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Dawn - 02:58 Feb 27, 2026
• Planning minister advocates measures to incentivise poverty reduction, sustainability, population stabilisation • Punjab minister for protecting rights of smaller provinces ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday highlighted structural fiscal challenges being faced by the federal government and called for comprehensive and forward-looking reforms in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. Speaking at the concluding session of the Pakistan Governance Forum, the minister, however, clarified that the constitutional vertical distribution of resources between the federation and provinces was not under review. Mr Iqbal noted that from approximately Rs14 trillion in federal tax revenue and Rs5 trillion in non-tax revenue, around Rs8.2 trillion was transferred to the provinces under the NFC Award. After these transfers, he said, the federal government retained fiscal space of approximately Rs11.07tr against total expenditures of nearly Rs17.5tr. “Nearly 50 per cent of ... -
Dawn - 02:52 Feb 27, 2026
BERLIN: At least 7,667 people died or went missing last year on migration routes around the world, but the true death toll is likely higher, the UN’s migration agency reported on Thursday. The figure was down on 2024 when almost 9,200 deaths were recorded, but the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said numbers nonetheless reflected the “global scale” of the crisis faced by migrants. “The continued loss of life on migration routes is a global failure we cannot accept as normal,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope. She argued for safer legal routes, adding: “These deaths are not inevitable.” Funding cuts for aid groups, crackdowns on humanitarian NGOs and limited access to data are making it more difficult to accurately track deaths, the UN agency said. Sea crossings such as the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Europe remain among the deadliest routes for migrants, the report said. At least 2,108 people went missing while trying to cross the Mediterranean in 2025, and a... -
Dawn - 02:45 Feb 27, 2026
ISLAMABAD: In a befitting response to industrialists’ claims about the erosion of the prime minister’s Rs4.04 per unit tariff relief package, the government on Thursday said it had provided Rs15 billion in free working capital to industry for 90 days and was now seeking to recover it through a Rs1.78 per unit fuel cost adjustment (FCA) in March. “This is not an additional cost. You were given a lower tariff. You enjoyed Rs15bn in free working capital for 90 days. Now cost recovery is being done through the FCA,” said Rehan Akhtar, representing the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) of the Power Division, at a public hearing at the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra). He was responding to a tirade by representatives of the business community from Karachi and Lahore — Rehan Javed, Tanveer Barry and Aamir Sheikh — who said the prime minister’s Rs4.04 per unit tariff reduction had been partly offset by a Rs1.78 per unit higher FCA for electricity consumed in January and recovered in March. Th... -
Dawn - 02:43 Feb 27, 2026
• Judgement observes Section 175 can be invoked for enforcement of any provision of tax ordinance • Ruling refers to use of word ‘enforcement’, implying that a ‘breach’ has occurred • Courts can’t contradict if language of legislation is ‘unequivocal’, Justice Farooq holds ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) ruled on Thursday that tax authorities can conduct raids and searches of taxpayers’ premises under Section 175 of the Income Tax Ordinance (ITO) 2001, even in the absence of any pending proceedings against them. Headed by Justice Aamer Farooq, a three-judge FCC bench rejected a plea moved by M/s Sceptre Pvt Ltd against a Dec 24, 2025, Sindh High Court decision that had validated a tax raid on the petitioner’s premises. The petitioner had challenged the raid conducted by tax authorities under Section 175. It said the section should be applied in case of ongoing proceedings, adding that a notice under Section 176, requiring certain documents and information, could not form the basis for a rai... -
Dawn - 02:34 Feb 27, 2026
• Premier visits martyred officer’s family; Daanish school to be renamed after Lt Col Gul Faraz • Formally launches Rs38 billion Ramazan package, says amount increased to Rs13,000 MANSEHRA/ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday vowed that the government would go to any extent to eradicate terrorism from the country and those involved in militancy would not go unpunished. During his visit to the residence of Lt Col Shahzada Gul Faraz in Mansehra to offer condolences, the PM assured the officer’s family of the government and the Pakistan Army’s full support. “We, the federal government and the Pakistan Army, are with you and will never leave you alone, as Lt Col Shahzada Gul Faraz Tanoli is our pride and embraced martyrdom while gallantly commanding forces against the country’s enemies,” he assured the family members. The PM said that Lt Col Shahzada Gul Faraz laid down his life while safeguarding the country, setting an example of bravery and courage. “The entire nation and I are proud of our ma... -
Dawn - 22:57 Feb 26, 2026
Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban, after the neighbouring country opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations across the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday. In response, leaders across the political spectrum were united in their stance, lauding the country’s armed forces and asserting that any aggression from Kabul would be responded to firmly. President Asif Ali Zardari said Pakistan will not compromise on peace and territorial integrity. “Our armed forces’ response is comprehensive and decisive. Those who mistake our peace for weakness will face a strong response — and no one will be beyond reach,” he warned. In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the people and armed forces of Pakistan were always ready to protect the security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. “There will be no compromise on the defence of the beloved homeland and every aggression will be met with a befitting reply,” he said.... -
Dawn - 22:40 Feb 26, 2026
Defending champions India thrashed Zimbabwe by 72 runs in their Super Eights T20 World Cup match on Thursday, a result that guaranteed South Africa a place in the semi-finals. India posted a mammoth 256-4 and then restricted Zimbabwe to 184-6 in Chennai to make their clash with West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday a winner-takes-all decider for the last semi-final berth. South Africa hammered the West Indies by nine wickets earlier in Ahmedabad. At Chennai’s MA Chidambaram stadium, opener Abhishek Sharma blasted 55 and Hardik Pandya an unbeaten 50 as India piled up the second highest total in the history of the tournament after being invited to bat first. “I think we wanted to leave everything behind. We didn’t think too much about what we did in the league stage or in the last game in Ahmedabad,” said India captain Suryakumar Yadav. “With contributions from the top order right down to number seven, I think there was hardly anything missing in our performance. He said they had not thought about what is now a knoc... -
Dawn - 17:30 Feb 26, 2026
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said that Pakistan’s recent strikes against neighbouring Afghanistan were carried out to ensure the “safety of Pakistani citizens” and to prevent “imminent terrorist attacks”. FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi made the statement while responding to a question during his weekly press briefing. Pakistan targeted terrorist camps and hideouts overnight in the Nangarhar and Paktika provinces of Afghanistan over the weekend, with an official saying that “more than 80” terrorists had been killed in the air strikes. The strikes were the most extensive military engagement between the two neighbours since border clashes broke out in October last year. During Thursday’s press briefing, the FO spokesperson was asked about civilian casualties in the strikes, the total number of terrorists killed, and the locations of the camps targeted. In his response, he said, “Let me begin by reiterating that the intelligence-based selective targeting of these seven terrorist camps and their hideouts in ... -
Dawn - 16:49 Feb 26, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) decided on Thursday to respond positively to any offers for dialogue by the government, sources told Dawn. The decision was taken as prominent members of the alliance met at an Iftar gathering at the residence of TTAP leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar in Islamabad, and later held a meeting over the prevailing situation in the country. The gathering was attended by National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) Sahibzada Hassan, and others. One of the leaders who attended the meeting told Dawn on condition of anonymity that during the discussion after Iftar, Abbas shared that a “key figure from the ruling PML-N” had contacted him and offered talks. He quoted Abbas saying that the person from the ruling party gave the assurance... -
Dawn - 16:31 Feb 26, 2026
Sparks fly and metal groans in a cavernous workshop on the outskirts of Islamabad, where artist Ehtisham Jadoon fuses discarded car parts into colossal pieces inspired by Transformers movies and dinosaurs. The 35-year-old sculptor’s studio brims with cogs, chains, hubcaps and engine parts as his hulking creations — a lion with a mane of twisted steel, a giant Tyrannosaurus rex and a towering Optimus Prime — take shape. This photograph taken on December 29, 2025 shows sculptor Ehtisham Jadoon standing next to his creation made from scrap metal, a lion with a mane of twisted steel, at his studio on the outskirts of Islamabad. — AFP “I have always been fascinated by metal objects,” Jadoon told AFP after assembling the 14-foot Transformers character, his biggest creation yet. “When I see metals in scrap, I imagine forms in which it could be utilised.” It took Jadoon and his team months of welding and warping to fashion his Optimus Prime, with over 90 per cent of its parts sourced from discarded vehicle pieces. Th... -
Dawn - 16:07 Feb 26, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology on Thursday was informed that reports about the shutdown of the so-called internet firewall ahead of the 5G spectrum auction were incorrect. At the outset of the meeting, Syed Aminul Haque, the committee chairman, noted that there were reports regarding the firewall. Meanwhile, Sadiq Memon called for a briefing on this system and its utility for the nation. He also enquired about the difference between an internet firewall and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s Web Monitoring System (WMS). Information Technology Secretary Zarar Hashim Khan denied that any such system had been dismantled. “The PTA’s WMS is fully operational,” Khan said, adding that neither a firewall nor the WMS had caused any delay in internet services. After the initial briefing by the IT secretary, the floor was given to PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman, who clarified that the word firewall was a colloqial term for the WMS, adding that it had been in place in ... -
Dawn - 15:59 Feb 26, 2026
The military’s media affairs wing said on Thursday that 10 terrorists were killed by security forces during an operation in Balochistan’s Zhob. In a statement, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that after an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Zhob on February 24, in which eight Indian-sponsored terrorists were killed, security forces conducted a comprehensive sanitisation operation on Wednesday to hunt down “hiding khwarij” belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Khwarij. Fitna al Khwarij is a term that the state has designated for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. “During the conduct of the operation, own forces tracked down Khwarij on multiple routes and effectively engaged their locations. After an ensuing fire exchange, ten Indian-sponsored khwarij were sent to hell,” the statement said. It added that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, who were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area. “Sanitisation operations are being conducted ... -
Dawn - 15:47 Feb 26, 2026
Pressure is mounting on Sri Lanka’s captain, coach and the selection panel to step down after the co-hosts’ feeble exit from the T20 World Cup with a match to spare. A second Super Eights defeat, where Sri Lanka never threatened to get near their 169 target against New Zealand, ended their hopes of reaching the semi-finals. It also provoked unprecedented booing from the 35,000-strong crowd in Colombo and calls for heads to roll. The group win over Australia had hopes high for a run to at least the semi-finals, but it is now a distant memory after Sri Lanka’s batting was exposed time and again on turning pitches. Sri Lanka head coach Sanath Jayasuriya had already informed the board that he would step down after the World Cup. Now, captain Dasun Shanaka and the selectors seem likely to follow or be axed after an embarrassing campaign. “We have one more game in the competition and we will address what went wrong during the World Cup after that game and take the necessary steps,” a Sri Lanka Cricket spokesperson ... -
Dawn - 15:27 Feb 26, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday again declared PPP’s Ali Hassan Zehri the winner of Balochistan’s PB-21 (Hub) constituency. The development comes more than two years after the 2024 general elections and a day after the electoral watchdog ordered a recounting of votes polled in the constituency’s 39 polling stations “as soon as possible but not later than 3 working days positively”. Subsequently, the ECP said in its notification issued on Thursday: “Pursuant to the order dated February 25, 2026 passed by the ECP […] and as a result of recounting at (39) polling stations conducted by the returning officer, PB-21 Hub, the notification dated December 19 2024, is hereby restored, whereby Ali Hassan Zehri was declared the returned candidate from PB-21 Hub.” Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court also took up the matter and directed that the operation of the Feb 25 order shall remain suspended until the next date of hearing. The recounting saga Originally, Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) Muha... -
Dawn - 15:09 Feb 26, 2026
The United States hopes talks with Iran in Geneva will produce an agreement to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and President Donald Trump has amassed forces in the Middle East to increase pressure on Iran to reach a deal. What is at stake? Iran has, over decades, developed an advanced and large-scale uranium enrichment programme. While enriched uranium can be used as fuel in power plants at various purity levels, at high levels it can be used to make nuclear weapons. Until Israel and the US attacked its nuclear facilities last June, Iran was enriching uranium to up to 60 per cent purity, a short step from the roughly 90pc that is weapons grade. It had enough material enriched to that level, if enriched further, for 10 nuclear weapons, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency yardstick, and more at lower levels. The IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, has not, however, been able to verify how much of that uranium stock remains. Iran has yet to declare what happened to it or allow the agency... -
Dawn - 13:26 Feb 26, 2026
India will soon give final shape to a mutually beneficial free trade agreement with Israel, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. The two countries will also pursue joint development, production, and transfer of technology in defence, Modi said at the end of his two-day trip aimed at strengthening ties with Israel. Modi said Tel Aviv and New Delhi agreed there was “no place for terrorism in the world”. “India and Israel are clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world, in any form… We will oppose it shoulder to shoulder. We will always oppose it in the future,” Modi said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. “Humanity must never become a victim of conflict,” he added. Following their meeting, Netanyahu’s office said the “two leaders will sign a series of agreements between Israel and India in economic, security, and diplomatic fields”. Separately, Modi said he and Israeli President Isaac Herzog held “extremely fruitful and wide-ranging” t... -
Dawn - 13:12 Feb 26, 2026
Iran and the United States held talks in Switzerland on Thursday, in a last-ditch bid to avert war under the shadow of the biggest American military build-up in the Middle East in decades. The Oman-mediated discussions follow repeated threats from Donald Trump to strike Iran, with the US president last Thursday giving Tehran 15 days to reach a deal. The US and Iranian delegations arrived at the venue at the Omani ambassador’s residence amid tight security, following a protest by Iranian exiles at their talks last week who threw objects at the Iranian motorcade. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi confirmed that discussions had begun, saying the two sides expressed “unprecedented openness to new and creative ideas and solutions”. He later said the talks had been paused but would resume later in the day. Iran’s president insisted ahead of the talks that the Islamic republic was not “at all” seeking a nuclear weapon. “Our Supreme Leader has already stated that we will not have nuclear weapons at all,” Preside... -
Dawn - 13:07 Feb 26, 2026
3 European countries, Pakistan agree on promoting legal pathways to counter illegal migration: Naqvi
ISLAMABAD: Three European countries — Italy, Spain and Greece — and Pakistan reached a consensus on Thursday to promote legal pathways to “effectively combat illegal migration”, according to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The consensus was reached at a four-nation conference in Rome, Naqvi said in a post on social media platform X, adding that ministers from Italy, Spain and Greece attended the meeting. “Productive meeting in Rome with my counterparts from Italy, Spain and Greece at the four-nation conference on curbing illegal migration. “Pakistan, Italy, Spain and Greece agreed on a coordinated strategy against illegal migration, human smuggling and narcotics, including a joint policy framework and rapid-response mechanism,” he said. The interior minister added that a consensus was also reached at the conference on “promoting legal pathways to effectively counter illegal migration [and] repatriation of criminals to face the law”. “European partners appreciated Pakistan’s strong actions, noting a 47 per cen... -
Dawn - 12:59 Feb 26, 2026
South Africa captain Aiden Markram led from the front with an unbeaten 82 as South Africa all but secured a T20 World Cup semi-final berth with a brutal nine-wicket thrashing of the West Indies in Ahmedabad on Thursday. After the West Indies fought back from deep trouble at 83-7 to post 176-8, Markram and Quinton de Kock put on 95 for the first wicket to set the platform for a thumping victory. South Africa raced to their target with 23 balls to spare, scoring 177-1. Ryan Rickleton was not out on 45 at the end. They are the only unbeaten side in the tournament, having also dismantled pre-tournament favourite India by 76 runs in the Super Eights. An India win against Zimbabwe in Chennai later on Thursday will guarantee South Africa’s progress to the last four. It will also make India’s clash against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday a winner-takes-all decider for the final semi-final berth. Markram reached fifty off 27 balls and hit four sixes and seven fours. De Kock scored 47 off 24 balls, with four sixes... -
Dawn - 12:15 Feb 26, 2026
Breathe Pakistan, a flagship climate change awareness initiative by DawnMedia, has partnered with Alertli, a socially intelligent platform powered by voice and location-based artificial intelligence (AI), to strengthen citizen-led climate reporting and resilience efforts across Pakistan. According to a press release issued on Thursday, the collaboration will enable citizens to report climate-related incidents in real time, including urban flooding after heavy rainfall, heat-related emergencies, weather-induced road blockages, and climate-linked property damage. The statement said these reports will contribute to a broader national framework for climate awareness and preparedness “at a time when rising temperatures and increasingly extreme weather events are placing unprecedented strain on urban infrastructure, public health systems, and everyday mobility”. It added that under the partnership, Alertli will serve as an “official citizen-reporting tool across Breathe Pakistan’s platforms”. User-submitted reports...
12436 items