Dawn
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Dawn - 18:14 Jul 27, 2026
The government on Friday decreased the price of petrol by Re1 and increased the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs3.77 per litre, respectively, passing on the impact of fluctuating global oil prices following renewed hostilities in the Persian Gulf. Following the changes, the price of petrol stands at Rs334.18 per litre, while that of HSD stands at Rs386.83 per litre. The government is charging a total of Rs110 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs96 on diesel. The Petroleum Division’s notification said the new prices would be applicable for July 28 (Tuesday). The diesel price has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on February 28. The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its upward trajectory from Rs266 in the first week of March. Earlier, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be fixed on a daily basis due to fluctuations in internatio... -
Dawn - 17:57 Jul 27, 2026
Spain faces two crucial days to bring raging wildfires under control before weather conditions worsen, authorities said on Monday, as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called on his citizens to “exercise extreme caution” ahead of a new heatwave. Wildfires that broke out in forests around the Spanish capital at the height of the summer holidays have forced some 60,000 people to flee their homes, often with just minutes’ notice, leaving pets and medicine behind. “You run to save what you can and then you turn to defend” against the fire, said Karim Benali, 39, a volunteer who spoke to AFP on a road near Navaluenga, west of Madrid. “There were some 48 homes here; they burned,” he added, surrounded by charred earth and trees blanketed with a persistent smell of smoke. This handout photo released on July 26 and taken on July 24, 2026 by Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit (UME) shows UME personnel fighting a wildfire near Navas del Rey, 55 kilometres southwest of Madrid, Spain. — AFP The fires devoured forests left tinde... -
Dawn - 17:55 Jul 27, 2026
LAHORE: The PTI on Monday alleged that the party’s Punjab chapter chief organiser Aaliya Hamza, who is incarcerated in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail, had been subjected to a physical attack by some female inmates. In March this year, Aaliya was arrested by the Punjab police and shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail. The police had claimed that she was absconding and organising gatherings of party legislators, ticket-holders and workers outside Adiala Jail. According to claims made by PTI leaders, a woman inmate, along with around 10 other inmates, attacked Aaliya and attempted to strangle her over a water-related dispute in the jail toilet. “There has been an attempt on Aaliya’s life,” they alleged. They stated that other jailed PTI members, Sanam Javed and Falak Javed, intervened and rescued Aaliya from the attackers. Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja stated that disturbing news of an “attempt on Aaliya’s life” had been received from Kot Lakhpat Jail. In a statement issued on X, Raja said that the Punjab ... -
Dawn - 17:18 Jul 27, 2026
Scuffles and rigging allegations marred the first phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections as polling concluded in the 13 constituencies of Mirpur division on Monday. Polling began at 8am and concluded at 6pm across all three districts — Bhimber, Mirpur, and Kotli — of the division after a one-hour extension. While minor skirmishes and scuffles between PPP and PML-N workers in Kotli district were reported earlier in the day, the electoral process took a violent turn in the afternoon in LA-9 Kotli-II (Nakyal). In a statement on X, the PPP claimed that party worker Mukhtar Younus “died during incidents of display of arms and public harassment by PML-N candidate Sardar Umair Naeem”. Mirpur Commissioner Raja Tahir Mumtaz confirmed that a man was killed and two others, including the deceased’s father, were injured in an incident. On the other hand, the PML-N claimed that Younus had been involved in its election campaign activities. PPP AJK Election Cell Incharge Sardar Abdul Shakoor demanded that all those ... -
Dawn - 16:34 Jul 27, 2026
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah will undertake an official visit to Pakistan from July 28 to 29. In a statement issued on Monday, the Foreign Office (FO) said, “At the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the foreign minister of the State of Kuwait, will undertake an official visit to Pakistan from July 28 to 29, 2026.” During the visit, FM Al-Sabah would hold talks with FM Dar, it added. “The two sides will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international developments of mutual interest,” the FO said. According to the FO, Kuwait’s top diplomat was expected to pay a courtesy call on the leadership of Pakistan. The FO added that the visit reflected the shared resolve of Pakistan and Kuwait to further strengthen their enduring partnership and expand cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries. On July 18, FM Dar held a telephonic conversation with his Ku... -
Dawn - 16:06 Jul 27, 2026
General Aamer Raza met with Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Monday, according to the military’s media wing. “The field marshal congratulated the general officer on assumption of command,” a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. General Raza was promoted to the rank of a four-star general and appointed to the position of Commander of the National Strategic Command (CNSC), according to an announcement by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday. According to the PMO, the premier congratulated the newly promoted general and wished him the best for “undertaking this important responsibility”. The ISPR added in its statement that General Raza was presented with a guard of honour upon his arrival at GHQ on his appointment as CNSC. It added that the general laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-i-Shuhada and offered prayers for the martyrs. General Raza has previously been awarded the Hilal-i-Imti... -
Dawn - 15:53 Jul 27, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez Malik on Monday hinted at a decline in petrol and diesel prices following the clearance of Pakistan’s oil cargoes stuck at the Bab-al-Mandeb chokepoint due to Houthi attacks. “Today’s good news is that our ships stuck at Bab-al-Mandeb have come out safely,” the minister said, adding that crude oil, diesel and petrol prices were easing in the global market. The minister, who spoke to journalists after talks with the Oil Tankers Contractors Association (OTCA), said the government had put in place a transparent pricing formula that would hopefully lead to an improvement in prices. He said the formula, based on the weekly average of the international market, was being operated by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), and that if not today, prices would start declining from tomorrow, depending on the weekly average. Responding to a question about whether the government could return to weekly or fortnightly pricing after the current crisis was over, the minister said,... -
Dawn - 15:19 Jul 27, 2026
Oil prices hovered around a one-week low on Monday after the US and Iran paused strikes over the weekend following two weeks of attacks, raising hopes of a diplomatic solution that would de-escalate the conflict and allow shipping to resume in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures fell $5.85, or around 6 per cent, to $90.93 a barrel by 1:09pm GMT (6:09pm PKT). They fell as low as 9.5pc earlier in the session to $87.55 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $84.33 a barrel, down $4.98, or around 5.6pc and going as low as 8pc earlier in the day to $82.12 a barrel. Both contracts were trading at their lowest levels since July 20 earlier in the session. Brent had reached $100 per barrel as the conflict, which reduced oil shipments via the Strait of Hormuz, spilled over to the Red Sea, hindering exports from the world’s top exporter, Saudi Arabia, via the Bab el-Mandeb strait to Asia. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, told Fox News on Sunday and other US media that President Donal... -
Dawn - 15:12 Jul 27, 2026
Visiting US congressmen acknowledged Pakistan’s “critical role” in regional stability during a meeting with Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Rawalpindi, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Monday. According to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, the CDF met the two members of the US House of Representatives, Ryan Keith Zinke (Montana) and Michael James (Washington), at General Headquarters (GHQ). “Discussions focused on matters of mutual interest, regional security, bilateral defence cooperation and avenues for enhancing economic collaboration and prosperity,” the ISPR statement said. It further noted that the visiting dignitaries acknowledged Pakistan’s “critical role” in regional stability, as well as its economic resilience. CDF Munir highlighted Pakistan’s “vast economic potential” and emphasised that sustainable regional stability was deeply anchored in economic growth, trade expansion and connectivity. According to the stat... -
Dawn - 15:08 Jul 27, 2026
ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday granted the police another seven-day physical remand of suspect Saad Abbasi, who was arrested for allegedly murdering Pakistan Air Force Group Captain Asim Tariq. On July 5, the PAF group captain was martyred in Islamabad in a bid to save a woman as the suspect was trying to take her away “forcefully”. As Tariq intervened, Abbasi opened fire, which struck the officer. The Islamabad police had arrested the suspect within nine hours after the incident. ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain heard the case on Monday. Abbasi was produced before the court after the completion of his initial seven-day physical remand. During the hearing, Prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain Kayani appeared before the court and sought a further 15-day physical remand of the suspect. The prosecutor informed the court that the pistol allegedly used in the murder had been recovered, adding that the perpetrator had allegedly hidden the weapon after the incident. The prosecution further sub... -
Dawn - 14:28 Jul 27, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday told the global Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) that the country has entered a decisive phase in its decades-long fight against polio, claiming the virus has been pushed into a shrinking number of high-risk areas but cautioned that persistent insecurity in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains the biggest obstacle to reaching every child. The IMB — an independent oversight body of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative — met from July 20 to 23 to assess global eradication efforts, with a particular focus on Pakistan and Afghanistan, the world’s only two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic. During a high-level review meeting of the IMB in Geneva, Pakistani officials claimed that the country’s strategy was delivering results, while acknowledging that failure to eliminate transmission from the remaining hotspots could jeopardise years of progress. Pakistan informed the board that it had reduced polio cases by 99.8 per cent since the early 1990s, when an estimated 20,00... -
Dawn - 14:10 Jul 27, 2026
Indian activists are challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over the use of AI-powered surveillance at the largest youth protest in decades, with one court case set to become a test of federal powers even after agitation ended. The surveillance controversy erupted during last week’s student protests over exam paper leaks, when demonstrators posted pictures on social media of a mobile police surveillance van equipped with cameras on a telescopic mast providing a 360-degree view of the gathering. One protester, student activist Aishe Ghosh, has asked the Delhi High Court to declare mass surveillance of protesters unconstitutional and direct the destruction of all personal data collected during the protest, as well as order the framing of guidelines on how surveillance technology can be used. Ghosh is pressing on with the case even though the protest ended after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned in a rare setback for Modi, who has since announced a panel to overhaul the cheating-prone... -
Dawn - 14:03 Jul 27, 2026
Four men, reported to be Pakistani nationals, were gunned down in a suspected ambush in South Africa, it emerged on Monday. South African news platform News24 reported on Sunday that the incident occurred in Kempton Park, a city in the Gauteng province, on Saturday evening. It added that the victims were shopkeepers in the Sebenza area. “According to several social media posts, the victims were Pakistani nationals,” the news outlet said, but noted that police were unable to confirm the victims’ nationalities. Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed the deaths and said the police were investigating them as murder cases, News24 said. When asked to confirm the nationality of the victims, Nevhuhulwi told the news agency, “They are [foreign nationals], but unfortunately at this stage, I cannot confirm their nationality.” According to her, the victims’ Honda car had stopped at a red traffic light when two unknown men driving a white sedan stopped next to their vehicle, got out and started... -
Dawn - 12:38 Jul 27, 2026
When cricket returns to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, it will bring far more than bats, balls and wickets. Its inclusion reflects a strategic calculation by Olympic leaders that the surest route to billions of new viewers runs through India, cricket’s commercial heartland and a country they believe is increasingly central to the Games future. Cricket, absent from the Olympics since 1900, offers the International Olympic Committee (IOC) something no recent addition has: direct access to a fan base of more than two billion people and, crucially, the commercial power of the Indian market. As the Games seek a younger and broader audience, it may prove the most valuable sport added to the Olympic programme in decades. Cricket has been one of the major global sports not to feature in the Olympics, IOC Sports Director Pierre Ducrey told Reuters in an interview. “It is very strong in markets where maybe you could say the Olympic Games today may not have penetrated as much as they have in other markets,” he sai... -
Dawn - 11:54 Jul 27, 2026
The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark index opened the week on a strong note, gaining more than 7,000 points to close above the 178,000-point threshold on Monday. The KSE-100 index had gained 4,501.33 points to reach 175,522.53 points by 9:50am from the previous close of 171,021.20 points. By 3:09pm, the index had gained 7,081.19 points to cross the 178,000-point level. At 3:29pm, it hit its intra-day peak of 178,588.33 points, before settling at 178,262.33 points to close out the session — a gain of 7,241.13 points (4.23 per cent). Awais Ashraf, director of research at AKD Securities, said investor sentiment improved after the US and Iran paused military strikes, raising hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the Middle East conflict and the resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. In today’s monetary policy announcement, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) maintained the policy rate at 11.5pc. Analysts had expected the central bank to keep the rate unchanged, saying it would be difficult to m... -
Dawn - 11:45 Jul 27, 2026
The PPP on Monday claimed that its worker died during electoral violence in Kotli district’s Nakyal tehsil as the first phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections was underway in the 13 constituencies of Mirpur division. Polling began at 8am and will continue till 5pm. Today (Monday) had been declared a public holiday in all three districts — Bhimber, Mirpur, and Kotli — of the division to facilitate polling. While some skirmishes and scuffles between PPP and PML-N workers in Kotli district were reported earlier in the day, the electoral process took a violent turn in the afternoon in LA-9 Kotli-II (Nakyal). In a statement on X, the PPP claimed that party worker Mukhtar Younus “died during incidents of display of arms and public harassment by PML-N candidate Sardar Umair Naeem”. PPP AJK Election Cell Incharge Sardar Abdul Shakoor demanded that all those involved in the incident be immediately arrested, law and order be restored, and the safety of voters’ lives and property be ensured. Meanwhile, PPP Chai... -
Dawn - 11:42 Jul 27, 2026
The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Monday kept the interest rate unchanged at 11.5 per cent. The decision was announced by SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed during a press conference. At the outset of the press conference, the governor said, “MPC has decided to keep the policy rate unchanged at 11.5pc”. “There were several reasons for this, but I would like to explain some background: every time we hold committee meetings in January and July, we also issue projections for the next six months and what would be the level of economic growth, inflation outlook and situation of the external account; I will share that assessment as well.” The governor explained that in the first half of the previous year, inflation was declining; however, “the fallout from the Middle East crisis impacted our domestic situation”. “From July to February, our average inflation was 5.5pc,” which he said was within the government’s target range of 5-7pc. However, due to the Middle East crisis, inflation began ... -
Dawn - 10:03 Jul 27, 2026
The Sindh government has declared a public holiday on Wednesday (July 29) on account of the annual urs of Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. According to the notification shared on Monday, the provincial government has declared July 29 as public holiday throughout the province for all government offices, autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies, corporations and local councils under its administrative control, except for essential services. The notification was shared by the Sindh Information Department on the social media platform X. The three-day annual urs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai is held every year from Safar 14 at his final resting place in Bhit Shah. -
Dawn - 09:35 Jul 27, 2026
India’s youth-led “cockroach” movement, whose protests have forced the education minister’s resignation, urged authorities on Monday to release all demonstrators detained in weeks of rallies nationwide. The online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which organised protests over exam paper leaks and other irregularities, said they had received reports of students held in detention, particularly in the states of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. “Any failure to release those detained or withdraw criminal cases would amount to a breach of public trust,” the protest group said in a statement, adding they would take “further necessary steps” if their demand was not met. The statement comes two days after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as education minister over repeated failures in the conduct of competitive exams that have fuelled anger among millions of young Indians. The CJP accused the government of backtracking after authorities had assured them that no punitive action would be taken against protesters. The movement has w... -
Dawn - 09:34 Jul 27, 2026
KARACHI: Water supply to several parts of Karachi resumed in phases on Monday after electricity supply was resumed at the Dhabeji pumping station, around 22 hours after a power breakdown, Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation spokesperson Abdul Qadir Shaikh told Dawn. The spokesperson said K-Electric (KE) had restored power supply to the pumping station at 7:20am on Monday, around 22 hours after a cable fault suspended the supply at 8:43am on Sunday. He said the “prolonged outage had resulted in a shortfall of nearly 48 million gallons of water in the city” and the affected areas included parts of North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Gulberg Town, New Karachi, Landhi, Korangi and Scheme 33. “Following the restoration of electricity, water supply to the affected areas has resumed in phases,” the spokesperson said. The Dhabeji pumping station, Karachi’s primary water intake point, is highly dependent on uninterrupted electricity. Even brief outages result in immediate service disruptions. The power breakdown on Sunday ...
12682 items