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Dawn - 06:10 Mar 12, 2026
WASHINGTON: Pakistan has outlined the rationale behind its votes on two competing draft resolutions at the United Nations Security Council, stating that both were aimed at curbing regional escalation and promoting an immediate return to dialogue. On March 11, the Security Council adopted a Bahrain-led resolution condemning recent missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran on several Gulf states — including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan — and demanding an immediate cessation of all such attacks. Russia also presented a draft resolution on the military escalation in the Middle East at the meeting, but it was vetoed by the US. The resolution received four votes in favour — from Russia, China, Somalia, and Pakistan — while the United States and Latvia voted against it. Nine members abstained Explaining Pakistan’s vote at a Security Council meeting on the “Situation in the Middle East,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representa... -
Dawn - 05:26 Mar 12, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday confirmed that its mission could not reach a staff level agreement (SLA) on the third review of the country’s $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the second review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) despite considerable progress, and that negotiations would continue. In its “End of Mission” statement, the IMF said its team, headed by Iva Petrova, held discussions with Pakistani authorities on the EFF’s third review and the second review of the 28-month RSF arrangement in Karachi and Islamabad, as well as virtually, from February 25 to March 11 (Wednesday). “While considerable progress was made in the discussions, these will continue in the coming days, including to more fully assess the impact of recent global developments on Pakistan’s economy and the EFF-supported programme,” Petrova said. It said that programme implementation under the EFF remained broadly aligned with the authorities’ commitments through the end of Febru... -
Dawn - 22:11 Mar 11, 2026
WASHINGTON: The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a Bahrain-led resolution condemning Iran’s recent missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries. The attacks, targeting US assets and bases in Gulf countries, have been carried out in retaliation of America and Israel’s strikes on Iran, which began on February 28 and also resulted in the assassination of Ayotallah Ali Khamenei, who was Iran’s supreme leader. The resolution at UNSC, drafted on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), set a record with 135 co-sponsors — surpassing the previous high of 134 for Resolution 2177 (2014) on Ebola. Pakistan was among the co-sponsors and voted in favour, noting that it is “not immune from these attacks” and stating that it supports the resolution. The Bahrain-led resolution was adopted with 13 votes in favour; China and Russia abstained. Its text “condemns in the strongest terms the egregious attacks” carried out by Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, ... -
Dawn - 19:13 Mar 11, 2026
Karakoram Highway blockage at multiple points due to landslides leaves passengers stranded for hours
GILGIT: The Karakoram Highway (KKH), which had been blocked at multiple locations between GB’s Diamer and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohistan due to landslides amid rain and snowfall, reopened for traffic on Wednesday. The highway was blocked on Tuesday evening, and Diamer Deputy Commissioner Ataur Rehman Kakar told Dawn that it reopened for traffic on Wednesday at around 4pm. He said rain, however, was still pouring, and there were chances of “rockfalls and landslides”. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had earlier issued an alert for an increased risk of glacial lake outburst flood, snow avalanches, and landslides in GB and upper KP till March 12. Due to the blockages, thousands of passengers, including patients, elders, and children travelling towards GB or to other parts of the country, remained stranded at multiple locations on Tuesday night. According to Diamer police, landslides had occurred at multiple locations in Diamer and Kohistan districts on Tuesday. The landslides blocked the KKH at multip... -
Dawn - 19:12 Mar 11, 2026
KARACHI: Several routes in Karachi, including the M.A. Jinnah Road, were closed for traffic on Wednesday while the main Youm-i-Ali procession set off from Nishtar Park and culminated at Imambargah Hussainia Iranian. Strict security arrangements were in place as the country observed Youm-i-Ali to mark the martyrdom day of Hazrat Ali. A statement by the traffic police said: “Due to security reasons, M.A. Jinnah Road from Gurumandir to Tower and from Saddar Dawakhana, Empress Market to Regal Chowk will remain closed.” There was no confirmation of the roads being reopened until the last updates were received at around midnight. Earlier, a statement issued by the East Zone police said the main procession had departed from Nishtar Park, with Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dr Farrukh Ali and other senior officers present at the gathering’s head. A strict monitoring and checking system was established at the entrance and exit routes of the procession and gatherings through walk-through gates, metal detectors and CCTV... -
Dawn - 19:04 Mar 11, 2026
Norwegian police said on Wednesday that three brothers had been arrested on suspicion of a “terrorist bombing” over a weekend explosion at the US embassy in Oslo, which caused minor damage but no injuries. Police prosecutor Christian Hatlo told a press conference the brothers, who were Norwegian citizens of Iraqi origin, had been arrested in Oslo around 3:30pm local time (2:30pm GMT), and that police were investigating the motive. “We are still working from several hypotheses. One of them is whether this is an order from a government entity,” Hatlo said. “This is quite natural given the target — the US embassy — and the security situation the world is in today,” he said. Hatlo said the investigation would seek to clarify exactly what roles the brothers, who were in their 20s and not previously known to police, had played. “We believe that one of them is the person who placed the bomb outside the embassy and that the other two were complicit in the act,” Hatlo told reporters. Hatlo also said that they were not... -
Dawn - 18:25 Mar 11, 2026
The United States was responsible for a Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school because of a targeting mistake, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. The newspaper, citing US officials, said the investigation into the February 28 attack was ongoing but preliminary findings were that the United States was responsible. The US military was conducting strikes on an adjacent Iranian base of which the school building was formerly a part and target coordinates were set using outdated data, it said. President Donald Trump suggested earlier this week that Iran itself may have been responsible but later said he could “live with” whatever the investigation reveals. Asked by reporters about the Times report on Wednesday, Trump said: “I don’t know about it.” Iran has said the strike on the elementary school in the southern city of Minab killed more than 150 people. The Times said US Central Command officers created the target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the Defence Intell... -
Dawn - 17:59 Mar 11, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan called on Wednesday for the government to take the opposition and Parliament into confidence on defence pacts and policies matters “in light of the changing regional situation” so that decisions related to national security were taken with national consensus. The demand was listed in a resolution that was passed during a joint parliamentary meeting of the PTI and other opposition parties at the Parliament House in Islamabad, according to a post on the TTAP’s X account. The resolution included demands pertaining to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as well as tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It said that participants of the meeting expressed “deep concern” over the situation in the region and condemned US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Tensions in the Middle East escalated into a conflict after Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb 28 and assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was the Islamic republic’s supreme leader. The opposition ... -
Dawn - 16:19 Mar 11, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has cancelled around 4.2 million Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) of individuals who have been recorded as deceased in provincial civil registration systems, according to a statement issued by the authority. In many cases, while deaths are formally registered, the next of kin do not apply for the cancellation of CNICs of the deceased, resulting in a discrepancy between civil registration records and Nadra’s database. Under the legal framework, Nadra maintains and updates the national citizen database by incorporating “vital life-event information” — birth, death, marriage, and divorce — received from provincial and local Civil Registration Management Systems (CRMS), the statement said. These records are reported and registered at local civil registration authorities, including union councils, town committees and cantonment boards, typically by blood relatives of the individuals concerned, it detailed. “In pursuance of its statutor... -
Dawn - 15:34 Mar 11, 2026
The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) has forecast that Eidul Fitr is expected to fall on March 21 as the chances of sighting the Shawwal moon on March 19 remain low. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Suparco said that the new moon of Shawwal 1447 AH was expected to be born on March 19 at 6:23am. “At the time of sunset on March 19, 2026, the age of the new moon will be approximately 12 hours and 41 minutes, with an estimated 28-minute interval between sunset and moonset along Pakistan’s coastal belt,” it added. Based on these astronomical parameters, the statement said, the “chances of sighting the Shawwal crescent on the evening of March 19 2026 are low”. “Consequently, 1st Shawwal 1447 AH is anticipated to fall on Saturday, March 21, 2026, marking the conclusion of the holy month of Ramazan,” it added. However, it continued, “the final decision regarding the sighting of the Shawwal crescent and the commencement of Eidul Fitr 1447 AH will be made by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal ... -
Dawn - 14:32 Mar 11, 2026
On the 12th day of the US–Israel war against Iran, the maritime domain, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, clearly emerged as the principal flashpoint, shaping both the military trajectory of the war and the strategic calculations of the US as the contest over oil flows and shipping lanes began to define the central logic of the conflict. In the past 24 hours, at least three separate attacks were recorded against commercial vessels operating in or near the Strait of Hormuz, reinforcing the perception that Iran is now enforcing its threat to disrupt maritime traffic through direct kinetic pressure. The incidents occurred in quick succession and involved vessels from three different flag states, which pointed to the widening risks to global shipping. A Thailand-flagged bulk carrier, Mayuree Naree, was struck by an unidentified projectile roughly 11 nautical miles north of Oman inside the strait, triggering a fire that forced most of the crew to evacuate before the blaze was eventually contained. Shortly afterwa... -
Dawn - 13:45 Mar 11, 2026
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday emphasised that Pakistan must gradually move toward a “more balanced financial system”, in which capital markets would complement the banking sector in meeting the economy’s financing needs. The finance czar expressed these views while chairing a meeting of the Capital Market Development Council (CMDC), according to a press release issued by the finance ministry. The meeting was convened to review the “progress on reforms aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s capital markets, with particular focus on the development of the corporate debt market and expanding the role of capital markets in financing economic growth”, the press release said. It added that in his opening remarks at the meeting, the finance minister underscored that a “strong and well-functioning capital market was vital for sustainable economic development” as it enabled corporations to access long-term financing while offering diversified investment opportunities to both institutional and retail inve... -
Dawn - 13:34 Mar 11, 2026
Bangladesh pace sensation Nahid Rana claimed his first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals to lead his team to a crushing eight-wicket win over Pakistan in their opening match on Wednesday. Rana returned figures of 5-24 to skittle out Pakistan for 114, a total Bangladesh overhauled in 15.1 overs of the 50-over contest in Mirpur to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Opener Tanzid Hasan hammered an unbeaten 67 off 42 balls and put on a second-wicket partnership of 82 with Najmul Hossain Shanto, who made 27, in a statement win. Saif Hassan fell early for four, while Litton Das remained unbeaten on three with Tanzid. Earlier, Nahid laid the platform for victory with his outstanding spell in his seven overs to bowl out Pakistan for their lowest ODI total against Bangladesh, eclipsing the previous 161 during the 1999 World Cup. The 23-year-old Nahid ripped through Pakistan’s top order, becoming the first Bangladeshi bowler to dismiss the opposition’s top five batters in an ODI innings. Nahid removed ... -
Dawn - 11:56 Mar 11, 2026
China warned the United States on Wednesday that the excessive use of artificial intelligence (AI) in its military could plunge the world into a Terminator like dystopian future. US President Donald Trump’s administration has sought the unconditional use of AI startups in the military. The Pentagon has confirmed Elon Musk’s Grok system is cleared for use in a classified setting, and blacklisted Anthropic after it refused to allow its Claude AI model to be used for mass surveillance and autonomous lethal warfare. “Such choices as the unrestricted application of AI by the military, using AI as a tool to violate the sovereignty of other nations, allowing AI to excessively affect war decisions, and giving algorithms the power to determine life and death, not only erode ethical restraints and accountability in wars, but also risk technological runaway,” a spokesman for China’s defence ministry, Jiang Bin, said on Wednesday. “A dystopia depicted in the American film The Terminator could one day come true,” he said.... -
Dawn - 11:27 Mar 11, 2026
WASHINGTON: United States lawmakers from both parties raised concerns on Tuesday about the strategy and potential consequences of the US-Israeli war against Iran following a classified congressional briefing. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said the Trump administration’s plans for the war appear “incoherent and incomplete” following the two-hour closed-door briefing. “So they are going to spend hundreds of billions of your taxpayer dollars, get a whole bunch of Americans killed, and a hardline regime — probably a MORE anti-American hardline regime — will still be in charge,” Murphy said on X following the briefing. Murphy said he could not disclose classified information but that the plans discussed left him deeply concerned about the administration’s strategy. He said the briefing suggested that destroying Iran’s nuclear weapons program is not among the listed war goals. He also said regime change in Tehran is not part of the strategy, raising questions about what the administration ultimately hopes to achi... -
Dawn - 11:02 Mar 11, 2026
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatullah Mojtaba Khamenei is injured but “safe and sound”, the son of the president said on Wednesday, offering the first official explanation for why the 56-year-old has not been seen since his appointment at the weekend. “I heard news that Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I have asked some friends who had connections,” Yousef Pezeshkian, who is also a government adviser, wrote in a post on his Telegram channel. “They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound,” added the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian. Mojtaba, until now a low profile if powerful behind-the-scenes figure, was named Iran’s number one following the assassination of his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an air strike at the start of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic. But there had been mounting questions about his whereabouts and physical condition after his appointment by the Assembly of Experts clerical body, with the new supreme leader yet to be seen, let alone speak, in public. State televis... -
Dawn - 10:42 Mar 11, 2026
Prime Minister’s Spokesperson for Foreign Media Mosharraf Zaidi on Wednesday said that Pakistan would be there for Saudi Arabia “before it is needed”, adding “no matter what, no matter when”. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Zaidi was asked about whether Pakistan would come to Saudi Arabia’s aid “militarily or otherwise” amid war triggered in the Middle East following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. “The question is not whether Pakistan might come to Saudi Arabia’s aid. Both countries, even before the strategic mutual defence agreement, have operated on a principle of being there for the other before they need the other. So, there is no question that we might; we will. No matter what, no matter when,” he said. He maintained that the “real question” was what Pakistan was doing to make sure that things did not escalate to a point where “any of its closest partners are further embroiled in a conflict that potentially undermines stability and prosperity, not just for the region at large but especially for the Pakis... -
Dawn - 09:42 Mar 11, 2026
Tanker drivers in Pakistan said they were facing long waits at depots due to a shortage of fuel, as the government played down fears of another rise in prices. The US-Israeli war with Iran has disrupted shipping and damaged oil and gas facilities in the Middle East, raising global oil prices as countries scramble to deal with concerns over supply. Dozens of tankers, which supply fuel across Pakistan, were seen parked at the side of the road on Tuesday at depots near Lahore. “There is no petrol at the depot for the past four days,” said one tanker driver, Abdul Shakoor. “Iran has closed the border from their side. The depot is lying empty,” he told AFP. The country depends on oil and gas from the Gulf, and vessels transporting fuel were given naval escorts this week to ensure continuity of supplies during the Middle East crisis. Last week, the government hiked prices by about 20 per cent, triggering long lines and panic buying at filling stations across the country. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said in... -
Dawn - 09:38 Mar 11, 2026
Iran’s Assembly of Experts on Sunday named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader after the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in strikes by the US and Israel on Iran. Mojtaba has been termed as a discreet figure who offers continuity of his father’s leadership. His appointment has drawn contrasting reactions from Washington and Jerusalem, reflecting differing strategies in responding to Iran’s evolving leadership. Here is how different international media outlets covered the news: Fox News — Iran crowns ‘nepo baby’ as supreme leader: Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise questioned by critics The mullahs spent 45 years denouncing hereditary dynasties and they just crowned a king. Khamenei junior. The boss’ son. He’s 56, no resume except his last name. Al Jazeera — Iran names Mojtaba Khamenei as new supreme leader after father’s killing Mojtaba Khamenei has never run for office or been subjected to a public vote, but has long been a highly influential figure in the inner circle of the suprem... -
Dawn - 09:18 Mar 11, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Secretariat has implemented comprehensive austerity and fuel conservation measures aimed at ensuring prudent utilisation of public resources, reducing energy consumption, and supporting the government’s national austerity drive. Under the measures, the salaries of MNAs has been cut by 25 per cent. According to a notification issued on Wednesday, only 20pc of staff will perform their duties in person, while the remaining 80pc will work virtually from home through a rotational roster. It stated that employees working from home would remain available through telephone, email, WhatsApp, and other communication tools, and would be required to report to the office within one hour’s notice if directed by their reporting officers. It added that employees working from home would not be entitled to diet allowances or overtime charges, and no employee would be permitted to leave their station without prior approval of the competent authority. The secretariat further said that a four-day ...
8986 items