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Dawn - 14:41 Aug 07, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday confirmed his country’s role in providing support to India during Operation Sindoor in May, when India attacked Pakistani sites under the guise of targeting “terrorists”. The nuclear-armed rivals exchanged artillery, drone and air strikes in May, after India, without evidence, blamed Pakistan for a deadly attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The four-day confrontation came to an end when US President Donald Trump announced a surprise ceasefire. In a post on X, Netanyahu announced that he met the Indian ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, in Jerusalem today, where the pair “discussed strengthening and expanding cooperation between Israel and India, particularly in the fields of security and economics”. “Afterward, I held a meeting with a group of senior journalists from India and answered their questions,” the Israeli leader wrote. According to Indian television channel NDTV, Netanyahu confirmed the use of Israeli weapons during India’s military o... -
Dawn - 14:30 Aug 07, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for an immediate national policy to address Pakistan’s rapid population growth rate on Thursday. Pakistan is home to a vast population of over 251 million, according to World Bank figures. In 2023, the population growth rate was reported to have reached around 2.55 per cent. However, almost forty-five per cent of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line, according to a World Bank report. The prime minister termed the high population growth rate an “alarming trend” and said that immediate and coordinated policy action was required at a national level to address the issue. The World Bank reported Pakistan’s annual growth rate for 2024 as 1.5pc. The statement came during a high-level meeting chaired by the premier at his office to review the challenges posed by Pakistan’s rising population and deliberate on effective strategies to manage it, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. The meeting was also attended by Federal Minister for Planning and ... -
Dawn - 14:22 Aug 07, 2025
Police on Thursday said they had arrested suspects for allegedly raping a deaf-mute and mentally disabled girl in Punjab’s Muzaffargarh district. Muzaffargarh police spokesperson Wasim Khan Gopang told Dawn.com that the incident occurred in the Rohilanwali area on Aug 4. “Two suspects had been arrested within 24 hours of the incident.” He said the 17-year-old girl was in the fields when one of the suspects allegedly caught her and raped her. “The suspect fled when locals reached the spot after hearing the girl’s voice,” he added. In a first information report (FIR) dated Aug 6, seen by Dawn.com, the victim’s brother said that his sister was born deaf-mute and mentally disabled. He said, “She went out of the house to relieve herself in the fields on Aug 4 around 05:30pm.” The complainant detailed that the suspect, who was standing near the field, “forcibly grabbed the victim and raped her under a tree.” The FIR named two passersby who heard the victim’s voice and caught the suspect raping her. “Upon seeing the... -
Dawn - 14:02 Aug 07, 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday he would not compromise on the agriculture sector, a day after United States President Donald Trump announced 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods. Washington announced the hike in levies on Wednesday, citing New Delhi’s purchasing of Russian oil, a key revenue source for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. For New Delhi, one of the main sticking points in trade negotiations has been Washington’s demand to access India’s vast agricultural and dairy market. India has remained steadfast about its labour-intensive agricultural sector, unwilling to risk angering farmers, a powerful voting bloc. “We will not compromise with the interests of our farmers, our dairy sector, our fishermen,” Modi said during a speech at a conference in New Delhi, his remarks widely seen as his first public response to the tariffs. “I know I will have to pay a personal price for this, but I am ready for it,” he added, without giving further details. India has also refused to allow the import of genetically... -
Dawn - 13:20 Aug 07, 2025
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Thursday notified a decrease of Rs1.89 in the uniform tariff for the next three months. A notification dated August 7 and available with Dawn.com said that the authority “decided to allow the application of instant quarterly adjustments on the consumers of K-Electric as well, with the same applicability period. “Accordingly, the instant quarterly adjustment of negative Rs1.8881/kWh (per kilowatt hour) shall also be charged from the consumers of K-Electric except life line and prepaid consumers, to be recovered in a period of three months [from] August 2025 to October 2025.” Nepra stated that this discount will be applied to bills for the applicable period issued before the notification, adding that distribution companies (Discos) will comply with court orders. Meanwhile, Nepra also notified a negative fuel cost adjustment (FCA) of Rs0.78 per unit for consumers of all ex-Wapda distribution companies (XWDiscos) except for K-Electric (KE) in their bills... -
Dawn - 12:50 Aug 07, 2025
United States trade partners such as Switzerland, Brazil and India were still scrambling to get a better deal on Thursday as President Donald Trump’s higher tariff rates on imports from dozens of countries kicked in, raising the average US import duty to its highest in a century. The US Customs and Border Protection agency began collecting the higher tariffs of 10 per cent to 50pc at 12:01am EDT (09:01am PKT) after weeks of suspense over Trump’s final tariff rates and frantic negotiations with major trading partners that sought to lower them. The leaders of Brazil and India vowed not to be cowed by Trump’s hardline bargaining position, even while their negotiators sought a reprieve from the highest tariff levels. The new rates will test Trump’s strategy for shrinking US trade deficits without causing massive disruptions to global supply chains or provoking higher inflation and stiff retaliation from trading partners. After unveiling his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April, Trump has frequently modified his plan... -
Dawn - 12:43 Aug 07, 2025
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday issued a warning for heavy rain across Azad Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and advised citizens to stay alert. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. However, heavy downpours also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. In a post on X, the PMD said at 3:30pm that a “rain-bearing weather system” was forming in the Poonch, Bagh, Haveli and Sudhnoti areas of Kashmir. According to the post, the system was likely to cause “heavy rain with strong winds and thunderstorms” during the next 2-5 hours in the above-mentioned areas as well as Azad Kashmir’s Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Rawalakot, Bhimber, Mirpur and Neelum Valley. Other areas that could come under the rain spell were KP’s Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur and Kohistan, along with Murree, Galyat, and surrounding areas. The ... -
Dawn - 12:27 Aug 07, 2025
The National Assembly passed the Pakistan Land Port Authority Bill 2025 on Thursday to facilitate the movement of goods and people across border crossing points. With the bill’s approval, Pakistan would become the third South Asian country, after Bangladesh and India, to have a land port authority. The Bangladesh Land Port Authority was created in 2002, while India did so in March 2012. “The House discussed and passed the Pakistan Land Port Authority Bill, 2025,” the NA’s official X account said. The bill was moved by Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry on behalf of Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi. Once approved by the Senate and signed by President Asif Ali Zardari, the bill will establish the Pakistan Land Port Authority, which would function as a statutory body responsible for inter-agency coordination to facilitate the movement of goods and people across border crossing points. As MNA Ali Zahid, who was chairing the session, ordered the clause-by-clause reading of the bill, PPP’s Syed Navee... -
Dawn - 12:20 Aug 07, 2025
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) maintained its record-setting spree for a fifth consecutive session as it gained over 550 points on Thursday. The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 992.53 points (0.68 per cent) to reach an intraday high of 146,081.02 points at 12:37pm, from the previous close of 145,088.49 points. However, the shares soon declined slightly, standing at 145,613.09 points at 3:09pm, gaining 524.60 points (0.36pc) from yesterday. Witnessing fluctuations throughout the day, the index finally closed at 145,647.13 points, gaining 558.64 (0.39pc) from yesterday. Awais Ashraf, research director at AKD Securities, told Dawn.com: “Investor interest in companies posting strong corporate results or anticipated to report robust profitability has propelled the index to a new record high. “Additionally, the recent imposition of an additional 25pc tariff on India has further bolstered market sentiment,” he added, referring to the United States’ recent levy on New Delhi, which will raise duties on some Indian ... -
Dawn - 11:27 Aug 07, 2025
The Kremlin said on Thursday that a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was set for the “coming days”, with the two sides already having agreed the venue “in principle”. The summit would be the first between sitting United States and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, and comes as Trump seeks to broker an end to Russia’s military assault on Ukraine. Three rounds of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv have failed to yield any progress towards a ceasefire, with the two sides appearing far apart in their demands to end the more than three-year-long conflict. Trump said on Wednesday he was likely to meet Putin face-to-face “very soon”. “At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement has been reached in principle to hold a bilateral summit in the coming days,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying on Thursday by Russian state news agencies. “We are now starting to work out the details together with our American colleagues,” Ushakov said. The K... -
Dawn - 11:17 Aug 07, 2025
Two people were killed while 20 others were injured in a bomb blast targeting a police vehicle in the Wana tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower South Waziristan district on Thursday. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks, especially in KP and Balochistan, predominantly targeting the police, law enforcement agencies’ personnel, and security forces. Attacks increased after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022. “The blast was caused by a remote-controlled explosive device planted near a police vehicle [in the Rustam Bazaar],” Deputy Superintendent of Police Imranullah was quoted as saying by the Associated Press of Pakistan. Data from the incident report from the Wana District Headquarters Hospital showed two dead with 12 people with major injuries and eight with minor injuries. A list of casualties issued by South Waziristan police spokesperson Anayat Khan identified two wounded policemen as Zubair Salaam Khan from the district’s Dabko... -
Dawn - 10:46 Aug 07, 2025
The Pakistan Navy and the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on Thursday seized about 1,250 kilogrammes of illicit drugs worth $38 million from smugglers near Balochistan’s Pasni coast, the navy’s media wing said. The navy and ANF have previously worked in several intelligence-based joint operations to counter unlawful activities along the coast. “The value of the seized consignment in the international market is approximately $38 million,” a press release from the navy said. “The consignment was being smuggled via the Arabian Sea to international destinations.” It added that the seized items, comprising 1,100kg of hashish, 50kg of crystal meth, and 100kg of heroin, have been handed over to the ANF for further legal proceedings. “This successful operation by the Pakistan Navy and ANF, resulting in [the] seizure of a large quantity of drugs, is a testament to PN’s resolve to fight against illegal activities as a national obligation,” the statement said. “Pakistan Navy will continue to shoulder its responsibility to es... -
Dawn - 10:32 Aug 07, 2025
Thailand and Cambodia agreed Thursday to extend a shaky ceasefire deal that followed five days of deadly hostilities along their border last month. At least 43 people were killed in the conflict that ended last Tuesday, after a long-standing dispute over border temples boiled over into violence. A truce was brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim — chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc — after cajoling by United States President Donald Trump and a team of Chinese mediators. The deal dictated a ceasefire, followed by a meeting of rival regional commanders, before defence officials held three days of talks in Kuala Lumpur that concluded with a joint statement on Thursday. “Both sides agree to a ceasefire involving all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians and civilian objects and military objectives of either side, in all cases and all areas,” it said. “This agreement must not be violated under any circumstances.” In the first days of the truce, both Tha... -
Dawn - 09:50 Aug 07, 2025
Four workers trapped 900 feet underground in a Swat emerald mine were rescued during an operation, Rescue 1122 said on Thursday. On Wednesday evening, a major rescue operation was launched after a section of the emerald mine collapsed, trapping multiple workers underground. According to initial reports by Rescue 1122 Swat, the mine caved in suddenly during extraction activity. “Rescue 1122 medical teams are providing immediate medical assistance to the rescued workers,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi told Dawn.com. “The operation continued for several hours after the mine collapsed, in which more than 40 personnel participated.” The rescue operation was led by District Emergency Officer Swat Rafiullah Marwat, as per Faizi. “The trained personnel and modern equipment of Rescue 1122 made the operation successful,” Faizi said. Meanwhile, the army was also involved in the rescue operation, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. “As soon as the incident was reported, Pakistan Army teams were immediatel... -
Dawn - 09:44 Aug 07, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday refuted rumours circulating on social media that he had stepped down from his position following a controversy. Asif clarified the matter after an X user named Zubair Ali Khan, in a series of posts on the platform late Wednesday night, alleged that the defence minister had handed in his resignation over a controversy but had withdrawn it and was now unreachable. Replying to the post that levelled the allegations against him, Asif wrote: “With apologies, this gentleman has written his wishes in this tweet. Not reality.” He shared a screenshot of the post thread, edited with a red stamp marking it as “FAKE”. The X user, a former journalist, had alleged that the minister resigned due to “intensified controversy regarding the arrest of the additional deputy commissioner revenue (ADCR) of Sialkot a few days ago on charges of alleged financial corruption”. “In the resignation sent to Dr Tauqeer Shah, advisor to the prime minister’s office, Khawaja Asif stated that either th... -
Dawn - 07:15 Aug 07, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday showed its concern over registration of cases against journalists under the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and called for urgent action to address growing concerns of media persons regarding FIRs and arrests of journalists. The Senate committee headed by ruling PTI’s Ali Zafar issued the directives after it was informed by the Ministry of Interior that 689 cases had been registered under the Peca law throughout the country, including nine FIRs [First Information Report] registered against journalists. According to an official handout, the committee received a detailed briefing from officials of the information and interior ministries regarding the number and nature of cases registered under Peca since its passage from the parliament in January, with a special focus on journalists, media professionals, digital content creators, and social media activists. The committee was further informed that only ... -
Dawn - 06:51 Aug 07, 2025
BAJAUR: Life in several areas of the restive Lowi Mamund tehsil here has begun returning to normalcy following the postponement of a potential anti-terrorist operation due to talks between the Bajaur Aman Jirga and the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Residents told Dawn on Wednesday that the Jirga-TTP talks, which had been continuing for the last six days and were meant to convince terrorists to leave the region for Afghanistan, had not only led to the postponement of the Operation Sarbakaf planned by security forces in 16 Lowi Mamund areas but also helped normalise situation in many villages to some extent. They said the Laghari Bazar, a major commercial centre in the tehsil, reopened on Wednesday after remaining closed since July 29 due to the curfew imposed by the district administration in those areas for the launch of the Operation Sarbakaf to flush out terrorists, who were present in the region for several weeks. Attributing normalcy to the ongoing Jirga-TTP dialogue, the residents said they we... -
Dawn - 06:46 Aug 07, 2025
KARACHI: The government’s efforts to artificially bring down the dollar rate are faltering, with market forces pushing back against a Rs250 exchange rate target and foreign currencies reportedly vanishing from the open market. A crackdown on dollar smuggling launched on July 23 has led to a minor depreciation of around Rs3 in both the open and interbank markets. However, this has done little to bridge the gap between market sentiment and official expectations. The dollar continues to trade above Rs280, and a noticeable shortage has emerged. In recent meetings held in Islamabad with banks, currency dealers, and jewellers, authorities reportedly reiterated their desire to bring the dollar down to Rs250. However, participants in the meetings described the target as unrealistic. Some bankers estimate the real market parity to be closer to Rs281. Currency dealers say major foreign currencies — including the US dollar, British pound, and euro — are largely unavailable. “You might find a few hundred dollars at some ... -
Dawn - 05:51 Aug 07, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Although the government managed to secure parliamentary approval for an ordinance promulgated to satisfy Maulana Fazlur Rehman and a group of seminary boards, their registration may be hampered by the fact that the law only applies to the capital territory. During Wednesday’s proceedings, the National Assembly passed the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act 2025, allowing religious seminaries to get registered with the authority of their choice — the federal education ministry’s Directorate General of Religious Education (DGRE), or their relevant DC office under the Societies Act 1860. The new amendment is an addition in section 21-(C) of the law, allowing religious seminaries to choose which body they want to register themselves with. It has already been approved by the Senate. The law became a bone of contention between the JUI-F and the ruling coalition after President Asif Ali Zardari reportedly withheld presidential assent on the bill last year. The bill sailed through the Senate on Oct ... -
Dawn - 04:26 Aug 07, 2025
WASHINGTON: Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir is expected in the US this week for consultations with his American counterparts, official sources told Dawn. Sources said this would be a return visit, following a trip to Pakistan by Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), in late July. In a press statement issued on Aug 4, CENTCOM recalled Gen Kurilla’s recent visit to Pakistan and other countries in the region. During the visit, Gen Kurilla was also conferred the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) by the Pakistani government. Field Marshal Munir previously visited Washington in June, when he was hosted by President Donald Trump for lunch at the White House — an unprecedented gesture typically reserved for visiting heads of state or government. There was no official word on the visit from Inter- Services Public Relations or Pakistan’s embassy in Washington, but during his previous, the army chief had hinted that he expected to return to the US again later in the year. The ...
7447 items