Dawn
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Dawn - 02:58 Aug 14, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Thursday that he would not visit Adiala jail again before Sept 27 unless the government officially confirmed a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan. He also called for the closure of important government offices, including the Prime Minister’s Office, alleging that they had become dysfunctional. Speaking to the media outside Adiala jail, the KP chief minister said the situation at the prison indicated that the authorities had no intention of allowing him to meet Imran Khan. “I have come to Adiala for the last time before Sept 27. I will return only when the government itself confirms the meeting,” he said. It is worth mentioning that Afridi’s name was also included in the list of people who intended to meet Imran Khan on Thursday. Afridi warned that if the meeting was not allowed, PTI workers would block roads across the country from 10pm on Thursday as part of the party’s “D-Chowk” protest. He urged party workers to prepare to take to the st... -
Dawn - 02:40 Aug 14, 2026
• Murad Ali Shah directs transport department to address remaining demands • KATI warns prolonged strike could disrupt production, essential supplies • LCCI calls for meaningful dialogue to end strike; says export containers worth $500 million stranded at factories KARACHI: As the goods transporters’ strike entered its sixth day on Thursday, continuing to disrupt industrial activity and exports, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah claimed that the dispute was “almost resolved” and only a few points remained under discussion. Speaking as chief guest at the 79th Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony organised by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Thursday, the chief minister directed the provincial transport department to make efforts to settle the remaining issues at the earliest so that disruption facing transporters, industries and businesses could end. A delegation of the Transporters of Goods Association, led by Tariq Gujjar, met the chief minister at the KCCI event, where Mr Sha... -
Dawn - 02:36 Aug 14, 2026
WHILE it seems that the deadlock over judges’ appointments has been resolved for now, there are still many sticking points souring ties between the PML-N and PPP, which would have to be addressed in the days to come, Dawn has learnt. The bad blood from recriminations over the conduct of elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir had hardly settled when the two ruling allies found themselves in a standoff over the appointment of high court judges, nominated by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP). The matter, which was finally resolved on Tuesday after being delayed for several weeks, is just one of the many bumps on the road for the two coalition partners, who have recently found themselves at odds over three major issues — AJK elections, the appointments of new judges, and the reopening of a debate on new provinces. In background discussions, leaders from both parties told Dawn that while the PPP is looking to their leadership for guidance on how to proceed under the circumstances, the PML-N may prefer to defe... -
Dawn - 02:34 Aug 14, 2026
EVERY August, we raise the flag and call ourselves free. But on the first morning of that freedom, in 1947, Faiz, in Subh-i-Azadi, looked at the long-awaited dawn and said it was not the one: ‘yeh daagh daagh ujala, yeh shab-gazida sehar’ — this stained, night-bitten dawn is not the morning we had set out for. Seventy-nine years on, our national day deserves an honest question: did we win a country and quietly postpone its freedom? In 1947, we changed the nationality of our rulers and left the harder task — changing the nature of rule — to a later generation. That is our unfinished independence — still ours to finish. Begin with the one thing the British empire left behind that no repeal can reach: not a law, but a habit of mind. Colonial rule does not merely occupy a land; it occupies the imagination of those it governs, teaching them to see themselves through the ruler’s eyes — as subjects to be managed, not citizens to be served; supplicants at a counter, not owners of the state. Ashis Nandy called colonia... -
Dawn - 02:25 Aug 14, 2026
OVER the last few months, I’ve observed this scene many times around Lahore. At a crossroads, the traffic lights are out, have been switched off or are blinking on yellow; the traffic is a mess, and though there are three to four traffic police officers standing on one side, they are not even trying to manage the traffic flow. Instead, they are only interested in stopping and fining motorcyclists and drivers of commercial vehicles. Is ensuring a smooth traffic flow not part of traffic policemen’s responsibility? Is making money for the state (or themselves) their primary function, or is ensuring safety for all through implementing a rules-based traffic flow their primary duty? One of the first principles we teach in economics is that ‘people respond to incentives’. If the traffic wardens are more concerned about making money and meeting their quotas for traffic challans, clearly, these are incentives that have been set by the state and officers are simply responding to them. The traffic department’s message s... -
Dawn - 02:23 Aug 14, 2026
• Cost of running civil govt rises 16pc, crosses Rs1tr for first time • Fiscal deficit shrinks to 2.6pc on the back of provincial surpluses, lower interest bill • Defence spending up 18pc; primary surplus reaches record 2.9pc of GDP ISLAMABAD: With a record Rs1.567 trillion petroleum levy collection amid record consumer-end oil prices following US-Israel attacks on Iran, the cost of running the civil government rose 16 per cent in the fiscal year 2025-26 to cross Rs1tr for the first time despite restructuring and austerity measures, official data showed on Thursday. At the same time, record cash surpluses from the provinces and a sharp fall in interest payments helped contain the fiscal deficit at 2.6pc of GDP — the lowest since FY03 for which comparable data is available on the Ministry of Finance website — while the primary surplus reached a historic 2.9pc of GDP. In its annual report on fiscal operations for FY26, the Ministry of Finance reported that petroleum levy collection surged 29pc to Rs1.567tr from... -
Dawn - 00:40 Aug 14, 2026
LAHORE: Punjab goes paperless as Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday launched “government-to-government, government-to-business and government-to-citizen” services. The CM said the Punjab government had become the first province to establish e-FOAS, e-Procurement, e-Pay, e-Auction, OneMap, HRMIS and a data warehouse. She presided over an online meeting to review the progress in digitalisation and the automation. Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Faisal Yousaf briefed the participants. The CM directed the PITB to take steps for importing paperless automation software and ordered continuous feedback from applicants. She said that an end-to-end automated paperless system would prove effective in eliminating corruption. “We want to save people from the inconvenience of visiting government offices for even minor tasks.” Ms Nawaz said services provided through a digital automation system without requiring applicants to reveal their identity would help eliminate corrupt elements. “We are puttin... -
Dawn - 00:40 Aug 14, 2026
• Judges’ salaries raised to Rs1.5m per month • Afridi to remain ‘CJP’ until retirement, title will subsequently go to whoever is senior among FCC and SC chief justices ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved an increase in the salaries, judicial allowance and pension benefits of Supreme Court judges, bringing them at par with those of judges of the newly constituted Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), effective from Dec 10, 2025. Under the Salary of Judges of the Supreme Court Order, 2026, the monthly salary of Supreme Court judges has been increased to Rs1.5 million from the earlier Rs1.16m. The order will come into force immediately and will be deemed to have taken effect from Dec 10, 2025. However, Chief Justice Yahya Afridi will receive a monthly salary of Rs1.6m, although the order specifies Rs1.55 million as the salary of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Justice Yahya Afridi will receive the enhanced salary of Rs1.6m as he has been designated as the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). ... -
Dawn - 18:46 Aug 13, 2026
The government on Thursday raised the price of petrol by Rs0.45 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs1.16. Following the revision, petrol will retail at Rs325.43 per litre while HSD will cost Rs383.95 per litre. The government continues to levy Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel. According to the Petroleum Division’s notification, the new prices will be applicable for August 14 (Friday). The price of HSD 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 p... -
Dawn - 18:23 Aug 13, 2026
Pakistan Army Major General Jawwad Ahmed Qazi has been appointed the new force commander of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso), the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN announced on Thursday. In a social media post on X, Pakistan’s mission said, “UN Secretary General António Guterres has appointed Major Gen Qazi of Pakistan as the new force commander of Minurso.” “With over 35 years of leadership and operational experience in the Pakistan Army and UN peacekeeping, Major Gen Qazi brings extensive command, field and international experience to the mission,” the mission said. According to Pakistan’s mission, Major Gen Qazi has previously served in senior leadership roles, including command, staff and instructional positions, both in Pakistan and abroad. His previous appointments in Pakistan include general officer commanding of an infantry division, force commander in the Northern Areas and director general at the Ministry of Defence, it added. Earlier in his career, he ... -
Dawn - 17:59 Aug 13, 2026
The Rabiul Awwal moon was not sighted, and Eid-i-Miladun Nabi will fall on August 26, Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad announced on Thursday. The announcement was made following a meeting of the committee in Islamabad, while a notification issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs stated that the first of Rabiul Awwal, 1448 AH, would commence on August 15 (Saturday). Representatives from the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the Ministry of Science and Technology and other relevant institutions provided technical support. Muslims around the world celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), known in Arabic as the Mawlid al-Nabawi holiday, on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal — the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar. On Saturday, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed authorities to ensure foolproof security and uninterrupted civic facilities across the province for processions and religious gatherings on the day. Chairing a meeting with scholars from va... -
Dawn - 17:59 Aug 13, 2026
The Yadgar-i-Fatah monument, built to honour Pakistan’s martyrs and commemorate Marka-i-Haq, was inaugurated by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Thursday night, on the eve of the country’s 80th Independence Day. Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were in attendance and stood for the national anthem, played by a military band. Other distinguished military officers and senior officials attended the ceremony. (From L-R) Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attend the inauguration ceremony of the Yadgar-i-Fatah monument in Islamabad on August 13, 2026. — Screengrab via YouTube/... -
Dawn - 17:36 Aug 13, 2026
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday issued its final judgment in an eight-year-old public interest litigation concerning smog and environmental degradation in Punjab, reaffirming its directions and achievements during the marathon proceedings. Justice Shahid Karim, who authored the judgment, described it as the “last judgment in the trilogy”, following two earlier reported rulings in 2023 and 2025 arising from the same continuing proceedings. Justice Karim, who is due to reach superannuation on August 19, began his judgment with a line from the final song in the play Hamilton: “Legacy, what is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see. I wrote some notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me.” The judge noted that the judgment culminated the extraordinary and seminal work accomplished in a novel and paradigmatic manner through the judicial review of public actions. “It does not mean that the goal has been accomplished. Far from it. Yet it sets the tone for future... -
Dawn - 16:29 Aug 13, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 114 foreign nationals, including 111 Chinese and three Vietnamese citizens, for allegedly running a cyber-romance and sextortion network from a registered IT business in the capital. According to details released by the NCCIA’s media wing, the accused allegedly used electronic means and online platforms to target individuals in different countries. The network was allegedly involved in luring foreign nationals into online sexual conversations, including video chats and explicit video calls, and subsequently exploiting the material for criminal and financial purposes. Officials said the investigation also revealed indicators linking the accused to organised cybercrime activities, including cyber-romance-related financial fraud. NCCIA Islamabad has registered the case under Sections 14 and 21 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016, read with Sections 419, 420, 34 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Section 14 of ... -
Dawn - 14:53 Aug 13, 2026
China’s homegrown C919 jetliner completed its second international commercial flight on Thursday, landing in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. Flightradar24 earlier reported that the Air China flight was en route from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar, having departed at 3:36pm local time (12:36pm PKT). Tracking data later showed that the flight landed at 5:17pm local time (2:17pm PKT), completing the journey in one hour and 41 minutes. Flightradar24 noted that the C919 is scheduled to replace the 737 MAX on the route over the coming week. The narrow-body Comac C919 completed its first scheduled international commercial passenger flight on Wednesday, marking a milestone for the aircraft following its maiden commercial flight on May 28, 2023, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua. The flight from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar landed safely after one hour and 42 minutes and was welcomed with a water-salute ceremony at the airport. “The operation of this flight on the China-Mon... -
Dawn - 14:25 Aug 13, 2026
KARACHI: A sessions court on Thursday acquitted alleged drug baroness Anmol alias Pinky in three narcotics cases registered at Karachi’s Gizri police station. The three cases were registered against Pinky at the Gizri police station in 2020, 2021 and 2022, and she had been declared an absconder. Additional District and Sessions Judge South Irshad Hussain heard Pinky’s pleas seeking acquittal. During the hearing, her counsel contended that she had been named in the cases on the basis of statements made by the co-accused, who had subsequently been acquitted. “Following the acquittal of the co-accused, there can be no case for conviction for the accused (Pinky),” the lawyer said. According to one of the court orders, a copy of which is available with Dawn, Pinky was named in a 2021 case by two accused arrested for possessing narcotics, who claimed that she had supplied the drugs to them. A supplementary charge sheet submitted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) last month revealed that Pinky had over a doz... -
Dawn - 13:05 Aug 13, 2026
Air India pilots will undergo mandatory drug screening starting Thursday, according to an internal memo seen by AFP, after a captain involved in a serious mid-air incident reportedly tested positive for marijuana. Existing rules require airlines to randomly test at least 10 per cent of their flight crew for psychoactive substances each year. “We have decided to undertake a full screening of all Group pilots for any substances or medications that are not permitted under prevailing regulations,” the memo said. “Testing is mandatory and will start today.” On August 4, at least 24 passengers were injured when an Airbus A320 lost about 300 feet (91 metres) of altitude shortly after departing from Thailand’s Phuket for New Delhi. Local media reports said the main pilot had smoked marijuana and had tested positive in a second confirmatory test. Air India said the results have not been shared with them. Indian investigators have not commented on the reports but said they were closely examining evidence linked to the ... -
Dawn - 12:35 Aug 13, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar directed “stakeholders” on Thursday to maintain close and regular coordination and intensify diplomatic engagement with national and international partners to facilitate the release of 10 Pakistani sailors who have been held hostage by Somali pirates since April. The sailors were among the crew of the MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged oil tanker that was hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, on April 21. Besides the 10 Pakistani crew members, the hostages also include seven Indonesians, including the captain, as well as an Indian and a Sri Lankan. During more than three months of their captivity, there has been no progress either in negotiations or the payment of the ransom, said to be around $3 million, for their recovery. Meanwhile, the Foreign Office (FO) has been saying that efforts continue for their release and return. In a statement posted on X today, it said Dar chaired a high-level meeting to review Pakistan’s “intensified effor... -
Dawn - 12:05 Aug 13, 2026
Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) on Thursday announced “Jinnah-1” as the official name of the country’s first lunar rover. The rover is scheduled to be sent to the Moon in 2029 as part of China’s Chang’e-8 mission, where it will conduct scientific research at the lunar south pole, Suparco said. The Moon’s south pole is known for its challenging terrain and potential to yield significant scientific discoveries. In a ceremony held in Islamabad, Suparco said that the name was selected from 4,000 proposals received in a countrywide competition. Seven participants had proposed the name “Jinnah-1” and the winner was selected through a lucky draw, according to a statement from Suparco. Tayyab Karim, a 17-year-old from Bahawalnagar, was declared the winner for proposing the name, Suparco said. The name pays tribute to Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and symbolises “Pakistan’s resolve, progress and new space horizons”, Suparco Chairman said. Jinnah-1 will study plasma, radiation and t... -
Dawn - 11:54 Aug 13, 2026
Pakistan and Norway on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in defence and security. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, called on Chief of Defence Forces and the Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, with the two leaders reiterating their resolve to further strengthen bilateral ties and expand engagement in defence and security, according to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The two sides discussed matters of “mutual interest, regional security, and bilateral relations”. During the meeting, Field Marshal Munir highlighted “Pakistan’s perspective on global peace and regional stability” and stressed the “importance of cooperation and collaborative efforts to address common security challenges”. The Norwegian foreign minister appreciated the “professional role” played by the Pakistan Armed Forces “in promoting regional peace and stability”. Earlier in the day, Eide ad...
12682 items