Dawn
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Dawn - 16:08 Dec 17, 2025
Despite fear of rigging, the PTI decided on Wednesday to participate in the Islamabad local government elections, which will be held on February 15 across the federal capital. In line with party policy, workers who have remained loyal to the party and its ideology and have made sacrifices during the last three years will be given priority in nominations. The decision was made during a meeting chaired by PTI Islamabad Region President Aamir Mughal and attended by Regional Secretary and Chairman of the Local Government Committee Malik Aamir Ali Awan, ticket holder Advocate Shoaib Shaheen, Senator Fauzia Arshad, Senate ticket holder Syed Farzand Shah, ticket holder Ali Bukhari, and other senior office-bearers. After consultations, it was unanimously decided that PTI’s Islamabad wing would take part in the local government elections. However, participants feared that there could be “rigging,” as happened in the recent National Assembly elections in Haripur. Participants were also of the view that the government h... -
Dawn - 16:06 Dec 17, 2025
PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan Niazi — are among 400 people booked on Wednesday after police dispersed a sit-in near Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where the party founder and former prime minister is currently incarcerated. Moreover, 14 PTI workers were arrested and produced before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) today, which approved three days of physical remand and returned the suspects to police custody. Imran’s sisters, party workers and supporters had staged a sit-in at Factory Naka a day prior, demanding their court-mandated Tuesday meeting with the PTI founder. Police used water cannons and baton charges to disperse the protesters, with police starting their operation at 2am. According to a copy of the first information report (FIR) — dated December 17 and available with Dawn — 400 suspects, including 35 nominated persons, were booked under various provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (ATA) and Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including the use of petrol bombs and ... -
Dawn - 15:36 Dec 17, 2025
PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday suggested that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) investigate “growing support” from India for terrorist groups, after an Indian national was identified as a suspect in a recent mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach. Alleged father-and-son perpetrators, Sajid and Naveed Akram, opened fire on a Jewish holiday celebration at Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing 15 in an attack that shook the nation and intensified fears of rising anti-Semitism and violent extremism. Sajid, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son, Naveed, emerged from a coma on Tuesday afternoon after also being shot by police. On Tuesday, it emerged that Sajid was originally from the Indian city of Hyderabad, with police saying his family did not know about his “radical mindset”. In a post on X, Senator Rehman noted that the attack raised questions about links to New Delhi as Indian and Israeli allegations of Pakistani involvement “were backfiring ... -
Dawn - 14:45 Dec 17, 2025
Amnesty International on Wednesday condemned the “repeated” use of high-pressure water cannons by authorities to disperse a sit-in outside Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, after incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan’s family was denied a meeting with the former prime minister. “The repeated use of high-pressure water cannons by authorities against peaceful protesters outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi is a flagrant violation of their right to peaceful assembly.” Amnesty added that Pakistan authorities “must respect people’s right to peacefully protest and end the disproportionate and punitive use of force”. After authorities again barred Imran’s sisters from meeting the incarcerated former prime minister, a sit-in was staged outside the prison. A court order issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on March 24 this year mandated that meetings with Imran would be permitted twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, the PTI maintains that the order is not being honoured. Despite the IHC’s order, Imran’s sisters... -
Dawn - 13:46 Dec 17, 2025
The Pakistan Navy’s fourth Hangor-class submarine, named Ghazi, was launched at Shuangliu Base in Wuhan, China, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Wednesday. With the Ghazi’s launch, the ISPR hailed “another significant milestone” by the navy, where all four submarines being built in China are currently undergoing “rigorous sea trials and are in the final stages of being handed over to Pakistan”. “The Government of Pakistan signed an agreement with China for [the] acquisition of eight Hangor-class submarines. Under this contract, four submarines are being built in China and [the] remaining four will be constructed in Pakistan by Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Ltd (KS&EW), under Transfer of Technology (ToT),” the ISPR said in a statement. The military’s media wing added that the submarines will be fitted with advanced weaponry and sensors capable of engaging targets at standoff ranges. “Hangor-class submarines will be pivotal in maintaining peace and stability in the region,” the s... -
Dawn - 13:43 Dec 17, 2025
Warner Bros Discovery’s board rejected Paramount Skydance’s $108.4 billion hostile bid on Wednesday, saying it failed to provide adequate financing assurances. In a letter to shareholders, disclosed in a regulatory filing, the board wrote that Paramount had “consistently misled” Warner Bros shareholders that its $30-per-share cash offer was fully guaranteed, or “backstopped,” by the Ellison family, led by billionaire and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. “It does not, and never has,” the board wrote of the guarantee of Paramount’s offer, noting that the offer posed “numerous, significant risks.” Warner Bros’ board said it found Paramount’s offer “inferior” to the merger agreement with Netflix’s. The streaming giant’s $27.75 per share offer for Warner Bros’ film and television studios, its library and the HBO Max streaming service is a binding agreement that requires no equity financing and has robust debt commitments, the board wrote. Warner Bros has not yet set a date for a shareholder vote on the deal but it is exp... -
Dawn - 13:35 Dec 17, 2025
Men’s tennis world number one Carlos Alcaraz announced on Wednesday he is splitting from his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after seven hugely successful years together. Alcaraz has won six Grand Slams among his 24 tour level titles under the guidance of fellow Spaniad Ferrero, including this year’s French and US Opens. Alcaraz, 22, ends this year as world number one having claimed eight tournaments during the season including his dramatic victory over Jannik Sinner in Paris. “It is very difficult to write this post,” Alcaraz said on social media with photos of the pair hugging. View this post on Instagram “After more than seven years together, ‘Juanki’ and I have decided to end our story together as coach and player. “Thank you for making the dreams of a child become reality,” Alcaraz added. Alcaraz began working with 45-year-old Ferrero, a former world number one, in August 2018, when he was a teenager. As a player, Ferrero won the 2003 French Open and was runner-up in New York later in the year before becoming ... -
Dawn - 13:35 Dec 17, 2025
Authorities in India’s capital Delhi rolled out strict measures on Wednesday in an attempt to curb pollution, including a ban on vehicles not compliant with latest emission control norms and regulating attendance in private and government offices. The air quality index in the Delhi region, home to 30 million people, has been in the “severe” category for the past few days, often crossing the 450-mark. In addition, shallow fog in parts of the city worsened visibility that affected flights and trains. This prompted the Commission for Air Quality Management to invoke stage four, the highest level, of the graded response action plan for Delhi and surrounding areas on Saturday. The curbs ban the entry of older diesel trucks into the city, suspend construction, including on public projects, and impose hybrid schooling. Schoolchildren walk through a field on a smoggy winter morning in New Delhi on December 17. —AFP Kapil Mishra, a minister in the local government, announced on Wednesday that all private and governmen... -
Dawn - 12:21 Dec 17, 2025
A meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis, chaired by Aga Rafiullah, was informed on Wednesday that 51,000 passengers were offloaded at Pakistani airports this year after failing immigration checks, with a large number of them being offloaded at Lahore and Karachi airports. Over the past few months, numerous incidents have been reported of travellers being offloaded from flights at various airports, despite possessing valid travel documents. These actions followed a crackdown on migrant smuggling launched after the 2024 Greece boat tragedy, which claimed several Pakistani lives. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the frequent offloading of passengers from international flights, an issue that has reportedly affected numerous travellers despite them holding valid documents. Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Riffat Mukhtar Raja informed the committee that, “Passengers are offloaded on the basis of ... -
Dawn - 12:17 Dec 17, 2025
The Philippines’ national security adviser on Wednesday said that the father and son who allegedly opened fire on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach did not receive any form of military training while in the country last month. The alleged father-and-son perpetrators opened fire on the celebration at Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing 15 in an attack that shook the nation and intensified fears of rising anti-Semitism and violent extremism. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, emerged from a coma on Tuesday afternoon after also being shot by police. On Tuesday, it emerged that Sajid was originally from the Indian city of Hyderabad, with police saying his family did not know about his “radical mindset”. In a statement, Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo Ao said that a mere visit to the country does not substantiate allegations of terrorist training and the duration of their stay would not have permitted any ... -
Dawn - 12:08 Dec 17, 2025
Campaign falsely linking Bondi shooting suspect to Pakistan launched from ‘hostile countries’: Tarar
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday that it was falsely claimed after the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia that one of the attackers was from Pakistan, holding “hostile countries” responsible for this campaign. The tragic attack by two men on Sunday resulted in the death of 16 people, including one of the attackers. Soon after the incident, a Pakistan-origin man living in Sydney was misidentified as one of the attackers. Later, it was confirmed that among the father-son duo of suspects, the former, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was from India, and the latter, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, was born in Australia. View this post on Instagram “When the incident happened, certain media outlets were very quick to state that one of the attackers was from Pakistan and the other one was born in Australia. “There was no evidence to prove this claim, there was no documentation, and there was no verification of this claim. But somehow, we know that this campaign was launched from hostile countries trying to ma... -
Dawn - 10:48 Dec 17, 2025
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday reported that more than 2.5 million undocumented migrants have left the US since the Trump administration took office on January 20, 2025, amid a sharp expansion of immigration enforcement. According to DHS, the total includes over 605,000 formal deportations and approximately 1.9m “self-departures”, referring to migrants who left voluntarily amid intensified enforcement pressure. The department said removals have focused on individuals it describes as criminal offenders, while also encouraging undocumented migrants to leave on their own through a government-run mobile application offering free flights and a $1,000 incentive. The announcement — the administration’s most significant immigration update this year — comes as Washington tightens entry rules, expands travel bans, and increasingly links immigration control to national security and counter-terrorism concerns. While DHS presented the figures as evidence of restored “law and order”, i... -
Dawn - 09:00 Dec 17, 2025
Justice Jahangiri moves FCC against IHC order declaring plea challenging his law degree maintainable
Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri moved the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday, seeking the setting aside of an Islamabad High Court (IHC) order that declared a plea challenging the legitimacy of his law degree maintainable. He also sought the dismissal of the plea, which also calls into question the appointment of the IHC judge, “for being non-maintainable”. The plea, filed by lawyer Mian Dawood, was declared maintainable by a division bench, led by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, on December 9. Justice Jahangiri filed a petition against the order in the FCC on Wednesday, in which he has nominated Dawood, the Federation of Pakistan, president of Pakistan, Judicial Commission of Pakistan, parliamentary committee on judges’ appointment to superior courts, Higher Education Commission, University of Karachi (KU) and a lawyer named Siraj Ahmad as respondents. He contended that the IHC order on maintaibility of the case, a September 16 order that barred him fr... -
Dawn - 08:42 Dec 17, 2025
An emotional Alex Carey slammed a majestic 106 on his home ground and Usman Khawaja hit a defiant 82 Wednesday to put Australia in the driving seat of the third Ashes Test against England. Batting after captain Pat Cummins won the toss as temperatures topped 36 Celsius at Adelaide Oval, the hosts were 326-8 at stumps on day one after the shock of Steve Smith being ruled out with illness. Mitchell Starc was not out 33 and Nathan Lyon yet to score. View this post on Instagram “To make a hundred here in front of home fans and family was special,” an emotional Carey told Australian TV. As he celebrated his maiden Ashes ton, Carey gestured towards the sky in a nod to his father Gordon, who died from cancer in September. “I guess you know as well why I was looking to the heavens. I’m trying not to tear up. But, no, it was great.” The wicketkeeper’s wife Eloise was spotted in tears by TV cameras as he celebrated. “To have, mum, brother, sister, Eloise, the kids (here), it was a special moment,” Carey added. A tirele... -
Dawn - 08:29 Dec 17, 2025
An Islamabad district and sessions court began recording the statements of prosecution witnesses afresh in the controversial social media posts case against human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, on Wednesday. The statements are being recorded again in compliance with directives issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) the previous day while hearing a petition filed by Mazari challenging the trial court’s November 19 order. During the hearing on November 19, Mazari’s lawyer marked her presence while Chattha, too, was not present throughout the entirety of the proceedings. The court, however, had ordered the prosecution to proceed with the witnesses’ testimonies, to which Chatha had objected and questioned how the statements could be recorded in the absence of the accused. Both Mazari and Chattha were present on Wednesday in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka as the process to record the statements of prosecution witnesses w... -
Dawn - 08:22 Dec 17, 2025
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Wednesday extended the airspace restrictions on Indian aircraft till January 23. The extension was notified a week before the previous one was set to expire on December 24. “Pakistan airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered aircraft, including all aircraft owned, operated, or leased by Indian airlines, as well as Indian military flights,” the authority said, “According to the NOTAM, the restriction, which has already been in force, will continue until January 23, 2026, as per the specified timings,” it said. Notam issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority. Pakistan’s airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022. The Notam applies to both the Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs. India and Pakistan have closed their airspaces to each other’s airlines since tensions between them escalated in late April in the wake of an attack in occupied Kashmir’s ... -
Dawn - 07:21 Dec 17, 2025
President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday assented to three bills on the advice of the prime minister, including one for establishing a statutory body to protect and promote the rights of minority communities in the country. According to a statement released by the Presidency, Zardari approved three pieces of legislation on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. These include the Qanun-e-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill 2025, the King Hamad University of Nursing and Associated Medical Sciences Bill 2025 and the National Commission for Minorities Rights Bill 2025. The statement added that the Daanish Schools Authority Bill 2025 was sent back to the premier “in view of the need for provincial consultation”. “In the case of establishment of Daanish schools in the provinces, prior consultation with the respective provincial governments is essential,” the statement quoted the president as saying. The National Commission for Minorities Rights Bill 2025 was passed with a majority vote during a joint session of Parliame... -
Dawn - 07:01 Dec 17, 2025
PTI founder Imran Khan’s son Kasim Khan has said he and his brother Suleiman have applied for their visas and are planning a trip to Pakistan in January, while also commenting on the conditions in which the ex-premier was kept and saying that he was being held in a “death cell”. The remarks were made during an interview to Yalda Hakim for Sky News, which came as another sit-in held outside Adiala jail by Imran’s sisters over being denied a meeting with him was dispersed using water cannons; the party alleged that authorities used “chemical-laced” water. As court-ordered prison visits stay blocked, Imran’s family and party have expressed concerns about the conditions in which he is being kept inside the prison. A United Nations’ special rapporteur has also warned that Imran is being held in conditions that could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment. During their interview with Hakim, released early on Wednesday, Kasim and Suleiman, who live in London, were asked whether they had tried to engage with the Pa... -
Dawn - 04:17 Dec 17, 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday expanded a list of countries subject to a full travel ban, prohibiting citizens from an additional seven countries, including Syria, from entering the country. The White House said in a statement that Trump signed a proclamation “expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing to protect the Nation from national security and public safety threats”. Tuesday’s move banned citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria and those holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. The action also imposes a full ban on Laos and Sierra Leone, which had previously only been subject to partial restrictions. The White House said the expanded ban goes into effect on January 1. The action comes despite Trump’s vow to do everything he could to make Syria successful after landmark talks in November with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sha... -
Dawn - 03:27 Dec 17, 2025
A SCREEN grab from a viral video shows Bihar CM Nitish Kumar pulling down the veil of a doctor, who came to receive a certificate. NEW DELHI: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar invited criticism from the opposition on Tuesday after he pulled off a woman doctor’s hijab at a graduation ceremony. Opening himself up to more questions about his mental health a month after taking oath as the Bihar chief minister for the 10th time, Kumar was seen in a widely shared video clip as pulling a hijab down from the woman’s face during a government event in Patna. The video clip shows the 74-year-old politician handing a certificate to an AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) doctor during the event on Monday and motioning to her to remove her hijab. Before the woman could react, Kumar is seen reaching out and pulling down the hijab, exposing her mouth and chin. Nitish Kumar’s act of pulling down woman’s face covering draws condemnation, raises questions about his mental health The moment appear...
10758 items