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Dawn - 09:55 Jul 30, 2025
Pakistan has urged a stronger role for the United Nations peacekeeping missions in conflict resolution, stressing that their enhanced involvement is urgently needed to settle long-standing disputes such as Kashmir. Pakistan joined the United Nations shortly after gaining independence in 1947 and has played a prominent role in peacekeeping efforts, contributing to 48 missions in 29 countries since 1960. Islamabad has repeatedly called for enhancements in UN peacekeeping, with Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad in April urging the integration of the use of advanced technologies to boost effectiveness. Ambassador Ahmad, while addressing the 15-member UN Security Council on Tuesday, said: “Nowhere is this more urgently needed than in Jammu and Kashmir, a longstanding dispute on the UN Security Council’s agenda. “This Council, which mandates the missions, must ensure that missions are deployed with an accompanying credible political process that addresses the root causes of conflicts, and that mission mandates are dem... -
Dawn - 08:05 Jul 30, 2025
Britain on Wednesday rejected criticism that it was rewarding fighter group Hamas by setting out plans to recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel took steps to improve the situation in Gaza and bring about peace. The sight of emaciated Gaza children has shocked the world in recent days, and on Tuesday, a hunger monitor warned that a worst-case scenario of famine was unfolding there and immediate action was needed to avoid widespread death. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ultimatum, setting a September deadline for Israel, prompted an immediate rebuke from his counterpart in Jerusalem, who said it rewarded Hamas and punished the victims of their 2023 cross-border attack. US President Donald Trump said he did not think Hamas “should be rewarded” with recognition of Palestinian independence. Asked about that criticism, British Transport Minister Heidi Alexander — designated by the government to respond to questions in a series of media interviews on Wednesday — said it was not the right way to characterise Bri... -
Dawn - 06:38 Jul 30, 2025
• IHC bench explains reasons for suspending earlier order directing govt to form probe body • Mysterious woman accused of ‘trapping’ accused men surfaces in court ISLAMABAD: A two-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has said any commission formed to investigate the alleged misuse of the blasphemy law could interfere in cases pending before other courts. The judges on Tuesday explained the reasons for suspending a single bench’s order in the high-profile case. The now-suspended judgement was issued by Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan after 42 hearings in the case whose proceedings were streamed live, in a divergence from the norm. It directed the federal government to establish an inquiry commission within 30 days to investigate the allegations of entrapment, custodial deaths, flawed investigations and violations of fundamental rights. The order, issued on July 15, said nearly 400 FIRs and around 700 individuals were implicated for allegedly committing blasphemy online. The court also flagged irregular... -
Dawn - 06:23 Jul 30, 2025
• Panel told recent price fluctuations yielded Rs300bn profit for mills; chairman says ‘only 42 families’ benefitted • Officials’ reluctance to share names of mill owners with lawmakers draws rebuke • Committee told Rs150m spent out of Rs1.95bn allocated for flood awareness campaign, rest of the money diverted ISLAMABAD: Amid a hike in sugar price, the Public Accounts Committee was informed on Tuesday that the sugar mills have earned Rs300 billion due to recent fluctuations in the rates of the essential commodity. The Auditor General of Pakistan made these revelations during the meeting of the apex parliamentary panel, which convened the high-stakes session to review the sugar import and export policy, rising prices, and the lack of transparency in the sugar industry. The PAC met under the chairmanship of Junaid Akbar Khan and it was briefed by Industries and Production Secretary Saif Anjum, who stated that price regulation and relevant laws fell under provincial jurisdictions. He revealed that from 2013 to 2... -
Dawn - 06:11 Jul 30, 2025
UNITED NATIONS: Arab countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt joined calls on Tuesday for Hamas to disarm and end its rule of Gaza, in a bid to end the devastating war in the Palestinian territory. Seventeen countries plus the European Union and Arab League threw their weight behind a seven-page text agreed at a United Nations conference on reviving the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians. “In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” said the declaration. It followed a call on Monday by the Palestinian delegation at the United Nations for both Israel and Hamas to leave Gaza, allowing the Palestinian Authority to administer the coastal territory. The text also condemned the Hamas raid against Israel of Oct 7, 2023. France, which co-chaired the conference with Saudi Arabia, called t... -
Dawn - 05:39 Jul 30, 2025
LAHORE: Thousands of people from more villages of Taunsa and Layyah had to leave their homes to find safer places on Tuesday due to medium level flood in the Sindh river. The people had to leave different villages in Taunsa, including Mauza Moor Jhangi, Bait Kachhela, Panj Darain, Bait Channar, Bait Ashraf, Jarh Leghari and Mouza Baloch Khan. In Layyah, the people were evacuated from Mouza Lohaj, Thori, Samra Jhok Khan, Basti Kanjo Mohana, Darkhan Khokhar, Panwar, Alliyani Basti, and Rakhwan. A double-storey police check post built in Rakhwan was also submerged completely by floodwater and all its structure demolished. A high school in Basti Alliyani also submerged by water and cracks appeared in its building. In Karor Lal Esan, Bait Mongar was also flooded and all its houses and mosque were also destroyed. The floodwater entered cultivated lands, making it a part of the river in Layyah and Karor Lal Esan. In Dera Ghazi Khan, several villages were submerged by floodwater including Jhok Utra, Kot Chuta, Malkan... -
Dawn - 02:57 Jul 30, 2025
• No notices issued to respondents • Omar Ayub complains to CJP about ‘procedural violations’ in May 9 trials ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing of a set of challenges instituted by PTI founder Imran Khan over being denied post-arrest bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC) in eight cases related to the May 9 violence. Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, the two-judge bench took up the matter on Tuesday, but adjourned proceedings until Aug 12, although PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja informed the bench that senior counsel Salman Safdar, who had filed the appeals, had requested an adjournment until next week. Mr Raja also asked the bench to issue notices to the respondent, mainly the state, through Punjab’s prosecutor general. However, the court adjourned the case for Aug 12, ignoring both requests to push the hearing date to next week and for the issuance of notices to the respondents. In his plea, Imran Khan had argued that contrary to the prosecution’s accusatio... -
Dawn - 19:24 Jul 29, 2025
A slaughtered donkey was recovered and the alleged perpetrators were arrested in the Kuzabanda area of Battagram district on Tuesday. According to District Food Controller (DFC) Shad Muhammad, Additional Assistant Commissioner and Food Inspector raided a location in Kuzabanda based on intelligence information. The raid resulted in the recovery of the slaughtered donkey and the arrest of two individuals, belonging to Hunza and Mansehra. The arrested people claimed they were supplying the meat to Chinese officials working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. “However, an investigation is necessary to determine the actual purpose of the meat,” the DFC emphasised. “Notably, the arrested individuals neither belong to the butcher community, nor do they have a shop,” he added. An investigation has been initiated and a letter sent to the food department. The DFC also highlighted that even if the arrested persons’ claim is correct, slaughtering a donkey in public is not allowed. “Instead, it should ... -
Dawn - 18:14 Jul 29, 2025
The Bajaur administration imposed a three-day curfew at 16 places of the district on Tuesday and initiated an operation against militants in the areas. Bajaur District Police Officer Waqas Rafiq confirmed the development to Dawn.com. A notification in this regard issued by Bajaur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shahid Ali Khan said there was a need to impose restrictions on all kinds of movement on the main roads and outside houses at Badi Siah, Tarkho, Irab, Gat, Agra, Khurchai, Dawagai, Kalan, Legharai, Kitkot, Gillai, Nakhtar, Zarai, Dambarai, Amanata and Zagai area of Tehsil Loe Mamund to prevent any untoward incidents as recommended by the Bajaur District Intelligence Coordination Committee to ensure public safety during targeted actions against militants. The DC imposed a ban on all kinds of movement of individuals outside houses, on roads, vehicles and all forms of traffic on all roads at the above villages with effect from 5am today till 5pm on July 31 (Thursday) under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Pro... -
Dawn - 17:32 Jul 29, 2025
German mountaineer Laura Dahlmeier went missing while attempting to scale Laila Peak (6,096 metres) in the Hushy valley of Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghanche district while another was rescued by army helicopters on Tuesday. In a statement issued today, Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) Vice President Karrar Haidri said: “Former Olympic and world champion biathlete Laura Dahlmeier sustained serious injuries after being struck by a rockfall while attempting to summit Laila Peak. “The incident occurred around noon on July 28 at an altitude of approximately 5,700m. Dahlmeier was climbing with her mountaineering partner, Marina Eva, when a sudden rockfall hit her, resulting in significant injuries.” It said the expedition organiser immediately alerted emergency services and a coordinated rescue operation was launched with support from Pakistan Army aviation helicopters and local high-altitude porters. It added that rescue helicopters were unable to land at the accident site on Monday due to the challenging terrain and advers... -
Dawn - 17:28 Jul 29, 2025
Posts from users on social media platform X on Monday shared a notification, claiming it stated orders for the dismissal of Pakhtun FC personnel for refusing to open fire on Pakhtun civilians amid recent protests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, the notification was dated July 21 and not linked to the FC. On Sunday, seven people were shot after a protest outside a military installation in Tirah took a violent turn. Hundreds of tribesmen had brought the body of a girl, who they claimed was killed in a mortar strike in the Darbar locality of Peer Mela in Zakhakhel a day earlier, to the Brigade Headquarters in Bagh-Maidan Markaz. The situation turned violent when an angry mob, comprising mostly young men, ignored calls by local elders to remain calm. They first torched an excavator parked outside Brigade Headquarters, and then tried to force open the garrison’s main gate. Security personnel guarding the installation reportedly opened fire to control the crowd. On Monday, an X user, who appeared to be a supporter... -
Dawn - 15:33 Jul 29, 2025
Indian opposition parties on Tuesday assailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failures in the Pakistan-India four-day conflict earlier this year. As New Delhi launched deadly air strikes on Pakistan in early May over allegations about the Pahalgam attack, which Islamabad denied, PAF downed six Indian jets in its response. After tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach a ceasefire. Speaking in the monsoon session of the Indian lower house of parliament, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi said Modi’s government “lacked the political will to fight Pakistan and, because of that, asked the armed forces to attack with their hands tied behind their backs,” according to NDTV. “If Modi ji has even 50 per cent of the courage that Indira Gandhi had, then clearly say in parliament — Donald Trump is lying,” Gandhi, who is a member of the opposition Congress party, said. He added that the Indian prime minister should state that neither did Tru... -
Dawn - 14:41 Jul 29, 2025
The PTI on Tuesday swiftly rubbished media reports that said party founder Imran Khan had barred his two sons from coming to Pakistan and participating in any activity for his release. Imran’s sons — Sulaiman Khan, 28, and Kasim Khan, 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 US before coming to Pakistan as part of a movement calling for the ex-premier’s release. 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. Earlier in the day, media reports said that the incarcerated former prime minister told reporters at Adiala Jail that his sons would not be coming to Pakistan and taking part in or leading any protest. Responding swiftly to the reports, PTI Central Information Secretary Waqas Akram said: “The news circulating in... -
Dawn - 14:37 Jul 29, 2025
At least 18 migrants died in a shipwreck off the city of Tobruk in eastern Libya over the weekend, and 50 are still missing, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday, citing reports. Ten survivors have been accounted for so far, the IOM said. Tobruk is a coastal city near the border with Egypt. Since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in a Nato-backed uprising in 2011, Libya has become a transit country for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty to Europe across the desert and over the Mediterranean. “This latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the deadly risks people are forced to take in search of safety and opportunity. Libya remains a major transit point for migrants and refugees, many of whom face exploitation, abuse, and life-threatening journeys,” the IOM said. Last month, at least 60 migrants were feared dead after a pair of shipwrecks off the coast of Libya. The first ship went down on June 12 near a Libyan port in Tripoli, with 21 people, including women and children, reported m... -
Dawn - 14:26 Jul 29, 2025
The government’s crackdown on black market dollar trading has strengthened the rupee, but traders say under-the-counter deals have swiftly shifted to smartphones and home deliveries instead. Many unlicensed exchange shops have been shut since July 22, when the military spy agency summoned representatives of the sector to explain the US dollar’s rising cost in the open market. Soon after, raids were carried out by the Federal Investigation Agency, which tackles financial crime and smuggling. Since the crackdown began, the rupee has rebounded from a sharp fall against the dollar earlier in July. In the open market, it firmed from 288.6 per dollar on July 19 to about 286 in recent sessions. But traders and bankers say the trade continues, suggesting the crackdown’s effects could be short-lived. The black market operates outside official channels and includes unlicensed dealers, personal networks, and digital peer-to-peer exchanges, with customers seeking to skip tax declarations, avoid burdensome paperwork and b... -
Dawn - 14:05 Jul 29, 2025
India’s aviation watchdog found 51 safety lapses at Air India in its July audit, including lack of adequate training for some pilots, use of unapproved simulators and a poor rostering system, according to a government report seen by Reuters. The annual audit was not related to the deadly Boeing 787 crash last month that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad, but its findings come as the airline faces renewed scrutiny after the accident. The Tata Group-owned airline is already facing warning notices for running planes without checking emergency equipment, not changing engine parts in time and forging records, along with other lapses related to crew fatigue management. The 11-page confidential audit report from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) noted seven “Level I” significant breaches which need to be fixed by July 30, and 44 other non-compliances classified which need to be resolved by August 23. Officials said they found “recurrent training gaps” for some unspecified Boeing 787 and 777 pilots, sayin... -
Dawn - 13:41 Jul 29, 2025
The Islamabad Police on Tuesday said that some students were “shifted” during an operation to vacate the hostels of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) that generated intense criticism. Videos circulating on social media since the early hours of today showed police personnel outside the hostels with some of them about students being arrested or taken away. The videos elicited strong criticism with many decrying why action was being taken against students and saying that over 70 were arrested. A statement from the Islamabad police confirmed the development, saying: “At the request of the university administration, [the] Islamabad police provided legal police assistance. The students had vacated 11 hostels, while regarding the remaining four hostels, the university administration stated that some students were not vacating them despite instructions from the university administration and were residing there illegally. “Upon the written request of the Quaid-i-Azam University administration, assistance was provided to t... -
Dawn - 12:51 Jul 29, 2025
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) on Tuesday directed three pharmaceutical companies to recall “substandard” medical devices from the market and advised pharmacists and chemists to stop supplying these products. “[The] Central Drugs Laboratory Karachi informed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan that the samples of the below-mentioned medical devices have been declared as ‘Substandard’,” an alert issued by Drap stated. The alert identified Zindagi Auto Disable Syringe 5ml, the Ultra Fine SMD Painless Syringe 5ml and Ultra Fine SMD Painless Syringe 3ml as the substandard devices. “Use of these syringes, in invasive or intravenous procedures, poses a significant risk of introducing microbial contaminants into the patient’s body, which may result in localised infections, abscesses, or life-threatening systemic infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals,” Drap said. “All pharmacists and chemists working at distribution and pharmacies should immediately check their stocks and st... -
Dawn - 12:42 Jul 29, 2025
An anti-terrorism court in Karachi on Tuesday acquitted two Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) workers facing charges of involvement in the 1997 murder case of former Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) managing director Shahid Hamid. The two accused — Mohammad Minhaj Qazi alias Asad, and Mehboob Ghufran alias Athar — along with their alleged accomplices, had been charged with the killing of the then-managing director of the KESC, his driver and a guard in Karachi’s DHA neighbourhood on July 5, 1997. An ATC had already sentenced Saulat Mirza to death in 1999 in this case and he was executed in Balochistan’s Machh jail in 2015. During the proceedings held at Karachi jail today, the court acquitted Qazi and Ghufran for lack of evidence and ordered their release, if they were not nominated in any pending case. Defence counsel Advocate Mushtaq Ahmed contended before the court that Qazi had no connection with the case. He said that according to the first information report, the complainant had only seen Mirza o... -
Dawn - 12:32 Jul 29, 2025
Social media platform TikTok on Tuesday launched a new search guide designed to help users in Pakistan access authoritative and up-to-date information during the ongoing monsoon flood season, according to a press release issued by its public relations firm. With the onset of the monsoon season, which typically lasts from late June to September, different parts of the country witness heavy rainfall and a heightened risk of extreme weather events like flash floods and landslides, especially in its northern and western regions. “Now, users searching for flood-related updates on TikTok will now see a prominent banner urging them to verify information through credible sources,” the press release read. “This guide connects users directly with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), from where users in Pakistan can access verified information regarding natural disasters,” it added. The guide also connects users to TikTok’s Safety Centre resources and provides a direct link to TikTok’s Tragic Event Support...
7447 items