Dawn
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Dawn - 04:04 May 16, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has dismissed media reports claiming that its incarcerated founding chairman, Imran Khan, has agreed to initiate negotiations following an offer from the prime minister. “It is true that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and the chairman later informed Imran Khan about it. However, the call was solely related to the current tensions with India and had nothing to do with political negotiations,” PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram told Dawn. Mr Akram added, “I spoke to Mr Gohar, and he confirmed that no offer for negotiations was made during the call, nor did he convey any such message to Imran Khan.” Media reports have suggested that PM Shehbaz had extended an invitation for talks to PTI and that Imran Khan had not only accepted the offer but also instructed Mr Gohar to proceed, albeit with a condition to keep the process out of the media spotlight. Gohar says former premier ‘will never strike a deal’ Ac... -
Dawn - 03:51 May 16, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and others in response to applications seeking suspension of sentences awarded to PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the £190 million corruption case. An IHC division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif directed the case be fixed for hearing next week following a request by senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa. The courtroom witnessed the presence of a high-profile legal team of the PTI, including Salman Akram Raja, Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, Niazullah Khan Niazi and Shoaib Shaheen, as well as PTI leaders Aleema Khan, Asad Qaiser, Shandana Gulzar, Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry and Nadia Khattak. An accountability court in Islamabad had sentenced the former prime minister and Bushra Bibi to 14 and seven years in prison, respectively, on Jan 17 this year. Directs case be fixed for hearing next week In their appeal against the conviction, the fo... -
Dawn - 02:59 May 16, 2025
• Overhaul aims to cut customs, regulatory duties • Reforms expected to boost exports by $5bn in five years • Simple average tariff to fall from 19pc to 9.5pc ISLAMABAD: In a major policy shift, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved a comprehensive five-year tariff reform plan to be announced in the federal budget 2025-26, aiming to drastically reduce customs duties, additional customs duties, regulatory duties on raw materials and semi-finished goods, and a phased reduction in overall tariff protections for select industries. The first phase of the reform, set to be launched with the next budget, introduces a simplified customs duty structure with slabs of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 per cent. The existing 16pc slab will be reduced to 15pc, while the 11pc rate will drop to 10pc. The 3pc slab will be abolished, with products either moved to a zero-duty category or the new 5pc slab. The proposed tariff overhaul, seen by Dawn, is set to eliminate the additional customs duty of 2pc on 4,294 tariff lines in the upc... -
Dawn - 02:49 May 16, 2025
• In a house of 336, treasury had only 67 members against the required 84 • PTI facing blackout in coverage by official media ISLAMABAD: The government faced an embarrassing situation in the National Assembly on Thursday when the opposition cleverly blocked the passage of an important money bill in the middle of the process. It was after facing a 67-32 vote defeat on the motion tabled by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to present the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2024 for its passage that opposition members belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) realised that their absence could prevent the government from maintaining quorum for which the presence of 84 members is required in the 336-member house. As soon as Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah declared the result of the headcount on the motion, the PTI members strategically walked out, leaving behind their colleague Aamir Dogar to point out lack of quorum at a time when the chair had already got approval of two clauses of the three-clause bill throu... -
Dawn - 02:44 May 16, 2025
ISLAMABAD: For the third time in two months, the government on Thursday did not pass on the full impact of lower international oil prices to consumers and kept the price of petrol unchanged and reduced that of high-speed diesel by Rs2 per litre for the current fortnight ending May 31. The government increased the Inland Freight Equalisation Margin (IFEM) on both petrol and diesel to clear about Rs34 billion loss to the oil industry owing to a tax loophole in the Finance Bill 2024-25. In a late-night announcement, the Ministry of Finance said the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had reviewed and adjusted prices for petroleum products in view of the fluctuations in the international market. The ex-depot price of high-speed diesel was reduced by Rs2 per litre to Rs254.64 per litre for the current fortnight from Rs256.64. Most of the transport sector runs on high-speed diesel. Its price is considered inflationary as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains and agricultural engines like truc... -
Dawn - 02:35 May 16, 2025
• Rejects New Delhi’s call for agency’s oversight of Islamabad’s nuclear arsenal • India says water treaty to remain suspended until end to ‘cross-border terrorism’ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate the ‘nuclear black market’ in India and repeated incidents of theft and illicit trafficking of radioactive material, as it rejected a call by India’s defence minister for the nuclear watchdog to monitor Islamabad’s nuclear programme. Pointing to multiple incidents of radioactive material theft in India and other security lapses, the Foreign Office said, “Pakistan urges a thorough investigation of these incidents and calls upon India to ensure the safety and security of its nuclear facilities and arsenal.” “If anything, the IAEA and the international community should be worried about the repeated theft and illicit trafficking incidents involving nuclear and radioactive material in India,” the statement added. The Foreign Office was responding to comme... -
Dawn - 02:33 May 16, 2025
• Military contacts lead to extension of ceasefire till 18th; US wants both nations to uphold truce • Dar says ultimately ‘political dialogue’ will take place to address all issues; reiterates opposition to Indian move to end Kashmir’s autonomy • Senate resolution condemns India for unprovoked strikes against Pakistan • Trump claims hostilities between nuclear neighbours ‘settled’, asks both to focus on trade ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan and India extended the nascent ceasefire till May 18, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday informed the Senate that Pakistan sought a “composite dialogue” with New Delhi to put all contentious matters to rest. According to the foreign minister, the ceasefire was extended through military-to-military communication, but a political dialogue will ultimately have to take place to resolve the problems between the two neighbours. “We have told the world that we will hold a composite dialogue,” he informed the Senate. The FM said Pakistan had never accepted the unilateral revocation of ... -
Dawn - 18:30 May 15, 2025
President Donald Trump on Thursday pledged to strengthen US ties to the United Arab Emirates on a visit to the Gulf state that is expected to deepen cooperation on artificial intelligence. Trump began a visit to the UAE on the latest stage of a tour of wealthy Gulf states after hailing plans by Doha to invest $10 billion in a US military facility during a trip to Qatar. “I have absolutely no doubt that the relationship will only get bigger and better,” Trump said in a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “Your wonderful brother came to Washington a few weeks ago and he told us about your generous statement as to the 1.4 trillion,” Trump said, referring to a UAE pledge to invest $1.4tn in the US over 10 years. Trump was referring to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohamed’s brother and the UAE’s national security adviser and chairman of two of Abu Dhabi’s deep-pocketed sovereign wealth funds. “And all I can say is thank you very much,” Trump added. “We will work very hard t... -
Dawn - 18:16 May 15, 2025
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday said that the ceasefire between India and Pakistan was extended until May 18, adding that the matter will “ultimately go to dialogue” between the civilian leadership of the two nations. The military confrontation between India and Pakistan came as the former blamed Islamabad for the Pahalgam attack. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes on Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Both sides then exchanged missiles, which stretched over the week. It took American intervention for both sides to finally drop their guns. On Monday, the director general of military operations for both sides held the first round of talks via hotline after the ceasefire. Speaking in the Senate today, FM Dar said that a military-to-military conversation took place between the two countries today, where they decided to extend the ceasefire until May 18. “Ultimately, the matter will go to dialogue between the civilian leadership of the countries,” FM Dar said. “Rig... -
Dawn - 17:26 May 15, 2025
A vice president of one of the parallel film events at the Cannes Festival was suspended Thursday after being publicly denounced for sexual violence, witnesses and organisers told AFP. During a roundtable discussion about sexual assault organised by France’s film board (CNC), a woman stood up and publicly denounced an executive from the ACID Cannes film section. “The young woman acted with great courage and was immediately taken care of by charities present,” Erwan Balanant, a French MP who was in the room, told AFP. It came as the main Cannes Festival barred a French actor from the premiere Thursday of a film in the running for the Palme d’Or top prize because he has been accused of rape by three former partners. The ACID Cannes event is not part of the official festival, but runs at the same time and has some organisational links. It showcases up-and-coming directors and more experimental cinema. “Today, during a public roundtable, we heard testimony implicating one of our members, currently vice-president ... -
Dawn - 16:35 May 15, 2025
Egypt has handed opposition figure and former presidential hopeful Hisham Kassem a new six-month prison sentence for defaming a former minister, his lawyer told AFP on Thursday. Kassem was released in February 2024 after serving a six-month sentence that effectively stopped him from contesting a December 2023 presidential election. The new sentence was issued in absentia on Wednesday because Kassem is out of the country, his lawyer Nasser Amin told AFP. Kassem had not been notified of the new charges against him, Amin said, adding: “These measures have been very concerning.” The European Parliament described Kassem’s original prosecution in September 2023 as “politically motivated”. His latest conviction was on charges of defaming another former labour minister, apparently in the same comments as the first. Human rights group the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights condemned the ruling, describing it as “continued judicial persecution for political purposes”. “Retrying Kassem for the same incident and on ... -
Dawn - 15:08 May 15, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the agriculture sector was being developed on modern lines to achieve self-reliance and directed the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework for the sector. During the second quarter of FY25, the agriculture sector experienced a significantly declined growth rate of 1.10pc compared to 5.80pc the previous year. The prime minister has previously stated his government’s determination to transform the sector on modern lines to achieve self-sufficiency, emphasising its vast potential for rapid economic development. Chairing a meeting on agricultural sector reforms today, the prime minister stressed that government’s priority for the promotion of modern technology in the agricultural sector. He also directed the relevant department to present a National Agri-Innovation Plan for the agricultural sector. The prime minister instructed the formulation of a coordinated strategy to develop the agriculture sector in consultation with provinces and relevant stakeho... -
Dawn - 14:48 May 15, 2025
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he spoke with Apple CEO Tim Cook and told him not to expand his production facilities in India, but to do so in America. “I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” Trump said during his visit to Qatar. “I said to him, Tim, you’re my friend, I treated you very good. You’re coming here with $500 billion, but now you’re building all over India,” he said, referring to Apple’s plan announced in February to invest $500bn in the US over the next four years. View this post on Instagram Trump said he informed Cook that he does not want him to build production facilities in India, and that Apple will be “upping their production in the United States”. The US president claimed that selling American goods in the world’s most populous country is “very difficult” because India has one of the highest tariff barriers in the world. However, he noted that while the Asian country looks for a deal on import duties, India has offered them a “no-tariff” deal. Trump’s remarks ca... -
Dawn - 14:25 May 15, 2025
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Thursday warned in an interview with British broadcaster Sky News that any Indian ceasefire violation would be met with a “swift and assured response” by Pakistan, cautioning that serious escalation could result in mutual destruction. The military confrontation between India and Pakistan came as the former blamed Islamabad for the Pahalgam attack. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes on Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Both sides then exchanged missiles, which stretched over the week. It took American intervention for both sides to finally drop their guns. On May 10, when tensions between the two countries peaked, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached between India and Pakistan. According to the government, forty civilians — including seven women and 15 children — lost their lives in the Indian aggression, and 121 others sustained injuries. Speaking... -
Dawn - 12:40 May 15, 2025
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that India had offered a trade deal that proposed “no tariffs” for American goods, while expressing his dissatisfaction with Apple’s (AAPL.O) plans to invest in India. New Delhi is seeking to clinch a trade deal with the US within the 90-day pause announced by Trump on April 9 on tariff hikes for major trading partners. “It is very hard to sell in India, and they are offering us a deal where basically they are willing to literally charge us no tariffs,” Trump said in a meeting with executives in the Qatari capital Doha. Reuters has reported that New Delhi has offered to reduce duties to zero on 60 per cent of tariff lines in a first phase of the deal under negotiation with Washington, while offering preferential access to nearly 90pc of the merchandise India imports from the US. India’s equity benchmarks jumped to a seven-month high after Trump’s comment on the deal with India. The Indian trade ministry did not reply to a mail seeking comments on the proposed deal. T... -
Dawn - 11:58 May 15, 2025
Pakistan has welcomed the United States’ decision to lift all sanctions on Syria, terming the move a “pivotal step towards regional stability”, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. US President Donald Trump, on his Gulf tour, met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday. Despite concerns within sectors of his administration over Syria’s leaders’ former ties to Al Qaeda, Trump said on Tuesday during a speech in Riyadh that he would lift sanctions on Syria in a major policy shift. “Pakistan has consistently advocated for constructive engagement and dialogue. The easing of sanctions is expected to facilitate economic growth, improve access to essential services, and support the rebuilding efforts of the Syrian authorities,” the FO statement read. Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment towards Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, the statement said, “Pakistan supports a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned resolution.” “We commend the commitment of all countries, in particular the US, T... -
Dawn - 11:39 May 15, 2025
Swedish prosecutors said on Thursday the intelligence service’s arrests of a Kurdish representative and a Swedish diplomat were not linked to a journalist facing “terror” charges in Turkiye. Public broadcaster Sveriges Radio had alleged late on Wednesday that one of the suspects was connected to the case of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, who is currently in custody in Turkey awaiting trial on a charge of belonging to a “terrorist” group. The Swedish Security Service (Sapo) confirmed to AFP that two people had recently been arrested for “aggravated unauthorised handling of secret information”. They had since been released but were still suspects, Sapo said. It declined to disclose any details of the case. Sveriges Radio said one of the suspects in Sapo’s case was a Swedish citizen who was a leading representative for Kurds in Northern Syria. The other was a diplomat at the foreign ministry. The broadcaster said it was unclear whether the arrests had been made as a result of a request from Turkey or not. But ... -
Dawn - 11:35 May 15, 2025
Bulls took control of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday as shares gained over 1,400 points, bringing calm to yesterday’s heightened volatility. The positive momentum comes just a day after Pakistan received the second tranche from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), worth $1 billion, under its loan programme. The KSE-100 index opened with a gain of 858.23 points (0.73 per cent) to stand at 119,394.75 points from the previous close of 118,536.52 at 9:40am. The intraday high was recorded 119,990.30 points at around 3:18pm, 1,453.78 points (1.23pc) higher than yesterday. Finally, the KSE-100 closed at 119,961.91 points, with a gain of 1,425.39 points (1.20pc) compared to the previous close. This screengrab taken at around 3:40pm shows bullish activity at the PSX on May 15, 2025. — PSX data portal Samiullah Tariq, head of research and development at Pak Kuwait Investment Company Ltd, said the market was positive due to the recent inflows from the IMF. He also noted there were “expectations of furth... -
Dawn - 09:56 May 15, 2025
A powerful explosion targeted the vehicle of local JUI-F leader Maulana Noorullah on Thursday near a seminary in the lower South Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said. The explosion hit Maulana Noorullah’s car near Shahzad Madrassah, adjacent to a police station in the district’s Azam Warsak market. According to a police statement, the bomb attack was carried out to target Maulana Noorullah, who remained unharmed. Police confirmed the incident and said there were no casualties in the explosion. Security forces cordoned off the area and started an investigation. According to a video later released by the JUI-F, Maulana Noorullah told his supporters that he was accompanied by local party leaders Maulana Ishaq and Maulana Amanullah when the blast occurred. “We all are safe,” he told his supporters. “We want peace in the country and protection of religious schools, mosques and all Muslims.” JUI-F leaders have been targeted in different parts of KP and Balochistan over the past several months. On ... -
Dawn - 09:06 May 15, 2025
The first of 180 Pakistani Hajj flights scheduled to fly to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah — part of the Road to Makkah Initiative — arrived at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport from Islamabad carrying 310 Haj pilgrims, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported today. Launched in 2019 at the Islamabad airport and later extended to Karachi, the Road to Makkah initiative offers an exemption to Haj pilgrims from the immigration process at Saudi airports by clearing them at their respective airports in Pakistan by Saudi immigration officials before boarding their flights. Marking the second phase of the initiative, the passengers were received at the airport by Minister of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Consul General of Pakistan in Jeddah Khalid Majid, DG Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro and the senior officers of the Consulate General of Pakistan. The pilgrims were presented bouqets by the receiving party. This year, an estimated 50,500 Haj pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia under the in...
7934 items