Dawn
Source:
https://www.dawn.com
Found 10706 news
-
Dawn - 01:56 Jun 18, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said early on Thursday that the ‘Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) between the United States and Iran had been signed electronically by both sides. “The memorandum has been signed by honourable presidents of both the countries and also endorsed by me as the mediator. The signing of this agreement at the highest level of the respective governments demonstrates the commitment of both sides to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict,” he said. He added that the MoU shall “enter into force with immediate effect and as a first step, Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade”. He offered his congratulations to US President Trump, saying his “steadfast commitment to diplomacy and preference for peaceful resolution have once again helped end a conflict that could have led to devastating consequences for the region and beyond”. He also commended the dedication and efforts of the ... -
Dawn - 22:05 Jun 17, 2026
Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-equalling sixth World Cup got off to a disappointing start as the Democratic Republic of Congo secured their first ever point at the finals, drawing 1-1 with Portugal in their Group ‘K’ match in Houston on Wednesday. Yoane Wissa’s header cancelled out Joao Neves’s early goal and the African side — appearing in their first World Cup since 1974 when it was known as Zaire — more than held their own. Ronaldo, 41, was largely a peripheral figure throughout the match — failing to make the impact his great rival Lionel Messi had done on Tuesday in scoring a hat-trick against Algeria. The DRC’s achievement was even greater given their preparations had been disrupted by the Ebola outbreak back in their country. Portugal coach Roberto Martinez acknowledged his side felt the pressure of trying to win the tournament while failing to carve out enough opportunities and keeping the ball in areas that allowed DR Congo to adjust. “We didn’t create enough chances and probably we lost that intention o... -
Dawn - 19:50 Jun 17, 2026
Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, who is facing trial on rape charges in Britain, lost a court challenge on Tuesday that would have allowed him to enter Canada for his side’s World Cup opener in Toronto. Ottawa denied the Villarreal player a visa over the British charges, blocking him from playing for Ghana against Panama on Wednesday. Accra filed a request for an injunction in federal court on Tuesday seeking to set aside Ottawa’s decision. But broadcaster CBC said Judge Roger Lafreniere had dismissed the challenge. Shortly before the decision was handed down, Ghana’s veteran coach Carlos Queiroz told reporters in Toronto that his side would be ready, regardless of the court outcome. “My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me,” Queiroz said. “When the decision comes, we are ready.” Panama head coach Thomas Christiansen, also asked about Partey’s possible exclusion, said he believed Ghana would pose strong competition even if the former Arsenal player was not on the pitch. “They have a lo... -
Dawn - 19:29 Jun 17, 2026
The United States on Wednesday read out the text of the interim US-Iran agreement to halt the war in Iran and open the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Reuters report. The agreement, read to reporters by a senior US official, outlines in 14 points a high-level understanding that defers many of the most difficult issues, such as how to wind down Iran’s nuclear program, until a final deal is reached. It paves the way for a broader 60-day negotiation period due to begin in Switzerland on Friday. Here is the full document, titled “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran”, as it was read out: 1. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war, by signing this MOU (Memorandum of Understanding), declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other, and ... -
Dawn - 19:12 Jun 17, 2026
CHAKWAL: The post-mortem report of nine-year-old Hania Ahmed, an Australian national who was killed in a shootout in Chakwal on Wednesday night, has confirmed that she sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Adeel Ahmed, 39, his wife Dr Sidra Khan, their daughter Hania Ahmed, 9, and son Aafan Ahmed, 10, were shot at during a robbery when CCD personnel opened fire on their vehicle, mistaking it for that of robbers. As a result, Hania died on the spot, while Adeel and Aafan were critically injured. Dr Khan remained unhurt. The report, available with Dawn, reveals that Hania sustained 10 gunshot wounds. The post-mortem examination was conducted at the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Chakwal on the night of June 11. “She was hit by five bullets, which appeared to have been fired from AK-47 rifles. The five bullets caused 10 wounds, as all of them passed through her body, leaving both entry and exit wounds,” a senior doctor at DHQ Hospital told Dawn. The report states that the examination began at 4:27am after the... -
Dawn - 18:49 Jun 17, 2026
The vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane is expected to reopen on Friday after nearly four months, following the signing of a US-Iran agreement to end the Middle East war. AFP examines how the reopening could work and why a return to normal is likely to take time. Are ships ready? Once formal approval is given to reopen, stranded ships could theoretically begin to move through the strait almost immediately. Crews that have been idle for months will most likely have “performed regular onboard drills and maintained the ships’ machinery, technical installations and equipment”, Jakob Larsen, head of security at shipowners’ association Bimco, told AFP. However, some ships may require underwater hull cleaning to remove barnacles and other marine growth accumulated during the shutdown. The strait, through which roughly 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil supply normally transits, was effectively closed by Iran after it came under fire from the United States and Israel. About 500 ships and 20,000 seafarers have been... -
Dawn - 17:36 Jun 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has extended its airspace ban on Indian civilian and military aircraft for another month, until July 24, 2026, according to a Notice to Airmen (Notam) issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Wednesday. The previous extension of the airspace ban was set to expire on June 24. “Pakistan has extended the air ban on Indian-registered aircraft till the morning of July 24,” the PAA Notam said. “The ban on Indian aircraft (both civil and military) will remain in effect from 5:50pm on June 16 to 4:59am on July 24,” the Notam added. The country’s airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022. The Notam applies to both the Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs. India and Pakistan closed their airspaces to each other’s airlines since late April 2025, when tensions between them escalated in the wake of a deadly attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. On April 24, Pakistan’s... -
Dawn - 17:13 Jun 17, 2026
WASHINGTON: The US-Iran agreement has placed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in one of the most difficult political positions of his career, leaving him squeezed between Washington, Tehran, domestic critics, and an approaching election. For decades, Netanyahu built his political identity around three interconnected themes: his ability to influence United States policy, his determination to confront Iran, and his reputation as Israel’s ultimate guarantor of security. The emerging agreement has now raised questions about all three. The deal leaves unresolved several issues Israel has long regarded as vital, including Iran’s ballistic missile programme, its support for regional allies such as Hezbollah, and key aspects of its nuclear activities. At the same time, sanctions relief could provide Tehran with significant economic breathing room. The New York Times noted that the agreement “omits some of the most important things Israel wanted” and observed that “Israel now finds itself counting the ways th... -
Dawn - 17:09 Jun 17, 2026
Health workers battling an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo lack the personnel to identify suspected cases, the ambulances to transport them and even the construction materials to build isolation wards, officials and aid workers told Reuters. A month after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an international emergency, the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain has grown to more than 800 confirmed cases, with warnings mounting that it could become the worst on record, surpassing the 2014-16 West Africa epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people. Health teams are so stretched that tens of thousands of contacts of those cases remain untraced, Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told Reuters, pointing to insecurity and the urban, mining-heavy setting of the outbreak as central obstacles. “After four weeks we have an outbreak in an urban area where there is insecurity, where there is this mining and trade activity, and also where... -
Dawn - 16:41 Jun 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: While the PTI leadership distanced itself from the call to gather 10,000 people outside Adiala jail on Tuesday, claiming that National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai did not inform them, the TTAP spokesperson rejected the claim. PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan claimed a day earlier that she was approached by Achakzai and told that 10,000 people could gather outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail — where the party founder is incarcerated — if a time was provided. “It had been decided that we will hold a sit-in from 3pm–7pm,” she said. However, PTI Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly Shahid Khattak, talking to the media on the same day, rejected the suggestion that such an arrangement had been made. “Mahmood Khan Achakzai did not inform us that 10,000 persons had to be gathered; we could have gathered them. Even I could have brought 200 people,” he said. Khattak added that Achakzai should also have informed the party about the planned gathering so that it could mobil... -
Dawn - 16:19 Jun 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: As senators from the treasury and opposition traded accusations during Wednesday’s budget debate in the Senate, PPP Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan demanded a separate South Punjab province. “Seven million children are born in Pakistan annually, more than in all of Europe. What are we doing for their employment?” he asked during the budget debate in the House. The senator noted that when a province becomes too large, bifurcation becomes necessary. “We will not stay with ‘Takht-i-Lahore’. We want our province. We want separation from Punjab,” he said. He noted that Multan was historically the capital, and that Bahawalpur supported Pakistan at the time of its creation by paying salaries. He also demanded an industrial zone, a high court, and a separate share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award for South Punjab, along with agricultural and IT universities. “Bilawal told us to fight for our province. Why is Seraikistan not being made a province?” he asked. Separately, an independent senator fr... -
Dawn - 15:19 Jun 17, 2026
LAHORE: PML-N President Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed concern over the political situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), urging protesters to end sit-ins and demonstrations and engage in meaningful dialogue with the government. “Under the Interim Constitution Act of 1974, the people of AJK enjoy full civil liberties and democratic rights. I urge them to end sit-ins and protests and instead engage in meaningful dialogue,” the elder Sharif said at a meeting in Lahore on Wednesday convened to deliberate the political and administrative situation in Kashmir. The meeting was attended by senior leaders of the PML-N from AJK. The PML-N central spokesperson and Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb issued a statement after the meeting. The party’s AJK chapter had urged the three-time prime minister to address the emerging situation in Kashmir and play his role in resolving it. “I hope that the people of AJK, the AJK government, the government of Pakistan, and all political parties will collectively contr... -
Dawn - 15:01 Jun 17, 2026
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presented a Rs3.56 trillion budget for FY2026–27 on Wednesday, without imposing any new taxes and announcing a 7 per cent increase in government employees’ salaries and pensions. The session was delayed due to a ruckus created by lawmakers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). MPA Ali Khurshidi said the party was boycotting the session because the opposition had not been consulted beforehand. CM Murad said that in the upcoming fiscal year, the government’s goal was to “maintain fiscal discipline, strengthen public finances, and sustain development momentum during a very challenging year”. For development, the provincial government has allocated Rs720.39bn. Total tax receipts, including sales tax, are projected at Rs690bn for the upcoming fiscal year. Provincial non-tax receipts are projected at Rs85bn. For capital receipts, local repayments are projected at Rs7.54bn, while bank borrowing is estimated at Rs60.8bn, bringing total capital receipts to Rs68.34bn... -
Dawn - 13:40 Jun 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha filed a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday, seeking an early hearing of their challenge to a Feb 19 Islamabad High Court (IHC) decision in the controversial social media posts case. On Jan 24, an Islamabad sessions court sentenced Imaan and Hadi to a total of 17 years in jail on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). In February, the IHC had denied the lawyers’ plea for suspension of their 17-year sentences under Peca. The controversy at the centre of the case stems from a complaint filed under Peca on August 12, 2025, by the NCCIA Islamabad assistant director (investigating officer) before the Cybercrime Reporting Centre, FIA. The complaint accused Imaan of disseminating and “propagating narratives that align with hostile terrorist groups and proscribed organisations”, while her husband was implicated for reposting some of her posts. Filed through senior counsel Faisal Siddiqi, the application on We... -
Dawn - 13:08 Jun 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Halfway through his 5-year constitutional term, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to transform the government’s monitoring mechanism through real-time digital oversight to improve service delivery and public perception. The step is a part of the Digital Nation Pakistan Initiative, whose monitoring model has already been finalised by the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA). The initiative coincided with media reports about a potential reshuffle in the federal cabinet after the federal budget 2026-27 is passed by the parliament later this month. In a press release issued on Wednesday, the Press Information Department (PID) said that Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema chaired a meeting “to review the Prime Minister’s Office System (PMOS), an innovative AI-powered platform designed to strengthen governance, enhance coordination and improve monitoring of government initiatives across ministries and departments”. Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Secretary IT Zarrar Hasham Kha... -
Dawn - 11:49 Jun 17, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday termed the federal budget for fiscal year 2026-27 “people-friendly” and hoped that it would promote an “export-oriented” economy. He made the remarks in a meeting with women parliamentarians from the PML-N, where he thanked them for their participation in the ongoing budget debate. He expressed hope that people will be able to benefit from the “relief-oriented” budget after the restoration of peace in the region, according to a press statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). According to the statement, PM Shehbaz noted that the budget had introduced “measures to empower women in the country as well as increase their inclusion in the mainstream,” terming it a “top priority” for the government. He also spoke of Pakistan’s peace efforts in the US-Iran war, expressing gratitude to countries who supported Pakistan throughout the peace process. PM Shehbaz commended the efforts of the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, De... -
Dawn - 11:01 Jun 17, 2026
Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi on Wednesday visited the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York and appreciated the Pakistan Mission’s constructive role in fostering dialogue and settling disputes peacefully. In a statement shared on X, the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN said, “Former Pakistan cricket team captain and celebrated all-rounder Shahid Afridi visited the UN Headquarters in New York at the invitation of Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, the permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN.” During the visit, Ambassador Ahmad briefed Afridi on the work of the mission, including “Pakistan’s active engagement at the UN in advancing multilateralism, promoting dialogue and diplomacy, and contributing to international peace and security,” the statement said. It added that Afridi “expressed appreciation for the mission’s important work and its constructive role in fostering understanding, dialogue and multilateral cooperation among nations, and advocating the peaceful settlement o... -
Dawn - 10:19 Jun 17, 2026
GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Shahbaz Khan on Wednesday announced decisions on three pending election petitions, giving the PPP 11 seats. The election chief declared PPP candidate Attaullah Khan the winner from GBA-16 Diamer-II, PML-N candidate Malik Kefayat from GBA-17 and PML-N candidate from GBA-13 Astore-I. The rival candidates had filed petitions with the GB Election Commission, challenging the Form-47 results. After hearing arguments from both sides, CEC Raja Shahbaz Khan had suspended the results and reserved his verdict on the petitions. With the announcement, the PPP has secured 11 seats, the PML-N has secured six, independent candidates — who joined the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) a day earlier — have won four, PTI-backed candidates have won two and the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen has secured one seat. The GB CEC said the notifications for the successful candidates would now be issued. He said six seats reserved for women and three technocrat seats would be distri... -
Dawn - 08:39 Jun 17, 2026
The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) on Wednesday made it mandatory for all vehicles, especially passenger and cargo vehicles, to carry a working fire extinguisher as it announced stricter fire safety rules for commuters. In a statement, an NHMP spokesperson said that all vehicles, especially passenger and cargo vehicles, must carry a working fire extinguisher. “These special safety measures are being implemented to prevent fire hazards during accidents,” the spokesperson said. It said that after June 24, vehicles without an active extinguisher will face strict legal action. Entry of cargo and public service vehicles without a fire extinguisher will be banned at motorways and national highways, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said that for the sake of public awareness, the motorway police were carrying out a nationwide fire safety campaign till June 24. Drivers were urged to make sure that the fire extinguisher they were carrying was not expired. Expired or non-working units will not be acc... -
Dawn - 08:19 Jun 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Kingdom on Wednesday agreed to enhance cooperation in counterterrorism, combating illegal migration and human smuggling, institutional collaboration and police training. The understanding was reached as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met British Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia and the UN Hamish Falconer According to the interior ministry, Falconer appreciated Pakistan’s “positive and significant” role in facilitating the US-Iran peace deal. “Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir played a historic role for peace,” it quoted Falconer as saying. “The US-Iran peace deal has projected Pakistan as a flag-bearer of global peace,” he added. According to the statement, the two leaders also agreed on “enhancing cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including counterterrorism, combating illegal migration, institutional collaboration, and police training”. “Positive results are emerging from the UPSCALE Project and the...
10706 items