secretary, Muhammad Shakeel Malik yesterday. “A little personal news,” Solangi wrote on X today. “I have been appointed the Spokesperson of the President of Pakistan. I will assume my new responsibilities starting tomorrow. Thank you.” During his tenure at Radio Pakistan from 2008 to 2013, Solangi oversaw a workforce spanning 64 broadcasting units and over 3,000 individuals. He also forged partnerships with international news organisations, including Voice of America, China Radio International, and Deutsche Welle... -
Dawn - 07:16 Aug 20, 2025
Iga Swiatek shrugged off lingering weariness to partner Casper Ruud to back-to-back victories in the revamped mixed doubles competition at the US Open on Tuesday. Swiatek — who on Monday had battled through a two-hour tussle with Jasmine Paolini to win the Cincinnati Open — looked full of energy as she and Ruud powered into Wednesday’s semi-finals. Swiatek and Ruud needed just 39 minutes to dispatch the US pairing of Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe 4-1, 4-2 in their opening game at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and then reappeared roughly 20 minutes later to defeat Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti 5-3, 4-2 in their quarter-final clash. The victories capped a gruelling 24 hours for Polish star Swiatek, who hot-footed it to the airport after Monday’s win in Cincinnati and only arrived at her hotel in New York in the early hours of Tuesday. View this post on Instagram “Honestly the last two days have felt like one day, but I’m super happy to be here,” Swiatek said. Ruud and Swiatek had just enough time to fit in a quick ... -
Dawn - 07:13 Aug 20, 2025
China will unveil a slate of new domestically produced military hardware that will showcase its “powerful capability to prevail in modern war” at a parade next month, officials said on Wednesday. The event, marking 80 years since the end of World War II, will see President Xi Jinping inspect troops in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and other world leaders expected to attend. Millions of Chinese people were killed during a prolonged war with imperial Japan in the 1930s and 40s, which became part of a global conflict following Tokyo’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The ruling Communist Party has held a series of blockbuster events in recent years to commemorate its wartime resistance. On September 3, China’s military will showcase its latest equipment, “reflecting the evolution of modern warfare”, said Major General Wu Zeke, an official at China’s military commission. “All of the weapons and equipment taking part in this review were selected from domestically produced, ... -
Dawn - 06:16 Aug 20, 2025
The death toll from a collision between a bus carrying Afghan migrants returning from Iran and two other vehicles in western Afghanistan has risen to 76, a provincial official said on Wednesday. “Seventy-six citizens of the country… lost their lives in the incident, and three others were seriously injured,” Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, Herat provincial government spokesman, said in a statement. Police in Guzara district outside Herat city, where the accident took place on Tuesday night, said the bus collided with a motorcycle and a truck carrying fuel, sparking a fire. The bus was carrying Afghans recently returned from Iran to the capital Kabul, Saeedi told AFP on Tuesday. At least 1.5 million people have returned to Afghanistan since the start of this year from Iran and Pakistan, both of which have sought to force migrants out after decades of hosting them, according to the UN migration agency. The state-run Bakhtar News Agency said Tuesday’s accident was one of the deadliest in the country in recent years. Traf... -
Dawn - 04:30 Aug 20, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an independent probe into the controversial Rs50 billion gas billing dispute involving influential consumer groups and the gas utility sector. The investigation will be led by former federal secretary Shahid Khan, following complaints from industrial and CNG consumers who received sudden bills for past gas dues, dating back to 2015. Sources confirmed that the prime minister has constituted a special inquiry committee to examine the matter. The dispute centres around the Lahore-based Sui Northern Gas Company Ltd (SNGPL), which issued revised bills for the period between April 2015 and June 2022. These bills were based on updated notifications from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra). According to these notifications, the industrial sector owes Rs14.4bn, the power sector Rs40bn (ultimately payable by electricity consumers), the CNG sector Rs3.8bn, and the fertiliser sector Rs2.4bn. The total payables amount to Rs59.8bn, including Rs51.3bn in different...
7447 items