Dawn
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Found 5680 news
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Dawn - 02:30 May 01, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The government has appointed Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, the incumbent director general of the country’s premier intelligence agency, as the new National Security Adviser (NSA). The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief becomes the country’s tenth NSA. A notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Tuesday said that Gen Malik would retain his role as DG ISI, a position he has held since September 2024. “Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI(M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect,” the notification stated. His appointment marks the first time a serving ISI chief will concurrently serve as the NSA. The posting comes amid heightened tensions with India following the recent Pahalgam attack. The NSA position had remained vacant since April 2022, when the PTI government was ousted after former Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a vote of confidence. At the time, Moeed Yusuf was serving as the NSA. The NSA holds the status of a federal minister and se... -
Dawn - 02:19 May 01, 2025
• Registrar says ex-PM’s appeal at ‘motion stage’, much needs to be done before regular hearing • Bushra Bibi’s appeal to be taken up by division bench next week ISLAMABAD: In a major blow to Imran Khan’s hopes for a legal reprieve, the Islamabad High Court has signalled that his appeal against a 14-year sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case won’t be heard this year — effectively keeping the former prime minister in legal limbo throughout 2025. The report by the IHC registrar office was submitted to a division bench in response to an application, seeking the early hearing of an appeal against the conviction of the PTI founder and his spouse, Bushra Bibi. As per the report, a criminal appeal filed in January 2025 by Mr Khan, sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, faces indefinite delays, with the court confirming that the case would not be heard during the current calendar year. The report cited the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC) recommendations, according to which the c... -
Dawn - 02:15 May 01, 2025
• Forces continue to trade fire at LoC; checkpost in held-Kashmir destroyed after ‘unprovoked firing’ • India closes airspace for Pakistani planes until May 23; flights to GB cancelled for a few hours • US Secy of State urges PM Shehbaz to help probe Pahalgam attack; tells New Delhi to work with Pakistan for de-escalation ISLAMABAD: Amid a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at calming tensions in the Subcontinent, fears of a possible military confrontation between India and Pakistan continued to persist on Wednesday. Following a statement by Information Minister Atta Tarar in the early hours of Wednesday, where he warned of a possible incursion by India within the next 24-36 hours, a number of incidents of Indian aggression heightened tensions. According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, Pakistani security forces delivered a robust response to India’s unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC), destroying an Indian checkpost after late-night aggression on April 29-30. According to secu... -
Dawn - 00:07 Apr 30, 2025
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar late on Tuesday night said that “credible intelligence” reports indicated that India was planning to conduct a military action against Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours amid tensions between the two countries after the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir last week that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, albeit without proof. Earlier today, India gave its military “operational freedom” to respond to the deadly attack in occupied Kashmir last week. Speaking to the media hours after the development, Tarar said: “Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends carrying out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours on the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident.” He said Pakistan vehemently rejected “Indian self-assumed hubristic role of judge, jury and executioner in the region” which was completely “reckless”. “Pakistan has been the victim of terrorism itself and truly understands the pain of this scourge,” he s... -
Dawn - 18:25 Apr 29, 2025
Three people were killed in a shooting in the Swedish city of Uppsala on Tuesday, and a murder investigation has been launched, police said. Police are searching for one suspected perpetrator, the news agency TT reported. Police earlier said they had received calls from members of the public who heard gunshots in the city centre, and that emergency services had rushed to the scene. “Three people are confirmed dead after a shooting […] The police are investigating the incident as a homicide,” investigators said in a statement. Witnesses told broadcaster SVT they had heard five shots and had seen people in the area running to take cover. Ten people were killed in February in the Swedish city of Orebro in the country’s deadliest ever mass shooting, in which a 35-year-old unemployed loner opened fire on students and teachers at an adult education centre. Sweden has suffered from a wave of gang-related violence for more than a decade that has included an epidemic of gun violence. The Nordic country’s right-wing mi... -
Dawn - 18:10 Apr 29, 2025
Two suspects allegedly involved in the recent killing of the PPP UC chairman in Karachi’s Orangi Town have been arrested, police said on Tuesday. PPP Union Council Chairman, Amir Bhashani, was killed on April 17 by armed motorcyclists in a suspected targeted attack near Bismillah Chowk in Orangi Town. The case was registered under terror and murder charges by the Pakistan Bazaar police. In response, the city council last week demanded that the provincial police and law enforcement agencies promptly arrest the killers of Bhashani and bring them to justice. According to a statement issued by Karachi District West Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tariq Illahi Mastoi, “A police team led by SP Manghopir initiated an investigation on different aspects and conducted technical and human intelligence-based action, apprehending two suspects, namely and recovering two pistols.” During the initial probe, it was transpired that one of the suspects was directly involved in the killing, while another was an informer wh... -
Dawn - 17:27 Apr 29, 2025
The killing of an elderly man and the injuring of his two relatives and a neighbour by terrorists sparked a fierce gun battle between the assailants and members of a local peace committee in the Begukhel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district late Monday night, according to police. The incident reflects the escalating militant presence in Lakki Marwat, where attacks have become more frequent in recent months despite ongoing efforts by local peace committees to maintain order and resist terrorist influence. “The incident happened last night in the Begukhel village. Members of the peace committee living there had deployed guards around the village for protection when militants decided to attack them. They used RPGs and other heavy artillery to attack, and in retaliation to the attack, the peace committee members also opened fire to resist. “During the exchange of fire, one local lost his life while two others sustained injuries. The militants fled from the scene following the exchange. We have regis... -
Dawn - 16:45 Apr 29, 2025
An employee of the Pakistan Navy was killed while another was injured in Karachi’s Baldia on Tuesday after a 10-wheeler trailer hit them, police said. The city has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including dumpers and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data. Speaking to Dawn.com today, Keamari Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Captain (retired) Faizan Ali said, “An employee of the Navy died in the accident, while another was injured when a 10-wheeler truck hit them.” He added that while the driver of the vehicle managed to flee the site of the incident, the vehicle had been taken under police custody. SSP Ali said that a first information report (FIR) will be registered when a complainant comes to the police, otherwise, “we will register it on behalf of the state through a police officer.” Another official, Moachko Police’s Asad Zaid, said 35-year-old Ashfaq Ali and 34-year-old Sohail Ahmed were ... -
Dawn - 16:24 Apr 29, 2025
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, on Tuesday said that India hadn’t provided a “shred of evidence for its baseless allegations” against Pakistan concerning the Pahalgam attack, adding that India was involved in “undertaking cross-border terrorism inside Pakistan.” Relations between Pakistan and India have plummeted to their lowest level in years following the April 22 attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 men, mostly tourists, and was one of the deadliest armed attacks on civilians in the disputed Himalayan region since 2000. Kashmir Resistance, also known as The Resistance Front, said it “unequivocally” denied involvement in the attack, after an initial message that claimed responsibility. Says India has not provided evidence for “baseless allegations” against Pakistan Says India has been found operating a terror network inside Pakistan targeting not only military but also innocent civilians Says forensic analysis of retrieved mater... -
Dawn - 15:30 Apr 29, 2025
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Haj and Umrah has refuted claims that funds from thousands of Pakistani Haj pilgrims were mistakenly sent to the wrong bank account, emphasising that the Kingdom’s digital Haj platform maintains the “utmost levels of transparency,” Arab News Pakistan reported on Tuesday. The clarification followed reports from [multiple] Pakistani media outlets last week, which claimed that over 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims might experience delays in their Haj travel due to millions of Saudi Riyals intended for their expenses being erroneously transferred to an incorrect bank account. “Recent claims in some Pakistani media outlets about ‘Haj funds being sent to the wrong Saudi account’ are baseless and stem from a misunderstanding of the Haj account management system and the ministry’s official electronic Haj platform, which ensures the highest standards of transparency and accuracy,” Arab News Pakistan quoted an official of the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah as saying. According to the report, the of... -
Dawn - 14:56 Apr 29, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to becoming the next major tech destination in light of $700 million pledged in foreign investment in the IT sector at the Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI) conference in Islamabad. Delegates from around 45 countries arrived in Islamabad to participate in the DFDI conference, the first-ever DFDI conference held in Pakistan. Over 75 foreign investors and CEOs of more than 50 global companies attended the event. The digital sector has long been recognised as a key segment for foreign direct investment (FDI), yet Pakistan has struggled to attract substantial digital FDI. Addressing the DFDI conference today, PM Shehbaz hailed investment in the IT sector, saying: “Pakistan is not waiting for the future but shaping it.” He called on international stakeholders to continue supporting Pakistan as it was ready to lead the global digital economy. The premier highlighted the government’s initiatives in the IT sector including the launch of ... -
Dawn - 14:32 Apr 29, 2025
Three terrorists were killed after security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the general area of Turbat town in Balochistan’s Kech district, the military’s media wing said in a statement on Tuesday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the forces conducted an IBO, effectively engaging with the terrorists’ location. The statement said that “after an intense exchange of fire, three terrorists were successfully neutralised”. It said that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists who were involved in multiple activities against the law enforcement agencies and the innocent civilians in the area. “Sanitisation operations are being conducted to neutralise any other terrorists present in the area,” ISPR said, adding that the forces remain determined “to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan”. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, afte... -
Dawn - 14:11 Apr 29, 2025
Seven bullets-ridden bodies were found on Tuesday in Balochistan’s Ziarat district, officials said. Ziarat Deputy Commissioner Ziarat Zakiullah told Dawn.com, “On Tuesday morning, the district administration received information about seven bodies being dumped at Gonja Tangi, Ziarat, after which the assistant commissioner was sent to the scene along with ambulances.” However, at Chautir, near the site of the incident, residents had blocked the highway in protest. “They said that those who were killed neither belonged to Chautir or Ziarat, nor had they been seen in the area before, and that they were terrorists,” DC Zakiullah said. The residents expressed their worry that based on this pretence, an operation would be launched in the area, DC Zakiullah said. “After successful negotiations with residents of the area, the district administration took custody of the bodies, which were later handed over to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Ziarat,” the DC said. He added that the counterterrorism department... -
Dawn - 13:29 Apr 29, 2025
Posts by Indian accounts on social media platform X have been sharing an alleged confidential notification from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s hospitalisation since April 27. However, no such notification has been released by the PM Office and it is fake. Relations between Pakistan and India have turned exceedingly sour since an attack took place in Pahalgam, a tourist hotspot in India-occupied Kashmir that draws thousands of visitors every summer, on April 22. Gunmen opened fire on visitors, killing at least 26 people — all men from across India except one from Nepal — and injuring 17 others. Following the attack, India, without providing evidence, implied that attackers had links to Pakistan, an allegation that Islamabad has vehemently refuted. The incident led to a severe downgrading of ties between the two countries. Since then, the Indian mainstream and social media outlets have been spreading propaganda against Pakistan. Following the same trend, an Indian X acco... -
Dawn - 13:14 Apr 29, 2025
Karnataka Interior Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday confirmed that an unidentified individual was lynched by a mob last week in his state during a local cricket match for shouting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’. Relations between Pakistan and India have plummeted to their lowest level in years following an April 22 attack in the Indian-occupied Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Following the incident, New Delhi, without providing any evidence, implied Pakistan backed the attackers — an allegation that Islamabad has strongly denied. The world has been urging the two nuclear-armed neighbours to “exercise restraint” amid rising tensions. Speaking during a press conference, a video of which was shared on the X account of The Press Trust of India, the minister confirmed the incident, saying, “A mob lynching was reported, however, the identity of the victim could not be ascertained. He was rooting for Pakistan during a local cricket match while shouting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’,” he said. The minister added that it... -
Dawn - 12:04 Apr 29, 2025
Foreign nationals convicted of a sexual offence will be blocked from seeking refugee status in Britain as part of government efforts to tighten rules ahead of local elections and counter the charge from opponents that it cannot protect its borders. Immigration has long been a major issue in Britain, with voters questioning why successive governments were unable to control arrivals, particularly those coming in small boats across the Channel. Since being elected last July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government has sought to restrict access to the asylum system and speed up removal of those denied refugee status. It is also reviewing how courts interpret a migrant’s right to a family life after the rule which guarantees it, Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, was used in multiple asylum appeals, with the details regularly reported by British newspapers. “We are reviewing that because we do believe that the way in which it’s being interpreted in the courts is an issue,” interior minis... -
Dawn - 11:37 Apr 29, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney won Canada’s election on Monday, local media projected, leading his Liberal Party to a new term in power after convincing voters his experience managing economic crises prepared him to confront United States President Donald Trump. The public broadcaster CBC and other outlets projected the Liberals would form Canada’s next government, but it was not yet clear if they would hold a majority in parliament. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre fell short of becoming prime minister, but his party was on track to form a strong opposition in parliament Trump’s trade war and threats to annex Canada — which he renewed in an election day social media post — outraged Canadians and made dealing with the US a top campaign issue. Carney, who had never held elected office and only replaced Justin Trudeau as prime minister last month, anchored his campaign on an anti-Trump message. He previously served as central bank governor in both Britain and Canada and persuaded voters his global financial exp... -
Dawn - 11:35 Apr 29, 2025
Posts from several Indian accounts on social media platform X on Sunday shared alleged documents claiming en masse resignations of Pakistan Army personnel and low morale in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. However, the letters are fake. An attack took place in Pahalgam, a tourist hotspot in India-occupied Kashmir that draws thousands of visitors every summer, on April 22. Gunmen opened fire on visitors, killing at least 26 people — all men from across India except one from Nepal — and injuring 17 others. It was the region’s deadliest attack on civilians since 2000. A hitherto unknown group, named by several Indian outlets as ‘The Resistance Front’, is said to have claimed responsibility for the attack. India followed suit by announcing a series of actions against Pakistan. Responding in kind, Pakistan also announced a series of measures, including the closure of its airspace to all India-owned or Indian-operated airlines with immediate effect. As diplomatic channels dry up and treaty frameworks teeter, a... -
Dawn - 11:19 Apr 29, 2025
The United States Food and Drug Administration approved Abeona Therapeutics’ gene therapy for a rare skin disorder on Tuesday. Shares of the Cleveland-based drugmaker rose 13 per cent in premarket trading. The gene therapy, called Zevaskyn, is approved to treat adult and pediatric patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Patients with the disorder have extremely fragile skin, with blisters and tears forming large wounds all over the body that are difficult to heal and can remain open for years. The disorder results from a defect in the COL7A1 gene, which prevents the production of a crucial type of collagen responsible for anchoring the upper and lower layers of the skin. The current standard of care treatment is daily wound care and protective bandaging. The treatment is expected to be available in the third quarter of 2025 at specific treatment sites, Abeona said. Zevaskyn, chemically known as pz-cel, works by adding healthy COL7A1 genes to the patient’s skin cells and transplanting them ba... -
Dawn - 11:10 Apr 29, 2025
Bulls bounced back on the trading floor on Tuesday as shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange climbed more than 800 points after a day of volatility. The benchmark KSE-100 index climbed 808.28 points, or 0.71 per cent, to stand at 114,872.18 from the previous close of 114,063.90. Awais Ashraf, director of research at AKD Securities, said, attributed the bull run to the announcement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board meeting “to approve a tranche of $1.3 billion for Pakistan under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and a new 28-month arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility”. Earlier, the IMF website confirmed that the Fund’s Executive Board will meet on May 9 to discuss the country’s staff-level agreement for a new $1.3bn arrangement under a climate resilience loan programme, along with the first review of Pakistan’s ongoing $7bn bailout programme. According to the IMF, this will be the first “review under the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility”, along ...
5680 items