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Dawn - 21:23 May 08, 2025
The UN appointed Spanish diplomat Miguel Angel Moratinos Cuyaube on Wednesday as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ special envoy to combat Islamophobia. Moratinos will continue in his current role as High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC), which he has held since 2019, according to a statement by the UN spokesperson’s office. “Moratinos brings decades of diplomatic experience and leadership on multilateral issues, including dialogue among civilisations and combating discrimination,” it said. “Moratinos has reinforced UNAOC’s role as a global platform for dialogue and bridge-building.” A seasoned diplomat, Moratinos served as Spain’s foreign minister from 2004 to 2010, during which his country held the presidency of the Security Council and led several international organisations, including the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe. On X, Moratinos uploaded a statement expressing his gratitude and stating he was truly honour... -
Dawn - 21:02 May 08, 2025
The Pakistani military on Thursday said it took down nearly two dozen Indian drones sent on this side of the border since last night, as tensions between the neighbouring countries continue to rise. According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the armed forces shot down 25 Harop drones sent by India using their “soft-kill (technical) and hard-kill (weaponised) skills fully”. In a press conference earlier today, DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the drones were neutralised at various locations, including Karachi and Lahore. He also showed a series of pictures showing the debris of the drones. He said that the process of India sending across these Harop drones was a “serious serious provocation”. “This naked aggression continues, and the armed forces are on a high degree of alert and neutralising them as we speak,” Gen Chaudhry asserted. Harop drone is a loitering munition system, or suicide drone that flies to a target and detonates to carry out one-way missions with a high degree of autono... -
Dawn - 20:18 May 08, 2025
Posts on multiple social media platforms from Indian users on Wednesday shared a video claiming to show India attacking Pakistan amid the recent escalation between the two countries. However, the footage dates back to October 2024 and shows Iranian airstrikes on Israel’s Nevatim airbase. On Wednesday, Pakistan mourned the loss of 31 lives in overnight attacks by Indian forces on civilians, describing New Delhi’s actions as “terrorism” and accusing it of continuous ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC). The Pakistan military termed the downing of five Indian fighter jets as a major victory — and it was seemingly acknowledged when Indian officials admitted that at least three of their aircraft had “crashed” within their territory. As both countries continued to trade heavy artillery fire, authorities revealed the extent of the damage caused by Indian strikes at six locations — Ahmedpur East, Muridke, Sialkot and Shakkargarh in Punjab and Muzaffarabad and Kotli in Azad Kashmir. Since the breakdown in... -
Dawn - 17:42 May 08, 2025
Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Leo XIV, becoming the first American pontiff. Pope Leo appeared on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica around 70 minutes after white smoke billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signifying that the 133 cardinal electors had chosen a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church. “Peace be with you all,” the new pope told the cheering crowd. The choice of Prevost was announced by French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti with the Latin words ‘Habemus Papam’ (We have a pope) to tens of thousands of people gathered in St Peter’s Square to hear the news. Aged 69 and originally from Chicago, Prevost spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and became a cardinal only in 2023. He has given few media interviews and rarely speaks in public. Leo becomes the 267th Catholic pope after the death last month of Pope Francis, who was the first Latin American pope and had ... -
Dawn - 17:37 May 08, 2025
United States President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday announced a “breakthrough deal” on trade that leaves in place a 10 per cent tariff on goods imported from the UK, while Britain agreed to lower its tariffs to 1.8pc from 5.1pc and provide greater access to US goods. The agreement announced by Trump from the Oval Office marked the first since Trump triggered a global trade war with a barrage of levies on trading partners following his return to the White House in January. “It opens up a tremendous market for us,” Trump said. “This is a really fantastic, historic day,” Starmer said by teleconference. The United States has been under pressure from investors to strike deals to de-escalate its tariff war after Trump’s often chaotic policymaking upended global trade with friend and foe alike, threatening to stoke inflation and start a recession. Top US officials have engaged in a flurry of meetings with trading partners since the president on April 2 imposed a 10pc tariff on mo... -
Dawn - 14:41 May 08, 2025
Pakistan’s armed forces have taken down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones sent into the country by India since last night, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. A day earlier, Pakistan mourned the loss of 31 lives in overnight attacks by Indian forces on civilians, describing New Delhi’s actions as “terrorism” and accusing it of continuous ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC). The Pakistan military termed the downing of five Indian fighter jets as a major victory — and it was seemingly acknowledged when Indian officials admitted that at least three of their aircraft had “crashed” within their territory. On Wednesday, as both countries continued to trade heavy artillery fire, authorities revealed the extent of the damage caused by Indian strikes at six locations — Ahmedpur East, Muridke, Sialkot and Shakkargarh in Punjab and Muzaffarabad and Kotli in Azad Kashmir. “The Pakistan Army, using their soft-kill (technical) and hard-kill (weapons) skills fully, have shot down 25 Israeli... -
Dawn - 07:22 May 08, 2025
• Four missiles struck Jamia Masjid Ummul Qura in Muridke, killing three civilians • 13 people, including two girls, martyred in Subhan mosque strike • Funeral of Bahawalpur victims held at Dring Stadium LAHORE: Tensions between India and Pakistan have intensified after a series of Indian air and drone strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 31 Pakistani civilians, with many others injured, including 16 martyred only in Muridke and Bahawalpur. As many as three civilians were killed when four Indian missiles struck Jamia Masjid Ummul Qura and an adjoining house in Muridke, some 40 kilometres from Lahore. The deceased were identified as Abdul Malik (from Jhang), Mohammad Alam (Samundri), and Midasar (Chunian). Two others were injured and shifted to local hospitals. Sources said that the area had reportedly been evacuated earlier due to warnings of a possible strike, which helped reduce further casualties. The mosque was destroyed and local authorities later arranged visits for both international an... -
Dawn - 05:44 May 08, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Against high hopes, the government has sought revision in the base electricity tariff for next fiscal year, proposing only 30 paise to a maximum of Rs2.25 per unit reduction in consumer rates under seven different scenarios. Only in one unlikely case of normal circumstances and stable exchange rate at Rs280, the average base tariff would reduce by Rs2.25 per unit in fiscal year 2025-26 to Rs24.75 from prevailing rate of about Rs27 per unit. In case of local currency depreciation to Rs300, the base tariff reduction would be around 30 paise per unit. The reduction mainly stems from lower capacity payments. The average Power Purchase Price (PPP) would be on top of about Rs8.16 to Rs9.52 per unit fuel cost, taking the total electricity price to range between Rs34 and Rs35 per unit excluding taxes, fees, duties and surcharges. 30 paise to Rs2.25 reduction depends on rupee-dollar parity The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) of the Power Division has formally submitted a request for projected PPP for... -
Dawn - 05:30 May 08, 2025
KARACHI: The foreign players participating in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) will continue their stay in the country despite the ongoing military stand-off between Pakistan and India, an official of the country’s cricket board has said. India launched a devious attack on Pakistan late on Tuesday night before the latter’s retaliation escalated the situation. But while things got serious along the border, the foreign players had a meeting with the PSL leadership. “The foreign players met PSL chief Salman Naseer at a dinner last night and they had a ‘gup shup’ [informal chat],” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesperson Amir Mir told Dawn on Wednesday. “Naturally the current scenario may have come under discussion. “There is no chance of the foreign players leaving the country anyway with airspace issues, but they are living under a heavy security blanket of Pakistan Army. “There have been surgical strikes on both sides of the border but we don’t expect that affecting the PSL. But if, God forbid, things do e... -
Dawn - 05:09 May 08, 2025
ISLAMABAD: In an attempt to combat disinformation in the wake of hostilities with India, Pakistan on Wednesday blocked over a dozen Indian YouTube channels, 31 video links, and 32 websites for disseminating “false information and anti-Pakistan propaganda”. “This action has been taken in light of the prevailing regional situation to safeguard national security and protect Pakistan’s digital ecosystem,” the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said, adding that the content it blocked was spreading misleading and harmful narratives aimed at manipulating public perception and undermining national unity. On the other hand, IT minister Shaza Fatima said that the government foiled several cyberattacks, which she blamed on India, while an advisory by a cybersecurity body asked citizens to remain vigilant against possible cyberattacks in light of tensions with India. Amid all this, the social media platform X, which was blocked in Feb last year, came back to life without any official word from the government, ac... -
Dawn - 05:00 May 08, 2025
LAHORE: In response to India’s brazen pre-dawn attack, the Punjab government has mobilised all departments, directing them to maintain maximum preparedness in accordance with the ‘War Book’ protocols. Rescue services have been put on high alert and a central control room established to ensure seamless monitoring and coordination. While the armed forces ferociously responded to the attack, the Punjab government swiftly took measures to ensure public safety, announcing the immediate closure of public and private sector universities, colleges, and schools, as well as the suspension of ongoing examinations at various academic levels. As 26 civilians have been martyred and 46 sustained injuries in Indian missile attacks, the Punjab government cancelled staff holidays and called all law-enforcement agencies officials to handle any eventuality. Despite high alert, educational institutes allowed to function normally; social media flooded with memes after damages to India In line with the `War Book’ protocols, the Pun... -
Dawn - 04:48 May 08, 2025
• Educational institutions remain open, exams underway • Security beefed up across province • Rescue-1122 ready to meet any eventuality KARACHI: Although routine life in Karachi and other parts of the province remained unaffected by the Indian strikes in Azad Kashmir and Punjab, the provincial authorities on Wednesday prepared a contingency plan and beefed up security across Sindh to tackle any situation. Almost all educational institutions remained opened on Wednesday and intermediate exams were held as per their schedule in Karachi and other parts of the province. The director general of Rescue-1122, retired Brigadier Wajid Sibghatullah Mahar, told Dawn that the Sindh Emergency Rescue Service had prepared an emergency plan, outlining preparedness and resource allocation in anticipation of the situation. “Rescue-1122 (Sindh) is on high alert and prepared with manpower, resources and coordination protocols to deal with any emergency efficiently,” according to the content of the plan reviewed by Dawn. “Rescue ... -
Dawn - 04:02 May 08, 2025
• Dar briefs Islamabad-based ambassadors on unprovoked Indian attacks • Discusses security situation with Chinese, Turkish and Italian reps ISLAMABAD: Amid escalating tensions, the Indian chargé d’affaires was summoned to the foreign ministry on Wednesday to receive a strong protest over the unprovoked Indian strikes at multiple locations across Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. These strikes resulted in the deaths and injuries of several civilians, including women and children. According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Pakistan conveyed to the envoy that India’s blatant act of aggression constitutes a clear violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty. The statement emphasised that such actions contravene the UN Charter, international law, and established norms governing inter-state relations. Pakistan firmly rejected India’s baseless justifications for its hostile actions. The Indian side was warned that such reckless behaviour poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability, the statement add... -
Dawn - 03:14 May 08, 2025
• PM offers to meet political leaders, including PTI’s, to offer joint front against Indian aggression • Barrister Gohar welcomes premier’s offer • Lawmakers laud forces on successful defence of the realm ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers in the National Assembly on Wednesday strongly condemned the brutal aggression demonstrated by India resulting in loss of civilian lives in Pakistan. In an impassioned speech on the floor of the lower house of parliament, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said: “Only thieves and cowards attack at night. If they had even an ounce of courage, they would have announced their attack during the day.” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that India has become barbaric and blind due to its arrogance, but the valiant people of Pakistan will make them see. “We do not condone war and never have, but India should brace itself because Pakistan is yet to respond, and it will not do so during the night, or on the basis of lies, but as per international laws and UN Charter.” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his ... -
Dawn - 02:59 May 08, 2025
RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) announced on Wednesday that air traffic had been restored on major routes, while at least 21 airports across India’s northern and north-western regions have been closed for passenger flights until May 10. According to PAA, some airspace, particularly sections over Lahore, will remain closed for another 24 hours due to “operational reasons,” a revised notice to airmen (NOTAM) said. The NOTAM specified that certain airspace sections over Lahore would be temporarily unavailable at all altitudes from 10:50am on May 7, until 12:20pm on May 9, while flights taking off from or landing at Islamabad International Airport were directed to contact Air Traffic Control (ATC) for clearance. The PAA said in a statement that it has formally conveyed its concerns to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) “regarding the serious risks posed to civil aviation safety by India’s reckless and provocative actions.” This followed an earlier complete closure of Pa... -
Dawn - 02:47 May 08, 2025
NEW DELHI: Hours after India’s cross-border strikes inside Pakistan, the Indian government urged several sensitive states from the west to the east to brace for Pakistan’s response. According to the Indian Express, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a security review meeting via video conferencing on Wednesday afternoon with the Lieutenant Governors of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and West Bengal, and a representative from the Sikkim government. “All states should make their preparations as per the guidelines issued for the mock drill. Arrangements should be made for smooth operation of essential services like hospitals, fire brigade etc. and uninterrupted supply of essential goods should be ensured,” said Home Minister Shah in a statement. “Strict vigil should be kept on anti-national propaganda by unwanted elements on social and other media platforms and prompt action should be taken in coordination with state governments ... -
Dawn - 02:38 May 08, 2025
• India will have to bear consequences of its actions, says PM • Military’s response proved ‘superiority in conventional war’ • NSC authorises military to act at ‘time, place, and manner of its choosing’ • Forum terms blatant violation of sovereignty, territorial integrity ‘act of war’ • Apex committee warns India ‘has once again ignited an inferno’ • Two cabinet members hint at lowering of tensions if India avoids further escalation ISLAMABAD: PM Shehbaz Sharif declared that Pakistan has decided to avenge the overnight incursion as the National Security Committee — the apex security forum — authorised the armed forces to undertake corresponding actions in self-defence at a time, place, and manner of its choosing. India conducted several strikes inside Pakistan, including in Azad Kashmir, early on Wednesday. Pakistan responded swiftly and downed “five jets” of the Indian air force, immediately forcing them to retreat. As the fear of an India-Pakistan war loomed large, PM Shehbaz convened a meeting of the Na... -
Dawn - 02:34 May 08, 2025
• ISPR says 31 lives lost, 57 injured in six Indian strikes, Lt-Gen Chaudhry accuses India of perpetrating ‘terrorism’ against innocent civilians • Military touts shooting down five jets including Rafales; India claims three planes ‘crashed’ in its territory • Firing continues across LoC; Neelum-Jhelum hydel project also targeted • Trump urges both countries to stop, offers to help however he can • Erdogan conveys message of solidarity • UN says world can’t afford conflict in S. Asia • Dar confirms contact between national security advisers on both sides • UNMOGIP team visits damaged sites in AJK as emergency response centre set up to coordinate relief efforts ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday mourned the loss of 31 lives in attacks by Indian forces on civilians, terming New Delhi’s actions “terrorism” and accusing it of continuous ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC). Despite a ramping up of rhetoric from the Indian side, diplomatic channels remained open, as Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed ... -
Dawn - 14:50 May 07, 2025
With two judges dissenting, the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench (CB) on Wednesday gave its go-ahead for civilians involved in the May 9, 2023 riots to be tried in military courts. The case pertains to the military trials and the subsequent sentencing of civilians for their role in attacks on army installations during the riots that followed ex-premier Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, 2023. The 5-2 ruling came as the CB accepted a set of 38 intra-court appeals (ICAs) moved by the federal and provincial governments as well as Shuhada Forum Balochistan, among others, against the widely-praised October 2023 ruling that declared that trying the accused civilians in military courts violated the Constitution. Highlights: SC restores three provisions of Army Act struck down earlier Bench orders legislation within 45 days to ensure civilians’ right to appeal Minority ruling declares military court sentences as ‘without jurisdiction’, against Constitution Lawyers, PTI slam ruling, voice concern over fair trial The b... -
Dawn - 14:10 May 07, 2025
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced the restoration of air traffic across major routes, while a few routes are to remain closed for another 24 hours, as per a revised notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the CAA. The authority had earlier announced a complete closure of Pakistan’s airspace in the aftermath of a military confrontation between India and Pakistan on Tuesday night. The airspace was initially closed for 48 hours, and all flights were cancelled, with passengers advised to return home. The military confrontation between Pakistan and India began a little after 1am on Wednesday when India launched late-night airstrikes at six sites in Pakistan’s Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The attack resulted in 26 civilian casualties and over 40 injuries. In retaliation, Islamabad took down five Indian jets. According to military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, several Indian check posts were destroyed in response. Subsequently, the CAA announced that Pakistan’s airspace was closed for al...
7934 items