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Dawn - 08:02 Mar 17, 2026
BEIJING/PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD: Pakistani forces targeted the Afghan Taliban’s military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar on Monday night, the government said, as Islamabad pressed on with Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. The operation was launched on the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. Security sources had reported the development late on Monday night, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirming the military action early on Tuesday. In a post on X, he said the armed forces “successfully carried out precision airstrikes” as part of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting “Afghan Taliban regime terrorism-sponsoring military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar”. “Technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities at two locations in Kabul were effectively destroyed,” Tarar said, stressing that the “visible secondary detonations after the strikes clearly indicate the presence of large ammunition depots”. In the Afghan province of Nang... -
Dawn - 06:48 Mar 17, 2026
UNITED NATIONS: This year, the International Day to Combat Islamophobia did not pass unnoticed — largely due to mounting tensions in the Middle East and their ripple effects across the globe. Pakistan, which spearheaded the 2022 UN resolution establishing the observance, underscored that anti-Muslim hatred is intensifying worldwide, with political rhetoric, digital platforms, and mainstream discourse amplifying the problem. The observance comes amid heightened global instability, particularly the ongoing conflict involving Iran, which analysts say has contributed to a fresh surge in Islamophobic narratives. Reports indicate a spike in online hate speech and dehumanising rhetoric targeting Muslims, feeding a broader climate of intolerance that the UN and allied nations have increasingly called attention to. Observed annually on March 15, the International Day commemorates the victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks, in which 51 worshippers were killed. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembl... -
Dawn - 05:17 Mar 17, 2026
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have reportedly resumed direct communication in recent days, Axios reported, citing a US official and a source familiar with the matter. Both officials had previously managed negotiations between Washington and Tehran before Israel and the United States launched an attack on Iran. Axios noted that it is unclear how substantive the messages exchanged were, but the contacts mark the first known direct communication between the parties since the conflict began. According to the US official and the source, Araghchi sent text messages to Witkoff focused on ending the war. However, Drop Site News reported on Monday that Witkoff had sent messages to Araghchi, quoting Iranian officials who said the foreign minister was ignoring the White House envoy’s messages. The US official told Axios that it was Araghchi who was attempting to engage, but the US “is not talking” to Iran. Neither source provided details... -
Dawn - 03:25 Mar 17, 2026
LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet on Monday approved the purchase of 10 vehicles for the superior judiciary, besides making a decision to contribute to the prime minister’s austerity fund. The cabinet committee and the Services and General Administration Department’s transport wing had recommended the procurement of at least 108 new luxury vehicles for cabinet members and bureaucrats for Rs1.14 billion during the current financial year. However, the cabinet approved the purchase of only 10 vehicles for the higher judiciary. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz while ministers and officials joined it remotely as part of the government’s austerity drive. The Punjab government also announced that provincial cabinet members, special assistants, and parliamentary secretaries would donate two months’ salaries to the PM’s austerity fund. “The Punjab Assembly will also participate in the austerity campaign, with members voluntarily donating two months’ salaries and 25 per cent of their allowances to the fu... -
Dawn - 02:59 Mar 17, 2026
• Senate panel told ample petrol, diesel available; import of lower-quality fuel okayed; price hike ‘did not benefit’ OMCs • Officials tell panel no LNG supply from Qatar since March 2, gas will not be available after April 14 • Petrol committee briefed March fuel requirements fully secured, coverage available up to mid-April ISLAMABAD: The federal government has planned a subsidised fuel scheme for motorcyclists and rickshaw drivers to cushion the impact of a massive hike in oil prices, following a similar move by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. “The government is working on a package to provide relief to (owners of) motorcycles and rickshaws,” said newly appointed petroleum secretary, Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, while testifying before the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum on Monday. He claimed that the government had taken measures which would “provide relief to the people”. On Sunday, the government increased the price of kerosene oil by Rs40 per litre and approved Rs23 billion for oil marketing compani... -
Dawn - 02:51 Mar 17, 2026
• Premier tasks Intelligence Bureau to monitor compliance with fuel austerity measures • Pakistan Railways ordered to increase number of freight trains to shift cargo traffic away from roads ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday ordered the release of salaries for government employees before Eid, while reiterating that his government was taking all possible measures for immediate economic relief as well as long-term stability. The PM was chairing a meeting to review the enforcement of austerity and relief measures and the conservation and management of petroleum reserves in the wake of the emerging situation in the region due to the Iran war. A statement issued by the PM’s Office said that economic stability and relief remained among the government’s top priorities and it was prepared to face any situation arising from the ongoing global tensions. During the meeting, he said consultations were being held regarding additional measures to provide relief to the public, adding that an adequate quanti... -
Dawn - 02:31 Mar 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: An investigation by Amnesty International into an airstrike on an Iranian school – which claimed the lives of about 168 people, mostly children – has blamed the US for the deliberate, deadly attack and urged the authorities to ensure a transparent and thorough investigation to ensure accountability. In an in-depth report, the rights watchdog revealed that the US violated international humanitarian law by failing to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm and sought accountability for the perpetrators. It said the school building was directly struck, alongside 12 other structures in an adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) compound, with guided weapons, adding that this showed that US forces did not take precautions to avoid civilian harm. “The fact that the school building was directly targeted and was previously part of the IRGC compound raises concerns that US forces may have relied on outdated intelligence and failed in their obligation to do everything feasible to verif... -
Dawn - 21:12 Mar 16, 2026
BEIJING/PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD: Pakistani forces targeted the Afghan Taliban’s military installations on Monday night, security sources said, as Islamabad pressed on with Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. The operation was launched on the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. Security sources said that during the strikes on Monday night, Pakistani forces destroyed the technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage at two locations in Kabul. In the Afghan province of Nangarhar, the sources said, Pakistani forces targeted Afghan Taliban’s military installations at four spots. Logistics, ammunition and technical infrastructure adjacent to these installations were also destroyed, the sources added. They further said a drone assembly workshop, “headquarters from where drones were sent” and weapon stocks were also destroyed in Nangarhar and Kabul. According to the sources, drones were prepared at those workshops using parts made in India and Israel. In updates... -
Dawn - 19:49 Mar 16, 2026
A rebuttal by the Senate Secretariat on reports of the purchase of a luxury vehicle for Senate Chairperson Yousaf Raza Gilani further confused the matter on Monday, essentially confirming the purchase and reiterating the details reported in this connection. The rebuttal was issued after it was reported that a vehicle worth Rs90 million was bought for Gilani from the Senate’s budget. The reports also quoted Gilani as explaining that the car was ordered in May last year, “using savings from the Senate’s budget of the previous year”. These details were also confirmed in the Senate’s rebuttal, which, however, did not mention the cost of the car. The rebuttal said: “The attention of the Senate Secretariat has been drawn to certain media reports regarding the purchase of a vehicle (Land Cruiser) for the honourable Senate chairman.” “These reports are misleading, factually incorrect, and appear to be based on incomplete information and mala fide intentions,” it said, without specifying which information was incorrec... -
Dawn - 19:29 Mar 16, 2026
Several US allies rebuffed Donald Trump’s call on Monday to send warships to escort shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, drawing criticism from the US president, who accused Western partners of ingratitude after decades of support. The US-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with no end in sight, largely shutting the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20pc of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flow, raising energy prices and fears of inflation. Israel said on Monday it had drawn up detailed plans for at least three more weeks of war as it pounded sites across Iran overnight, while Iranian drone attacks temporarily shut Dubai airport and hit a key oil facility in the United Arab Emirates. A number of US partners, including Germany, Spain and Italy, said they had no immediate plans to send ships to help reopen the strategic waterway, which Iran has effectively shut with drones and naval mines. “We lack the mandate from the United Nations, the European Union, or Nato required under the Basic Law,” Germ... -
Dawn - 18:34 Mar 16, 2026
As gravediggers prepared new burial plots for those killed in the US-Israeli attack on Iran, Marzia Razaei wept for her son Arfan Shamei, who died in a blast at a military training camp days before he was due home on leave. The war that began on February 28 with a blitz of air strikes on Tehran and other cities has killed more than 1,300 Iranians so far, according to Iranian officials, and plunged the Middle East into crisis. Marzia Rezaei reacts while standing near the grave of her son, Erfan, who was killed in strikes, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, in Tehran, Iran, March 16, 2026. — Reuters Tears streamed down Razaei’s face and she stared vacantly, hugging a large portrait of Shamei, 23, her voice breaking with grief as she recalled her last conversation with him when they discussed his coming trip back home to his family. “I hadn’t seen him for two months,” she said, adding that his last day before heading home was meant to have been Monday, the day Reuters met her.... -
Dawn - 18:09 Mar 16, 2026
WASHINGTON: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for three months, with all 15 members — including Pakistan — voting in favour. The mandate will now run from March 16 to June 17, marking a departure from UNAMA’s customary one-year renewal amid differences among council members over the duration of the extension. Explaining its vote, Islamabad said it supported the extension because UNAMA played a vital role in promoting “peace, security and stability in Afghanistan,” warning that the country faces an “exponential rise in the threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.” Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, stated: “Pakistan supports UNAMA in promoting peace, security and stability in Afghanistan which confronts multiple challenges, particularly the increasing threat of terrorism, human rights, narcotics and diminishing humanitarian ... -
Dawn - 17:50 Mar 16, 2026
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday thanked the government and people of Pakistan for extending their “strong solidarity and support” with Iran and its people who he said were facing aggression from the United States and Israel. In a post in Urdu on X, Araghchi said: “On this blessed, divine, and spiritual day and hour, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for their strong expression of solidarity and support with the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the face of the aggression by America and the Zionist regime.” Araghchi added that Iran stood with “steadfastness and perseverance in defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, with complete reliance on Allah Almighty”. His post comes amid an ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The strikes also assassinated Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliatory strikes, Iran has targeted US assets and bases in Gulf... -
Dawn - 17:47 Mar 16, 2026
RAHIM YAR KHAN: At least seven women died and several others were injured on Monday when the roof of a shop collapsed in Rahim Yar Khan’s Chak 123-P Tibba locality. A statement issued by the district administration said the incident occurred at 10:39am when beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) had gathered at the grocery store that housed a retailer for BISP payments. The statement confirmed that seven women lost their lives in the incident and several others had been injured. The death toll was also confirmed by Rescue 1122, which said 75 people had been injured in the incident. The district administration’s statement quoted Divisional Commissioner Musarrat Jabeen as stating that an investigation was being conducted, and if it was found that the roof collapsed due to anyone’s negligence, strict legal action would be taken against those responsible. The statement also said that an investigation committee had been constituted, which was led by the additional deputy commissioner (general... -
Dawn - 17:37 Mar 16, 2026
Jemima Goldsmith, the former spouse of PTI founder Imran Khan, made a “direct appeal” to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday to allow her sons, Kasim Khan and Suleiman Khan, to meet their incarcerated father. Kasim and his older brother Suleiman live in London with their mother and will have to travel to Pakistan to meet Imran, who is imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail. Jemima said in a post on X: “My sons Sulaiman and Kasim Khan applied for visas in January (again… ) to allow them to visit their father, Imran Khan, in Pakistan. The Pakistan consulate states that online visa processing normally takes 7–10 working days. It has now been 60 days.” She said the delay in the issuance of visas was despite Defence Minister Khawaja Asif publicly “promising that they (Kasim and Suleiman) could safely travel there to see their father after four years”. She added that PM’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, had made a similar commitment. “Meanwhile, they (Kasim and Suleiman) are not allowed to spea... -
Dawn - 16:28 Mar 16, 2026
KARACHI: The country’s current account has recorded a surplus of $479 million in February, leading to a substantial decrease in the current account deficit for the ongoing fiscal year. According to details shared by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday, the country’s current account has posted a surplus in the first two months of the calendar year 2026, after recording a deficit of $244m in December 2025. In the first two quarters of FY26, the current account was in deficit against a $1.9 billion surplus recorded in FY25. The current account deficit — which has been a long-standing issue facing Pakistan’s economy — has been addressed by a significant reduction in imports, which has resulted in a surplus. But, low imports have affected the gross domestic product (GDP) growth as it hardly reached 3 per cent in FY25. In the first quarter of FY26, from July to Sept 2025, the current account deficit was $737m, while in the second quarter, from October to December 2025, the deficit was recorded at $458m. But,... -
Dawn - 15:43 Mar 16, 2026
ISLAMABAD: A committee tasked with monitoring petrol prices was informed on Monday that Pakistan was “adequately positioned in terms of fuel availability”, with March requirements fully secured and, based on current cargo planning and supply arrangements, coverage was available up to mid-April. The development comes after the government announced a Rs55 per litre hike in the prices of both petrol and high-speed diesel to deal with the fuel crunch resulting from the ongoing Middle East conflict. According to a finance ministry statement, the committee was briefed today on the national inventory of crude oil and refined petroleum products, ongoing import arrangements, and supply chain logistics. The committee was informed that the country “remains adequately positioned in terms of fuel availability, with March requirements fully secured”. It was further briefed that, “based on current cargo planning and supply arrangements, coverage is available up to mid-April” and efforts were being taken to extend coverage t... -
Dawn - 15:24 Mar 16, 2026
LAHORE: An accountability court on Monday approved the closure of the investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and her father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The case pertains to alleged money laundering and income beyond means via “dubious” business transactions of the Chaudhry Sugar Mills, of which Maryam was a major shareholder. Judge Rana Arif announced the decision to close the investigation on a plea filed by NAB-Lahore. Last week, the court sought arguments from the counsel for Maryam and Nawaz on an application submitted by the anti-graft body for the closure of the investigation in the case. Judge Arif observed that the NAB’s move to close the Chaudhry Sugar Mills investigation was in accordance with the law. He further noted that Maryam could also withdraw her surety bond of Rs70 million furnished against post-arrest bail granted to her in the case. Earlier, NAB and the Punjab CM’s lawyers concluded the... -
Dawn - 15:05 Mar 16, 2026
Iran has asked India to release three tankers seized in February as part of talks seeking the safe passage of Indian‑flagged or India‑bound vessels out of the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Indian authorities seized the three Iran‑linked tankers near Indian waters, alleging they had concealed or altered their identities and were involved in illegal ship‑to‑ship transfers at sea. Tehran has also sought supplies of certain medicines and medical equipment, according to one of the sources, an Iranian official. Iran’s ambassador to New Delhi met Indian foreign ministry officials on Monday to discuss the issue, the source said. The sources declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. India’s foreign ministry, the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, and Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Iran recently allowed two Indian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers to pass through the strait, according t... -
Dawn - 14:32 Mar 16, 2026
KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday forecast rain and thunderstorms in Karachi and other parts of Sindh from March 18 to 19. In an advisory issued today, PMD said “a westerly wave” was likely to enter the western parts of the country from tomorrow (Tuesday). It said that under its influence, the metropolis will have “partly cloudy weather” with the chance of “thunderstorm/rain” on March 18 and 19. PMD, in its advisory, said that rain and thunderstorms with strong winds and isolated hailstorms are likely in Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Matiari. Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Umerkot, Tharparker, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Nosheroferoz, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Dadu on Wednesday and Thursday. While Larkana, Qamber Shahdad Kot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Ghotki and Sukkur districts are set to receive heavy rainfall on March 18 and 19 with “occasional gaps”. PMD said that lightning strikes may occur at “isolated places” during the period and advised farmers to “ma...
8986 items