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Dawn - 05:09 Jul 22, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Manila on Wednesday to participate in the 33rd Asean Regional Forum (ARF) ministerial meeting, the Foreign Office (FO) said. “A busy programme of engagements lies ahead, including participation in the ARF plenary meeting and bilateral meetings with counterparts on the sidelines,” the FO said in a post on the social media platform on X. It said that upon his arrival, Dar was received by Elmer G Cato, the assistant secretary at Philippines’ foreign affairs department, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Philippines Asima Rabbani and other officials. In a statement issued on Tuesday night, the FO said that the high-level meeting will bring together foreign ministers and delegates from 27 ARF member states, adding that the Asean secretary general will also attend the meeting. It said that Dar will participate in discussions on “political and security issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region, with a special focus on promoting peace, stability, and mutual coo... -
Dawn - 04:52 Jul 22, 2026
The United States plans to announce an agreement with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that would give the country a civilian nuclear programme, according to media reports, amid renewed fighting between the Gulf oil giant and Houthi rebels in Yemen. Citing two unnamed US officials, the New York Times reported on Tuesday the Trump administration plans to formally sign and announce the deal with the Saudis on Wednesday. President Donald Trump’s administration said the deal will provide billions of dollars for the US nuclear industry. A provision in the deal, which would last 30 years, would have American companies build a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia if a joint study determined it warranted, the Wall Street Journal reported. The deal is expected to be submitted to Congress in the coming days, but their approval is not required for it to go through. Two sources also told Reuters that the Trump administration plans to submit the agreement to Congress. The sources said the administration would submit to Co... -
Dawn - 03:46 Jul 22, 2026
KP’S petition before the Federal Constitutional Court, seeking Rs964bn as the province’s claimed share of tax revenues since the Fata merger in 2018, may well be a political move by the PTI-led government. Still, it raises larger constitutional and fiscal questions about Pakistan’s federal structure, a dysfunctional National Finance Commission and distribution of fiscal resources among the provinces. The core issue is whether constitutional and fiscal arrangements can be left frozen indefinitely despite major changes in a province’s demographic and administrative realities. While the Fata merger increased KP’s responsibilities, the province’s share from the federal tax pool is unchanged, raising questions about fiscal rights, as well as the centre’s role under Article 160 of the Constitution. Can an NFC Award, based on circumstances more than 15 years old, continue as it is indefinitely? And does a major constitutional change like the Fata merger automatically alter provincial entitlements, or require formal ... -
Dawn - 03:43 Jul 22, 2026
• Tally rises to 94 as Sindh govt had earlier confirmed 78 cases at Valika Hospital • Ombudsman orders comprehensive audit of hospital’s affairs KARACHI: Sindh Ombudsman Mohammad Sohail Rajput was informed on Tuesday that 16 more children were infected with HIV/AIDs at the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI)-run Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital. The ombudsman was hearing a case pertaining to an HIV outbreak at Valika Hospital, where the provincial government confirmed that 78 children had been infected with the infectious disease so far. During the hearing, Adviser to Ombudsman Haani Jamal Khan presented a report on the outbreak, which showed that 16 more children had been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, while concerns remained high that more cases might emerge. The fresh findings brought the total number of HIV-infected children to 94. Parents and families of the affected children, who were also present during the hearing, expressed serious grievances regarding the alleged lack of cooperation by the hosp... -
Dawn - 03:35 Jul 22, 2026
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Tuesday his office does not have the authority to carry out the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and called on US federal officials to step in. “Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people,” Mamdani said in a brief video message posted to social media. “My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the ICC’s arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here,” he said. “It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant.” The Hague-based International Criminal Court said in 2024 that it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s offensive in Gaza follow... -
Dawn - 03:08 Jul 22, 2026
ISLAMABAD: At least 15 cases of threats against journalists have been reported from Punjab, out of a total of 22 such incidents reported between April and June 2026. According to a review released by the Freedom Network on Tuesday as part of its quarterly assessment of threats to media and journalists in Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw the number of documented cases in the province fall from five in the first to three in the second quarter of the year. Sindh and Balochistan recorded one case each in both quarters, while Islamabad Capital Territory and Gilgit-Baltistan documented one case each during the second quarter. No verified incidents were reported from Azad Jammu and Kashmir this year. Freedom Network review finds growing role of state institutions in intimidation of media practitioners; those reporting on corruption, governance issues most susceptible to threats The documented cases covered a wide range of violations against journalists, including actual legal action (six), threat of legal action (fo... -
Dawn - 03:02 Jul 22, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Petrol Pumps Owners Association (APPPOA) on Tuesday announced a nationwide strike from Wednesday night after negotiations with the government over daily petroleum pricing failed. Speaking to the media after a meeting with the government’s team, led by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, APPPOA representatives said their hour-long talks over the daily fuel pricing mechanism had “failed” to reach an agreement and that they were therefore left with no option but to go on an indefinite strike, as it was an issue of survival for them. The APPPOA delegation comprised Chairman Humayun Khan, Vice Chairman Nauman Ali Butt and other officials. Speaking to the media, Butt said the government’s plan to revise petroleum prices on a daily basis was “unacceptable to petrol pump dealers and unworkable”. He said their main demand was that fuel prices should be determined on a monthly basis, adding that their longstanding demand for an increase in dealer commission had also remained pending, as th... -
Dawn - 03:01 Jul 22, 2026
THE decision to merge the Board of Investment (BOI) and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) gives Pakistan an opportunity to rethink how it attracts investment. Whether this becomes genuine reform or merely another institutional reshuffle depends on one question: can any investment promotion agency succeed when the investment climate itself remains fragmented? Successful investment promotion agencies are remarkably similar, despite operating in very different economies. Singapore’s Economic Development Board, Ireland’s IDA and Costa Rica’s CINDE are recognised global leaders. More recently, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade has shown how a transition economy can integrate investment promotion with industrial development, exports and trade. Their common feature is not institutional design alone, but their ability to market a coherent economic strategy rather than compensate for fragmented policies. Uzbekistan’s main lesson is not the design of its investment agency, but the... -
Dawn - 02:58 Jul 22, 2026
• Incarcerated former senator Ejaz Chaudhry moves SC against high court’s refusal to suspend his sentence • Aleema questions allegations against Imran’s sisters over campaigning for his release ISLAMABAD: A court in the capital issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday, after he repeatedly failed to appear despite being summoned several times in a case relating to alleged misleading statements and defamation of state institutions. While issuing the order, Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah noted that the KP chief minister neither appeared in person, nor was he represented by counsel, despite being granted repeated opportunities. Expressing displeasure over the accused’s continued absence, the judge observed that the court’s summons had not been complied with, and warned that if CM Afridi failed to appear on the next date of hearing, proceedings would be initiated to declare him a proclaimed offender under the relevant provisions of law. The judge directed th... -
Dawn - 02:58 Jul 22, 2026
THE rising death toll from the reported clashes between security forces and outlawed terrorist groups tells less than half the story of Balochistan. The strategically important province has been suffering for decades, and the crisis continues to worsen. Blocking the news cannot alter the reality on the ground. The situation points to a fractured state that is losing both public trust and effective control. Unfortunately, there is little attempt to address the political and social causes of the crisis. The state’s reliance on kinetic tactics shows that it has learned few lessons from the failed policies over the past two decades. After scores of policemen were killed in Ziarat earlier this month, the prime minister briefly interrupted his foreign tours to visit Quetta and reiterated that his government would fight until the last terrorist. We have heard this refrain for years, even as terrorism is taking hold across the province. The latest wave of attacks underscores the growing operational capacity of the gr... -
Dawn - 02:43 Jul 22, 2026
WASHINGTON: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday asked US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to provide Pakistan with $10 billion Exchange Stabilisation Support Facility to help strengthen the national economy. The request, first reported by Reuters, was confirmed by officials at Pakistan’s embassy in Washington. However, they did not provide any details. The US Treasury also declined to comment. An official readout issued by the embassy noted that Aurangzeb had sought US support for Pakistan’s road-to-market, based on improved access to international capital markets, higher foreign exchange reserves, and enhanced sovereign credit ratings. However, the statement made no mention of the $10bn request. According to the news agency, Islamabad is seeking the bilateral stabilisation facility, with a maturity of up to five years. The proposed facility would be a financial mechanism under which the US government, through the Treasury’s Exchange Stabilisation Fund, would provide loans or other backstop facilit... -
Dawn - 02:36 Jul 22, 2026
WASHINGTON: A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced legislation aimed at criminalising efforts by foreign governments to intimidate political opponents and activists living in the United States, amid growing concern in Washington over alleged cases of transnational repression involving India. The Stop Transnational Repression Act of 2026, sponsored by Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and Republican Senator John Curtis, would make transnational repression a specific federal crime for the first time. It would expand the Justice Department and FBI’s authority to investigate and prosecute foreign efforts to suppress dissent on American soil. Under the proposed legislation, individuals convicted of transnational repression could face an additional prison sentence of up to 10 years and fines of up to $100,000, alongside penalties for any underlying offences. The bill would also strengthen the role of the US Justice Department’s National Security Division and the Assistant Attorney General for National Securi... -
Dawn - 18:57 Jul 21, 2026
France’s parliament on Tuesday was set to approve a bill banning social media access for children under 15, making France the first European country to bar children from apps such as TikTok. President Emmanuel Macron has championed the ban as a flagship reform of his final term in office and pledged to enforce it by September. The bill was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate on Tuesday, with 243 votes in favour and two against. The draft law was expected to be adopted by the National Assembly on Tuesday evening, barring surprises. A growing number of countries are taking steps to restrict social media access amid multiplying warnings over its harmful effects on children. “France will become the first country in Europe to introduce a digital age limit to better protect our children online,” French Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff said on X. The ban would be rolled out in two stages, with under-15s blocked from creating new accounts from September 1. The ban would apply to existing accounts from January 2027,... -
Dawn - 18:06 Jul 21, 2026
The government on Tuesday increased the price of petrol by Rs4.93 and that of high-speed diesel by Rs7.15 per litre to pass on the impact of fluctuating global prices following renewed regional hostilities in the Persian Gulf. Following the changes, the price of petrol stands at Rs320.73 per litre and that of HSD at Rs367.21. The Petroleum Division’s notification said the new prices would be applicable on July 22 (Wednesday). The diesel price has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on February 28. The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its upward trajectory from Rs266 in the first week of March. Earlier, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be fixed on a daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US. The government had been announcing weekly revisions to fuel prices since earl... -
Dawn - 17:55 Jul 21, 2026
Delhi Police on Tuesday detained Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister and fellow lawmaker, Priyanka Gandhi, as well as the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav from a protest site outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, The Press Trust of India reported. The opposition leader, also chief of the Indian National Congress party, demanded that Modi step down over the police crackdown against student protests demanding reforms in the education system. Modi must resign “for destroying the future of India’s youth”, the Congress Party leader said in a post on social media as he led a march with other MPs towards the prime minister’s residence in New Delhi. The Press Trust of India reported that as police swooped down on the site, the opposition leader could be seen lying on the ground and resisting as security personnel attempted to pick him up. He was hurt in the process. “The government doesn’t want to take any accountability, nor does it want to have a debate on it in parliament,” said Ga... -
Dawn - 17:55 Jul 21, 2026
When pent-up youth anger propelled India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to online fame in May, its founder said his supporters were disillusioned with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party and the opposition for failing to address their concerns. Yet CJP leaders turned to opposition lawmakers and appealed directly for their support on Monday after police used batons and tear gas to disperse protesters marching on parliament to demonstrate against damaging exam leaks and corruption. Opposition lawmakers were quick to oblige on Tuesday, after many young demonstrators were injured. Police personnel stand guard as India’s opposition party Indian National Congress stages a sit-in protest calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation outside the latter’s residence in New Delhi on July 21, 2026. — AFP The show of solidarity with protesters could help opposition parties win valuable young voters and broaden the appeal of the CJP, which has so far focused on demanding the education minister’s resignation o... -
Dawn - 17:30 Jul 21, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Petrol Pumps Owners Association (APPPOA) on Tuesday announced a nationwide strike from Wednesday night after negotiations with the government over daily petroleum pricing failed. Speaking to the media after a meeting with the government’s team, led by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, APPPOA representatives said their hour-long talks over the daily fuel pricing mechanism had “failed” to reach an agreement and that they were therefore left with no option but to go on an indefinite strike, as it was an issue of survival for them. The APPPOA delegation comprised Chairman Humayun Khan, Vice Chairman Nauman Ali Butt and other officials. Speaking to the media, Butt said the government’s plan to revise petroleum prices on a daily basis was “unacceptable to petrol pump dealers and unworkable”. He said their main demand was that fuel prices should be determined on a monthly basis, adding that their longstanding demand for an increase in dealer commission had also remained pending, as th... -
Dawn - 16:40 Jul 21, 2026
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday issued a detailed judgment confirming the death sentences awarded to two convicts in the high-profile 2020 Lahore-Sialkot Motorway gang-rape case, ruling that the prosecution had established the charges beyond reasonable doubt through overwhelming ocular, medical and forensic evidence. Through a short order, a two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa had on June 3, 2026, dismissed separate criminal appeals filed by convicts Abid Ali alias Malhi and Shafqat Ali alias Bagga. The court today issued its detailed written judgment on the appeal. The bench also confirmed the death sentences through the mandatory capital sentence reference while rejecting the Punjab government’s appeal seeking enhancement of the life imprisonment sentences awarded to the convicts under Section 365-A (kidnapping for ransom) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Gujjarpura police had registered the FIR following the horrific incident that shock... -
Dawn - 16:18 Jul 21, 2026
Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni met Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Tuesday at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional and bilateral security, and effective border management were discussed, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The visiting Iranian dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s consistent efforts and its diplomatic role in easing regional tensions, encouraging de-escalation and serving as an anchor for peace. The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the resolve to maintain close coordination and cooperative mechanisms to safeguard regional security and promote mutual prosperity, the ISPR added. Earlier today, Momeni held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the PM House. The premier expressed concern over the escalation in the Middle East and reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to sincerely mediate in the conflict between the United States and Iran. According ... -
Dawn - 15:32 Jul 21, 2026
Andy Burnham on Tuesday was to hold his first meeting with a dramatically reshaped cabinet of ministers, after removing some key figures and offering others new positions. He handed top jobs to several prominent politicians who helped pave his path to power and ditched senior figures seen as loyal to the previous leader, including finance minister Rachel Reeves. Finance Minister John Healey Britain’s incoming Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey arrives ahead of a cabinet meeting in Downing Street in London on July 21, 2026, a day after Andy Burnham became Britain’s new prime minister. — AFP British political veteran Healey, who quit as defence secretary last month over a funding row, has made a surprise return to run the finance ministry he battled for more money for the military. As defence minister, Healey was a vocal advocate for overhauling existing military infrastructure, upping investment and maintaining tougher responses to Russian aggression. Seen as a trusted and experienced figure, the 66-year-...
12682 items