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Dawn - 07:03 Oct 12, 2025
“One of the historic errors the US made — going back to the Carter administration — was the fiction of being an honest broker… I think what President Trump understood… was if the world knows nothing else, the world needs to know this: that America stands with Israel.” — Mike Pence, former US vice president speaking to David Friedman, orthodox Jew and former US ambassador to the Zionist entity on Trinity Broadcasting Network “In the last several decades, the Palestinian leadership has missed one opportunity after the other… It is about time the Palestinians take the proposals and agree to come to the negotiations table or shut up and stop complaining.” — Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, speaking to heads of Jewish organisations in New York on March 27, 2018 “There is intelligence cooperation between Bahrain and Israel. Mossad is in Bahrain and they are present in the region… intelligence cooperation is part of our ongoing partnership between Bahrain and Israel and will continue.” — Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed A... -
Dawn - 06:34 Oct 12, 2025
• Home minister says bandits must deposit all weapons, explosives with police • Says courts likely to consider laying down arms as a mitigating factor in deciding cases KARACHI: Surrendering dacoits in the Katcha region will face trial without pardon, though voluntary surrender may be considered a mitigating factor in sentencing by courts. As per the Surrender Policy for Dacoits in Katcha Area of Sukkur and Larkana Divisions, recently approved by the Sindh cabinet, surrender does not mean pardon or immunity and all surrendering individuals shall face the prevailing law of the land, officials told Dawn. The policy ensures surrendering dacoits would not face harm from law enforcement and their families would be shielded from any sort of harassment or retaliation, providing a safe passage for reintegration. Speaking to Dawn, Home Minister Zia Lanjhar said that the Sindh government proactively worked to resolve tribal feuds, removing a major factor behind dacoit formation in the area. He said that communities in ... -
Dawn - 06:15 Oct 12, 2025
KARACHI: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) aimed at promoting collaboration in information technology and sports, marking a step forward in bilateral engagement focused on youth development and technological cooperation. The Letters of Intent (LoIs) were signed at a ceremony held at the Governor House late Friday night in the presence of Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council (SPJBC) Chairman Prince Mansour bin Mohammad bin Saad Al Saud and Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori. Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Saeed Al-Malki, Consul General Mohammed Abdullah Al-Subaie and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Farooq also attended the event. Under the MoUs, both countries agreed to collaborate on IT education, youth exchange programmes, joint training initiatives and sporting events to promote skills development and people-to-people connections. KCCI urges Saudi investment in petrochemicals and agriculture Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Tessori described Pak-Saudi relat... -
Dawn - 04:52 Oct 12, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has expressed strong disapproval of the police inaction in a case about enforced disappearance, ordering departmental accountability as well as seeking a compliance report from the cabinet secretary about the initiation of proceedings against the police high-ups, including the IGP. In an order issued by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, the court sought a compliance report from the secretary about an earlier order wherein the official was directed to place the matter before the prime minister for initiation of departmental proceedings against the responsible police officers. The incumbent IGP was also asked to submit a report on whether any action had been taken against the joint investigation team members and investigating officers involved. The case stemmed from an FIR registered in 2015 for the recovery of Abdullah Umar and the judge was hearing a contempt petition filed by the victim’s wife, Zainab Zaeem. Justice Kayani reminded the government functionaries about a 2019 ord... -
Dawn - 03:34 Oct 12, 2025
LAHORE: Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court, on Saturday deplored that successive governments in Pakistan had shown little interest in improving the lives of ordinary citizens, saying policymaking remained trapped in “elite capture”. “Everything that is done is elitist to satisfy or protect industry or perhaps pressure groups, but an ordinary person is not in the picture,” he said, speaking at Breathe Pakistan’s session “Judicial Activism and Litigation for Clean Air in Pakistan.” Senior lawyer Faisal Siddiqui conducted the session. The judge said he realised, during his whole career as a lawyer and a judge, “the ordinary person is not relevant.” View this post on Instagram Says environmental watchdog fully captured by govt Justice Shah, who is known for his work on public interest and the environment, said he was not against development, but it should be done in an intelligent way. He lamented that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the regulatory body to control p... -
Dawn - 03:08 Oct 12, 2025
KARACHI: The business and industrial community has raised concerns over inflated gas bills for the month, which have been calculated using peak-hour charges instead of off-peak rates. This has led to significant financial distress, particularly among industries already grappling with economic challenges. Industrialists have pointed out that, had the gas consumption been assessed using off-peak rates, the cost per unit would be around Rs238. However, the bills reflect charges nearly double or up to two and a half times higher than this amount. The misapplication of peak-hour charges has led to widespread complaints from industrial consumers, who argue that this billing method is both incorrect and unjustified. Karachi chamber raises concerns over peak-hour charges, demands uniform 24-hour tariff In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Businessmen Group (BMG) Chairman Zubair Motiwalla and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Jawed Bilwani called the inflated charges unaffordable and w... -
Dawn - 03:00 Oct 12, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved financing of $235 million for the Lahore Water and Wastewater Management Project. This funding aims to ensure a sustainable supply of safe water and alleviate the environmental damage caused by untreated sewage discharge in the city. The loan, approved by the Beijing-based institution on Thursday, will also support the Lahore Water and Sanitation Agency (LWASA) in improving its institutional capacity, enabling it to provide better services to the residents of Lahore while becoming a financially sustainable entity. Lahore faces a dual challenge of inadequate clean water and untreated wastewater overflow, both of which require urgent attention from the provincial government. The AIIB financing will be directed towards addressing these issues in a coordinated manner. The Punjab government had requested the AIIB’s support for the construction of infrastructure to divert water from the nearby Banbawala Ravi Bedian Depalpur (BRBD) Canal, as wel... -
Dawn - 02:47 Oct 12, 2025
• China retaliates with port fees as US tariff dispute escalates • Beijing residents dismiss US pressure, see limited impact on daily life BEIJING: China will begin levying port fees on US-built, owned, operated, or flagged vessels from Tuesday, in a direct response to similar charges being introduced by the United States on China-linked ships the same day, the Chinese transport ministry said on Friday, as reported by Reuters. Later that day, US President Donald Trump announced an increase in tariffs on all Chinese exports to the US, raising them to 100 per cent from Nov 1, and unveiled new export controls on strategic software. The move came in response to China’s recent curbs on exports of rare earth minerals. Although few US-flagged or built ships are engaged in international trade, China’s new port fee regime casts a wider net by targeting vessels where US-domiciled funds hold 25pc or more in shares or board seats. Analysts say this will significantly broaden the scope of affected companies, particularly... -
Dawn - 02:42 Oct 12, 2025
• Emergency crew restore power to many parts of Ukraine after attack on grid • US, UK, and Nato conduct air patrol along Russia’s border KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged US President Donald Trump on Saturday to use the diplomatic success he achieved in the Middle East as a model to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, saying that if Trump could stop one war, “others can be stopped as well.” The appeal came during a phone call between the two leaders, just a day after Moscow launched what Ukrainian officials described as a large-scale attack targeting critical energy facilities across 10 regions, including the capital Kyiv. “If a war can be stopped in one region, then surely other wars can be stopped as well, including the Russian war,” Zelensky wrote on Facebook, describing what he characterised as a “very positive and productive” conversation with Trump. The timing of the appeal underscores Ukraine’s growing concern that its nearly three-year conflict with Russia has slipped down the inter... -
Dawn - 01:55 Oct 12, 2025
Nearly 300 Afghan refugee families are living under the open sky in Islamabad’s Argentina Park, just miles from Islamabad’s ‘Red Zone’, the heavily secured government and diplomatic district in the federal capital. They sleep on the wet ground under plastic tarps, with no access to sanitation, medical care or legal protection — caught between Pakistan’s intensifying deportation campaign and the Taliban regime they fled. The day after rain showers swept through parts of Islamabad on September 18, teenager Uswa Kohistani sits alone under a tree, writing poetry in Dari about the crisis unfolding around her. Families spread soaked clothing across the grass to dry. Passports and school certificates lie damp inside a mosquito net. “We can neither go to work nor buy food from the markets,” says Kohistani, 19. “The police arrest us and forcibly take us to the border for deportation to Afghanistan.” Caught between Pakistan’s intensifying campaign to expel Afghans and the Taliban regime many of them fled, nearly 300 fa... -
Dawn - 22:22 Oct 11, 2025
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday night lauded the security forces after the Pakistan Army responded to unprovoked attacks by Afghan Taliban forces on border posts. Clashes between the two sides were reported in multiple areas along the Pak-Afghan border. “Firing by Afghan forces on civilian population is a blatant violation of international laws. Pakistan’s brave forces have given a prompt and effective response that no provocation will be tolerated,” said the interior minister in a post on X. “Pakistan’s forces are alert and Afghanistan is being answered with stones for bricks. The people of Pakistan stand with the brave armed forces like a lead wall. Afghanistan will also be given a befitting reply like India.” Earlier, security sources confirmed that Pakistani forces deployed at the international border “targeted several Afghan border posts”. There are reports of significant damage inflicted on multiple Afghan posts and militant formations, security officials added. Artillery, tanks, light and he... -
Dawn - 19:10 Oct 11, 2025
Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters have camped at Muridke for the night as they continued attempts to reach Islamabad to stage a protest in ‘solidarity with Palestinians’. Punjab Police, in an attempt to stop the march towards the federal capital, have reportedly dug a trench on the road. Earlier in the day, clashes between supporters of the religious party and police were reported in the Shahdara area of Lahore earlier today. At least 40 police personnel have been injured today, while the TLP claims that more than 10 of its workers have been killed in clashes with law enforcers. TLP began its protests in Lahore on Thursday and announced plans to march to the US embassy in Islamabad to voice its opposition to the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after two years of conflict in Gaza. The demonstrations turned violent on Friday, with police launching baton charges and firing tear gas at protesters who had pelted them with rocks, AFP journalists saw. Arrests in Karachi Police in Karachi arr... -
Dawn - 18:47 Oct 11, 2025
Former US president Joe Biden is undergoing radiation and hormone therapy to fight prostate cancer that was revealed in May, a spokesperson said Saturday. “As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment,” the spokesperson said. In May, the 82-year-old ex-president’s office announced that Biden had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that spread to his bones after he experienced urinary symptoms and a prostate nodule was found. “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places,” Biden, whose son Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015, said at the time in a post on X. “Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.“ Biden’s health had been in the spotlight due to a new book detailing his declining health as he campaigned last year for a second presidential term against Donald Trump. In July 2024, Biden announced he was dropping out of the race after... -
Dawn - 18:37 Oct 11, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday night censured Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi for remarks during his visit to India and said “deflecting” the responsibility of controlling terrorism could not absolve the Afghan authorities of their responsibilities towards regional peace. Muttaqi visited India earlier this week, marking India’s first high-level engagement with the Taliban government since it took power in 2021. Speaking about a Thursday night explosion in Kabul during a press conference in New Delhi a day ago, Muttaqi had condemned the incident and Pakistan for its alleged role in it, saying: “Whatever the problems are in each country should be solved by themselves.” He said there was no terrorist organisation or group left in Afghanistan. “If other countries achieve peace themselves as we did in Afghanistan, then there will be peace in the entire region. Since the last eight months, there has not been even a small incident in Afghanistan. In four years, no one has been harmed from Afghanistan’... -
Dawn - 17:44 Oct 11, 2025
Experts at a conference on tackling the issue of air pollution brought attention to its transnational threat and urged greater regional cooperation to tackle it. The moot was held at the Expo Centre in Lahore on Saturday as part of DawnMedia’s ‘Breathe Pakistan’ initiative. The conference was held with the aim of shedding light on actionable solutions, fostering high-level dialogue, and driving collective action for cleaner air in Pakistan. Sessions covered a broad range of themes, including governance and policy frameworks, financing clean air, smog and industrial responsibility, judicial activism, public health impacts, nationwide air quality standards, and regional cooperation on transboundary pollution. A press release issued said: “Concluding the event, participants agreed that Pakistan’s fight for clean air must now move from promise to policy and from data to delivery. DawnMedia reaffirmed its commitment to continue convening dialogue through Breathe Pakistan, keeping the spotlight on collective action... -
Dawn - 16:58 Oct 11, 2025
KP Assembly session summoned for Monday as Governor Kundi confirms receipt of Gandapur’s resignation
A session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was summoned for October 13 to elect the next chief minister, as Governor Faisal Karim Kundi confirmed the receipt of Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation from the top provincial slot on Saturday. KPA Speaker Babar Saleem Swati posted the schedule for Monday’s session on his X account. It said the election for the next chief minister would be held on the date. On Wednesday, Gandapur said that he resigned from his role as the provincial chief executive, while the party’s general secretary, Salman Akram Raja, confirmed that party founder Imran Khan directed Sohail Afridi to assume the CM’s role. However, his resignation letter, which was shared with the media the previous night, had apparently gotten lost in red tape, with the Governor’s house denying having ever received it. “Today at 2:30 pm, the handwritten resignation advice of the CM Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was duly received and acknowledged by Governor House,” Kundi posted on X earlier today. “After thorough scrutiny and... -
Dawn - 16:24 Oct 11, 2025
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck close to Punjab’s Layyah on Saturday night, according to the Pakistan Meteoreological Department (PMD). The PMD said the quake occurred 50 kilometres east of Layyah at 7:54pm at a depth of 20km. Layyah Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Waseem Hayat told Dawn.com: “The earthquake was felt in the district but no emergency was reported.’’ Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines means that tectonic movements remain a frequent occurrence in the region. The development comes just days after jolts from an earthquake of magnitude 5.2 were felt in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chitral and Swat districts on Tuesday. A 5.0-magnitude earthquake was recorded in Quetta on Sunday evening. A 4.3-magnitude earthquake was recorded in KP last Saturday as well. -
Dawn - 16:02 Oct 11, 2025
Notorious gangster Khawaja Tareef Butt, alias Teefi Butt, was killed in an alleged gun battle with police in the early hours of Saturday in Punjab’s Rahim Yar Khan district. Police sources earlier stated that Teefi Butt had initially fled to Glasgow (UK) soon after the murder of Ameer Balaj Tipu. During the course of the investigation, police arrested Ameer Balaj’s close friend, Ahsan Shah, for giving information to Butt and his gangsters about the movement of his friend. More recently, Teefi Butt travelled to Dubai for renewal of his London visa after it expired, which ultimately led to his capture. The CCD had also formally requested the Lahore capital city police officer (CCPO) to transfer the investigation of the Ameer Balaj murder case to them. The case was originally registered at Chuhng Police Station. Ameer Balaj was killed during a marriage ceremony in February 2024. Teefi Butt and Aqeel Butt alias Gogi Butt were nominated in the case. Gogi Butt is currently out on bail and Teefi Butt was declared an... -
Dawn - 14:10 Oct 11, 2025
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a large military parade displaying its new intercontinental ballistic missile in front of visiting international dignitaries, state media KCNA said on Saturday. The parade, which began late on Friday, marked the 80th anniversary of the foundation of its ruling Workers’ Party and followed celebrations on Thursday. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russia’s former President Dmitry Medvedev, as well as Vietnam’s Communist Party chief To Lam, were seen at Kim’s side at the parade, while other foreign dignitaries looked on. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches a military parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers Party, in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this picture released on October 11, by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency. —KCNA via Reuters In the military parade, nuclear-armed North Korea displayed its most advanced Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, described by KCNA as the country’s “strongest nuclear strategic wea... -
Dawn - 12:16 Oct 11, 2025
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Saturday assailed the PTI-led KP government for “facilitating terrorists, sowing division, and undermining national security,” stressing that the sacrifices of Pakistanis in the fight against terrorism will not be in vain. The information minister’s remarks come a day after the spokesperson for the military’s media wing, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, without naming anyone, said the “state and its people will not and cannot be left to the whims of a single person deemed most responsible for bringing terrorism back to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” “In the past week alone, there have been several terrorist attacks which were bravely and courageously repelled by officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army,” Tarar said. Referring to PTI, he said during this time, there remains only one party, “Tehreek-i-Inteshaar” (movement of chaos) which has no concern for the sacrifices of our martyrs, no concern for the integrity of the country, and whose only interest is in “further d...
12478 items