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Found 5792 news

  • By-elections held for 6 NA, 7 Punjab seats; PTI alleges rigging
    Dawn - 19:57 Nov 23, 2025
    PTI candidate Chaudhry Arsalan Ahmad (L) and Hafiz Muhammad Noman (R). — Facebook/Arsalan Ahmad / X/PMLNPunjabPkBy-elections were held for six National Assembly and seven Punjab Assembly seats on Sunday amid allegations of rigging by the PTI. According to reports citing unofficial and preliminary results from some polling stations received until midnight, the PML-N was leading in a few constituencies. Most seats on which the by-elections were held had fallen vacant after the disqualification of PTI lawmakers due to their convictions for alleged involvement in the May 9, 2023 violent riots. The six NA constituencies where polling was conducted included one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, NA-18 (Haripur), and the rest in Punjab — NA-96 (Faisalabad), NA-104 (Faisalabad), NA-129 (Lahore), NA-143 (Sahiwal) and NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan). The seven Punjab Assembly constituencies where by-polls were held were PP-73 (Sargodha), PP-87 (Mianwali), PP-98 (Faisalabad), PP-115 (Faisalabad), PP-116 (Faisalabad), PP-203 (Sahiwal) and PP-269 (Muzaffargarh). The PTI had officially boycotted the polls in all constituencies except Lahore and Haripu...
  • Pakistan Shaheens retain Asia Cup Rising Stars title after Super Over thriller against Bangladesh ‘A’
    Dawn - 18:37 Nov 23, 2025
    Pakistan Shaheens defended a modest 125 to beat Bangladesh ‘A’ in a nerve-shredding Super Over thriller and successfully defend their Asia Cup Rising Stars title at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha on Sunday night. In a final that swung wildly in the space of 40 minutes, Pakistan were bowled out for 125 after yet another top-order meltdown, only for their spinners to rip through Bangladesh ‘A’ and leave them reeling at 53 for 7. A gritty 43-run eighth-wicket stand between Rakibul Hasan and SM Meherob threatened the unthinkable, before three huge sixes in the 19th over from Abdul Gaffar Saqlain took the game to a Super Over. Ahmed Daniyal lean-bowled both batters in the first four balls of the Super Over to restrict Bangladesh to just six. Ripon Mondol, Bangladesh’s hero with the ball in the main game, started superbly with two yorkers but Saad Masood’s flicked four off the third legitimate delivery sealed a famous victory for Pakistan Shaheens. Earlier, Shaheens’ batting woes resurfaced...
  • FO denounces Indian defence minister’s ‘delusional, dangerously revisionist’ remarks about Sindh
    Dawn - 18:33 Nov 23, 2025
    The Foreign Office (FO) issued a strong condemnation on Sunday, denouncing Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s “delusional and dangerously revisionist remarks” about Sindh. The FO’s rebuke came after the Indian media quoted Singh as saying: “Today, the land of Sindh may not be a part of India, but civilisationally, Sindh will always be a part of India. And as far as land is concerned, borders can change. Who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India again.” According to Indian media outlets, Singh maintained while speaking at an event in Delhi that Sindhi Hindus from his generation never fully accepted the accession of the province to Pakistan. Sindh has occasionally featured in Indian rhetoric on Pakistan, most often during heightened tensions or significant developments inside India. Singh’s remarks at Sindhi Samaj Sammelan, an event of the Sindhi community, could have possibly been made to bolster political support by invoking historical and cultural claims. The FO said in its response to the remarks t...
  • Israel claims to have killed Hezbollah military leader in Beirut strike
    Dawn - 17:34 Nov 23, 2025
    Israel claimed to have killed Hezbollah’s top military official in an airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut on Sunday, despite a US-brokered truce a year ago. The strike, the first on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital in months, targeted Hezbollah’s acting chief of staff, Ali Tabtabai, the military claimed in a statement. There was no immediate confirmation of his killing from Hezbollah, although senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qmati confirmed a central figure from the group had been targeted. Speaking near the bombed-out building in the Haret Hreik suburb, he said Israel’s strike crossed a “red line”. Qmati said Hezbollah’s leadership would decide on whether and how the group would respond. Five dead in strike The United States imposed sanctions on Tabtabai in 2016, identifying him as a key Hezbollah leader and offering a reward of up to $5 million for information on him. The Israeli military statement claimed Tabtabai “commanded most of Hezbollah’s units and worked hard to restore them to readiness...
  • 5-member FCC bench to take up PTI leader Salman Akram Raja’s election tribunal plea on Tuesday
    Dawn - 16:48 Nov 23, 2025
    A larger bench of the newly established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) is scheduled to take up on Tuesday a petition filed by PTI’s Salman Akram Raja, who has sought the reversal of a court order on elections tribunals, which were formed to settle disputes of last year’s general elections. According to a supplementary cause list on the FCC’s website, Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan has constituted a five-member bench comprising Justices Aamer Farooq, Ali Baqar Najafi, Muhammad Karim Khan Agha, Rozi Khan Barrech and Arshad Hussain Shah to hear the petition that was originally filed in the Supreme Court (SC) on July 22, 2024. However, the review petition has now been fixed before the FCC, which was established under the 27th Amendment, on November 24. In his petition, Raja requested the SC to revisit its earlier order suspending the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) notification of constituting eight election tribunals in Punjab. He pleaded before the court that its order on July 4, 2024 had exposed the entire process...
  • Usman Tariq hat-trick destroys Zimbabwe as Pakistan make T20 tri-series final
    Dawn - 16:35 Nov 23, 2025
    Mystery spinner Usman Tariq produced a spell for the ages, claiming a hat-trick and stunning figures of 4 for 18 to bowl Pakistan to a crushing 69-run victory over Zimbabwe in their Twenty20 International tri-series clash at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday night. The win sealed for Pakistan a spot in the November 29 final. Chasing a formidable 196, Zimbabwe were skittled for a paltry 126 in 19 overs, collapsing from 60 for 4 to 60 for 7 in the space of just five deliveries during a mesmerising 10th over from the 25-year-old Usman. The Rawalpindi crowd erupted as the unorthodox spinner became only the fourth Pakistani to take a T20I hat-trick. Zimbabwe never recovered from the early blows delivered by Pakistan’s pace battery. Naseem Shah struck with his sixth ball when Tadiwanashe Marumani (four) chipped tamely to cover point, and Mohammad Wasim Jr clean-bowled the dangerous Brian Bennett (nine) with a sharp inswinger to reduce the visitors to 14 for 2. Brendan Taylor looked scratchy and fell for eight, s...
  • Lifetime immunity for public office holders has concentrated ‘unchecked power in hands of a few’: HRCP
    Dawn - 14:58 Nov 23, 2025
    In a statement issued on Sunday after its 39th annual general meeting, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the 27th Constitutional Amendment, noting that lifetime immunity for public 0ffice holders had “concentrated unchecked power in the hands of a few”. The contentious tweak was passed by Parliament on November 13 after days of heated debate, opposition protests, and last-minute revisions, and received the president’s assent the same day. The amendment made significant changes to the judicial system and the military’s chain of command, and granted sweeping immunities to government officials. Under the Amendment, lifetime immunity from arrest and all criminal and civil proceedings has been granted to the president and anyone holding the ranks of Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Air Force. Referring to the Amendment, the HRCP drew attention to “escalating threats to constitutional democracy, civic freedoms, and the safety of vulnerable communities across...
    Tags: HRCP
  • Tejas crash dampens export hopes for Indian fighter jet
    Dawn - 13:59 Nov 23, 2025
    The crash of India’s Tejas fighter in front of global arms buyers at the Dubai Airshow is the latest blow to a key national trophy, leaving the jet reliant on Indian military orders to sustain its role as a showcase of home-built defence technology. The cause of Friday’s crash was not immediately known but it capped a week of jockeying for influence at the event, attended by India’s arch-rival Pakistan six months after the neighbouring foes faced off in the world’s largest air battle in decades. Such a public loss will inevitably overshadow India’s efforts to establish the jet abroad after a painstaking development over four decades, experts said, as India paid tribute to Wing Commander Namansh Syal who died in the crash. Crash at showcase event in Dubai “The imagery is brutal,” said Douglas A. Birkey, executive director of the US-based Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, referring to the history of crashes at air shows where nations and industries seek to tout major national achievements. “A crash send...
  • In pictures: Artists, writers and poets come together at the Adab Festival in Karachi
    Dawn - 13:24 Nov 23, 2025
    A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim SiddiquiThe Adab Festival saw a gathering of big names from art, literature, media and politics for a series of talks, music performances and mushairas. The festival, now in its tenth edition, was held at Habbitt City in Karachi from November 22-23. A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui Visitors attend an event at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A visitor looks at fabric being sold at the Adab Festival on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui Ex-FBR chairman Shabbar Zaidi delivers a talk at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui An audience attends a panel discussion with Khurram Karaishy at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddi...
  • Power outage at Karachi pumping stations resolved, citywide water services back to normal, KWSC claims
    Dawn - 12:32 Nov 23, 2025
    The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) said in a statement on Sunday that power outages at water pumping stations had been resolved and that citywide water services were normal. Karachi faced a severe water crisis in November as prolonged power outages across the city disrupted pumping operations. In a statement released today, the KWSC said they maintained close coordination with K-Electric throughout the crisis to restore the water supply, and officials confirmed that “citywide water services have now returned to normal.” “All possible steps are being taken to further strengthen the water supply system in the future,” the KWSC said. Per the KWSC, the city experienced a total shortfall of 884 million gallons of water due to electricity disruptions. “The Dhabeji Pumping Station was hit hardest, with 132 hours and 20 minutes of power outages leading to a shortage of 424 million gallons, while the Dumlottee Wells recorded 146 hours of outages, resulting in 111 million gallons of lost water,” the stat...
  • EU and Pakistan urge Afghanistan to root out terror on its soil, ensure women’s rights in joint statement
    Dawn - 11:55 Nov 23, 2025
    In a joint statement shared on Sunday, Pakistan and the European Union (EU) called on Afghanistan to deal with terrorist organisations operating from its soil and to ensure the protection of human rights, especially those of women and girls. The development came as the 7th Strategic Dialogue between Pakistan and the EU was convened in Brussels. The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the EU’s chief diplomat Kaja Kallas. According to a joint statement shared by the Foreign Office (FO), Dar and Kallas discussed relations between Islamabad and Kabul amid cross-border tensions last month, with both top diplomats reaffirming their commitment to regional peace, stability, prosperity, and resolving issues with neighbours through dialogue. “The two sides called on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to play a constructive role in achieving the shared objective of rooting out terrorism from Afghan soil,” the statement read. It added that Dar and Kallas expressed concern ov...
  • Rana Sanaullah again extends dialogue offer to PTI for solving political crises
    Dawn - 11:50 Nov 23, 2025
    PML-N Senator Rana Sanaullah on Sunday reiterated the government’s offer to the opposition PTI to hold dialogue and resolve the long-standing political crises marring the country. Speaking to the media in Faisalabad, Sanaullah said, “We are still in favour of politicians sitting together at a table to resolve issues.” He recalled Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s “unconditional offer“ he made in August to all political parties to become a part of the ‘Misaq-i-Istehkam-i-Pakistan’ (Charter for Stability of Pakistan). Sanaullah was speaking to reporters as by-elections were underway today in PP-116, where his son-in-law Ahmed Shaharyar is contesting as the PML-N candidate. On the PTI’s official boycott of most of the by-elections held today, Sanaullah said, “Imran Khan sahib is not even doing politics. He has never done politics. It is this country’s and the public’s misfortune that he was brought [into power].” Sanaullah, also the PM’s political aide, assailed Imran for “always creating a deadlock”, while “democ...
  • Pakistan urges urgent grant-based climate finance at COP30
    Dawn - 11:43 Nov 23, 2025
    Pakistan has called for rapid, grant-based, and predictable financing for climate-vulnerable developing countries, warning that recurring climate disasters are exacerbating debt distress and undermining development gains in nations that have contributed the least to global emissions. The appeal was made at a high-level side event titled “Operationalising Loss and Damage: Financing Resilience and Recovery in Vulnerable Countries”, organised jointly by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and Unicef at the Pakistan Pavilion during the UN climate summit (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. Secretary for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Aisha Humera Moriani, in her keynote address, stated that Pakistan was investing heavily in strengthening national resilience despite contributing less than one per cent to global greenhouse gas emissions. She recalled the catastrophic floods of 2022 and 2025 that displaced millions, damaged infrastructure and caused multi-billion-dollar economic losses....
  • After Ambani zoo probe, wildlife body reverses call to curb animal imports to India
    Dawn - 10:45 Nov 23, 2025
    A United Nations wildlife trade body decided on Sunday not to restrict India from importing endangered animals, after many countries supported reversing an earlier, stringent recommendation that had embroiled the private zoo run by Asia’s richest family. Vantara, a 3,500-acre zoo in Gujarat run by the philanthropic arm of the Reliance conglomerate led by Mukesh Ambani and his family, had faced allegations from non-profit and wildlife groups of improper imports of some animals, triggering higher scrutiny by Germany and the European Union. After visiting the facility in September, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) issued a report this month asking India to “not issue any further import permits” as discrepancies had been found between exporter and importer trade data, and there were insufficient checks on the origin of some animals. At the CITES meeting in Uzbekistan, live-streamed on Sunday, the recommendation was reversed after many c...
    Tags: India
  • At Karachi’s Adab Festival, journalists lament censorship, new media challenges
    Dawn - 09:48 Nov 23, 2025
    If ‘post-truth’ was Oxford Dictionaries’ 2016 Word of the Year, then ‘post-reality’ reflects the even murkier information climate unfolding today, one where audiences and journalists alike struggle to navigate competing narratives and contested facts. This shifting landscape framed the session ‘Truth, Trust, and Tenacity: The New Media Paradigm,’ held on Saturday, which brought together journalists Fazil Jamili, Azhar Abbas, Amber Rahim Shamsi and Azaz Syed under the moderation of Nadia Naqi. The discussion was part of the Adab Festival, which returned to Karachi for its 10th edition at Habitt City from November 22 to 23. Opening the discussion, Naqi noted the challenges journalists face in working and surviving in the current media environment. “Speaking the truth comes with challenges; often we’ve seen journalists being intimidated, and the controlled environment makes it difficult to speak the truth,” she said. “With truth, of course, comes trust. Is there public trust in the media? That’s the big question...
  • FO slams Israeli attacks in Gaza as ‘blatant violation of international law’
    Dawn - 08:45 Nov 23, 2025
    The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday strongly condemned the continued Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip as a “blatant violation of international law”. Despite a ceasefire signed by Israel and Hamas on October 9, Israeli forces have continued to regularly bombard Gaza with airstrikes, with the latest attack on Saturday leaving at least 21 dead in the territory. A statement issued by the FO today said, “Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the attacks by Israeli occupying forces across Gaza.” It added that the attacks had reportedly resulted in the deaths of several Palestinian civilians and left many more wounded. “Such actions constitute a blatant violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the recently concluded peace agreement at Sharm el-Sheikh,” the FO said. It said that the attacks also undermined international efforts aimed at achieving “lasting peace and stability” in the region. “The Government of Pakistan reiterates its call upon the international community to take im...
  • Federal Constitutional Court finds support in apex lawyer bodies
    Dawn - 07:26 Nov 23, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Two premier lawyer bodies on Saturday extended support to the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) through the recently passed 27th Amendment. In a joint statement, the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) affirmed that it was their two-decade-old demand that the FCC should be established with equal representation of the provinces for hearing constitutional and political matters, so that general public cases could be decided by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a timely manner. The statement was jointly issued by PBC Vice Chairman Chaudhry Tahir Nasrullah Warriach and SCBA President Haroonur Rashid. According to the statement, the FCC will strengthen the federation. It said the premier bodies were watching carefully the entire process, including the appointment of judges, and would express their concerns and grievances, when needed, through decisions and resolutions of the general houses of both bodies. The statement said that the PBC and the SCB...
  • US to launch new phase of Venezuela operations, sources say
    Dawn - 07:09 Nov 23, 2025
    The United States is poised to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four US officials told Reuters, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government. Reuters was not able to establish the exact timing or scope of the new operations, nor whether US President Donald Trump had made a final decision to act. Reports of looming action have proliferated in recent weeks as the US military has deployed forces to the Caribbean amid worsening relations with Venezuela. Two of the US officials said covert operations would likely be the first part of the new action against Maduro. All four officials quoted in this article spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of impending action by the United States. The Pentagon referred questions to the White House. The CIA declined to comment. A senior administration official on Saturday did not rule anything out regarding Venezuela. “President Trump is prepared to use every element of Amer...
  • Misuse of social media app poses challenge to police in Peshawar
    Dawn - 06:19 Nov 23, 2025
    PESHAWAR: TikTok is a popular entertainment app with approximately 1.6 billion active users worldwide, but here, like many other places, it is posing a new challenge to law enforcement agencies including the police to clamp down on cognisable offences in soft form. Police officials note with concern the increasingly disturbing trend to promote obscenity, vulgarity and brandishing of weapons to terrorise citizens: the rise of negative content on TikTok, which is increasingly influencing young people. Police say, content creators have turned to entertainment platforms like TikTok to make money by generating more views through showcasing of weapons and promoting vulgar content that is having a negative impact on society. In some cases, the exchange of abuses on the social media platform led to fire fight between individuals, resulting in killings. Taking note of the increasing trend, Peshawar police recently launched a crackdown against those responsible for pushing boundaries and were promoting negative content...
    Tags: Peshawar
  • Family enterprises, cult-based parties can’t effect change: JI
    Dawn - 04:37 Nov 23, 2025
    LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said that family enterprises and cult-based political parties cannot bring change in society. He was addressing the participants of JI’s Ijtima-i-Aam at Minar-i-Pakistan here on Saturday. He said that the nation wouldn’t allow the government to accept the supremacy of the United States in connection with foreign policy and internal affairs of Pakistan. He said that Islam does not provide immunity to anyone, be it a marshal or a president. He directed his party workers to invite all political workers without discrimination to join their struggle to change the ‘corrupt and dilapidated’ system. Talking about reforms to empower people, he lambasted the Punjab government and questioned why it had not held local government elections in the past one and a half decade. Talking about the education sector, he said the provincial governments had allocated tens of billions of rupees for the sector, yet the situation was utterly disappointing. Taking a dig at PPP ...

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