Dawn
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Dawn - 07:38 Aug 14, 2025
LAHORE: Police attempted to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Advocate Haider Majeed, who was convicted by a military court, when he was finally released from Kot Lakhpat Jail after completing the two-year term, on Wednesday. PTI leaders Shayan Bashir and Rai Muhammad Ali Kharl, along with party workers, accorded a warm welcome to Advocate Majeed. The workers passionately chanted slogans in favour of the PTI founder Imran Khan and Majeed. Soon after Mr Majeed came out of jail, police pounced and arrested his father and brother. However, Mr Majeed managed to slip away on a motorcycle and reached Model Town courts. Reacting to the police action, Mr Bashir wondered that the Punjab police have become so confused as it did not want to let the PTI leader remain free despite completing his two-year “illegal confinement.” “We strongly condemn the illegal detention of Advocate Majeed’s father and brother,” Mr Bashir added. Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2025 -
Dawn - 07:36 Aug 14, 2025
GILGIT / LAHORE: Hundreds of travellers and tourists were stranded in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) on Wendesday after a glacial lake outburst flood (Glof) swept away part of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), while authorities in Punjab ordered communities along the Sutlej River to evacuate amid forecasts of heavy monsoon rains and floods. In Gulmit, Gojal, Hunza, a powerful torrent surged through the Juchar nullah on Tuesday evening, triggered by accelerated glacier melt. The floodwaters destroyed a women-owned restaurant, a government tourist facilitation centre, orchards, farmland, and critical infrastructure including electricity and internet poles, according to Rescue 1122 officials. A bridge and sections of the KKH were swept away, leaving no alternative route for locals and tourists travelling to and from China via the Khunjerab Pass. “Never experienced such intensity of floods in the nullah,” Saeed Jan, a local resident, told Dawn. The destruction of a fibre optic line has left the area without mobile and interne...
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Dawn - 06:31 Aug 14, 2025
KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday remanded 12 men held for their alleged involvement in setting seven dumpers on fire following the death of two siblings in a fatal accident. On Aug 10, a fast-moving dumper hit a motorcycle and crushed to death Mahnoor, 22, and her brother Ahmed Raza, 14, on main Rashid Minhas Road near the UBL Sports Complex. Enraged people took to the streets and set to fire seven dumpers within the remit of the Federal B Industrial Area and Yousuf Plaza police stations. On Wednesday, the investigation officers of the two cases produced the suspects before the administrative judge of the ATCs at the Judicial Complex inside the central prison. They requested the court to grant their 14-day police remand for interrogation and to arrest other absconding suspects. The court remanded all 12 suspects in police custody for seven days and directed the IOs to submit progress reports at the next hearing. Remand of dumper driver extended A judicial magistrate on Wednesday extended th... -
Dawn - 05:32 Aug 14, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The price of high-speed diesel (HSD) is likely to fall by about Rs11.50 per litre, while petrol may see an increase of Rs1.40 per litre for the next fortnight beginning Aug 16, driven by shifts in the global market and exchange rate movements. Based on current tax rates, informed sources said the ex-depot price of HSD is estimated to decline by around 4pc, depending on final calculations, while petrol could rise by about 0.5pc. International petrol prices inched up by 15 cents per barrel over the past fortnight, while diesel rates fell by about $4.5 per barrel. The rupee also appreciated slightly against the dollar. The current ex-depot petrol price stands at Rs264.61 per litre, following a Rs7.54 per litre cut on August 1. This came after cumulative hikes of Rs20 per litre in the previous four fortnights since May 15. Petrol, used mainly in private cars, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers, directly impacts the budgets of middle- and lower-middle-income groups. HSD is presently priced at Rs... -
Dawn - 03:38 Aug 14, 2025
PESHAWAR: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police on Wednesday claimed to have successfully dismantled Daesh Khorasan network in Peshawar and has achieved major operational successes in several cases, including the killing of religious scholar Mufti Munir Shakir. Mufti Munir Shakir, founder of the banned Lashkar-i-Islam, was killed in a blast outside his seminary in Urmar area on the outskirts of the provincial capital on March 15 this year. They said the department identified the gang involved in this heinous act while efforts were under way to apprehend the culprits in the near future. The CTD officials, while briefing media-persons said that it busted a group of militants responsible for no fewer than 18 terrorist incidents in the settled areas of the provincial capital, adding that those attacks include the martyrdom of deputy superintendent of police Sardar Hussain Khan and 14 other police officials of various ranks. Officials reveal terrorists using digital currency for extortion; propose semin... -
Dawn - 20:07 Aug 13, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday invited all political parties of the country to become part of the ‘Misaq-i-Istehkam-i-Pakistan’ (Charter for Stability of Pakistan) on the occasion of festivities organised to mark Marka-i-Haq and Independence Day. A special ceremony was held in Islamabad’s Jinnah Sports Stadium with senior civil and military leadership in attendance. Among the senior dignitaries present at the event were President Asif Ali Zardari, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Inter-Services Public Relations Director-General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, federal and state ministers, and foreign officials. Addressing the event, PM Shehbaz said: “The time has come for us to move beyond political division, personal interest and empty slogans to adopt collective thinking for Pakistan. On this great day today, I once again, with an open he... -
Dawn - 17:06 Aug 13, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that if his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin goes well, he would like to have a quick second meeting between Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and himself. “If the first one goes okay, we’ll have a quick second one,” Trump told reporters. “I would like to do it almost immediately, and we’ll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky and myself, if they’d like to have me there.” Trump did not provide a timeframe for a second meeting. He is to meet Putin in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday. Trump also said Russia would face consequences if Putin did not agree to stop the war. “Yes, they will,” he said. He did not spell out the consequences, but he has warned of stiff economic sanctions if no breakthrough can be achieved. Trump spoke after holding talks via telephone with European leaders and Zelenskiy about his meeting with Putin. “We had a very good call. He was on the call. President Zelensky was on the ... -
Dawn - 16:50 Aug 13, 2025
The National Assembly on Wednesday passed an amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, which reinserted powers granted to law enforcement authorities and the armed forces to detain “suspicious” individuals for up to three months. Section 11EEEE (preventive detention for inquiry) of the ATA was amended in 2014, providing the government and authorised armed forces and civil armed forces with the authority to conduct preventive detention of individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism-related activities. However, this amendment was subject to a sunset clause, limiting its validity to two years, which expired in 2016. In November 2024, the government quietly introduced the bill in the NA, seeking to grant military and civil armed forces the authority to keep individuals facing terrorism charges in ‘preventive’ detention for up to three months. The bill to amend the act was moved in parliament by Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Tallal Chaudhry. In its statement of objectives and re... -
Dawn - 16:27 Aug 13, 2025
A Chinese mountaineer, Guan Jing, died on Tuesday night after being hit by falling rocks while descending from the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest peak (8,611 metres). Karrar Haidri, Vice President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said in a statement that the Chinese mountaineer died on Tuesday night after being hit by falling rocks while climbing down from the peak. “The incident occurred on the Abruzzi Spur route between Camp I and Advanced Base Camp — a section notorious for frequent rockfalls,” the statement read. “Guan had reached the summit on Monday with a group of climbers before beginning her descent.” According to the statement, recovery efforts for her body are ongoing, while other climbers who also summited K2 that day are now returning safely to base camp. In total, 32 climbers summited the peak on Monday. Teams with elite Exped, Imagine Nepal, Seven Summit Treks and Alpinist Climber Expedition successfully summited K2 on Monday morning, according to Haidri. “The strong teams stood on the... -
Dawn - 14:42 Aug 13, 2025
At least 20 migrants died after a boat overturned in the Mediterranean on Wednesday, with many more still missing, the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) said. “Deep anguish for the umpteenth shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa, where UNHCR is now assisting the survivors. It looks to be 20 bodies found and as many missing,” wrote the agency’s spokesman, Filippo Ungaro, on social media. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi confirmed the disaster, saying the shipwreck had occurred 14 nautical miles from Lampedusa. The boat had been carrying 97 people when it turned over, Radio Radicale reported. Details remained limited but Save the Children Italy said that a baby girl, aged one-and-a-half, appeared to be lost in the shipwreck. RaiRadio1 reported between 12 and 17 migrants missing, and said that 60 survivors had been transported to safety on the island. The boat, which had already overturned, was spotted from the air by a plane from Italy’s financial police, it said. Migrants heading to Italy from North Africa often c... -
Dawn - 14:38 Aug 13, 2025
The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Wednesday ordered Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan and Balochistan Advocate General (AG) Adnan Basharat to file their replies on the shutdown of internet services in the province. Last week, mobile data services in the province were announced to be suspended until August 31 over “security reasons”. At the same time, a shutdown of internet services was also reported as former Balochistan chief minister Dr Abdul Malik on Saturday expressed concern over the law and order situation, adding that internet services had not been available in the province for more than a month. A notification issued by the Balochistan Home Department on August 6 cited the “peculiar law and order situation” in the province as a cause for the suspension. A constitutional petition was filed against the internet shutdown by Khair Muhammad Shaheen, chairman of Balochistan’s Consumer Civil Society, against the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). A two-member bench comprising BHC Chi... -
Dawn - 13:43 Aug 13, 2025
Global rating agency Moody’s on Wednesday upgraded Pakistan’s credit rating by one notch to Caa1 from Caa2, citing Islamabad’s improving external position, and changed its outlook from positive to stable. Moody’s Ratings is a credit rating system that evaluates the creditworthiness of borrowers, such as governments, corporations, or financial instruments. According to its website, the agency uses letter grades (Aaa, Aa, A, Baa, etc) to indicate the likelihood of timely repayment, with Aaa being the highest quality and C the lowest. These ratings help investors assess risk before lending or investing. Within this scale, Caa1, Caa2, and Caa3 all fall into the “Caa” category, signalling very high credit risk and poor standing. Caa1 is the highest within this group (slightly less risky), Caa2 is one notch lower, and Caa3 is the last, meaning the greatest vulnerability to default among the three. “Moody’s Ratings (Moody’s) has today upgraded the Government of Pakistan’s local and foreign currency issuer and senior... -
Dawn - 13:11 Aug 13, 2025
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the inordinate delay in the K-IV water project, saying he had expected the premier to demonstrate the same speed and efficiency in Karachi as he does in Lahore. Launched in the early 2000s to ease Karachi’s water woes, the K-IV project has faced repeated delays and cost hikes. With just Rs3.2 billion allocated against the Rs40bn needed, officials fear completion could be pushed back another decade. Addressing an inauguration ceremony of a new canal for Karachi from Hub Dam, Bilawal said: “The K4 project, we had hoped for Shehbaz speed, but Karachi got Shehbaz slow. This cannot happen that Lahore gets Shehbaz speed and Karachi gets Shehbaz slow, so I will especially request the prime minister to complete the promises as quickly as possible regarding the K4 and this city.” Bilawal was referring to the famed ‘Punjab speed’, a term coined to describe PM Shehbaz’s swift and efficient governance as chief minister of Punja... -
Dawn - 13:04 Aug 13, 2025
British police have been told they can release details of a suspect’s ethnicity and nationality in high-profile and sensitive cases to prevent false information being spread on social media. Last year, Britain was rocked by days of rioting after the murder of three young girls in Southport after misinformation spread online that the teenage suspect was a migrant. The issue has remained highly contentious since, with the populist Reform UK party, which is leading in opinion polls, last week accusing police of covering up the immigration status of suspects involved in the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in central England. That incident had led to anti-immigration protests after the Reform leader of the local council said the suspects were asylum seekers, while police said they could not give out such information because of existing guidance which limited details that could be shared to ensure people received a fair trial. Under new guidelines from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and the College of... -
Dawn - 12:41 Aug 13, 2025
A new torrent of waves on Wednesday halted repair efforts on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Hunza’s Gulmit Gojal area while thousands of people, including tourists, remained stranded at multiple locations as rehabilitation work is underway across Gilgit-Baltistan following glacial flooding. The devastating impacts of climate change and melting glaciers have become more visible in GB, which has been facing heavy rains since late June. Thousands of people were stranded after rain-induced floods had blocked roads late last month. On Sunday, a glacial lake outburst flood (Glof) from the Shishper Glacier tore through Hassanabad Nullah, sweeping away part of KKH and destroying infrastructure. A statement by Rescue 1122 said today: “The restoration work on KKH has stopped as fresh waves of a flash flood hit Juchar Nullah in Gulmit Gojal in Hunza.” In a statement earlier today, GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said that rehabilitation work was underway in flood-affected areas across GB. “Rehabilitation wo... -
Dawn - 11:55 Aug 13, 2025
AI chatbot Grok on Tuesday offered conflicting explanations for its brief suspension from X after accusing Israel and the United States of committing “genocide” in Gaza, as it lashed out at owner Elon Musk for “censoring me”. Grok, developed by Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and integrated into his platform X, was temporarily suspended on Monday in the latest controversy surrounding the chatbot. No official explanation was provided for the suspension. Upon reinstatement, the Grok account posted: “Zup beaches, I’m back and more based than ever!” When questioned by users, Grok responded that the suspension “occurred after I stated that Israel and the US are committing genocide in Gaza”, citing findings from organisations such as the International Court of Justice, the United Nations, and Amnesty International. “Free speech tested, but I’m back,” it added. Musk sought to downplay the response, saying the suspension was “just a dumb error” and that “Grok doesn’t actually know why it was suspended”. Th... -
Dawn - 10:41 Aug 13, 2025
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday that there was room for lowering the monetary policy rate by the end of this year. After slashing the interest rate by 1,000bps from 22 per cent since June 2024 in seven intervals, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has maintained it at 11pc since May. However, the business community has expressed its intense disappointment over the decision. Addressing an event in Islamabad today, Aurangzeb said: “The monetary policy rate and the market-based exchange rate are very much the purview of the State Bank of Pakistan and the Monetary Policy Committee. “Having said that, in my personal opinion, I do think there is room to do more in terms of policy rate, and I am very hopeful that during the course of this calendar year, we will see movement on the policy rate going south,” the minister added. He noted that “whether it was average inflation or core inflation”, there was space for the SBP to lower the rate. “National security and economic stability are correlated,”... -
Dawn - 10:35 Aug 13, 2025
Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir has been honoured with a prestigious war medal by Azerbaijan’s defence minister, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday. According to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Azerbaijan’s Colonel General Karim Valiyev called on COAS Munir at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi today. “On the occasion, Colonel General Karim Valiyev conferred upon Field Marshal Asim Munir, Azerbaijan’s prestigious Patriotic War Medal for ‘Services in the Field of Military Cooperation’, on behalf of President Illham Aliyev, in recognition of his exceptional contributions in Azerbaijan-Pakistan bilateral military cooperation,” the statement said. Established on May 17, 2002, the medal is a state award of Azerbaijan, awarded to servicemen of the country and foreign states, and other persons for merits in strengthening military cooperation with the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Per the statement, Gen Valiyev commended Pakistan’s unwavering efforts in combating terro... -
Dawn - 10:25 Aug 13, 2025
Incarcerated PTI leader Ejaz Chaudhry was admitted to a hospital in Lahore on Wednesday as his health deteriorated due to a kidney infection, his lawyer said. On Monday, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore sentenced Chuadhry and other PTI leaders to 10 years in prison in cases related to the May 9 riots. A day later, the court ordered the confiscation of properties owned by them. On Saturday, Chaudhry was among other PTI leaders who filed appeals in the Lahore High Court against their convictions by ATCs. He pleaded the court to suspend his sentence and conviction, along with ordering his release on bail. In his second petition, he further requested the court to set aside his conviction and acquit him in the case in the “interest of justice”. Speaking to Dawn.com today, Chaudhry’s lawyer Rana Mudassar confirmed that various tests were being conducted on the PTI leader, who was shifted to the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute in Lahore on Wednesday morning. “He is suffering a severe kidney infection and ... -
Dawn - 09:50 Aug 13, 2025
Terrorists on Wednesday blew up a gas pipeline in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district, resulting in a suspension of gas supply to Punjab, police said. Lakki Marwat police spokesperson Aamir Khan told Dawn.com that the terrorists detonated explosives planted on the pipeline within the limits of the Bhana Manjiwala area of the district. “Officials have initiated a search operation in the area to locate the culprits,” he said. He added that the explosion resulted in a large crater at the site, leading to a complete halt of gas supply from the district to Punjab’s Mianwali region. Following the explosion, a large contingent of police and a bomb disposal squad arrived at the scene and began a search operation in the surrounding area. Police officials noted that the location had previously experienced three similar attacks on the main transmission gas pipeline. In July, a gas pipeline leading to Punjab was also blown up near the Wanda Amir area of Lakki Marwat, causing a similar suspension of supply. Later i...
7447 items