Dawn
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Dawn - 07:45 Jul 27, 2026
Oil prices tumbled more than six per cent on Monday after the US and Iran paused strikes over the weekend after 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 $6.20, or 6.4pc, to $90.58 by 0620 GMT after briefly slipping under the key support level of $90 earlier in the session. US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $83.51 a barrel, down $5.80, or 6.5pc. Both contracts are trading at their lowest levels in nearly a week after rising for the past three weeks. 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 Donald Trump had decided to pause US attacks to allow more time for diplomacy. “Oil ... -
Dawn - 07:33 Jul 27, 2026
I have worked on my university’s Admission Committee for 16 years, long enough to have watched several cycles of both growth and contraction. But nothing in those years prepared me for what the last three or four have looked like, and nothing about the current decline is evenly spread. It is concentrated, sharply, among girls applying to evening programmes. When I began speaking directly with hesitant applicants and their parents to understand why confirmed seats were being given up, the reasoning was strikingly consistent, and stated without much hesitation. “In this inflation, why should I spend such a heavy amount on my daughter’s education when there is no job security for her in the future?” one mother asked me plainly. With no guaranteed job waiting at the end of an evening degree, she said, that money was better saved for her daughter’s dowry and wedding than spent on tuition. She was not the only parent to put it like that. These were not abstractions to me. They were mothers, often visibly uneasy the... -
Dawn - 07:18 Jul 27, 2026
A mass shooting near the Space Needle landmark in Seattle killed three people on Sunday and wounded at least four others, including a toddler, according to the police. Seattle Police said one suspect has been arrested and they are searching for another following the incident at a food festival in a popular tourist district of the northwestern US city. Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis said shots were heard around 6pm (6am PKT) and “there were two people who we believe were shooting at each other”. Two weapons were recovered. There is “no outstanding threat to the community,” he said. Seattle Police said three people had died. Police said on X earlier Sunday there were “multiple shooting victims” after shots were fired at the Seattle Centre. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said State Patrol SWAT officers had been deployed to assist local police. “My prayers are with the families of the victims, and the responders as they work to keep people safe,” he said on X. Mayor Katie Wilson said the shooting was “an a... -
Dawn - 06:51 Jul 27, 2026
A popular far-right Australian politician failed on Monday to overturn a racial vilification finding that was handed down after she told a Muslim senator to go back to Pakistan. Senator Pauline Hanson has emerged as one of Australia’s most popular politicians, wooing voters with calls for strict immigration curbs, mass deportations of “illegal migrants” and enhanced free speech protections. Hanson took aim at Pakistan-born Australian lawmaker Mehreen Faruqi in 2022 over comments made in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Faruqi, a left-leaning Greens senator, said she could not mourn the “leader of a racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised people”. Hanson replied on social media: “When you immigrated to Australia you took every advantage of this country. You took citizenship, bought multiple homes, and a job in a parliament. It’s clear you’re not happy, so pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan.” The Federal Court of Australia found in 2024, in response to a complaint from... -
Dawn - 05:41 Jul 27, 2026
A mass shooting near the Space Needle landmark in Seattle killed two people on Sunday and wounded at least four others, including a child, according to US media and a local hospital. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said one suspect has been taken into custody following the incident in a popular tourist district in the northwestern US city. Wilson had initially said two were in custody. Fire department officials confirmed that two people died, according to NBC News and CNN. Seattle police said there were “multiple shooting victims” near the Space Needle observation tower. “Shots fired at the Seattle Centre,” police said in an X post. Wilson said in a statement that she wanted to “thank the Seattle police officers who responded to the scene and took a suspect into custody”. Four patients were being treated at the trauma centre facility at Harborview Medical Centre, according to spokesperson Susan Gregg: a child, a woman of unknown age who was in surgery, a 23-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman. “There was informat... -
Dawn - 05:33 Jul 27, 2026
The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark index opened the week on a strong note, gaining more than 5,000 points during early trade. 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 10:30am, the index had gained 5,068.88 points to reach 176,090.08 points. 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. “The easing of geopolitical tensions has also increased the likelihood that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will maintain the policy rate in today’s monetary policy announcement,” he said. “We expect the SBP to adopt a cautious stance and keep the policy rate unchanged at today’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting, as it is likely to assess further developments in the Middle East and the economic impact of the rec... -
Dawn - 04:52 Jul 27, 2026
• With University Road choked by traffic, other access roads are also plagued by excavation work, bottlenecks • Neighbourhood streets are marked by broken surfaces, persistent dust and years of neglect KARACHI: Three major roads provide access to Gulistan-i-Jauhar, yet hardly any of them can now be described as a fully functional artery. Although the locality is regarded as one of Karachi’s relatively upper-middle-class neighbourhoods and continues to expand with new residential and commercial development, many of its blocks, which have been fully developed for well over a decade, present a striking picture of neglect. Instead of reflecting the area’s continued growth, many of its main roads and internal streets remain scarred by broken surfaces, deep potholes and years of neglect, turning even routine journeys into an exhausting experience for residents. For several years, residents of Gulistan-i-Jauhar have endured severe traffic congestion on University Road owing to the construction of the Bus Rapid Trans... -
Dawn - 04:32 Jul 27, 2026
The Foreign Office (FO) has condemned Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s “highly provocative and irresponsible comments” regarding the Kashmir dispute, saying that the neighbouring country must not underestimate Pakistan’s resolve to “thwart any Indian adventurism”. On Sunday, Singh had stated that there would be “no talks with Pakistan”. According to the Times of India, he went on to say that if any took place, they would only be on Azad Jammu and Kashmir, claiming that it was “illegally occupied by Pakistan”. He also said that any “misadventure” would invite a response “beyond their imagination”, the publication said. The FO responded to the claims in a statement issued early on Monday, saying Pakistan condemned in the “strongest possible terms the highly provocative and irresponsible comments” by the Indian minister. “His statement not only distorts facts regarding the UN and internationally recognised Jammu and Kashmir dispute that remains on the agenda of the UN Security Council but also shows India... -
Dawn - 04:06 Jul 27, 2026
LAHORE: Nawab Town police have registered a case against TikToker Rajab Butt and his accomplices for allegedly attacking some women and opening fire during an altercation at a cafe. The case was lodged on the complaint of a young woman, Ayesha Jutt, who accused Butt of attacking her and some others at a cafe on July 25. According to the complainant, she visited a local cafe with friends for a meal where two young men and two women began harassing one of her friends. She said that they tried to stop both men, but the suspects not only subjected her friend to verbal abuse but also slapped her. She further alleged that one of the suspects, Mir Shafi, pulled out a pistol during the altercation and opened fire. She alleged that Rajab Butt was present on the scene and he was involved in torturing and attacking her and her friend. Nawab Town police registered the case under sections 354, 506(B) and 337-H(2) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and started the investigation. Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2026 -
Dawn - 03:18 Jul 27, 2026
IRAN is seeking to recalibrate its control over the Strait of Hormuz by regulating maritime traffic and establishing a ‘smart management’ system that includes passage fees for vessels traversing the strait. The principal treaty governing these matters is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which establishes the legal framework applicable to passage through international straits. It recognises two principal regimes: innocent passage and transit passage. Under UNCLOS, innocent passage is defined as passage that is “not prejudicial to the peace, good order, or security of the coastal State”. Activities that render passage non-innocent, expressly include any threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of the coastal state, or in any other manner in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations. Nevertheless, warships enjoy a customary right to innocent passage through straits used in int... -
Dawn - 03:14 Jul 27, 2026
• Think tank says govt’s increasing reliance on borrowing from banking sector crowding out private investment • Seeks policy shift to economic freedom, from reactive ‘stabilisation’ required by International Monetary Fund ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s nascent macroeconomic recovery, which began in 2025, is stalling due to the geopolitical situation, leading to rising inflation and reducing the monetary freedom of individuals and firms in an economy where around 80pc of the labour force operates in the informal sector. “The macroeconomic recovery that began in 2025 is stalling due to geopolitical obstacles. CPI inflation re-entered double digits at 10.9-11.7pc between April and June, with the SPI climbing to 12.8pc by June, reducing the monetary freedom of individuals and firms,” said the Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (Prime), a private think tank, in its report for July 2026. It stated debt servicing and defence consumed 94pc of net federal revenue, while in recent years defence spending had increased f... -
Dawn - 03:12 Jul 27, 2026
The battle for Hormuz, the growing possibility of greater Iranian influence on the critical passageway, question marks about the reliability and security of crude supplies from the Middle East, and the subsequent quest to divert oil shipments away from the crucial shipping chokepoint are reshaping global energy flows. Efforts are underway to decouple and desensitise global crude markets to events in the Strait of Hormuz. Several new pipelines projected to carry oil from the Middle East to markets bypassing the strait are on the drawing board. In a note released a couple of weeks ago, analysts at Goldman Sachs estimated that seven new pipelines are currently under discussion in the oil-rich Middle East. Once operational, possibly by the end of 2028, these pipelines could carry roughly 14 million barrels per day (bpd). This is about 60 per cent of the oil that was being shipped through the strait, Goldman estimated. Before the war, roughly 23m bpd were passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Efforts to bypass Hor... -
Dawn - 03:09 Jul 27, 2026
WHILE leaders of the hybrid government prioritise foreign engagements and overseas trips, domestic challenges continue to intensify. Public discontent and unrest are mounting across the country but the ruling elite remains detached from this reality. In much of Balochistan the writ of the state doesn’t exist. Militant violence and terrorism are spiralling out of control. In KP escalation in TTP-sponsored terrorist attacks have left people fearful and distrustful of law enforcement authorities. Last week, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in the KP Assembly described actions against terrorists as “aimless” and ineffective. Unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir is far from over. Elections are approaching but they already lack public credibility. At the national level, the government-opposition stand-off continues to fuel a fraught political environment and deepen polarisation in the country. The PTI-led opposition has called for protests on Aug 5 to mark three years since its leader Imran Khan has been in jail.... -
Dawn - 03:05 Jul 27, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The medical tribunal has delivered two significant judgements redefining the legal standards governing professional negligence, expert medical evidence and disciplinary proceedings against registered medical practitioners. The judgements, authored by medical tribunal chairman retired justice Safdar Saleem Shahid, while deciding the connected cross appeals arising from disciplinary proceedings before the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), articulated principles of general application extending beyond the facts of the individual dispute to formulate a comprehensive judicial framework governing professional negligence, expert evidence, procedural fairness and proportionality of disciplinary sanctions. The rulings, both available with Dawn, are expected to influence future proceedings before the PMDC, constitutional litigation and civil claims involving allegations of medical negligence. Rather than treating the appeals as a disagreement confined to one surgical procedure, the tribunal examine... -
Dawn - 03:00 Jul 27, 2026
The first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections have begun in the 13 constituencies of Mirpur division. Polling began at 8am and will continue till 5pm. Today (Monday) has been declared a public holiday in all three districts — Bhimber, Mirpur, and Kotli — of the division to facilitate polling. A total of 288 candidates are contesting today’s election. According to the Election Commission, polling will be held at 2,316 polling stations, of which 1,241 have been declared ‘highly sensitive’ and 724 ‘sensitive’. Election monitoring has been organised through 13 zones and 205 sectors across the division, while 18,560 personnel from police and other law enforcement agencies have been deployed under a three-tier security plan. Under the arrangement, police will provide the first layer of security, Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and the Federal Constabulary the second, and the Pakistan Army the third. Around 2,100 army personnel will also be deployed, while Quick Response Force tea... -
Dawn - 02:58 Jul 27, 2026
Pakistan’s trade deficit surged to $39.47 billion in FY26, the highest in four years, highlighting the country’s deep structural dependence on imported energy. The petroleum group import bill alone reached $16.86bn, up from $15.94bn a year earlier, while crude oil imports jumped 32.1 per cent to $7.17bn. These figures underscore the urgent need to shift from imported fossil fuels to affordable green energy. Middle East conflicts and flawed energy policy have repeatedly forced Pakistan into last-minute purchases of oil and LNG at elevated spot prices. Rising shipping, insurance and geopolitical risk premiums have further inflated the country’s import bill, making energy the single largest contributor to the external imbalance. Pakistan cannot continue responding to every external shock with import contractions. The sustainable solution is to permanently reduce dependence on imported fuel by accelerating investment in solar power, battery storage and electric mobility. The government should immediately announce... -
Dawn - 02:57 Jul 27, 2026
IN THE picturesque valley of Golen, located over 20km northeast of Chitral city, summer once unfolded in all its resplendence. Visitors from across the district would flock to Golen during the warmer months to enjoy its cool mountain air, try their hand at trout fishing, and marvel at its lush green meadows. Yet, in recent years, that once-bountiful summer has become a source of anxiety for Golen natives. The cause lies in the glaciers, those primordial agglomerations of ice that had stood sentinel over the valley for centuries, which are now melting at an alarming rate and forming large, unstable lakes in their wake. On the evening of July 7, 2019, one such glacial lake burst its banks and ravaged the valley, destroying homes and orchards, damaging the headworks of the 108MW Golen Gol hydropower project, plunging the district into darkness for several days. The very next year, Golen experienced another glacial lake outburst flood (Glof). With over 80 potentially dangerous glacial lakes dotting the region, co... -
Dawn - 02:52 Jul 27, 2026
A CHILD holds a placard during a gathering in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party in Mumbai.—AFP • Indian PM posts video promising remedial steps amid growing youth anger • Experts say social media-driven activism signals changing political trends NEW DELHI: Nearly five weeks after the leaders of India’s youth Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) began their protest demanding the resignation of the education minister over exam paper leaks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 75, posted a rare selfie video: he said he was pained by their suffering and promised remedial steps The video, posted late on Thursday on Instagram, where CJP amassed 22 million mainly Gen Z followers in a matter of days in May, was not enough to satisfy the thousands of protesters who had gathered in central Delhi, braved a massive police crackdown days earlier, and then inspired protests across the country. On Saturday, the education minister stepped down, meeting the protesters’ main demand, in a rare such setback for Modi. The resignation... -
Dawn - 02:47 Jul 27, 2026
The development and governance of artificial intelligence should be a global effort. It should not be a solo performance by any single country, but rather “a symphony of global cooperation”, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 17. The remark encapsulated the broader message that extended well beyond technology. It was as much about geopolitics and emerging contests for global influence as about AI. For Pakistan, the conference deserved far greater attention than it received. The country is among the 29 founding members of the newly established World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (Waico), a China-led intergovernmental initiative formally launched on July 16. Yet its creation and the opportunities it presents for Pakistan and other developing economies received little discussion in the country’s mainstream media. Waico has the potential to become an important platform for countries seeking to participate more act... -
Dawn - 02:46 Jul 27, 2026
EVEN as Pakistan counts around 100 deaths since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, it is bracing for another spell of heavy rain. The Met Office has forecast widespread rain and thunderstorms through July 28, while the NDMA has warned of rising river levels, flash floods, urban flooding and landslides across large parts of the country. From Gilgit-Baltistan, where glacial lake outburst floods have severed roads, left tourists stranded and disrupted electricity to Punjab’s inundated cities and swelling rivers, Pakistan is confronting a nationwide emergency rather than a handful of isolated weather events. Lahore has recorded its heaviest rainfall of the season so far, Gujranwala and Sialkot have witnessed extensive flooding, while roads, homes, crops, livestock and public infrastructure have suffered much damage. We are reminded once more of how quickly a weather emergency can become a humanitarian one. The lesson of the devastating 2022 floods was that climate adaptation must become a permanent funct...
12682 items