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Dawn - 10:02 May 04, 2025
Chinese president Xi Jinping will make an official visit to Russia from May 7-10, where he will participate in celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Kremlin said on Sunday. In a statement on Telegram, the Kremlin said that Xi will discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin the development of the two countries’ strategic partnership, as well as signing a number of documents. “During the talks, the main issues of further development of relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, as well as current issues on the international and regional agenda will be discussed,” the Kremlin said. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War II but pushed Nazi forces back to Berlin, where Hitler died by suicide and the red Soviet Victory Banner was raised over the Reichstag in 1945. Several other national leaders are expected at the celebrations, including the presidents of Brazil and Serbia, and the prime minister of Slovakia. Putin has proposed a three-day ce... -
Dawn - 09:18 May 04, 2025
Karachi could experience isolated dust and thunderstorms accompanied by rain on Monday evening, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Sunday. The PMD has predicted that a westerly wave is affecting the upper and central parts of the country. Weather was expected to remain “hot and humid with chances of isolated dust-thunderstorm and rain on [Monday] evening,” in Karachi, according to the PMD’s forecast. It added that there were chances of thunderstorms and rain in the outskirts of Karachi in the evening. Dust storms and thunderstorm-related rain are likely at isolated places in Jamshoro, Tando Mohammad Khan, Badin, Hyderabad, Mitiari, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas, Nosheroferoz, Sanghar, Khairpur, Ghotki, Umerkot, Tharparker, Badin, Shikarpur and Kashmore districts today, the PMD said. Its advisory said that windstorms, thunderstorms, hailstorms, and lightning may damage loose structures like electric poles, trees, vehicles and solar panels. “Farmers are advised to manage their crop activities kee... -
Dawn - 08:28 May 04, 2025
Samsung has asked an Indian tribunal to quash a $520 million tax demand for allegedly misclassifying imports of networking gear, arguing officials were aware of the practice as India’s Reliance imported the same component in a similar manner for years, documents show. Samsung becomes the second major foreign company in recent months to challenge an Indian tax demand. Volkswagen has sued Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in court for a record demand of $1.4 billion for misclassifying its component imports. In the Samsung case, tax authorities in January asked Samsung to pay $520m for evading the 10-20 per cent tariffs by misclassifying imports of a key mobile tower equipment, which it then sold to billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s telecom giant, Reliance Jio, from 2018 to 2021. In its 281-page challenge at the Customs Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal in Mumbai, Samsung criticises Indian authorities for being “fully aware” of the business model as Reliance had a “long-established practice” of importi... -
Dawn - 08:15 May 04, 2025
Two more bodies of Pakistan nationals who lost their lives in a tragic boat accident off the eastern coast of Libya, arrived at Lahore Airport on Sunday, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. The incident occurred during the night between April 12 and 13, when a migrant boat capsized near Libya’s eastern shoreline. The accident was the latest in a series of mishaps over the past few years in which hundreds of Pakistanis were killed in the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean while trying to reach Europe from Africa. The victims were identified as Sufyan and Nadeem Ahmed, residents of Gujranwala, APP reported. State Minister for Public Affairs Rana Mubashir Hussain and Member Punjab Assembly Mian Imran Javed received the bodies at the Lahore Airport cargo department. Later, the bodies were handed over to the grieving families. Prayers were also offered for the departed souls. Speaking on the occasion, Hussain expressed deep sorrow and grief and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families. ... -
Dawn - 07:47 May 04, 2025
A madrassah teacher in Muzaffargarh district of Punjab was arrested for allegedly raping an 11-year-old student at a seminary, it emerged on Sunday. Last year, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Sahil’s Six Months Cruel Numbers data revealed that a total of 1,630 cases of child abuse were reported from across the country. In the first six months of 2024, 862 cases of child sexual abuse, 668 cases of abduction, 82 cases of missing children and 18 cases of child marriages were reported. 48 cases of pornography after sexual abuse were also recorded. “A case has been registered against a madrassa teacher at the Mirhazar police station,” a police spokesperson said. The spokesperson continued that the police took immediate action and arrested the suspect. The first information report (FIR) was registered under Section 376(iii) (rape of a minor) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The teacher took the student to his residential room in the madrassa and raped the student twice, according to the FIR. “A case was registered o... -
Dawn - 07:17 May 04, 2025
PROLOGUE India has become infuriatingly formulaic when it comes to Pakistan. Here’s how the script goes. There’s an attack in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India blames Pakistan. The Indian media — mainstream and social — start beating war drums. Retired Indian military officers and other analysts are invited by the Studio Corps who declare, wage and win a war against Pakistan. The hysteria has reached fever-pitch since the arrival on the scene of a Hindutva-driven Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Narendra Modi, and of social media platforms. In bashing Pakistan, some even calling for its dismemberment, there’s no real difference between the right and the left in India or the many shades in between. Once again, after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, we are at that stage; once again there’s talk in India of punishing Pakistan. Even the negligible few who caution against rashness nonetheless muse about how to punish Pakistan without starting an Armageddon. There are almost no voices challenging India’s occupation ... -
Dawn - 06:45 May 04, 2025
LAHORE: Lady luck was smiling brightly on young Hasan Nawaz here at the Gaddafi Stadium Saturday night. It was a genuine thriller as in-form Quetta Gladiators looked to upstage table toppers Islamabad United on a track which had everything for all. Medium-pacer Mohammad Shahzad was given the ball to bowl the final over with Gladiators needing 15 to win. Shahzad off his own bowling dropped Hasan who top edged a short ball. The very next ball, captain Salman Ali Agha floored a difficult chance in the slip as the batters took two runs. The 22-year-old Hasan lifted the pacer for a six over long-off before wicket-keeper Andries Gous in confusion failed to gather the ball while running towards third man, giving Hasan yet another life as the batters added two more. Hasan — who made a superb 64 not out off 41 balls with four sixes and two fours — had the last laugh on the penultimate ball as the right-hander smashed a slightly short delivery for a six over backward square leg giving Gladiators a memorable win beside... -
Dawn - 06:41 May 04, 2025
KARACHI: The ongoing water crisis caused by the rupture of an 84-inch main water supply line in the University of Karachi is likely to persist as the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation is still struggling to complete the repair work on Saturday. While KWSC Chief Operating Officer Asadullah Khan had on Thursday said that the repair work would be completed by Saturday night, a water utility spokesman said that the repair work was still in progress and would be completed by Sunday (today). The leakage in the main supply line wreaked havoc on Karachi University and nearby housing societies. It also caused an acute water shortage in several areas of the metropolis. Officials said that the city required over 1,200 million gallons of water daily and it was getting 400 MGD, out of a regular supply of 650MGD, due to the repair work on the Siphon No 19. The KWSC spokesman said that the water would be released to the Siphon No 19 after the completion of the repair work. The water pumped from the Dhabeji Pumping Stat... -
Dawn - 06:38 May 04, 2025
KARACHI: The milk and tea leaves used by almost every tea shop and stall across the city have been found to be alarmingly contaminated with harmful chemicals and substances, the Sindh Food Authority (SFD) officials have said. “100 per cent of samples of tea leaves and 90 per cent of milk samples collected in different areas have been found adulterated and contaminated with chemicals and added colours,” the officials added. Speaking to Dawn on Saturday, they said that the SFA had recently inspected as many as 127 tea shops and stalls in different parts of Karachi to collect samples of the two major ingredients of the aromatic beverage prepared by boiling water, milk, sugar and cured leaves. Their analysis showed that all of them were using contaminated and adulterated tea leaves, while only 10 per cent were using pure milk, they added. Food Authority says milk was adulterated with detergent, carbonates, salt and water They said that 80 per cent samples of the milk collected from 127 tea shops were found adulte... -
Dawn - 06:04 May 04, 2025
QUETTA: Gunmen on Saturday freed 10 prisoners, including two convicts and took five police officials captive after they erected a roadblock near Mangocher on the Quetta-Karachi highway and intercepted the vehicle transporting prisoners to Quetta from Gadani jail. The authorities were using a private van to transport prisoners; the driver and the vehicle were released by the gunmen. Officials said that a police team was shifting 10 prisoners to Quetta and the central jail in Mach from Gadani jail. When the wagon reached the Mangocher area of the Kalat district in late evening, the armed men were blocking the national highway and inspecting every vehicle, including buses and trucks. After they came across the prison van, they freed the prisoners and kidnapped five police personnel, who were guarding the van, along with their official weapons. Two police personnel dressed in plainclothes, however, remained safe. The prisoners included one condemned prisoner who was awarded a death sentence and another was awarde... -
Dawn - 06:04 May 04, 2025
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif on Saturday briefed the minister of the political section and acting deputy head of the mission at the US Embassy Zach Harkenrider on what he called politically-motivated cases against political prisoners, including founder of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Imran Khan. An official statement issued here said that Mr Saif met deputy head of the US Embassy in Islamabad where both sides discussed the tense situation between Pakistan and India following the ‘false flag’ operation in Pahalgam. The discussions also covered regional peace, law and order, and the political climate at both national and provincial levels, the statement said, adding that Mr Saif strongly condemned India’s baseless allegations post-Pahalgam and highlighted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s war-mongering behaviour. The statement said that the KP government’s spokesperson briefed the US diplomat on ‘politically-motivated’ and ‘fabricated’ cases against poli... -
Dawn - 05:47 May 04, 2025
• Waqas claims pro-PTI YouTube channels, X accounts being restricted • GB lawmakers call for RTI law in region ISLAMABAD: The opposition party, PTI, has accused the government of harassing journalists and viewing the freedom of expression as a “threat”. In a statement issued on World Press Freedom Day, the party claimed dozens of journalists have been harassed, abducted or targeted with false cases over the past year. “Incidents like the martyrdom of renowned journalist Arshad Sharif stand as clear examples of the choking of independent journalism,” the PTI said, while referring to the journalist killed in Kenya in 2022 before the incumbent government came into power. “In addition, prominent journalists such as Kashif Abbasi, Arif Hameed Bhatti, Habib Akram, Paras Jahanzeb and many others “who dared to speak the truth” have been deprived of their livelihoods,” said the PTI information secretary, Sheikh Waqas Akram, in an apparent reference to news anchors taken off air during the past few months. Mr Akram exp... -
Dawn - 05:30 May 04, 2025
GILGIT: A Polish cyclist, granted permission by the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court to cycle up to the K2 basecamp, will start his journey within the next few days. Paweł Małaszko arrived in Gilgit on Saturday as part of his adventure to cycle across Pakistan — from the shores of the Arabian Sea to the K2 Base Camp. However, his adventure was stalled as the required permit to go to the popular tourist destination couldn’t be issued due to an ongoing legal battle. On Friday, the GB Chief Court ordered the government to issue the trekking permit to Mr Małaszko. Last year, the GB government hiked permit fees for mountaineering and trekking expeditions by 300 per cent under the GB Finance Act, 2024. The region’s tour operators challenged the decision in court, which issued a stay order, effectively suspending the issuance of new permits. Mr Małaszko had filed an appeal in the GB Chief Court for the trekking permit, according to Asghar Ali Porik, a tour operator. View this post on Instagram An official of the GB tou... -
Dawn - 04:20 May 04, 2025
• Experts diverge on anticipated rate cut quantum, businesses demand substantial reduction to revive economy • Some see status quo after tomorrow’s meeting as war-like situation expected to hike food prices KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Despite a long-term decline in inflation and real interest rates above 11 per cent, opinions on the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) likely decision on the policy rate are divided, with trade and industry sectors advocating for a significant cut. Researchers conducted polls to gauge market sentiment, but the 0.3pc inflation in April has caused division among those who were confident there would be no change in the interest rate. The SBP’s Monetary Policy Committee will meet on Monday to set the key interest rate for the next two months. The central bank had delivered a surprise by leaving its policy rate unchanged in the last review, disappointing the business community, which was demanding a substantial cut of at least 500bps. Many experts were expecting a slight cut of up to 50bps. Howev... -
Dawn - 03:08 May 04, 2025
LONDON: A large pro-Pakistan demonstration was held on Saturday outside the Indian High Commission in Aldwych, London, under the aegis of Pakistan Muslim League-N’s UK chapter. The protest came in the wake of the deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Occupied Kashmir, which left 26 people dead and reignited tensions between India and Pakistan. India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, an allegation Islamabad has firmly denied, instead calling for an independent and impartial investigation into the incident. Waving Pakistan flags and placards, demonstrators chanted slogans including, “Gen Asim Munir Zindabad”, “Pakistan Zindabad”, “Kashmir belongs to Pakistan” and “We condemn Indian terrorism”. The protesters also denounced India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Hindutva ideology, with chants of “Modi is terrorist” and “Down with Hindutva ideology” echoing through the streets. PML-N UK President Ahsan Dar addressed the protesters, saying:“ This huge show is a reflection of the sentiment Pakist... -
Dawn - 02:57 May 04, 2025
DHAKA: Thousands of activists of Bangladeshi religious parties rallied in Dhaka on Saturday, one of their biggest public shows of strength in years. Religious groups have gained strength after the toppling of the iron-fisted regime of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, opposing attempts at reforms they say are un-Islamic. Hefazat-i-Islam — an influential group made up of multiple political parties, Muslim organisations and religious schools — issued a string of demands at Saturday’s rally, including the abolishment of a government women’s commission seeking equality. “Men and women can never be equal: the Holy Quran outlines specific codes of life for both genders,” said Mohammad Shihab Uddin, 53, leader of a women’s madrassa, a religious school. “There is no way we can go beyond that.” No date has been set for elections, but caretaker leader Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who heads the interim government, has promised polls will be held by June 2026 at the latest. Muhammad Umar Faruq, 30, another... -
Dawn - 02:50 May 04, 2025
PESHAWAR: Seven terrorists, including a high-value target, were killed and two other militants were arrested in separate encounters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), official sources said on Saturday. Also, a security official embraced martyrdom in a bomb attack on a convoy of security forces. In separate clashes between security agencies and militants, two terrorists were killed in North Waziristan, three were shot dead in Bajaur, while two others were gunned down in retaliation by police after they attacked a security post on Bannu-Dera Ismail Khan Road in Lakki Marwat district. Five terrorists, including a high-value target, were killed and two others, including one wanted by police, were arrested in separate operations carried out by security forces in KP on April 30 and May 1, according to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing. The ISPR said during an intelligence-based operation (IBO), troops effectively engaged militants’ hideout in Bajaur. In an inte... -
Dawn - 02:42 May 04, 2025
• Steps up efforts to ensure two-month flour reserves in vulnerable regions • Food depots being relocated from exposed areas to safer zones • Officials asked to develop contingency plans to ensure uninterrupted food supply MUZAFFARABAD: The Food Department of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has accelerated efforts to replenish wheat flour stocks in vulnerable areas along the Line of Control (LoC), amid heightened tensions with India and fears of possible incursion from across the divide. In snowbound and remote areas of AJK — many of which lie adjacent to the LoC — the Food Department traditionally stocks specially treated wheat flour with an extended shelf life to sustain local populations from December through May. In comparatively safer areas, routine storage is limited to a 15-day supply due to easier accessibility. However, in response to fresh directives from AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, the department has begun increasing reserves in forward locations to meet the needs of residents for at leas... -
Dawn - 21:07 May 01, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday thanked China’s envoy for endorsing his offer to conduct a neutral probe into the Pahalgam attack, following India’s actions against Pakistan that have heightened the risks of a military confrontation between the two countries. The April 22 attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26 people, mostly tourists, marking one of the deadliest assaults in the region since 2000. India has implied cross-border links without evidence, while Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership have rejected the accusation and called for a neutral probe. Tensions have since spiked, with Pakistan reinforcing its forces and India’s premier granting “operational freedom” to his military. As Pakistan, in the early hours of Wednesday, said it expected an incursion from India within the next 24-36 hours, diplomatic channels from other countries have been engaged to prevent a possible military confrontation. Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong called on Shehbaz at the PM House in Islamabad toda... -
Dawn - 20:19 May 01, 2025
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Thursday warned that any “misadventure” by India, amid fraught tensions with Pakistan that has seen continued shelling across the Line of Control after a militant attack in occupied Kashmir last week, would be met with a quick and decisive response. The April 22 attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people, mostly tourists, marking one of the deadliest assaults in the region since 2000. India has implied cross-border links without evidence, while Pakistan has rejected the accusation and called for a neutral probe. Tensions have since spiked, with Pakistan reinforcing its forces and India’s premier granting “operational freedom” to his military. As Pakistan, in the early hours of Wednesday, said it expected an incursion from India within the next 24-36 hours, diplomatic channels from other countries have been engaged to prevent a possible military confrontation. A press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said COAS Munir visited the Tilla Field F...
5680 items