Dawn
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Dawn - 06:11 Jul 21, 2026
India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement vowed on Tuesday to press ahead with their campaign until the education minister resigns, a day after at least 180 people were injured in protests in New Delhi. Thousands of protesters gathered in the heart of the Indian capital on Monday, demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and wider examination reforms, in a show of force by the CJP online movement. The CJP has won millions of followers on social media since its launch in May, fuelling one of the biggest challenges to Hindu-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he won his third term in office in 2024. “We won’t stop. Pradhan has to be sacked,” CJP’s Ashutosh Ranka said in a social media post. Hundreds of protesters remained camped at the Jantar Mantar protest site on Tuesday, many of them calling for wider changes in the education system. On Monday, police fired tear gas and baton-charged protesters to stop them from marching on to parliament, in one of the biggest street rallies in Delhi in aroun... -
Dawn - 05:54 Jul 21, 2026
Iran targeted US radar and air defence installations in the Gulf on Tuesday, warning Washington of “more decisive and powerful” attacks to come as the US military completed a fresh round of strikes on the country. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked and stopped two “non-compliant oil tankers” attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, part of an effort to tighten its grip on the vital waterway while the war reignited. Following the deaths of at least three US soldiers in the past several days, the United States launched a new round of attacks against Iran late on Monday which it said were “designed to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping” in the strait. It later said that it had completed the strikes during which US forces “struck Iranian military command centres, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defence systems to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial vessels flowing through the Strait of Hormuz”. “Com... -
Dawn - 05:47 Jul 21, 2026
WASHINGTON: Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday met a delegation from Honeywell Technologies and discussed a proposed plan to modernise and expand Pakistan’s refinery sector. According to the finance ministry, Aurangzeb met with a delegation from the company comprising Vice President General Manager Barry Glickman. “During the meeting, the finance minister welcomed Honeywell’s proposed modernisation and expansion of Pakistan’s refinery sector, noting its potential to enhance the country’s domestic refining capacity and reduce reliance on imported petroleum products,” it said. “The meeting included discussions on Honeywell’s technology and equipment solutions, as well as potential financing through the US Exim Bank, the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), export credit agencies, and leading international banks,” it said. “The finance minister emphasised that the proposed initiative would support Pakistan’s energy security, industrial development, and sustainable economic g... -
Dawn - 04:51 Jul 21, 2026
US President Donald Trump unveiled 50 per cent tariffs on a wide range of imports from Canada on Monday in response to what the US administration called its discriminatory treatment of American-made cars, alcohol and dairy goods, threatening a new front in a global trade war. In slapping import taxes on goods ranging from wine to cement and ice hockey gear, Trump invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which permits a president to impose punitive tariffs of up to 50pc against trading partners deemed to have discriminated against US goods. That marked the law’s first known usage in nearly a century of existence. The new tariffs, set to take effect in 30 days, would also apply to dairy products, swimming pools, furniture, fishing rods, seeds, clothing and wigs, among other items. The US Trade Representative’s office said that the tariffs would apply to nearly $20 billion of imports from Canada. That’s about 5.2pc of the $382bn worth of goods that the US imported from Canada in 2025, according to US Censu... -
Dawn - 03:18 Jul 21, 2026
Chinese Consul General Sun Yan speaks at the forum.—Dawn LAHORE: Former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri has said peaceful co-existence between Pakistan, India and China is essential to unlocking regional connectivity, stabilising trade routes and fighting poverty in one of the world’s poorest regions. He was addressing a gathering to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China and the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) here on Monday. The event brought together diplomats, scholars and policymakers, including Chinese Consul General Sun Yan, Understanding China Forum (UCF) founding president Zafaruddin Mahmood, and former ambassador and Director of the Beaconhouse National University Centre for Policy Research (BCPR) Mansoor Ahmad Khan. Kasuri, who is also chairman of the UCF, said Pakistan’s recent diplomatic and defence successes had placed the country in a position of confidence to pursue constructive engagement across South and Ce... -
Dawn - 03:04 Jul 21, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The government has imposed a complete ban on importing high-speed diesel (HSD) by private oil marketing companies (OMCs). Instead, only the state-owned Pakistan State Oil (PSO) will handle imports for the current fiscal year. This is part of the federal cabinet’s decisions, which also capped petrol import quantities by private OMCs based on their past sales. The decisions are premised on the Petroleum Division’s request in the wake of ‘prevailing market conditions and in order to minimise the impact of rising petroleum prices on consumers’. Under the decision, PSO would also enter a long-term supply contract with OQ Trading of Oman for petrol imports, in view of security of supplies needed in view of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The decisions have been conveyed to the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) as fresh policy guidelines for fuel arrangements and a revised pricing mechanism for petroleum products. “HSD import to be allowed only through PSO for FY27,” the guidelines said. Govt cap... -
Dawn - 02:59 Jul 21, 2026
THE newly elected Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly last week adopted a unanimous resolution asking the centre to grant the region provisional provincial status. This demand is not new and the House has previously issued a similar call. In fact, the demand cuts across party, regional and ethnic lines in GB. The resolution also calls for granting GB “constitutional and political rights”, while adding that until provisional provincial status is achieved, the region should be included in the NFC Award. Crucially, GB’s lawmakers have said the provisional status will be “without prejudice” to Pakistan’s position regarding the Kashmir dispute with India. This is an important caveat as some within the country are concerned that granting such status to GB could imperil Pakistan’s principled stand on Kashmir. This clarification should put such fears to rest. Equally important is the endorsement given to the GB Assembly’s demand by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, AJK chapter, considering the historic link between Kashmir ... -
Dawn - 02:59 Jul 21, 2026
Scholars from different schools of thought pray together at Jamiatur Rasheed in Karachi.—Dawn ISLAMABAD: In a significant move to eradicate inter-sect strife in the country, clerics belonging to all four mainstream schools of thought offered prayers together at what was once considered one of the country’s most hardline seminaries. Briefing the media here on Monday, Pakistan Ulema Council chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Ashrafi said, “Offering prayers together symbolises growing tolerance in society, especially among religious circles”. Ashrafi also serves as Prime Minister’s Coordinator for the National Paigham-i-Aman Committee (NPAC), a group of senior clerics representing the country’s four mainstream schools of thought Shia, Barelvi, Deobandi and Ahle Hadith. The group members, led by Ashrafi, recently visited Jamiatur Rasheed in Karachi and offered collective prayers there. The move is being seen as a significant milestone in the national campaign against extremism, terrorism and sectarian violence, as cle... -
Dawn - 02:51 Jul 21, 2026
SPAIN have won the FIFA World Cup for a second time but their Sunday victory over Argentina became more rewarding by bringing a much-needed smile to the harrowed Palestinian people in their undeterred fight against the genocidal occupation of their homeland. It might seem a curious alignment of obviously distant spaces between Europe’s Spain and Asia’s occupied Palestine. But then, everyone knows that sports have always been intertwined with their strange political connections. Sunday’s World Cup final represented a contemporary intertwining of sports and politics. What happened on the field was a stymied Argentina succumbing to a team that moved like a symphony. Off the field, we saw the politically motivated mistreatment of the Iranian team by the host country under President Donald Trump’s watch. Even here, though, the Iranians made their point with quiet grace. The perennially sanctioned country, facing daily bombardments from the US-led military, didn’t shirk from sending a team to the enemy country to s... -
Dawn - 02:48 Jul 21, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Monday considered the confirmation of additional judges, the extension in tenure of constitutional benches of the Sindh High Court (SHC), and nominations to fill five vacant positions of additional judges in the provincial high courts as well as vacancies in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The JCP, by a majority of its total membership, recommended a six-month extension in the term of Justice Khalid Hussain Shahani as an additional judge of the SHC. However, the commission did not confirm another additional judge of the high court, Justice Syed Fiaz ul Hassan Shah. The commission, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi in the Conference Room of the Supreme Court, made the decisions after due consideration of the relevant data forms, antecedents, and evaluation of the material placed before it. The commission held three separate meetings from 2pm to 5:30pm to consider different agenda items. Both Barrister Gohar A... -
Dawn - 02:44 Jul 21, 2026
THE preparation of the Strategic Trade Policy (STP) for 2026-31 is an opportunity not merely to set fresh export targets but also rethink our export strategy in the light of lessons of the past decade. Any new policy’s credibility depends on fixing structural weaknesses that have repeatedly undermined implementation. First, policies alone don’t produce results. Pakistan has prepared numerous strategies over the past three decade, but most have fallen short because governance has been weak and institutions ineffective. Good governance is the foundation on which sound economic policies rest. It improves resource allocation, boosts competitiveness, raises productivity, reduces transaction costs and enables efficient functioning of markets. Unless accompanied by governance reforms, the new STP is unlikely to deliver outcomes different from its predecessors. The new policy should begin with an honest assessment of the previous two STPs. STP 2015-20 envisaged exports of $35 billion by 2020, but actual exports amoun... -
Dawn - 02:38 Jul 21, 2026
• Iranian foreign minister meets Pakistan’s new envoy, discusses ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation • Interior Minister Eskander Momeni lands in Islamabad, will hold talks on US conflict with Pakistani leaders today ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday identified peace and security as the two key objectives for strengthening relations with Pakistan. He made the remarks while speaking to Pakistan’s newly appointed ambassador, Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran after receiving copies of his credentials. The meeting came as fresh diplomatic efforts were underway to halt the latest round of hostilities between the United States and Iran after an earlier Islamabad-mediated understanding collapsed because of differing interpretations of the memorandum agreed by the two sides, particularly regarding arrangements linked to the Strait of Hormuz. Following the presentation of his letters of credence, Siddiqui and Araghchi discussed bilateral relations, regio... -
Dawn - 02:32 Jul 21, 2026
• Adiala admin given three weeks to furnish data • Salman Akram Raja claims PTI founder kept in solitary confinement, suffering from eye ailment ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Adiala jail administration to submit within three weeks a report detailing the meetings between incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan and his family members, lawyers, and friends. The order was passed by a three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar while hearing a set of contempt of court petitions filed by PTI’s Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and others challenging the Oct 23, 2025 Islamabad High Court (IHC) order. The IHC had rejected a contempt petition to seek enforcement of the high court’s directives on visitation rights enjoyed by the PTI founder. During the hearing, the bench ordered the Adiala administration to furnish the report containing complete details of meetings between the PTI founder and the visitors during his almost three-year-long stay in jail. At the outset of the hearing, Islam... -
Dawn - 02:21 Jul 21, 2026
• Will prevent use of virtual currency for money laundering, terror financing • Director calls for squads to curb crypto use in cybercrime, drug trade • Over 300 human trafficking cases registered in two years ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has established a cryptocurrency investigation unit housed in its newly operational National Command and Control Centre (NC3) to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing through virtual currency transactions. FIA Counter-Terrorism Wing Director Dr Muhammad Athar Waheed told Dawn that while the newly established Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) was the dedicated authority responsible for regulating digital assets, the cryptocurrency investigation unit would probe the possible use of digital assets in crimes. The official suggested that the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) should also establish similar units to tackle the use of cryptocurrency for cybercrimes and drug-related b... -
Dawn - 01:30 Jul 21, 2026
GILGIT: Eight members of a Pakistani expedition team successfully summited Broad Peak (8,051m), while eight women climbers reached the summit of Khosar Gang, a 6,040-metre peak in the Shigar Valley, in separate achievements announced on Monday. According to a statement issued by Karakoram Expeditions, the Broad Peak team included Argentina’s Juan Pablo Toro and Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig, Rizwan Dad, Waqar Ali, Mansoor Karim, Nawaz Ali Khan, Mirza Ali and Zaman Karim. The statement said the lead rope-fixing team reached the summit via a new direct variation, bypassing Section V and the long ridge above Camp IV. After analysing the route, expedition leader Mirza Ali led the team from Camp III at 2am on Sunday and they reached the summit at 10pm. Meanwhile, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said its Second Women’s Khosar Gang Expedition successfully summited Khosar Gang. The climbers were Zeba Batool and Bibi Afzoon from Gilgit-Baltistan, Haiqa Ghazi and Ammara Sharif from Islamabad, Maria Khan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bi... -
Dawn - 18:46 Jul 20, 2026
LAHORE: The water level in the Chenab River is likely to surge significantly over the next couple of days following ongoing rains in catchment areas of Indian-occupied Kashmir and fresh spells of heavy rain in parts of Punjab. “At the moment, the Chenab River is flowing in medium flood. Its flow may surge and enter the high-flood category following forecasts of heavy rain over the next three to four days in both held Kashmir and Punjab,” a senior official of the Punjab Irrigation Department told Dawn on Monday. “The situation may turn critical if there are heavy rains, as predicted, in the catchment areas of held Kashmir and Punjab,” he added. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) issued a forecast of high flood levels in major rivers, including the Chenab, and nullahs due to heavy rains expected until July 24. According to the FFD’s Monday flood bulletin, the flows of all major rivers were likely to increase significantly by July 24 due to a prevailing westerly ... -
Dawn - 18:28 Jul 20, 2026
The government on Monday decreased the petrol price by Rs0.35 and increased the price of high-speed diesel by Rs5.71 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 Rs315.80 per litre and that of HSD at Rs360.06. The Petroleum Division’s press release notifying the increase said the new prices would be effective from July 21 (Tuesday). 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 ... -
Dawn - 18:10 Jul 20, 2026
Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced a maritime embargo of Saudi Arabia on Monday, stepping up the US-Iran war as the rebels threatened the top oil exporter’s ability to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The group did not say how it planned to impose the embargo, whose declaration came as Iran said it was back to a “full-scale war” with the United States, and as Washington and Tehran battled to control the strait. Saudi Arabia and the Houthis traded fire last week for the first time in years, threatening a 2022 truce that has held despite expiring. The exchange of strikes was set off when an Iranian plane attempted to land in Sanaa, challenging Saudi Arabia’s hegemony over Yemeni skies. The Houthis’ naval blockade, if enforced, could further strain Saudi Arabia’s economy by cutting off access to its Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports as renewed fighting limits passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade is also expected to hurt global markets that rely on Saudi Arabia — which produces over 10 m... -
Dawn - 18:05 Jul 20, 2026
US President Donald Trump on Monday vowed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not face arrest at a UN summit in New York, after the city’s new mayor said he was investigating the move. Mayor Zohran Mamdani admitted he was unsure if he had the power to order police to detain a foreign leader but said he was discussing the matter with his legal team ahead of the UN General Assembly in September. “Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America,” Trump said on social media. “He is fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran.” 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 following the brutal October 7, 2023 cross-border attack by Hamas. “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani told the New York Times on Saturday, referring to the United Na... -
Dawn - 17:54 Jul 20, 2026
Hundreds of people led by the chief minister of India-occupied Kashmir (IoK) shouted slogans and staged a protest in the capital Delhi on Monday, demanding statehood for the region, seven years after it revoked the disputed region’s autonomy by abrogating Article 370. Protesters were stopped by police from staging their demonstration, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a post on X, which had videos and pictures of people holding posters and shouting slogans. “This is only the beginning of our struggle for statehood, our rights, our dignity and everything that was taken away from us,” Abdullah said in the post. In August 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked the partial autonomy of the occupied Kashmir state, removed its statehood and divided it into two federally controlled territories: held Kashmir with Jammu, and Ladakh. The government has since said statehood to the Himalayan region will be restored at the “appropriate time” but has not given a deadline. Abdullah and his party, the Jammu and Kashmir...
12682 items