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Dawn - 07:25 Mar 28, 2026
The federal government has formed a task force to revamp the legal wings of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The purpose of the task force is to reform, revamp, and strengthen FBR’s revenue litigation framework at all levels, including initial adjudication by the tax department, commissioner/collector appeals, Appellate Tribunals Inland Revenue and Customs, high courts, Supreme Court, and the Federal Constitutional Court. The high-level task force was constituted by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and is aimed at examining and overhauling FBR’s legal wings. The task force was set up after the federal government’s recognition of growing concerns over persistent gaps in litigation management that have hindered effective representation and enforcement of tax and customs laws. The task force will be presided over by Shad Mohammad and includes senior legal and operational officials from FBR, the CEO of Pakistan Single Window, technical advisors, representatives of the Attorney General’s Office, and the eminen... -
Dawn - 07:18 Mar 28, 2026
India has approved defence purchases worth about $25 billion, the defence ministry said, including additional Russian-made S-400 long-range missile systems. The approvals were given by the Defence Acquisition Council, led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, according to a statement issued late on Friday. The ministry said it has cleared 55 proposals worth 6.73 trillion Indian rupees ($71bn) in the 2025-26 financial year so far. It has also signed capital procurement contracts worth 2.28tr Indian rupees ($25bn), the highest in a single fiscal year. For the air force, the approved items include new medium transport aircraft to replace old AN-32 and IL-76 planes, additional S-400 air defence systems, drones and upgrades to Su-30 fighter jet engines. Although India has expanded defence purchases from the United States, France and Israel in recent years, the new S-400 orders and Su-30 upgrades indicate that Russia remains an important defence supplier. The S-400 system will “counter enemy long-range air” threats, w... -
Dawn - 06:56 Mar 28, 2026
PARIS: Scientists have managed to film a spectacular event rarely witnessed by humans: a sperm whale giving birth while other females worked together to support the mother and her newborn. A team from Project CETI, an international effort seeking to understand how whales communicate, were in a boat near a pod of 11 whales off the coast of the Caribbean island of Dominica on July 8, 2023. Rounder, a 19-year-old female, was surrounded by family members and others as she was about to give birth to her second calf. Over nearly five and a half hours, the scientists documented the group’s behaviour, watching them from the boat, filming them with drones and recording the sounds underneath the waves. The data they collected, which was published in the journals Scientific Reports and Science on Thursday, represent an exceptional rarity in the history of science. Out of 93 species of cetaceans — a group that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises — only nine have ever been observed giving birth in the wild. Rarer stil... -
Dawn - 06:40 Mar 28, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday announced that it had reached a staff level agreement (SLA) for disbursement of about $1.2 billion on successful conclusion on the third review under Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The Fund tacitly endorsed Islamabad’s fuel pricing policy in the wake of Middle East crisis. It said program implementation by Pakistan under the EFF remained broadly aligned with the authorities’ objectives to strengthen public finances, ensure inflation remains durably within the State Bank of Pakistan’s target range; advance reforms to improve the viability of the energy sector; and deepen structural reforms, while strengthening social protection and rebuilding health and education spending. The authorities’ climate reform agenda, backed by the RSF, is progressing, and the authorities remain committed to implementing comprehensive reforms and policies that enhance resilience and redu... -
Dawn - 06:31 Mar 28, 2026
WASHINGTON: Democrats on the United States House Armed Services Committee have called for an immediate public hearing on President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, pressing the Pentagon to testify publicly as concerns mount over strategy, transparency, and the mounting human and economic costs of the conflict. In a letter led by Ranking Member Adam Smith and signed by every Democratic member of the committee, the lawmakers urged Chairman Mike Rogers to convene a separate hearing on the conflict, apart from routine budget and posture hearings, and to require the Department of War to explain its objectives, operational plans, and costs. The Democrats noted that the war has already resulted in the deaths of 13 US service members and 290 wounded, along with more than a thousand civilian deaths. They expressed concern about the lack of clarity on possible US ground operations, shifting strategic and operational objectives, and reports that the administration intends to request a $200 billion supplemental budget fo... -
Dawn - 06:07 Mar 28, 2026
Tiger Woods was arrested and charged with driving under the influence on Friday after a rollover crash near his Florida home, authorities said, as the 15-time major champion’s golf career veered into fresh turmoil. Woods, 50, escaped injury but was detained after his vehicle clipped a truck while attempting to overtake on a residential road on Jupiter Island, flipping onto its side before sliding to a stop. Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Woods — who was arrested for driving under the influence in 2017 — showed signs of “impairment”, although he passed a breathalyser test. “When it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused, and so he’s been charged with DUI, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test in the crash,” Budensiek said. In line with Florida DUI laws, Woods was detained at the county jail for eight hours and was photographed departing the facility in a car late on Friday. A booking photo showed a red-eyed, stubbly-chinned Woods when he arrived at the jail a... -
Dawn - 03:25 Mar 28, 2026
ISLAMABAD: As maritime trade becomes more uncertain due to the Gulf crisis, Pakistan has permitted exporters to continue shipping food and pharmaceutical products to Iran via land routes without using mandatory banking instruments. Simultaneously, the federal government has permitted the export of rice to Central Asian Republics and Azerbaijan via the land route through Iran. The decision was communicated to customs field formations through an official message issued by the commerce ministry. According to the decision, the government has permitted the export of 10 food items to Iran via land route without the need for financial instruments. These items include rice, seafood, potatoes, meat, onions, maize, citrus fruits, bananas, tomatoes, and frozen chicken. Two other non-food items are pharmaceutical products and tents. Exemptions will be granted to exporters for the export of these items to Iran for three months — from March 24 to June 21. The exemption also covers rice exports routed through Iran’s land co... -
Dawn - 02:26 Mar 28, 2026
• Punjab, Sindh favour passing global oil prices to consumers • National leadership dialogue planned on March 30-31 • Petrol, diesel consumption rises amid price freeze • Targeted subsidy proposed with 20-litre monthly cap for bikers • Contingency plans include rationing, lockdowns, reduced workdays • KP opposes lockdown, warns of impact on daily wage earners ISLAMABAD: Amid provincial reluctance to shoulder the fuel subsidy burden and growing calls to pass on rising international petroleum prices to consumers, a national leadership dialogue is being arranged early next week to develop an “all-inclusive” agenda on austerity and energy conservation. Background discussions with key stakeholders suggest the provinces expressed their inability on Friday to contribute about Rs200 billion sought by the Ministry of Finance to shield consumers across the country from further hikes in petroleum prices. Both Punjab and Sindh — the two largest provinces supposed to share more than Rs102bn and about Rs60bn, respectively ... -
Dawn - 21:49 Mar 27, 2026
The United States can only determine with certainty that it has destroyed about a third of Iran’s vast missile arsenal as the US and Israeli war on the country nears its one-month mark, according to five people familiar with the US intelligence. The status of around another third is less clear but bombings likely damaged, destroyed or buried those missiles in underground tunnels and bunkers, four of the sources said. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the information. One of the sources said the intelligence was similar for Iran’s drone capability, saying there was some degree of certainty about a third having been destroyed. The assessment shows that while most of Iran’s missiles are either destroyed or inaccessible, Tehran still has a significant missile inventory and may be able to recover some buried or damaged missiles once fighting stops. The intelligence stands in contrast to President Donald Trump’s public remarks on Thursday that Iran had “very few rockets le... -
Dawn - 21:27 Mar 27, 2026
The war in the Gulf is still expected to last weeks, not months, and Washington can meet all its objectives without using ground troops, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday. Rubio told reporters after meeting G7 counterparts in France that Washington was “on or ahead of schedule in that operation, and expect to conclude it at the appropriate time here — a matter of weeks, not months.” While he said Washington could achieve its aims without ground troops, he acknowledged that it was deploying some to the region “to give the president maximum optionality and maximum opportunity to adjust the contingencies, should they emerge”. Washington has dispatched two contingents of thousands of Marines to the region, the first of which is due to arrive around the end of March aboard a huge amphibious assault ship. The Pentagon is also expected to deploy thousands of elite airborne soldiers. The deployments have raised concern that an air war that has already disrupted global energy supplies could turn into a ... -
Dawn - 19:01 Mar 27, 2026
Iran’s men’s national football team wore black armbands and held schoolbags as their anthem played ahead of a match in Turkey on Friday, in what a team official said was a protest over the killing of schoolgirls on the first day of the Iran war. Iran were playing a friendly against Nigeria in the Mediterranean resort town of Belek ahead of the World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada, at which their participation is in doubt due to the conflict. Iran players line up before the match as school bags are laid in memory of the victims of the girls school bombing in Minab, Iran, March 27, 2026. — Reuters The men lined up holding pink and purple bags with ribbons on them — a reference to the attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh School that Tehran says killed more than 175 people, including children and teachers, on the first day of joint US-Israeli strikes on the country. Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, a vice president of the Iranian football federation, told Reuters that the players had decided to stage the protest as a symb... -
Dawn - 18:34 Mar 27, 2026
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a show-cause notice to fast bowler Naseem Shah for “violating the terms of [his] central contract as well as the media policy and regulations”, according to a press release. The press release, issued by the PCB on Friday, said that the show-cause notice to Naseem, who also plays for the Pakistan Super League team Rawalpindiz, had been served in accordance with the board’s disciplinary framework. “Naseem Shah is required to provide a response within the stipulated time,” the press release said, without specifying the date by when Naseem was required to submit his response. It added that upon receipt and review of Naseem’s response, the PCB would “decide on any further action in line with the regulations”. “The PCB remains committed to upholding professional standards, contractual obligations, and the integrity of the game,” the press release read. While the press release did not specify the exact violations or the events that led to the issuance of a show-cause notic... -
Dawn - 17:33 Mar 27, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Friday that he had rejected another recommendation for an increase in the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD). He made the announcement during an address to the nation, saying that he had been recommended to approve an increase of Rs95 per litre in the price of petrol and Rs203 per litre in that of HSD. “However, I have rejected it,” he said. The announcement comes a week after he said he rejected an increase of Rs76 per litre in the price of petrol Rs177 per litre in that of HSD. In the same instance, the premier had also said that he had rejected a similar recommendation earlier as well, following a hike in oil prices in the international market on March 13. The developments take place amid a global fuel crisis resulting from the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28. The government announced unprecedented austerity measures on March 9 and also hiked petroleum products’ prices earlier this month in the first steps to deal with the situation. M... -
Dawn - 17:20 Mar 27, 2026
Iran-linked hackers on Friday claimed they had accessed FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email inbox, publishing photographs of the director and other documents to the internet. On their website, the hacker group Handala Hack Team said Patel “will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims”. The hackers published a series of personal photographs of Patel sniffing and smoking cigars, riding in an antique convertible, and making a face while taking a picture of himself in the mirror with a large bottle of rum. A Justice Department official confirmed that Patel’s email had been breached and said the material published online appeared authentic. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The hackers did not immediately respond to messages. Handala, which calls itself a group of pro-Palestinian vigilante hackers, is considered by Western researchers to be one of several personas used by Iranian government cyberintelligence units. Handala recently claimed the hack of Michig... -
Dawn - 15:23 Mar 27, 2026
KARACHI: A judicial magistrate in Karachi handed down a collective sentence of nine years to a man after finding him guilty of sharing sexually explicit videos and pictures of a woman with her in-laws on a WhatsApp group, it emerged on Friday. Judicial Magistrate (East) Gulraiz Memon sentenced the convict, Ammad Husain, on three counts in the case that was registered with the Federal Investigation Agency’s cybercrime wing under Section 20 (dignity of natural persons), 21 (modesty of natural persons or minor), 24 (cyberstalking) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. Husain was handed a three-year prison sentence for each count, and all three sentences will run concurrently. The court also fined him a total of Rs135000 and directed him to pay another Rs1 million to the victim in compensation. In case of failure to pay the fine or the compensation, he will have to serve additional imprisonment. In his judgement, Judicial Magistrate Memon observed regarding the motive of the crime that upon the victim... -
Dawn - 14:57 Mar 27, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Centre and the provinces on Friday agreed to immediately roll out a mobile application-based quota system for the provision of fuel for two- and three-wheelers to ensure a targeted subsidy for the low-income strata and minimise the leakage of public money into untargeted avenues. “The participants agreed to expedite efforts to finalise a targeted subsidy framework using technological solutions, while ensuring continued coordination between the federal and provincial governments”, the Ministry of Finance said after a consultative meeting on the subject with the provinces. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who presided over a high-level consultative meeting on the petroleum products situation, also highlighted the need to “promote responsible consumption behaviour and ensure that policy responses remain fiscally prudent while maximising relief for the public”, the statement added. The meeting was also attended by officials from the provincial governments. The meeting commenced with a detailed ... -
Dawn - 14:40 Mar 27, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that expanding the scope of the Roshan Digital Account (RDA) scheme to foreign investors would further strengthen Pakistan as “an attractive investment destination” and would expand financial markets, according to a handout from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). It should be mentioned that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on March 16 had announced the government’s move to expand the scheme. According to the PMO handout issued on Friday, the government, on the directives of PM Shehbaz, had decided to expand the scope of the RDA. Foreign nationals, companies, and institutional investors would be allowed to invest in Roshan Digital Accounts and in government securities, including Naya Pakistan Certificates, it added. “This initiative reflects efforts to strengthen linkages with financial markets and promote foreign investment through a digital platform,” the handout said. It said that the overseas Pakistani community, comprising approximately 11 million people, wa... -
Dawn - 13:30 Mar 27, 2026
On the 28th day of the US-Israel war against Iran, US President Donald Trump’s decision to extend the “pause” on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure until April 6 created the appearance of a diplomatic opening; but in effect, it reflected an attempt to buy time amid rising military, economic and political pressures, while keeping escalation options firmly on the table. The extension, framed by Washington as a response to “ongoing talks,” has been rejected by Tehran as psychological signalling, with Iranian officials maintaining that no such request was made and reiterating their rejection of the US proposal. This difference in itself underscores the underlying reality that the pause is less about de-escalation and more about managing the pace of escalation, allowing the US and Israel to sustain pressure through other means while avoiding an immediate dive into full-scale energy warfare. On the battlefield, the conflict continued to operate at a high intensity. Iranian ballistic missile barrages and ... -
Dawn - 13:28 Mar 27, 2026
US paper currency will bear President Donald Trump’s signature starting this summer, the first time a sitting president has signed American money, the Treasury Department said on Thursday. The redesigned notes, planned to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, will also, for the first time in 165 years, drop the signature of the US treasurer, who reports to the Treasury Secretary and oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the US Mint and other Treasury functions. The first $100 bills with Trump’s signature and that of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be printed in June, followed by other bills in subsequent months. The new bills may take several weeks to circulate through banks. The Treasury is still producing notes bearing the signatures of former president Joe Biden’s Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, and former Treasurer Lynn Malerba. Malerba will be the last of an unbroken line of treasurers whose signatures have appeared on US federal currency since 1861, when the US g... -
Dawn - 12:54 Mar 27, 2026
Initiating peace talks in the war on Iran “is no easy task,” but it would be “conducive to restoring normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a call with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday. The two “agreed to jointly promote a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities and the resumption of peace talks, to ensure the safety of non-military targets and waterways,” according to a summary of the call released by the Chinese ministry. China supports Pakistan’s role as a mediator, Wang told Dar. Meanwhile, in a social media post on X, Dar said the two “reaffirmed the need to restore peace and stability in the Middle East and the wider region”. “We agreed to support all efforts aimed at ensuring an immediate end to hostilities, resumption of peace talks, protection of non-combatants, security of shipping lanes, and adherence to the United Nations Charter,” he said. “FM Wang Yi conveyed China’s appreciation and support to Pakistan for its o...
8986 items