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Dawn - 07:24 Nov 11, 2025
Supreme Court (SC) Justice Athar Minallah has written an emphatic letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, calling for the convening of a conference to consider threats to the judiciary while also lamenting the use of the apex court as an instrument to suppress the people’s will by “unelected elite”, it emerged on Tuesday. The development comes as the government is making moves for the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The bill, which has been passed by the Senate, seeks crucial changes to a number of articles, mostly dealing with the judiciary and the military leadership. In the seven-page letter, which Dawn has seen, Justice Minallah said that the missive was being recorded as a “solemn duty to the Constitution and to place on record for future generations how their destiny was being shaped behind the marble walls of the last resort of justice”. He said that it was being written in the wake of recent events, which had greatly eroded public confidence in the judiciary. “Institution... -
Dawn - 06:09 Nov 11, 2025
RAWALPINDI: After beating a depleted South African side 2-1 in the recently-concluded One-day International series, Pakistan will take on a stronger Sri Lankan outfit in another three-match rubber here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from Tuesday. The series win against South Africa marked a successful beginning to Shaheen Shah Afridi’s fresh stint as the new Pakistan captain, having replaced Mohammad Rizwan last month in an abrupt manner. The Sri Lanka challenge will be different for the pacer, given that he won his maiden ODI series as skipper with first-choice players at his disposal against a South African team missing the likes of senior pros Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markam, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj. The Islanders, led by Charith Asalanka, in contrast, arrive in Rawalpindi with a full-strength team and a top form in the format — having won the last six of their seven ODI series, including those against the strong India and Australia to rise to fourth in the International Cricket Council ODI ranki... -
Dawn - 04:59 Nov 11, 2025
Islamabad has warned that the acquisition of abandoned weapons by terrorist groups based in Afghanistan not only threatens peace and security in Pakistan but also in the region. Ambassador Asim Iftikhar, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks while addressing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate on small arms late on Monday, according to a press release by the mission. In his remarks, Ambassador Iftikhar said, “Pakistan is seriously concerned about the presence of stockpiles of sophisticated arms and ammunition in Afghanistan, as noted in the findings of the secretary general’s reports.” The report states that transnational criminal dynamics were observed in Afghanistan, where possible arms and ammunition transfer to neighbouring states in breach of the arms embargo and unofficial markets for weapons have emerged, further escalating the threat to regional security. The envoy said Pakistan had “credible information of attempts to smuggle these arms to neig... -
Dawn - 03:05 Nov 11, 2025
• CJCSC urged troop mobilisation • COAS cautioned against hasty escalation ISLAMABAD: The National Security Committee (NSC) did not overrule the then army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa’s response plan during the 2019 Balakot crisis, according to at least two participants of that meeting who spoke on Monday. “The then army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s response strategy was agreed upon and executed by the Pakistan Air Force,” said a federal minister who attended the meeting, adding that the then chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee, Gen Zubair Hayat, had proposed a more radical option that was not accepted. An armed forces official who also participated in the meeting gave a similar account, saying that then prime minister Imran Khan was “displeased” with Gen Hayat’s suggestion, which he thought “did not make any sense.” The statements counter a recent claim by former defence secretary Lt Gen (Retd) Asif Yasin Malik, who said that during the 2019 NSC meeting held after the Balakot strikes, Gen Bajwa had a... -
Dawn - 02:27 Nov 11, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Judges of the Federal Shariat Court (FSC), including Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman, have expressed serious reservations over their sudden relocation to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises from the FSC building, where the government has finalised arrangements to establish the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). Official sources said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has expedited renovation work on the third floor of the IHC building to accommodate the FSC. The IHC administration has been informed by a CDA contractor that three courtrooms will be ready within the next few days, while the construction of a fourth courtroom may take slightly longer. At present, only three judges are serving in the FSC against the sanctioned strength of eight. Sources said the judges are “not comfortable” with the ongoing shifting process and have conveyed their concerns at the highest level. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, accompanied by the Islamabad deputy commissioner, had visited the FSC building l... -
Dawn - 19:33 Nov 10, 2025
PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui passed away on Monday in Islamabad after a brief illness, his son confirmed. His family earlier today said that he had not been placed on a ventilator but was admitted to an intensive care unit due to breathing difficulties. In a statement, the senator’s family said that Siddiqui had been receiving treatment at a local hospital in Islamabad for the past few days due to respiratory distress. President Asif Ali Zardari extended his condolences to the senator’s family on their loss, according to a statement from the President’s House. Paying tribute to Senator Siddiqui, President Zardari said the departed had made “immense contributions” to democracy in Pakistan. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also extended his condolences and praised Siddiqui as a “champion of high traditions in both journalism and politics”. Earlier today, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry claimed that the PML-N leader had been put on a ventilator after his health had worsened. “Senior politician ... -
Dawn - 19:15 Nov 10, 2025
An explosion was reported near the Red Fort in the Indian capital of New Delhi on Monday, in which at least eight people were killed and at least 20 people were injured, local television channels reported. The exact cause of the blast was being investigated, city police spokesperson Sanjay Tyagi said. However, India’s financial capital of Mumbai, as well as its most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Delhi, went on high security alert after the blast, local media reported. “Eight people have been killed in the explosion,” Tyagi said. View this post on Instagram A previous owner of the car, named only as Salman, was arrested after the blast, NDTV reported, without going into more details. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said the blast took place minutes before 7pm (6:30pm PKT). “A slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light. An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged,” he told reporters. ... -
Dawn - 18:21 Nov 10, 2025
At least two terrorists were killed during an attack on Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan on Monday as security forces conducted a clearance operation at the educational facility, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The military’s media wing said the initial attempt by the terrorists to breach the perimeter security was foiled by the “vigilant and resolute response by own troops”. However, the attackers then rammed an explosives-laden vehicle against the main gate of the college, causing it to collapse and damaging an adjacent structure. The terrorists then entered the educational facility and were “cornered in the college’s administrative block”. “Displaying unwavering courage and professional excellence, own troops engaged the intruders with precision, eliminating two khwarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Khwarij,” said the ISPR. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned TTP. The ISPR added that the terrorists, inside the college, are in contac... -
Dawn - 18:17 Nov 10, 2025
The contentious bill for the 27th Constitutional Amendment sailed through the Senate on Monday after 64 lawmakers voted in its favour, with members of the opposition staging a noisy walkout. The government and its coalition partners secured a two-thirds majority in the vote following the defection of two opposition members, leading to a total of 64 votes for the bill. The bill, which had stirred controversy in the country for weeks, was presented in the Senate by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, while Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani presided over the proceedings. Initially, a clause-by-clause voting was carried out. Later, voting by division was conducted, with the entry and exit gates of the Senate closed as per the protocol. View this post on Instagram Before the passage of the bill, opposition benches erupted in protest, chanting slogans against the government and its coalition partners. Lawmakers tore up copies of the bill and hurled them toward Tarar’s table as he began to present it. Most opposit... -
Dawn - 17:50 Nov 10, 2025
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered the Punjab Wildlife Department to submit a report on the demolition of a pet market in the walled city within 30 days and decide on a framework to prevent such incidents from occurring again, according to the lawyer who filed the petition with the court. A demolition operation was carried out at a bird market in Lahore’s Bhati Chowk area, near Data Darbar last Friday by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), with shopkeepers accusing the Punjab government of killing dozens of birds and other caged pets; allegations the government has denied. This incident led to public outrage as the animals were not moved during the demolition. Animal rights lawyer Altamush Saeed filed a petition with the LHC on Saturday, naming the Punjab government, the Punjab Wildlife and Fisheries Department and the LDA, as respondents. A press release stated that the court ordered the Wildlife Department to submit a “comprehensive report” on the matter. It added that LHC Judge Shehram Sarwa... -
Dawn - 17:46 Nov 10, 2025
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Monday rubbished the notion that the status of incarcerated former premier Imran Khan had any bearing on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s withdrawal of proposed immunity for the top office as part of the 27th Constitutional Amendment. Government senators Anusha Rahman and Khalil Tahir Sandhu had tabled a proposal for the 27th Amendment bill to extend the immunity currently enjoyed by the president under Article 248 of the Constitution to include the prime minister. The clause sought to extend presidential immunity to the prime minister, effectively barring criminal proceedings against the premier during the term in office. Article 248 of the Constitution stipulates that “no criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the president or a governor in any court during his term of office”. However, PM Shehbaz had ordered the clause’s withdrawal on Sunday, saying that the premier must remain “fully accountable”. Separat... -
Dawn - 17:14 Nov 10, 2025
The government is set to table the bill for the 27th Constitutional Amendment in tomorrow’s National Assembly session after it sailed through the Senate kn Monday. A notification from the NA Secretariat for the orders of the day for Tuesday’s session said Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar would table the bill. Today’s NA session was adjourned after being marred by ruckus from the treasury and opposition benches during speeches from each side. PPP MNA Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was disrupted by shouting from the opposition benches as he began to speak in the NA. Speaking on the immunity for the president, he said this was standard practice in many countries for the head of state. Ashraf assailed the opposition, asking who was it to criticise the treasury benches when its ranks were filled with those who had violated the Constitution. As he continued to speak, PTI lawmakers chanted slogans of “Go Zardari go” and “Long live Imran Khan” while terming the former prime minister as “Raja rental”. The former premier said the o... -
Dawn - 17:05 Nov 10, 2025
As the government made moves toward the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, present and former judges and top lawyers on Monday urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi to summon a full court meeting to discuss the proposed legislation. The request came in a letter, dated November 9 and a copy of which is available with Dawn, that was penned by senior counsel Faisal Siddiqi. It was also signed and endorsed by former SC senior puisne judge retired Justice Mushir Alam, former Sindh High Court (SHC) judge retired Justice Nadeem Akhtar and nine other top lawyers. The letter said that the missive was being written “not in normal times but in times that presented the greatest threat to the Supreme Court of Pakistan since its establishment in 1956”. It termed the 27th Amendment Act as the “biggest and the most radical restructuring of the Federal Appellate Court structure since the enactment of the Government of India Act, 1935”. “We say this without any fear of contradiction that no civilian or ... -
Dawn - 16:40 Nov 10, 2025
Unidentified armed men opened fire on the house of cricketer Naseem Shah in the Mayar area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower Dir in the early hours of Monday, police and residents said. According to police, the incident took place around 1:45am when the attackers fired several shots at the main gate of the house, leaving bullet holes in it. The assailants fled the scene soon after the firing. The Mayar police registered a case and launched an investigation. Officials said CCTV footage from nearby houses was being examined, and security had been enhanced around the cricketer’s residence. The Lower Dir police said that according to the initial investigation, the incident was not one of terrorism but possibly the result of a land dispute or regional enmity. Shah’s father also met Lower Dir District Police Officer Taimur Khan, who assured the former of early arrests. Local residents said Shah’s family belonged to a respectable background and had no known enmity or dispute with anyone. Additional reporting by Arif Hay... -
Dawn - 15:18 Nov 10, 2025
Former Pakistan One-day International captain Mohammad Rizwan voluntarily decided to take a step back and let Shaheen Shah Afridi take charge as his successor when the country’s cricket board was mulling the decision, the latter revealed on Monday. Shaheen was appointed in the role last month in what seemed like an abrupt development with Rizwan being stripped off captaincy despite spending only five ODI series and an ICC Champions Trophy campaign in charge. While the wicket-keeper-batter had a disastrous show at the Champions Trophy, he led Pakistan to series wins in Australia and South Africa last year and against the West Indies this year. According to multiple media reports, Rizwan was at loggerheads with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) when he was removed as captain – reportedly turning down the central contract. Shaheen, however, seems to have cleared the air, stating in the press conference on the eve of Pakistan’s three-match ODI series opener against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, that he had a discussion... -
Dawn - 15:17 Nov 10, 2025
At least 24 terrorists were killed by security forces in three separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, said a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday. The ISPR said the KP intelligence-based operations (IBO) were conducted between November 8-9. During an intelligence-based operation in the general area of Shawal in North Waziristan, eight terrorists were killed by the security forces. “During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location, eight Indian sponsored khwarij were sent to hell,” said the military’s media wing. In July, the government designated the banned terrorist outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan as Fitna al Khawarij, mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan. In the second IBO conducted in the Dara Adam Khel district of the province, 12 terrorists were killed after “an intense fire exchange”. The military’s media wing added that sanit... -
Dawn - 15:08 Nov 10, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday assailed claims that national carrier Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA), flight operations and safety measures were not meeting international standards. On November 3, PIA’s flight operations were disrupted across the country after the engineers’ group refused to issue clearances to aircraft, claiming that they could not compromise on travel safety. The defence minister, whose portfolio includes aviation, wrote in an X post that any “propaganda targeting PIA, its flights’ safety and its operations is totally baseless”. “Safety is non-negotiable, but unqualified people cannot dictate it in the presence of Pakistani and international regulators,” he wrote. “PIA flight [operations] are strictly adhered to PCAA/international safety standards.” Asif said he fully backed the flag carrier’s efforts to “return to profitability and expand its network”, adding that PIA generated a per-day average of Rs600 million in revenue over the past three days, which he claimed was gene... -
Dawn - 15:07 Nov 10, 2025
Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam on Monday demanded that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi apologise to the nation and the armed forces for his recent remarks about security forces. During a media talk on November 6, Afridi alleged that the sanctity of worship places was violated when sniffer dogs were brought there by the security forces. He also made disparaging remarks about security personnel. KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had condemned those statements, while a case was also registered against CM Afridi under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). “The destruction of KP has already been happening, but now he (Afridi) has taken on the task to defame all institutions, make such false allegations and devalue them so much,” Muqam said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. “You (Afridi) should definitely apologise to the entire nation, the armed forces, as well as the families of those martyrs, for your statement,” he asserted. “He has no realisa... -
Dawn - 13:29 Nov 10, 2025
Indian police detained dozens of people during a rare protest at the famed India Gate monument in New Delhi, who were demanding action to curb an annual scourge of toxic air swathing the capital and its surrounding region. Sunday’s protest by crowds of all ages holding banners and chanting slogans before police bundled them away was a scarce event, even though Delhi and the national capital region have battled such fumes every winter for years. “We have only one problem, and that is of clean air,” said Neha, a mask-wearing protester, who gave only one name. “This problem has been going on for many years, but no action is being taken,” she told news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake. Visuals from the agency showed police dragging protesters, some holding banners that read, “Breathing is killing us,” while others chanted slogans such as “Our right, clear air” into waiting buses before they were driven away. The city’s air quality index of 345 on Monday ranked as “very poor”, compared to ratings ... -
Dawn - 11:14 Nov 10, 2025
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has pledged “zero tolerance” as it continued an inquiry into sexual harassment allegations made by ex-women’s captain Jahanara Alam against former and serving officials, according to media reports. Last week in an interview with The Riasat Azim YouTube channel, the 32-year-old pacer accused then selector and team manager Manjurul Islam and other officials of sexual harassment. She detailed multiple incidents spanning from 2021 through the 2022 Women’s World Cup, which she said left her mentally distressed and ultimately sidelined from the national setup, according to cricexec. Manjurul, who is currently in China, rejected the allegations as “baseless”. According to the Times of India, BCB President Aminul Islam said on Sunday during a press briefing that the board would act firmly once the investigation concludes, adding that the committee should be given time to complete its work. He reaffirmed that no one — be it coach, director or staff member— was above the law, nor did ...
5680 items