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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 ... -
Dawn - 09:32 Nov 10, 2025
Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra, a human rights activist, poet and education expert, died on Monday. The author’s niece, Ameena Kamal, confirmed to Dawn that Zehra had passed in Lahore at age 83. “Dr Arfa will be buried in her family graveyard, Cavalry Ground, Lahore, tomorrow, and the time of her funeral will be announced at a later time,” Kamal said. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed “profound grief” over the educationist’s passing, the PPP posted on the social media platform X. “The demise of Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra is an irreparable loss for Pakistan’s academic and literary circles,” he said, adding that the intellectual had dedicated her life to knowledge, research, and service to humanity. He said she had “set a shining example”, adding, “Her scholarly contributions and efforts for the promotion of the national language will always be remembered.” Zardari expressed heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the deceased’s family, students, and academic community. Dr Zehra was recognised for her knowledge of Urdu litera... -
Dawn - 09:11 Nov 10, 2025
In the race for AI dominance, American tech giants have the money and the chips, but their ambitions have hit a new obstacle: electric power. “The biggest issue we are now having is not a compute glut, but it’s the power and…the ability to get the builds done fast enough close to power,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella acknowledged on a recent podcast with OpenAI chief Sam Altman. “So if you can’t do that, you may actually have a bunch of chips sitting in inventory that I can’t plug in,” Nadella added. Echoing the 1990s dotcom frenzy to build internet infrastructure, today’s tech giants are spending unprecedented sums to construct the silicon backbone of the revolution in artificial intelligence. Google, Microsoft, AWS (Amazon), and Meta (Facebook) are drawing on their massive cash reserves to spend roughly $400 billion in 2025 and even more in 2026 — backed for now by enthusiastic investors. All this cash has helped alleviate one initial bottleneck: acquiring the millions of chips needed for the computing power ... -
Dawn - 07:02 Nov 10, 2025
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is not planning to join the international stabilisation force for Gaza because it lacks a clear framework, a senior official said on Monday. “The UAE does not yet see a clear framework for the stability force, and under such circumstances will probably not participate in such a force,” Emirati presidential adviser Anwar Gargash told the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate forum. The US-coordinated international force has been seen as likely to include troops from Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, as well as the UAE. Last week, US President Donald Trump said he expected the force to be in Gaza “very soon”, as a fragile ceasefire holds following two years of war. The oil-rich UAE is one of the few Arab nations with official ties to Israel after signing the Abraham Accords during Trump’s first term in 2020. -
Dawn - 05:27 Nov 10, 2025
The US Senate on Sunday moved forward on a measure aimed at reopening the federal government and ending a now 40-day shutdown that has sidelined federal workers, delayed food aid and snarled air travel. In a procedural vote, senators advanced a House-passed bill that will be amended to fund the government until January 30 and include a package of three full-year appropriations bills. If the Senate eventually passes the amended measure, it still must be approved by the House of Representatives and sent to President Donald Trump for his signature, a process that could take several days. Under a deal struck with a handful of Democrats who rebuffed their party’s leadership, Republicans agreed to a vote in December on extending subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. The subsidies, which help lower-income Americans pay for private health insurance and are due to expire at the end of the year, have been a Democratic priority during the funding battle. The vote to advance the bill passed by a 60-40 margin, the mini... -
Dawn - 03:44 Nov 10, 2025
The Federal Shariat Court, located opposite the Supreme Court building, will house the new FCC.—Tanveer Shahzad/White Star • Constitutional Bench head Justice Aminuddin Khan among leading candidates for top slot • Federal court will have exclusive jurisdiction over constitutional matters ISLAMABAD: With the 27th Constitutional Amendment progressing smoothly through parliament, the government has begun restructuring the superior judiciary, shortlisting seven judges for appointment to the proposed Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) — an institution designed to deal with constitutional interpretation and intergovernmental disputes. Official sources said the government has initiated consultations on the composition of the new court, and Justice Aminuddin Khan, who presently heads the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench, is being considered for appointment as the chief justice of the FCC. The names of Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Aamer Farooq, and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi fr... -
Dawn - 03:40 Nov 10, 2025
• K-IV pipeline work seals off stretch between Nipa and Hassan Square till Dec 30 • Traffic police advise motorists to use Rashid Minhas Road via Aladdin Park KARACHI: A new wave of road closures is set to cripple Karachi once again as after the much-delayed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project turned major arteries into construction zones, the Karachi Water and Sewerage System Improvement Project (KWSSIP) is bringing fresh digging, roadblocks and traffic congestion to one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares — University Road. “The closure is necessary for laying new 96-inch and 72-inch pipelines as part of the K-IV augmentation plan,” said a senior official. “This stretch, which is roughly 2.7 kilometres long, will form part of a new network that’s crucial for improving the city’s water supply.” Digging work has already started on a section of the University Road between Nipa Chowrangi and The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Fuuast). The second phase will extend from Hasan Square... -
Dawn - 03:07 Nov 10, 2025
RAWALPINDI: Flights cancellations that occurred over the weekend were due to “schedule rationalisation, weather conditions, or other operational reasons”, PIA said on Sunday, refuting claims that a strike by engineering staff was hampering its operations. In a statement, a PIA spokesperson also disputed claims about aircraft safety put forward by the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP), which had maintained that its personnel could not compromise on safety and airworthiness. “The body responsible for air safety in Pakistan is the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), which regulates all airlines, including PIA, under the strictest international standards and procedures. All matters concerning the use and replacement of parts, the fitness of aircraft for flight, and the routes, schedules, or changes thereto are under the direct purview of the PCAA and are executed only after seeking their approvals,” the spokesperson said. Referring to images of damage to an aircraft windscreen that circul... -
Dawn - 02:58 Nov 10, 2025
LAHORE: The Punjab government has extended the ban on protests, rallies, sit-ins, and public gatherings for the fourth consecutive time for a week owing to perpetual concerns over terrorism and public order and threat perceptions. As the third order term expired on Saturday, the Punjab home department on Sunday yet again notified imposition of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, across the province for another seven days. The Punjab government had initially imposed the ban on Oct 8 for 10 days and then notified extensions on Oct 18, Oct 25, Nov 2, and eventually on Nov 9 for one week ban each. The home department has extended the ban on rallies, gatherings, carrying of arms, use of loudspeakers and spreading of provocative material. The home department in its order says review of the latest reports and threat assessments shared by law enforcement and intelligence agencies explains the threat perception to public peace, tranquillity and law and order has not abated. Extending the ban for the f...
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