Dawn
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Dawn - 04:39 Jul 31, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The business community has voiced serious concerns over the abrupt withdrawal of a promised Rs7.41 per unit electricity relief and the prolonged outage of the 969-megawatt Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP), warning of accelerating de-industrialisation. These grievances surfaced during a public hearing held by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), on the Central Power Purchasing Agency’s (CPPA) request for a Rs8.7bn refund — equal to 65 paise per unit — to consumers due to lower-than-expected fuel costs in June. Nepra members Amina Ahmed and Anwar Maqsood Khan presided over the session. Several industrialists, referencing a recent meeting with Field Marshal Asim Munir, lamented that the prime minister’s announcement in March of Rs7.41 per unit tariff relief was not time-bound, yet its impact had dwindled. The actual reduction now stands at just Rs1.15 per unit in base tariff terms. As a result, applicable power rates have surged from around Rs30 per unit to Rs34-35 from Jul... -
Dawn - 18:39 Jul 30, 2025
A formidable new radar satellite jointly developed by the United States and India launched on Wednesday, designed to track subtle changes in Earth’s land and ice surfaces and help predict both natural and human-caused hazards. Dubbed NISAR (Nasa-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), the pickup truck-sized spacecraft blasted off around 5:40pm (5:10pm PKT) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on India’s southeastern coast, riding an ISRO Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket. A livestream of the event showed excited schoolchildren brought to watch the launch and mission teams erupting in cheers and hugging. Highly anticipated by scientists, the mission has also been hailed by US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a milestone in growing cooperation between the two countries. “Congratulations India!” Dr Jitendra Singh, India’s science and technology minister, wrote on X, calling the mission a “game changer”. “Our planet’s surface undergoes constant and meaningful change,” Karen St... -
Dawn - 18:15 Jul 30, 2025
The Pakistani veterans team advanced into the World Championship of Legends (WCL) final on Wednesday after Indian players forfeited the semi-final scheduled for Thursday. The WCL is an international cricket league where retired, non-contracted international players return to competitive T20 cricket, according to the league’s website. The tournament commenced on July 18 and is being held in Birmingham, England. Earlier in the month, a group match between the two teams was also cancelled after Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, refused to play against Pakistan. In a statement posted on X today, WCL organisers announced: “Taking all factors into consideration, the match between the India Champions and the Pakistan Champions has been called off. As a result, Pakistan Champions will advance to the final.” The WCL said it respected the India Champions’ decision to withdraw from the semi-finals and “we equally respect the Pakistan Champions’ readiness to compete”. The league organisers added they believed in ... -
Dawn - 17:50 Jul 30, 2025
Thousands lined the streets of UK city Birmingham on Wednesday to pay an emotional farewell to hometown hero Ozzy Osbourne as the heavy metal hellraiser was laid to rest. Black Sabbath frontman Osbourne, who earned the nickname the “Prince of Darkness” and once bit a bat while on stage, died on July 22 at the age of 76. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019 and died 17 days after playing a final gig to a sold-out crowd in Birmingham. Osbourne’s funeral procession set off at around 1200 GMT (5pm PKT) on a route planned with the rocker’s family through the English city. Chants of “Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!” could be heard, with one fan crying out “we love you Ozzy!” as his coffin — sitting in a stately black Jaguar hearse topped with flower arrangements — and other vehicles crawled by. The procession, which earlier passed the star’s childhood home in the city’s Aston area, was accompanied by a live brass band performance by local musicians from Bostin’ Brass. Fan Mhairi Larner said it was “overwhelming... -
Dawn - 17:23 Jul 30, 2025
The federal cabinet on Wednesday marked major reforms after key decisions in strategic areas, including the approval of the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy 2025. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the federal cabinet today, which unanimously approved the National AI Policy 2025, designed to create a complete AI ecosystem in the country. The policy aims to democratise access to artificial intelligence, enhance public services and open up new employment and innovation avenues. “Our youth are Pakistan’s greatest asset. Providing them with education, skills, and equal opportunities in AI is a top priority,” PM Shehbaz said. The AI policy outlined training a million AI professionals by 2030, establishing an AI Innovation Fund and AI Venture Fund to boost private sector involvement, creating 50,000 AI-driven civic projects and 1,000 local AI products in the next five years. It also called for the distribution of 3,000 annual AI scholarships and facilitation of 1,000 research projects, i... -
Dawn - 17:09 Jul 30, 2025
Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan’s son Kasim Khan has highlighted that his father was jailed in “really poor conditions” that were “getting worse by the moment”. Imran’s sons — Sulaiman Khan, 28, and Kasim, 26 — called attention to their father’s incarceration for the first time publicly in May. Earlier this month, Imran’s sister Aleema Khan said Sulaiman and Kasim will go to the United States before coming to Pakistan as part of a movement calling for the ex-premier’s release. The siblings visited the US and engaged US lawmakers on the issue of their father’s incarceration. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. In an interview on US media outlet Real America’s Voice shared today, Kasim said, “Right now he’s in really, really poor conditions and it looks like they’re getting worse and worse by the moment. So we’re looking for any way ou... -
Dawn - 17:09 Jul 30, 2025
United States President Donald Trump’s administration, seeking to ease an uproar plaguing his presidency, urged two judges to release testimony to a grand jury that indicted Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell on sex trafficking charges. In late-night court filings on Tuesday, US federal prosecutors said unsealing the materials would be appropriate given the “abundant public interest” in the case of Epstein, the late financier, and Maxwell, an imprisoned British socialite. The Republican Trump had promised to make public Epstein-related files if reelected and accused Democrats of covering up the truth. But this month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said a previously touted Epstein client list did not in fact exist, angering Trump’s supporters. DOJ first sought court permission on July 18 to make public transcripts of the confidential testimony given by witnesses years ago in the two cases, but Manhattan-based US District Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer asked the government to flesh out the legal ... -
Dawn - 17:01 Jul 30, 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed a 25 per cent tariff on goods imported from India starting August 1, along with an unspecified penalty for buying Russian weapons and oil, potentially straining relations with the world’s most populous democracy. The US decision singles out India more severely than other major trading partners, and threatens to unravel months of talks between the two countries, undermining a key strategic partner of Washington and a counterbalance to China. In posts on his social platform Truth Social, he said the US had a “massive trade deficit” with India. In another post, he said: “Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the world and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country. “Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ene... -
Dawn - 16:36 Jul 30, 2025
Four suspected members of a banned separatist militant group were arrested in Karachi on Tuesday over charges of killing a man in Matli in Badin district, according to the Counter-Terrorism Department. “The Karachi CTD and a federal intelligence agency jointly carried out an IBO [intelligence-based operation] at Drigh Road Station in Karachi and arrested four suspects,” according to a CTD press statement issued on Wednesday. “They were arrested at a time when they were coming from Punjab to Karachi by train,” the press release added. During interrogation, the suspects confessed that they had gunned down a man identified as Abdul Rehman in Matli on May 18, 2025, where a case was registered under terror charges. “The weapon used in the murder has also been recovered from their custody, which has been sent to the police’s forensic science lab for investigation purposes,” the press release added. The suspects also admitted that they had stayed at a hotel in Hyderabad for five days for the purpose of carrying out ... -
Dawn - 16:22 Jul 30, 2025
German mountaineer Laura Dahlmeier, who went missing two days ago while attempting to scale Gilgit-Baltistan’s Laila Peak (6,096 metres), was confirmed dead on Wednesday, according to officials. Mountains in the north of Pakistan are a popular destination for adventure tourism, with many climbers aiming to summit prestigious peaks such as K2 and Nanga Parbat. However, rough terrain and harsh weather conditions create a challenge, frequently causing deaths and injuries. She was climbing in alpine style with her partner, Marina Eva, also from Germany. Dahlmeier was at an altitude of approximately 5,700m when she was hit by the rock on Monday afternoon, while Eva was below her on the mountain at the time. Despite being injured, Dahlmeier managed to communicate with her partner, but Eva was unable to reach her. A coordinated rescue operation was launched, involving Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters and local high-altitude porters. However, adverse weather and the difficult terrain prevented helicopters from land... -
Dawn - 16:12 Jul 30, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced on Wednesday that a series of jirgas will be convened from August 2 to decide on future steps on a wide array of concerns among the province’s residents. The provincial government has opposed the newly launched military operation in Bajaur unless it is taken into confidence by the Centre and has vowed to lift a three-day curfew imposed in the district’s 16 areas yesterday. Security forces backed by gunship helicopters and artillery launched ‘Operation Sarbakaf’ against terrorists in the Lowi Mamund tehsil on Tuesday. Tribal elders in Bajaur and some other KP districts have long opposed any military operation, citing concerns over displacement. Although not confirmed officially by security forces, sources said that at least four terrorists were killed, around 12 were wounded, and about 10 were captured alive in different areas of the Lowi Mamund tehsil. Locals also claimed that a child was among two civilians who died, and eight others, including tw... -
Dawn - 15:26 Jul 30, 2025
The Punjab Police on Wednesday said they arrested a man suspected of molesting a minor girl in Multan district after a video of the incident went viral online. The video of the incident did the rounds on social media earlier in the week and generated intense criticism with calls for the suspect to be arrested, particularly as it came after the police arrested a man after footage showing him allegedly molesting a minor girl in Kasur district also went viral online. A statement issued by the Multan Crime Control Department (CCD) today said: “The man who attempted to sexually assault a girl was arrested in an ‘injured’ condition.” The incident occurred on July 15 in Mustafa Colony, Rashidabad area, with the limits of Bahauddin Zakaria Police Station when “an unknown person tried to sexually assault a girl in the street and fled from the scene”, according to the statement. A case was registered under Section 377B (unnatural offences with a minor) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at the BZ Police Station and the i... -
Dawn - 15:20 Jul 30, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US would start imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia “10 days from today” if Moscow showed no progress toward ending its more than three-year-long war in Ukraine. Trump first announced on Monday that he was shortening the initial 50-day deadline he set a month ago for action from Moscow, and mentioned a new deadline of 10 to 12 days. On Tuesday, he told reporters he had not heard a response from Russia. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said he was not worried about the potential impact of Russian sanctions on the oil market or prices, vowing to boost domestic oil production to offset any impact. “I don’t know if it’s going to affect Russia, because [Russian President Vladimir Putin] wants to, obviously, probably keep the war going,” Trump said. “But we’re going to put on tariffs and the various things that you put on.” The US president, who has in the past spoken about having a good relationship with Putin, has grown increasingly frustr... -
Dawn - 14:49 Jul 30, 2025
The Iranian president’s political adviser said on Wednesday that Dr Masoud Pezeshkian was due to visit Pakistan on August 2 (Saturday) for a two-day trip, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported. Pezeshkian will be the second Iranian president to visit Pakistan in as many years. The visit was initially planned for the last week of July. In April 2024, Ebrahim Raisi undertook a three-day official visit to Pakistan. During the trip — which took place a month before Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash — the foreign dignitary also visited Lahore and Karachi. In a post on X, Political Adviser to the Iranian President Mehdi Sanai said Dr Pezeshkian would travel to Pakistan on Saturday at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He said official meetings and discussions with “cultural and commercial elites” were on the agenda. “The relations between the two countries encompass political, economic, religious and cultural dimensions, and the goals of the trip include developing provincial and border cooperation and i... -
Dawn - 13:07 Jul 30, 2025
Rescue teams evacuated 160 stranded tourists from Naran in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mansehra district after flash floods, triggered by heavy rainfall, swept through parts of the region on Wednesday, according to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson. Monsoon rains, which fall across the region from June to September, are crucial to the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security. However, they also wreak havoc by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. This year’s monsoon rains continue to lash many parts of the country, prompting authorities to release an urban flooding warning for several cities. Mansehra’s Rescue 1122 spokesperson, Amir Khadam Khan, told Dawn.com that 160 tourists were stranded after floods hit Naran, Jalkhad, Barwai and Besar. “Rescue 1122 personnel crossed the flood drain on foot near Besar to access more than 160 stranded tourists and vehicles,” he said. “All the people were safely evacuated and accommodate... -
Dawn - 12:44 Jul 30, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday assailed and rejected the Indian parliament’s debate on “Operation Sindoor”, claiming that the remarks made in the Lok Sabha “distort facts, justify aggression, and glorify conflict for domestic consumption”. The two countries entered a brief but intense military escalation after India, without evidence, blamed Pakistan for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. On May 6–7, New Delhi launched air strikes that killed civilians, followed by a week-long missile exchange. A US-brokered ceasefire ended the war. During Tuesday’s debate, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that security forces killed three “Pakistanis” involved in the Pahalgam attack in Operation Mahadev, Reuters reported. “I want to tell … the entire nation that these were the three terrorists who killed our citizens … and now all three have been killed,” Shah told parliament during the discussion. In a statement issued today on the Indian parliament debate, FO spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said: “Pakistan ... -
Dawn - 12:10 Jul 30, 2025
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) kept its policy rate unchanged on Wednesday at 11 per cent. The central bank’s policy rate, after being slashed by 1,000bps from 22pc since June 2024 in seven intervals, was cut to 11pc in May. The bank had kept the rate unchanged on June 16 as well. A press release issued by the SBP said its Monetary Policy Committee noted that inflation in June had decelerated to 3.2pc year on year, led mainly by lower food prices, whereas core inflation also declined slightly. However, it noted that the inflation outlook had worsened in the wake of higher-than-anticipated adjustment in energy prices, especially gas tariffs. “Nonetheless, inflation is projected to stabilise in the target range going forward. “Moreover, economic activity is gaining further traction amidst the still-unfolding impact of the earlier reductions in the policy rate. At the same time, the committee noted that the trade deficit is expected to widen further in FY26 amidst the pickup in economic activity and slowdown i... -
Dawn - 12:04 Jul 30, 2025
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Wednesday reaffirmed the military’s resolve to eradicate the menace of terrorism from the country, underscoring the nation’s preparedness to respond decisively to any external or internal threats, a statement from the military’s media wing said. Pakistan has lately seen a surge in terrorism across the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. In recent months, the security situation in Balochistan has also worsened, as militants, long involved in a low-level insurgency, have stepped up the frequency and intensity of their attacks. The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces. According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief was speaking to a group of stakeholders at the 16th... -
Dawn - 12:01 Jul 30, 2025
A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, the strongest in the region since 1952, damaging buildings and generating a tsunami of up to 4 metres that prompted warnings and evacuations in Hawaii, Japan and across the Pacific Ocean. Several people were injured in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan’s eastern seaboard — devastated by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2011 — was ordered to evacuate as Tsunami waves hit the Pacific coast of the country. Meanwhile, Hawaii recorded tsunami waves measuring up to 5ft, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. However, no waves of consequence have hit Hawaii yet. What we know so far: 8.8-magnitude quake hit Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula at 8:24am local time (4am PKT) Several people injured, no casualties reported Tsunami warnings issued in Japan, Mexico, Hawaii, Ecuador, China, Chile, Costa Rica Tsunami waves up to 1.7m hit Japan, Hawaii, California; 3-4m recorded in parts of Kamchatka Russian mayor ... -
Dawn - 11:21 Jul 30, 2025
A couple was shot dead by the woman’s family over ‘honour’ in Balochistan’s Mastung district, police said on Wednesday. The incident comes over a week after the killing of a man and a woman in the Degari area of Quetta on the orders of a tribal jirga ahead of Eidul Azha for so-called ‘honour’. The police had subsequently arrested at least 14 suspects for their involvement in the incident. Wali Khan Station House Officer Pir Muhammad Alizai said in a statement today that the deceased couple got married seven years ago. “The couple was travelling from Panjgur to Lakpass in a pickup upon the invitation of the woman’s brothers,” the police said. “The suspects told them to wait at the Noshki Cross, arrived on two motorcycles at about 7am on Tuesday, shot the couple dead with a pistol, and fled.” “Action to arrest the suspects is underway,” SHO Alizai said. According to a first information report (FIR) of the incident, dated July 29, seen by Dawn.com, the deceased were travelling with their two children and brother...
7447 items