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Dawn - 08:52 May 15, 2025
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States was getting very close to securing a nuclear deal with Iran, and Tehran had “sort of” agreed to the terms. “We’re in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace,” Trump said on a tour of the Gulf, according to a shared pool report by AFP. “We’re getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this … there [are] two steps to doing this, there is a very, very nice step and there is the violent step, but I don’t want to do it the second way,” he said. An Iranian source familiar with the negotiations said there were still gaps to bridge in the talks with the United States. Fresh talks between Iranian and US negotiators to resolve disputes over Tehran’s nuclear programme ended in Oman on Sunday with further negotiations planned, officials said, as Tehran publicly insisted on continuing its uranium enrichment. Though Tehran and Washington have both said they prefer diplomacy to resolve the decades-long nuclear dispute, they remai... -
Dawn - 07:47 May 15, 2025
• OMCs, refineries, dealers to benefit from additional Rs75bn • Petroleum division mulls GST on oil products ISLAMABAD: For a third time in two months, the government is considering imposing additional costs — this time at the rate of Rs4.12 per litre — on the prices of petroleum products, a move that may deprive consumers of potential relief in prices due to be announced for the next fortnight today (Thursday). This has been proposed by the petroleum division to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet. The impact of Rs4.12 per unit works out to be around Rs75 billion on an annual basis to be paid to oil marketing companies (OMCs), refineries and retail dealers to meet their demands. On top of this, the petroleum division has also recommended imposition of general sales tax on petroleum products at the rate of Rs3-5 per litre from July 1, through the finance bill 2025-26. Without these proposed measures, the prices of petrol and diesel were estimated to decline by about Rs3.5 and Rs7 per litr... -
Dawn - 07:33 May 15, 2025
PARIS: Human Rights Watch on Wednesday said grave abuses were being committed on giant construction sites in Saudi Arabia and warned the risks to migrant workers could increase as the building of stadiums for the 2034 World Cup gathers pace. HRW said that “scores of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia die in gruesome yet avoidable workplace-related accidents, including falling from buildings, electrocution, and even decapitation”. The NGO, which has studied nearly 50 cases of deaths in Saudi Arabia, said Saudi authorities had “failed to adequately protect workers from preventable deaths, investigate workplace safety incidents, and ensure timely and adequate compensation for families” including through life insurance policies and benefits to survivors. “The risks of occupational deaths and injuries are further increasing as the Saudi government ramps up construction work for the 2034 World Cup as well as other ‘giga-projects’,” HRW added. The Gulf kingdom was handed the right to host the 2034 World Cup at a FIFA C... -
Dawn - 07:18 May 15, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has deported a total of 5,033 Pakistani beggars whereas another 369 individuals have been apprehended for begging in five other countries in the last 16 months. This information was placed before the National Assembly by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday in a written reply to a question asked by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Sehar Kamran. The official data provided by the minister shows that a total of 5,402 Pakistanis have been deported from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since January 2024. As many as 4,850 Pakistani nationals faced deportation from these countries in the year 2024 whereas 552 have returned to Pakistan this year. The questioner has sought data of the last three years, but the minister provided details of the period starting from January 2024. Another 369 individuals caught begging in five other countries; nearly 52pc deportees belong to Sindh; Pakistan has expelled over one million illegal Afghans Interesting... -
Dawn - 06:52 May 15, 2025
ISLAMABAD: An Intelligence Bureau (IB) report claims that an “organised system of corruption” has been prevalent in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), specifically highlighting the “fraudulent” establishment and recognition of Bahawalpur Medical College (BMC), according to a document available with Dawn. However, the current PMDC management has distanced itself from the allegations, asserting that any wrongdoing occurred in the past and that new checks and balances have now been introduced. “It is learnt that there is an organised system of corruption prevalent in PMDC primarily due to excessive discretionary powers and a lack of transparency,” the report stated. “A perception persists that heavy bribe is a norm for recognition of private medical and dental colleges as well as their affiliated teaching hospitals and for their inspections.” The report further alleged, “Reportedly, private medical colleges pay approximately Rs10 million per seat for the allocation of additional student seats. Anot... -
Dawn - 06:49 May 15, 2025
LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday allowed the prosecution/police to conduct polygraph (lie detection) and photogrammetric (facial and voice analysis) tests of incarcerated PTI founding chairman Imran Khan in 12 cases of May 9 (2023) riots against him. ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill granted the permission to the prosecution accepting its written application, which was opposed by the lawyer of the former prime minister. The judge has ordered completion of the tests within 12 days, saying the prosecution may meet the PTI founding chairman in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, during that period. Earlier, the judge heard the concluding arguments of PTI founder’s lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, and the prosecution before reserving the verdict. Barrister Safdar opposed the prosecution request, questioning the police decision to conduct the polygraph and photogrammetric tests 727 days after the May 9 incidents. The lawyer argued that bail had already been granted to the former prime minister in 21 cases and the state... -
Dawn - 05:54 May 15, 2025
KARACHI: A seminary student was found murdered in a seminary in the Gadap area on Wednesday and an autopsy revealed that he was raped before being killed, police said. They said that the body of the 13-year-old Mujeebur Rehman was found inside the seminary in Jameel Colony within the remit of the Gadap City police station. The corpse was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed said that the body bore multiple marks of injuries. “Findings [of the post-mortem examination] are suggestive of sexual violence,” she said. DIG-East Usman Ghani told Dawn that the victim boy was a seminary student. Police arrest madressah teacher after family lodges FIR Malir SSP Kashif Abbasi said that the police launched an investigation into the incident In a statement, he said that the seminary administration, teachers and students are being questioned about the incident. The crime scene unit of the police collected evidence from the spot. The victim was an orphan, who orig... -
Dawn - 05:51 May 15, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, a member of the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench (CB), has questioned why the offices of the president, prime minister and the law division are being dragged into the controversy over the appointment of judges when allegations had been levelled against intelligence agencies for interference in judicial affairs. The observation came when senior counsel Muneer A. Malik, representing five Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges, argued that the real reason behind the transfer of three judges to the IHC was the allegation levelled against intelligence agencies by six IHC judges. In a joint letter sent to the Supreme Judicial Council on March 25, 2024, the six judges had blamed intelligence agencies for meddling in judicial affairs. In response to the argument by the senior lawyer, Justice Afghan asked if the allegations were attributed to the intelligence agencies, why the three high offices were being dragged into the controversy to build a ground of malice. He also won... -
Dawn - 03:28 May 15, 2025
BENGALURU: Indians are cancelling holidays in popular resorts in Turkiye and Azerbaijan after the two countries supported Pakistan during the recent conflict, two booking firms said. Turkiye and Azerbaijan, popular budget holiday destinations for Indians, issued statements backing Islamabad after India’s air strikes last week. “Bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkiye decreasing by 60 per cent (over the last week) while cancellations have surged by 250pc during the same period,” a spokesperson for MakeMyTrip said. EaseMyTrip’s Chief Executive Officer, Rikant Pittie, said the platform had seen a 22pc rise in cancellations for Turkiye and 30pc for Azerbaijan “due to recent geopolitical tensions”. Travellers had switched to Georgia, Serbia, Greece, Thailand and Vietnam, he added. Another ticketing platform, ixigo, earlier said in a post on X that it would be suspending flight and hotel bookings for Turkiye, Azerbaijan and China. EaseMyTrip’s founder and chairman Nishant Pitti said in a post on X that 287,000 Indians ... -
Dawn - 02:58 May 15, 2025
• PM Shehbaz asserts Islamabad ready for both war and peace • Shares with UN chief concerns about inflammatory remarks by Delhi • Pakistan returns Indian border guard ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday invited India to a comprehensive dialogue to address all contentious issues, including the Kashmir dispute and the water distribution, between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The prime minister floated this offer during his visit to the frontline area of Pasrur Cantonment in Sialkot, where he lauded the armed forces for giving an exemplary response to India under the ‘Operation Bunyanum Marsoos’ conducted in response to Indian strikes inside Pakistan following the Pahalgam incident. Pakistan had struck 26 Indian military facilities, including its airbases, using jets and missiles. He said Pakistan’s response to the Indian attack on May 6-7 caused huge losses to the neighbouring country, in which the Pakistan Air Force downed multiple Indian Rafale aircraft. In reference to the Pakistani str... -
Dawn - 18:23 May 14, 2025
A Dawn.com journalist has become the first Pakistani to win the top prize in the ‘Young Reporters Writing’ category at the International Sport Press Association’s 2024 AIPS Sport Media Awards, which honour the “world’s finest sports journalists”. According to a press release issued on Tuesday, the award ceremony was held in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Anushe Engineer was chosen as the winner from three finalists in her category, surpassing France’s Louis Boulay and the United Kingdom’s Issy Ronald, for her feature, ‘It’s all or nothing for Arshad Nadeem in Paris’. The finalists were shortlisted from 37 entries initially selected from the total submissions. The award comes with an AIPS Scholarship at a top sporting event. In the quiet, unobtrusive manner that has become his trademark in the elite men’s javelin, Nadeem stormed the Stade de France field to take a terrific, historic gold at August’s finals at the Paris Olympics with a mammoth 92.97 metres off his second throw. It was an Olympic record, erasing... -
Dawn - 17:05 May 14, 2025
One person was killed and 10 others injured when a blast struck the convoy of PPP MPA Ali Madad Jattak in Quetta on Wednesday, but the lawmaker was unharmed. Sariab Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Asif Ghafoor told Dawn.com: “The convoy of PPP MP Ali Madad Jatak was attacked with hand grenades and fired upon on Sariab Road in Quetta. The incident took place near Munir Mengal Chowk. Ali Madad Jatak was unharmed in the attack, but his vehicle was partially damaged.” He said five people were injured in the incident, who were immediately moved to Bolan Medical Complex Hospital and Civil Hospital. Ghafoor said a heavy contingent of police reached the spot and cordoned off the area to launch an investigation that was under way. He said Jatak was heading towards a meeting place along with his convoy to attend a victory rally. However, a statement issued by the Balochistan Health Department said 11 injured were brought to the Civil Hospital Accident and Trauma Centre. It added that after being provided initial ... -
Dawn - 14:28 May 14, 2025
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has commenced budget meetings to finalise the development proposals and their allocations in the province for the next financial year and has also launched an austerity drive to conserve funds for development initiatives. The provincial government is finalising proposals for the upcoming budget for the next financial year. The federal government will unveil the budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 on June 2. In two separate meetings at the CM House of the Finance and Planning & Development departments today, the chief minister finalised the Annual Development Programme (ADP), stressing that rehabilitation of flood-damaged infrastructure must be prioritised in the upcoming budget. He also emphasised the need to reduce non-development expenditures while increasing allocations for development projects. He further instructed that canal and watercourse lining projects be included in the new development schemes, and highlighted the importance of agricultural growth by calling ... -
Dawn - 14:08 May 14, 2025
A special court in Islamabad on Tuesday instructed the Adiala Jail authorities to allow PTI founder Imran Khan to hold a telephone conversation with his sons abroad and also be allowed a medical checkup by his personal physician. Last month, Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand approved two petitions filed on behalf of Imran related to the requests. The court had sought a response from Adiala authorities to provide the facilities. Today, the judge heard a request by the prison authorities against the court order and dismissed it A report to the judge from the jail superintendent on Monday had called for the court’s orders on January 10 and February 3 to be reviewed and set aside due to “being inconsistent and contrary to the basic rights and principle of recognition of the inherent dignity and equal inalienable rights of inmates”, arguing that extending the two facilities to Imran would be against the spirit of the Constitution, as well as Pakistan Prison Rules. A court order issued today, available with ... -
Dawn - 13:22 May 14, 2025
The anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) in Lahore have stepped up the hearing of cases related to the May 9, 2023, riots after directives from the Supreme Court to wind them up within four months. The cases pertain to the arrest of workers belonging to the PTI for their alleged role in attacks on army installations during the riots that followed ex-premier Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, 2023. The Lahore High Court registrar issued the new amended schedule of the trials of the May 9 cases being conducted at Kot Lakhpat Jail. The hearing of May 9 riot cases will now be heard in jail four days a week — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The jail trials were earlier being held three days a week but have been extended to speed up their disposal. The ATCs are hearing the jail trials of 14 cases including the Jinnah House attack. In December 2024, the Pakistan Army announced that the remainng 60 PTI activists have been convicted by the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) for their involvement in the May 9 violent pr... -
Dawn - 11:22 May 14, 2025
A couple were burnt to death on Tuesday night as blazing wildfires engulfed the forests of Hasham Khel Dab mountains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district in Martung tehsil, according to police. Pakistan has grappled with an unprecedented surge in forest fires in recent years. Provinces, including KP and Balochistan, have seen huge wildfires in the past three years. Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Usman Munir, while speaking to Dawn.com, shared that a man and his wife were burned to death while they were trying to protect the firewood kept near their home from the fire. The SDFO of the forest department in Alpuri, Zahid Hussain told Dawn.com that the victims — identified as Hakim Zada and his wife Hajiroon — set fire to the bushes near their house. The fire then quickly got out of control due to intense and gusty winds, engulfing the forest. The wildfire has now been extinguished, and the bodies of the victims have been recovered from the site. According to Deputy Commissioner Shangla Mohammad Fawad, ... -
Dawn - 11:10 May 14, 2025
Pakistan has received the second tranche of special drawing rights (SDR) worth $1.023 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme, the central bank said on Wednesday. The amount will be reflected in its foreign exchange reserves for the week ending on May 16, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in a post on X. It would raise the reserves to $11.355bn. Last week, the IMF had approved the immediate disbursement of about $1bn to Pakistan under the ongoing EFF and allowed an additional arrangement for the $1.4bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). In a statement issued last Friday, the IMF had said its Executive Board completed the first review of Pakistan’s economic reform programme supported by the EFF arrangement. “This decision allows for an immediate disbursement of around $1bn (SDR 760 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to about $2.1bn (SDR 1.52bn). In addition, the IMF Executive Board approved the authorities’ re... -
Dawn - 11:00 May 14, 2025
Pakistan’s market has captured the attention of global investors amid its heightened tensions with India, US publication Barron’s reports. Over the past two years, the country has seen a “macroeconomic miracle”. While inflation was down from 40 per cent annually to near zero, Eurobonds maturing in 2031 rose from 40 cents on the dollar to 80 cents. The KSE-100 index has also tripled. The government reached a “stabilisation agreement” with the International Monetary Fund last September with the lender approving a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Over $2bn has already been disbursed. “Pakistan is a good story,” Genna Lozovsky, a chief investment officer at Sandglass Capital Management, was quoted by Barron’s as saying. “So good it’s not risky enough for us anymore.”’ The media outlet further stated that the recent conflict with India “won’t likely knock Pakistan’s recovery off course” but the “country’s own shaky underpinnings might”. “Pakistan has been known for boom-and-bust cycles throughout its histo... -
Dawn - 09:26 May 14, 2025
United States President Donald Trump met with Syria’s president in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, after a surprise US announcement it would lift all sanctions on the Islamist-led government, and said Washington was exploring the possibility of normalising ties with Damascus. He made the comments during a summit between the US and Gulf Arab countries. Trump met Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa before the summit. Photos posted on Saudi state television showed them shaking hands in the presence of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince. Trump also urged Sharaa to normalise ties with Israel, a White House spokesperson said. 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 he would lift sanctions on Syria in a major policy shift. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan joined Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS, virtually in the meeting, Anadolu News Agency reported. MbS told the summit Saudi Arabia commends Trumps... -
Dawn - 08:33 May 14, 2025
An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated outside the residence of MNA Mubarak Zeb in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, partially damaging the house, police said on Wednesday. Bajaur District Police Officer (DPO) Waqas Rafique told Dawn.com, “An IED was planted at the main gate of the MNA’s house and it exploded late at night.” He added that Zeb was not at home at the time of the explosion. The police reached the site and a search operation was under way to “track down the terrorists”, he said. Zeb said in a statement that his family and neighbours remained safe in the explosion, but it would not affect their resolve through such tactics. “I would continue my martyred brother Rehan Zeb’s mission,” he added. National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq condemned the incident, expressing best wishes for Zeb and his family. He directed KP’s relevant authorities to conduct a transparent investigation into the blast, saying the elements involved in the attack must be brought to justice. Zeb was one of the PTI-bac...
7934 items