Dawn
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Dawn - 08:03 Aug 06, 2025
Military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has rubbished rumours of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir becoming the president. His statement follows a similar rebuttal by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi early in July, when he clarified that no idea existed “about the president being asked to resign or the COAS aspiring to assume the presidency”. Gen Chaudhry, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general, told The Economist that “talk of his boss becoming president is ‘nonsense’”. The Economist noted that COAS Munir’s popularity has surged since the May conflict with India. It added that the ruling coalition’s recently acquired two-thirds majority in the parliament needed for a Constitutional Amendment “ignited rumours that the army chief could become president too”. The government, as well as the military, have repeatedly warned about “fake news and propaganda” proliferating on social media, with Gen Chaudhry saying that not enough was being done against “digital terrori... -
Dawn - 07:15 Aug 06, 2025
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal stressed Pakistan’s interest in benefitting from China’s technological progress for the development of electric vehicles (EVs), state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday. Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership rooted in mutual trust, economic cooperation and regional connectivity. Over the decades, ties have expanded across different sectors — including trade, energy, defence and infrastructure — with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) symbolising a shared vision for development. Speaking to the media in Beijing during an official visit, the planning and development minister expressed Pakistan’s “desire to benefit from Chinese technological advancements”, according to Radio Pakistan. This includes the development of next-generation batteries, such as sodium-ion batteries, which offer advantages over traditional lithium technology. Iqbal also reaffirmed Pakistan’s interest in developing the EV sector in partnership with China, noting electric v... -
Dawn - 06:35 Aug 06, 2025
The Indian army brought in sniffer dogs, drones and heavy earth-moving equipment on Wednesday to search for scores missing a day after a deadly Himalayan flash flood. At least four people were killed and around 100 are unaccounted for — including 11 soldiers — after a wall of muddy water and debris tore down a narrow mountain valley, smashing into the town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state. “Additional army columns, along with army tracker dogs, drones, logistic drones, earthmoving equipment etc, have been moved… to hasten the efforts”, the army said today. Military helicopters were working to bring in “essential supplies, medicines and (for the) evacuation of the marooned”, it added. Uttarakhand State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the flood was caused by an intense “cloudburst” of rain, and that rescue teams had been deployed “on a war footing”. Videos broadcast on Indian media showed a terrifying surge of muddy water sweeping away multi-storey apartment blocks in the tourist region on Tuesday aftern... -
Dawn - 06:11 Aug 06, 2025
KHYBER: The leaders of banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) agreed on Tuesday that they would not use civilians as a human shield in their armed struggle against security forces, nor would they extort money from anyone in the name of Zakat and Ushr in the restive Tirah valley of Khyber tribal district. Written in Pastho on the letterhead of TTP and duly stamped by its ‘supreme council’ (Rahbari Shura), a Bar Qambarkhel elder read out the five-point agreement in front of a gathering of local tribesmen in response to their demand for ending hostilities against ordinary tribesmen and a pullout from Tirah to restore peace. There was, however, no mention of a pullout from Tirah in the agreement inked between local elders and TTP. The leaders banned TTP vowed to continue their armed resistance against security forces and also punish those, who supported forces or found guilty of spying against them. “Our sole purpose is an armed struggle (jihad) against anti-Islam forces and their collaborators for which we desp... -
Dawn - 18:57 Aug 05, 2025
Property tycoon Malik Riaz on Tuesday called for “dialogue and a dignified solution” amidst Bahria Town’s legal troubles. His appeal comes as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) reserved its verdict on petitions against the proposed auction of Bahria Town properties. The assets were attached in connection with a plea bargain agreement reached in the £190 million case. The development adds on to the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) previous actions against Riaz, who owns Bahria Town and is an absconder in the Al-Qadir Trust case. NAB had said last month that the tycoon and his son Ali Riaz had entered into a plea bargain in the 190 million pounds case, but failed to pay the agreed amount. As a result, NAB had sought details of several properties, which were to be auctioned to recover the amount under Section 33E of NAB Ordinance, 1999. In 2019, the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom had agreed to a settlement worth £190 million with Riaz’s family. Earlier that year, the Supreme Court had accep... -
Dawn - 17:53 Aug 05, 2025
Police detain PTI activists in Lahore, Karachi amid protests marking 2 years of Imran’s imprisonment
Police personnel detained PTI protesters in Lahore and Karachi on Tuesday after party activists took to the streets to officially kick off a nationwide movement for the release of ex-premier Imran Khan, who has been in jail for two years now. Imran, imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023 in a case related to state gifts, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials in alleged terrorism cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots. Imran had issued a nationwide protest call, with a statement attributed to him saying that the “movement that begins on August 5 will continue until democracy is restored in its true spirit”. According to PTI leader Asad Qaiser, August 5 was the inception of the protest, but it should not be considered a “final call”. Lahore Deputy Inspector General (operations) Faisal Kamran told Dawn.com: “More than 30 PTI activists trying to block roads in different areas of the city were taken into custody.” He denied reports of the police arresting hu... -
Dawn - 17:11 Aug 05, 2025
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday disqualified the Senate and National Assembly opposition leaders, Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza and other PTI lawmakers following their convictions in cases related to the May 9 riots. On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting the party founder Imran Khan’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad last week sentenced over 100 leaders and workers of the PTI, including several key opposition figures, to jail terms of up to 10 years in connection with the May 9 riots. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, Opposition Leader in the Senate Shibli Faraz, MNA Zartaj Gul, Raza, Sheikh Rashid Shafique (nephew of former interior minister Sheikh Rashid), Kanwal Shauzab, Fara... -
Dawn - 16:42 Aug 05, 2025
State broadcaster Pakistan Television on Tuesday announced that it had secured domestic broadcasting rights to all Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events from 2025 to 2027. “PTV Sports proudly announces the acquisition of television rights in Pakistan for all ACC events from 2025 to 2027!” it said in a post on Instagram. It said the events included in the package were the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 and 2027, Women’s Asia Cup 2026 and the U19 and Emerging Asia Cup tournaments. View this post on Instagram The Men’s Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from September 9 to 28 at its new venue — the United Arab Emirates — where it was shifted from original hosts India, due to Pakistan-India political tensions and also due to strains between India and Bangladesh. Dawn previously learnt that this year’s Asia Cup was facing a fresh challenge from the broadcaster. A highly exorbitant rate set for Pakistan’s region by the official broadcaster of the Asia Cup based in India, plus the uncertainty prevailing over the pinnacle clash of ... -
Dawn - 15:52 Aug 05, 2025
Bangladesh will hold elections in February 2026, interim leader Muhammad Yunus said on Tuesday, the first polls since a mass uprising overthrew the government last year. “On behalf of the interim government, I will write a letter to the chief election commissioner requesting that the election be arranged before Ramazan in February 2026,” Yunus said in a broadcast on the one-year anniversary of the ousting of ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Nobel Peace Prize winner Yunus, 85, is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections, and has said he will step down after the vote. “We will step into the final and most important phase after delivering this speech to you, and that is the transfer of power to an elected government,” he said. Yunus had earlier said elections would be held in April, but key political parties have been demanding he hold them earlier and before the month of Ramazan. “I urge you all to pray for us so that we can hold a fair and smooth election, enabling all citizens to ... -
Dawn - 15:09 Aug 05, 2025
A mother of seven children was shot dead allegedly by her husband in an ‘honour’ killing case in Chakiwara area of Lyari on Tuesday, according to police. “Bakhtawar, 40, was shot and killed by her husband at Miranaka [in Chakiwara, Lyari],” Chakiwara Station House Officer (SHO) Sajid Dharejo told Dawn.com. “The husband was arrested, and the pistol used in the murder was recovered,” he added. The police official said that the woman was asleep inside their home near Koyla Godam, Street-7, at around 1:30am when the suspect fired four shots. She sustained three bullet wounds and died on the spot. “The murder appears to be an outcome of ‘honour’ killing,” Dharejo continued. During the initial probe, the arrested man told the police that his wife used to talk with a man on her cell phone. He had warned her not to do it, but she did not give any heed to his warning, the husband claimed. The SHO said the husband is a labourer and hailed from Mansehra. The body of the victim was shifted to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital ... -
Dawn - 15:04 Aug 05, 2025
A United States Coast Guard investigative board concluded on Tuesday that the “inadequate design” of the Titan submersible was a primary contributing factor in its implosion in 2023 that left five people dead. The Titan was on a tourist expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic — a British passenger liner that sank in 1912, killing at least 1,500 on board — when it lost contact with its support vessel during descent. Its remains were found four days later, littering the seabed about 488 metres from the bow of the Titanic wreck. The implosion was preventable, the chair of the US Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation, Jason Neubauer, said as a 300-page report was released following a two-year probe. “There is a need for stronger oversight and clear options for operators who are exploring new concepts outside of the existing regulatory framework,” he said in a statement. A media spokesperson at OceanGate, the US-based company that managed the tourist submersible and suspended all operations after the inciden... -
Dawn - 14:20 Aug 05, 2025
Surging floodwaters and a torrent of mud swept through a village in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, killing at least four people while more than 50 others were missing, authorities and local TV channels said on Tuesday. Teams from the army and disaster response forces had reached the area, local authorities said, with workers trying to rescue people trapped under debris and sludge. TV news channels showed floodwaters and mud surging down a mountain and crashing into the village, sweeping away houses and roads as people ran for their lives. The mudslide cleaved through Dharali village, burying some houses, according to a video update shared by the state chief minister’s office. Four people were killed and many more had been rescued so far, Uttarkashi district administrator Prashant Arya told local media. “A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the Kheer Gad area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement,” the Central Command of the Indian Army sa... -
Dawn - 14:09 Aug 05, 2025
The Gates Foundation announced on Monday it will invest $2.5 billion in women’s health globally by 2030, with Pakistan among the countries set to benefit from work in maternal health, nutrition, contraception, and related areas. Research and development (R&D) in women’s health remains chronically underfunded worldwide, with limited investment in areas like gynaecological and menstrual health, obstetric care, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and maternal nutrition, the foundation said in a statement. Citing a 2021 McKinsey & Company analysis, it said just one per cent of healthcare R&D targets female-specific conditions beyond cancer. Common issues like preeclampsia, endometriosis, and menopause remain largely overlooked despite affecting hundreds of millions. “Investing in women’s health has a lasting impact across generations. It leads to healthier families, stronger economies, and a more just world,” said Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation. “Yet women’s health continues to be ignored, ... -
Dawn - 13:38 Aug 05, 2025
The Gilgit-Chitral road, which was submerged in the flood in the Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, has not been restored even after five days, officials confirmed on Tuesday. Pakistan has been grappling with severe flooding caused by cloudbursts, glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) and intense monsoon rains since June. These extreme weather events have resulted in several deaths and injuries across the country, with the GB region among the hardest hit. “Five days ago, heavy stones and debris accumulated in the river due to the flood at Gopis Khatam, which diverted the river towards the Gilgit-Chitral road, from which the road is now submerged for 2,000 feet,” said Ghufranullah Baig, the deputy director of Disaster Management Authority in GB’s Ghizer district. “Due to this situation, inter-provincial land connectivity between GB and Chitral regions has been cut off,” he added. He said that due to the difficulty of accessing the hard rock and debris on the road, the road could not be restored immediately. “... -
Dawn - 13:22 Aug 05, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed India’s occupation of Kashmir the “defining conflict” of South Asia as Pakistan marked six years on Tuesday since New Delhi deprived the held region of its special autonomy. Pakistan is observing Youm-i-Istehsal (Exploitation Day) today to mark the sixth anniversary of India revoking Kashmir’s special autonomy and to show solidarity with Kashmiris. On Aug 5, 2019, India’s Narendra Modi-led government stripped the Muslim-majority territory of its special status by repealing Article 370 of the constitution, splitting the former state into two territories directly ruled by New Delhi. “India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir remained the defining conflict of the South Asia region, and the driver of India’s continued rogue behaviour,” PM Shehbaz said in a statement. The premier also recalled the recent India-Pakistan conflict, noting: “India’s unprovoked aggression against Pakistan in May 2025, and its swift and comprehensive military defeat are only the latest evidence... -
Dawn - 13:09 Aug 05, 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would increase the tariff charged on imports from India from the current rate of 25 per cent “very substantially” over the next 24 hours, given India’s continued purchases of Russian oil. “India has not been a good trading partner, because they do a lot of business with us, but we don’t do business with them. So we settled on 25pc but I think I’m going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours, because they’re buying Russian oil,” he told CNBC in a televised interview. “They’re fuelling the war machine, and if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy,” Trump said, adding that the main sticking point with India was that its tariffs were too high. He did not provide a new tariff rate for India. Trump last week said he would impose a 25pc tariff on goods imported from India and added that the world’s fifth-largest economy would also face an unspecified penalty, but gave no details. Later, Trump mounted a sharp attack and said:... -
Dawn - 12:58 Aug 05, 2025
The Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) and a Chinese company agreed to boost investments at the port, the maritime affairs ministry said on Tuesday. Pakistan recently increased efforts on the commercialisation of the Gwadar Port, which was built more than a decade ago but remains a non-starter. In January, the government sought the private sector’s support in routing their cargoes through the port, seeking detailed proposals to enhance trade. “China’s Xinning Enterprise have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Gwadar Port Authority to stimulate major industrial and commercial investments at Gwadar Port and its Free Zone, underscoring Gwadar’s growing role as a key regional hub for trade and economic activity,” the maritime affairs ministry said in a press release today. The ministry said that the LoI, which outlines plans for diverse ventures, was signed between Xinning Enterprise’s Yi Jiang and maritime affairs ministry’s additional secretary Umer Zaffar Shaikh, while GPA Chairman Noorul Haq Baloch attended the ev... -
Dawn - 12:54 Aug 05, 2025
A roof collapse due to heavy rains killed a 17-year-old girl and injured three other family members in Punjab’s Rawalpindi district in the early hours of Tuesday morning, rescue officials said. Starting in late June, monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across the country by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. Roof collapses are a particularly common occurrence due to a large number of mud houses that are unable to withstand the heavy downpour. According to Rescue 1122, the roof collapse occurred on Daultala Road of Gujar Khan tehsil. A neighbour of the family reported that the side walls of their house collapsed and the roof caved in at about 1:30am while they were sleeping. According to the neighbour, “all the people in the neighbourhood rushed to the rescue” upon getting the information. The victims were pulled out of the rubble and taken to the hospital. Rescue 1122 District Emergency Officer Muhammad Sibghtullah said t... -
Dawn - 12:48 Aug 05, 2025
The Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) issued an alert this week, warning against an ongoing scam aiming to compromise WhatsApp accounts via fake calls requesting a code. WhatsApp is an especially widely used messaging service across Pakistan, with the World Population Review reporting about 52 million Pakistani users of the platform in 2024 — the seventh-largest number in the world by population. Its use has even been advocated in the legal sector for greater efficiency. However, rising digital scams threaten users’ data security and can cause accounts to be compromised. According to the alert, DRF — a not-for-profit organisation based in Pakistan that has been working on digital rights freedoms since 2013 — received “multiple reports of an ongoing scam to hack WhatsApp accounts”. “Victims receive calls from delivery riders, or from individuals pretending to be from the HEC (Higher Education Commission), and are prompted to share a code that compromises their WhatsApp,” the alert said. Infographics provided by ... -
Dawn - 12:29 Aug 05, 2025
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Naveed Ashraf was conferred Turkiye’s highest military award — titled Legion of Merit of the Turkish Armed Forces — for his efforts towards “defence and maritime cooperation” between the two nations, the Pakistan Navy said on Tuesday. Pakistani armed forces routinely conduct joint military exercises with other nations to increase combat readiness and identify problems in logistics, training, and current military doctrine. Pakistan Navy, in its statement, said the commander of Turkish Navy, Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu, “presented [the] award to Adm Naveed Ashraf in recognition of his efforts to strengthen defence & maritime coop b/w the two countries”. The award ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Turkish Naval Forces, where he was also given a guard of honour. Pakistan’s naval chief called upon Turkiye’s Defence Minister Yasar Guler, Chief of General Staff Metin Gurak, and the Commander of the Turkish Navy Fleet, Admiral Kadir Yildiz. The two sides discussed coll...
7447 items