Dawn
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Dawn - 03:14 Jul 27, 2026
• Think tank says govt’s increasing reliance on borrowing from banking sector crowding out private investment • Seeks policy shift to economic freedom, from reactive ‘stabilisation’ required by International Monetary Fund ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s nascent macroeconomic recovery, which began in 2025, is stalling due to the geopolitical situation, leading to rising inflation and reducing the monetary freedom of individuals and firms in an economy where around 80pc of the labour force operates in the informal sector. “The macroeconomic recovery that began in 2025 is stalling due to geopolitical obstacles. CPI inflation re-entered double digits at 10.9-11.7pc between April and June, with the SPI climbing to 12.8pc by June, reducing the monetary freedom of individuals and firms,” said the Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (Prime), a private think tank, in its report for July 2026. It stated debt servicing and defence consumed 94pc of net federal revenue, while in recent years defence spending had increased f... -
Dawn - 03:12 Jul 27, 2026
The battle for Hormuz, the growing possibility of greater Iranian influence on the critical passageway, question marks about the reliability and security of crude supplies from the Middle East, and the subsequent quest to divert oil shipments away from the crucial shipping chokepoint are reshaping global energy flows. Efforts are underway to decouple and desensitise global crude markets to events in the Strait of Hormuz. Several new pipelines projected to carry oil from the Middle East to markets bypassing the strait are on the drawing board. In a note released a couple of weeks ago, analysts at Goldman Sachs estimated that seven new pipelines are currently under discussion in the oil-rich Middle East. Once operational, possibly by the end of 2028, these pipelines could carry roughly 14 million barrels per day (bpd). This is about 60 per cent of the oil that was being shipped through the strait, Goldman estimated. Before the war, roughly 23m bpd were passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Efforts to bypass Hor... -
Dawn - 03:09 Jul 27, 2026
WHILE leaders of the hybrid government prioritise foreign engagements and overseas trips, domestic challenges continue to intensify. Public discontent and unrest are mounting across the country but the ruling elite remains detached from this reality. In much of Balochistan the writ of the state doesn’t exist. Militant violence and terrorism are spiralling out of control. In KP escalation in TTP-sponsored terrorist attacks have left people fearful and distrustful of law enforcement authorities. Last week, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in the KP Assembly described actions against terrorists as “aimless” and ineffective. Unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir is far from over. Elections are approaching but they already lack public credibility. At the national level, the government-opposition stand-off continues to fuel a fraught political environment and deepen polarisation in the country. The PTI-led opposition has called for protests on Aug 5 to mark three years since its leader Imran Khan has been in jail.... -
Dawn - 03:05 Jul 27, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The medical tribunal has delivered two significant judgements redefining the legal standards governing professional negligence, expert medical evidence and disciplinary proceedings against registered medical practitioners. The judgements, authored by medical tribunal chairman retired justice Safdar Saleem Shahid, while deciding the connected cross appeals arising from disciplinary proceedings before the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), articulated principles of general application extending beyond the facts of the individual dispute to formulate a comprehensive judicial framework governing professional negligence, expert evidence, procedural fairness and proportionality of disciplinary sanctions. The rulings, both available with Dawn, are expected to influence future proceedings before the PMDC, constitutional litigation and civil claims involving allegations of medical negligence. Rather than treating the appeals as a disagreement confined to one surgical procedure, the tribunal examine... -
Dawn - 03:00 Jul 27, 2026
The first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections have begun in the 13 constituencies of Mirpur division. Polling began at 8am and will continue till 5pm. Today (Monday) has been declared a public holiday in all three districts — Bhimber, Mirpur, and Kotli — of the division to facilitate polling. A total of 288 candidates are contesting today’s election. According to the Election Commission, polling will be held at 2,316 polling stations, of which 1,241 have been declared ‘highly sensitive’ and 724 ‘sensitive’. Election monitoring has been organised through 13 zones and 205 sectors across the division, while 18,560 personnel from police and other law enforcement agencies have been deployed under a three-tier security plan. Under the arrangement, police will provide the first layer of security, Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and the Federal Constabulary the second, and the Pakistan Army the third. Around 2,100 army personnel will also be deployed, while Quick Response Force tea... -
Dawn - 02:58 Jul 27, 2026
Pakistan’s trade deficit surged to $39.47 billion in FY26, the highest in four years, highlighting the country’s deep structural dependence on imported energy. The petroleum group import bill alone reached $16.86bn, up from $15.94bn a year earlier, while crude oil imports jumped 32.1 per cent to $7.17bn. These figures underscore the urgent need to shift from imported fossil fuels to affordable green energy. Middle East conflicts and flawed energy policy have repeatedly forced Pakistan into last-minute purchases of oil and LNG at elevated spot prices. Rising shipping, insurance and geopolitical risk premiums have further inflated the country’s import bill, making energy the single largest contributor to the external imbalance. Pakistan cannot continue responding to every external shock with import contractions. The sustainable solution is to permanently reduce dependence on imported fuel by accelerating investment in solar power, battery storage and electric mobility. The government should immediately announce... -
Dawn - 02:57 Jul 27, 2026
IN THE picturesque valley of Golen, located over 20km northeast of Chitral city, summer once unfolded in all its resplendence. Visitors from across the district would flock to Golen during the warmer months to enjoy its cool mountain air, try their hand at trout fishing, and marvel at its lush green meadows. Yet, in recent years, that once-bountiful summer has become a source of anxiety for Golen natives. The cause lies in the glaciers, those primordial agglomerations of ice that had stood sentinel over the valley for centuries, which are now melting at an alarming rate and forming large, unstable lakes in their wake. On the evening of July 7, 2019, one such glacial lake burst its banks and ravaged the valley, destroying homes and orchards, damaging the headworks of the 108MW Golen Gol hydropower project, plunging the district into darkness for several days. The very next year, Golen experienced another glacial lake outburst flood (Glof). With over 80 potentially dangerous glacial lakes dotting the region, co... -
Dawn - 02:52 Jul 27, 2026
A CHILD holds a placard during a gathering in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party in Mumbai.—AFP • Indian PM posts video promising remedial steps amid growing youth anger • Experts say social media-driven activism signals changing political trends NEW DELHI: Nearly five weeks after the leaders of India’s youth Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) began their protest demanding the resignation of the education minister over exam paper leaks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 75, posted a rare selfie video: he said he was pained by their suffering and promised remedial steps The video, posted late on Thursday on Instagram, where CJP amassed 22 million mainly Gen Z followers in a matter of days in May, was not enough to satisfy the thousands of protesters who had gathered in central Delhi, braved a massive police crackdown days earlier, and then inspired protests across the country. On Saturday, the education minister stepped down, meeting the protesters’ main demand, in a rare such setback for Modi. The resignation... -
Dawn - 02:47 Jul 27, 2026
The development and governance of artificial intelligence should be a global effort. It should not be a solo performance by any single country, but rather “a symphony of global cooperation”, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 17. The remark encapsulated the broader message that extended well beyond technology. It was as much about geopolitics and emerging contests for global influence as about AI. For Pakistan, the conference deserved far greater attention than it received. The country is among the 29 founding members of the newly established World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (Waico), a China-led intergovernmental initiative formally launched on July 16. Yet its creation and the opportunities it presents for Pakistan and other developing economies received little discussion in the country’s mainstream media. Waico has the potential to become an important platform for countries seeking to participate more act... -
Dawn - 02:46 Jul 27, 2026
EVEN as Pakistan counts around 100 deaths since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, it is bracing for another spell of heavy rain. The Met Office has forecast widespread rain and thunderstorms through July 28, while the NDMA has warned of rising river levels, flash floods, urban flooding and landslides across large parts of the country. From Gilgit-Baltistan, where glacial lake outburst floods have severed roads, left tourists stranded and disrupted electricity to Punjab’s inundated cities and swelling rivers, Pakistan is confronting a nationwide emergency rather than a handful of isolated weather events. Lahore has recorded its heaviest rainfall of the season so far, Gujranwala and Sialkot have witnessed extensive flooding, while roads, homes, crops, livestock and public infrastructure have suffered much damage. We are reminded once more of how quickly a weather emergency can become a humanitarian one. The lesson of the devastating 2022 floods was that climate adaptation must become a permanent funct... -
Dawn - 02:45 Jul 27, 2026
DUBAI: Just over a year after moving to Dubai, Steve found himself moving unexpectedly up the property ladder, taking advantage of a cooling real estate market amid the Middle East war. His new apartment is larger and closer to work than his previous resident, but the rent is nonetheless 15 per cent cheaper, he said, using a pseudonym due to Dubai’s sensitivity on the matter. When he arrived in Dubai last year, “it was really difficult to get a place in this area and the rents had gone up by a lot”, said the 35-year-old, who works in the media sector. Dubai’s property market — a pillar of its economy — has soared in recent years, buoyed by the arrival of international high-net-worth individuals attracted by the glamorous lifestyle on offer in the emirate. Agent says there are people who think this is the right time to invest, amid Mideast conflict But the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran in late February has dampened growth, as targets in Dubai came under fire in the early days of Iran’s retaliation agai... -
Dawn - 02:32 Jul 27, 2026
TAXILA: A 76-year-old Japanese Buddhist monk has appealed to monks and followers of Buddhism across the world to gather at Pakistan’s ancient Dharmarajika Stupa in Taxila for a collective prayer for global peace, saying the teachings of the Buddha that once spread from the historic centre of Gandhara should again inspire humanity at a time of growing global conflict. Speaking to journalists after offering prayers for peace at the nearly 2,000-year-old Dharmarajika Stupa, Japanese monk Junsei Terasawa said the world was passing through a period marked by conflicts, violence and human suffering, making the Buddha’s timeless message of compassion, non-violence and reconciliation more relevant than ever. “The message of peace was raised from Taxila and flourished across the globe, and today, when the world is once again facing conflict and uncertainty, that message must rise again from this sacred land,” Monk Terasawa expressed. Japanese Buddhist monk Junsei Terasawa San celebrated the enduring legacy of peace, h... -
Dawn - 02:28 Jul 27, 2026
• Diplomatic sources say Pakistan remained in touch with Tehran, Washington, Riyadh and Beijing during latest US bombing campaign • Turkish FM reaches out to Qatari, Pakistani leadership • Waltz says lull in strikes is Trump ‘making room for talks’ • Iran also stops retaliatory attacks on US bases • US media claims ammunition shortages, generals’ opposition forced president to halt bombing WASHINGTON / TEHRAN: As US hostilities towards Iran ease, diplomatic sources in Washington said that Pakistan and other mediators had played a significant role in efforts that helped halt the second round of bombing and create conditions for another pause in fighting. After 13 nights of intensifying US airstrikes on Iran, the Pentagon abruptly suspended the campaign late on Friday, with no attacks reported on either Saturday or Sunday. Iran, which had been following each night of US attacks with its own strikes on neighbouring countries that host American bases, has also so far held fire for two days. Diplomatic sources... -
Dawn - 02:17 Jul 27, 2026
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and other federal cabinet members received dozens of gifts from foreign dignitaries this year, with the items being deposited in Toshakhana. The information ministry recently issued details of gifts received by the premier, deputy premier and other officials over the past three months, as the cabinet division also made available on its official website records of gifts received by officeholders since 2002 although the names of foreign dignitaries who presented the gifts were not disclosed. Following the release of the latest Toshakhana records, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told Dawn that the government periodically publishes details of gifts received by officials and that the latest information covered the previous three months. Interestingly, the cabinet division’s website, while releasing details of gifts, mentioned that the evaluation [of these gifts] was under process. A disclaimer issued by t... -
Dawn - 19:51 Jul 26, 2026
Israel will allow a multinational security force to enter Gaza as proposed under US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan for the enclave, an Israeli official said on Sunday, a day before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington. Netanyahu’s security cabinet on Sunday approved the legal framework that would allow the force’s entry to Gaza, the official said. Netanyahu is scheduled to depart for Washington on Monday and is expected to meet Trump on Tuesday. The official said that the mission, called the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), will include 200 members from “friendly countries such as Uganda and Morocco” deploying in areas that are not under Israeli control. Each contingent requires individual Israeli approval to enter Gaza. It was unclear when the forces would deploy. Much of Gaza remains in ruins from two years of relentless Israeli bombing triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct 7, 2023. After a ceasefire deal was struck in October, Trump set out a 20-point peace... -
Dawn - 19:27 Jul 26, 2026
Modi announces panel to reform India's exam system; anti-govt graffiti at Jantar Mantar painted over
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Sunday a special task force to reform the country’s exam system, a day after his government’s education minister resigned. The social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had drawn thousands of demonstrators, mainly students, to the capital’s Jantar Mantar site in New Delhi, forming one of India’s largest anti-government protests in recent years. Modi said in a video posted to X that his administration “decided to set up a high-powered task force” led by Nandan Nilekani — the co-founder of India’s IT giant Infosys — “which will focus on examination reform”. “Our examination system must be reliable. Our examination system must be transparent. Our examination system must make maximum use of technology,” Modi added in the video statement. Modi said the government “will work to ensure the credibility of upcoming examinations as quickly as possible”. Weeks of protests over exam irregularities and other issues affecting young Indians culminated on Saturday with ... -
Dawn - 19:08 Jul 26, 2026
MIRPUR: Responding to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s recent jibe, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday said that whether it’s Kashmir or Kashmore, Mirpur or Mirpurkhas, their residents were “not ready to bargain away their rights”. Bilawal’s response comes a day before the first phase of elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is set to begin, with Mirpur voting on Monday. It also comes amid allegations of pre-poll rigging by the PPP after the PML-N gave 10 e-buses to Muzaffarabad and Mirpur as a “gift”. Addressing a public rally in AJK’s Mirpur on Friday as part of his party’s election campaign, Nawaz had named Bilawal and said Kashmir should not be mistaken for Kashmore, nor Mirpur for Mirpurkhas — districts of Sindh where the PPP has been in power for years. Subsequently, Bilawal shared a video statement on social media, beginning his message with, “Mian sahib, please don’t take offence”, as he tagged Nawaz’s X account in his post. “Whether it’s Kashmir or Kashmore, Mirpur or Mirpurkhas, not only ... -
Dawn - 19:08 Jul 26, 2026
A known suspect in the driving of a minivan into a crowd near a major LGBTQ Pride gathering in Berlin was shot dead by law enforcement officers in the city’s Spandau district, police said on Sunday. The ramming attack happened in the Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate at about 10pm (2000 GMT) on Saturday, not far from one of Europe’s biggest annual LGBTQ celebrations, Christopher Street Day. One person was killed, and 29 were injured, authorities said. “Around 6pm (1600 GMT), the suspect involved in yesterday’s attack in Tiergarten was located at an allotment garden complex in Spandau,” Berlin police wrote on X. “According to initial findings, he ran towards officers while armed with a bladed weapon; police… subsequently opened fire. Despite immediate resuscitation efforts by the Berlin Fire Department, he died at the scene.” A federal prosecutor’s spokesperson confirmed one person had been shot and declared dead. Berlin police had identified the suspect as Abdul B, 21, and published his picture, askin... -
Dawn - 17:06 Jul 26, 2026
ISLAMABAD: While ventilators are considered the last resort to keep the patient alive and continue efforts for his recovery, the shortage of ventilators has emerged as a major hindrance in saving lives across the federal capital. A ventilator is a medical device which helps a patient breathe by pumping air in and sucking it out of their lungs. It also monitors most of the body functions and keeps the patient alive. It is mostly used in intensive care units (ICUs). Officials of both Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and Polyclinic Hospital reported that nearly all of the ventilators at their medical facilities were occupied most of the time. Pims Executive Director Dr Rana Imran Sikander told Dawn that along with financial constraints, there were “so many other factors” behind the ventilator shortage. Dr Sikander said Pims had over 90 ventilators in different ICUs, including medical, surgical, pediatric, neonatal, cardiac and others, but almost 100pc of them remain occupied. “Moreover, in some ICUs... -
Dawn - 16:00 Jul 26, 2026
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Sunday a special task force to reform the country’s exam system, a day after his government’s education minister resigned. The social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had drawn thousands of demonstrators, mainly students, to the capital’s Jantar Mantar site in New Delhi, forming one of India’s largest anti-government protests in recent years. Modi said in a video posted to X that his administration “decided to set up a high-powered task force” led by Nandan Nilekani — the co-founder of India’s IT giant Infosys — “which will focus on examination reform”. “Our examination system must be reliable. Our examination system must be transparent. Our examination system must make maximum use of technology,” Modi added in the video statement. Modi said the government “will work to ensure the credibility of upcoming examinations as quickly as possible”. Weeks of protests over exam irregularities and other issues affecting young Indians culminated on Saturday with ...
12392 items