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Dawn - 14:21 Nov 07, 2025
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Friday told a PTI delegation that the matter of the nomination of the opposition leader in the house is “sub judice”. After the conviction of Omer Ayub Khan in the May 9 cases, the party nominated Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai as opposition leader in the National Assembly. The speaker stated that the matter is under consideration during a meeting with a parliamentary delegation of the PTI — led by party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and comprising former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser and other PTI members — at Parliament House. An official handout issued by the NA Secretariat also said that “during the meeting, detailed discussions were held regarding the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in the House and the speaker informed the delegation that the matter was currently sub judice.” The speaker emphasised that the Parliament was the most important and credible institution of democracy, and all political parties s... -
Dawn - 14:09 Nov 07, 2025
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Friday that his party would oppose any proposed amendment that seeks to reduce the powers granted to the provinces under the 18th Amendment. A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held consultations with ruling allies to secure support for the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment, with the government expected to table the bill in the Senate within days. “The provinces have a constitutional right to an increased NFC (National Finance Commission) award, not a reduced one,” he said, warning that if provincial rights were stripped, the JUI-F would “strongly oppose it.” Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Fazl said his party had agreed on certain points in principle, but would only comment further once a draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment was presented. Commenting on proposed changes to Article 243, he said the matter must be viewed in two ways: “If it is used to affect democracy, the Constitution or politics, we will not accept it. But if it is purely... -
Dawn - 13:43 Nov 07, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday condemned remarks by the province’s Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, “disparaging the security forces and assailing counter-terrorism operations in KP.” Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail a day prior, the CM alleged that security forces in KP would bring dogs into mosques and tie them down there, thereby violating the sanctity of holy places. “When we would go and tell them that they are violating the sanctity of the mosque, they would tell us ‘you and these dogs are no different’,” CM Afridi said. “Despite this, we still support them … but do they know the pain of my people?” Taking to X and posting a video of the CM’s remarks, Kundi wrote that he condemned any rhetoric that undermined the “honour and sacrifice” of the armed forces. “The brave sons of our soil lay down their lives to protect our province — questioning their intent in sensational terms only damages morale and public safety,” he wrote. Kundi affirmed the importance of intelligence-b... -
Dawn - 13:28 Nov 07, 2025
For nearly a year, engineers working at Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), represented by the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP), have been raising their voices over what they describe as unfair treatment and safety concerns within the airline. Recently, however, the matter has escalated, turning into a protest, resulting in the delay of flights and leading to the suspension of a few SAEP officials. On Monday night, the aircraft engineers refused to issue clearance certificates to aircraft, because of which hundreds of passengers were stranded at different airports due to long delays in the flights, especially those scheduled for Saudi Arabia. Why are engineers protesting? According to SAEP representatives, the protest was carried out over two primary issues: salary disparities as well as safety and the unavailability of spare parts. SAEP members claim that while pilots receive salary hikes, engineers’ pay remains stagnant. Moreover, the engineers claim they are often told to reuse old aircr... -
Dawn - 11:58 Nov 07, 2025
Explosions at a mosque in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta that injured dozens of people during Friday prayers could have been an attack, officials indicated, with a 17-year-old identified as the suspected perpetrator. Police said 55 people were in hospitals with a range of minor to serious injuries, including burns, after the blasts at the mosque inside a school complex in the Kelapa Gading area. “The explosion was loud, so loud that I could not breathe because I was shocked,” said Luciana, 43, who was working at the school canteen at the time. She described multiple blasts and panic as dozens fled the complex. “I thought it was a short circuit or the sound system which exploded — we were so afraid, so we rushed out.” Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, speaking to the media after visiting a hospital, said the young male suspect was undergoing surgery, without giving more details or a possible motive. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his condolences over the incident in a post on X, offering prayers for t... -
Dawn - 10:55 Nov 07, 2025
A petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Friday to challenge the “attempts to do away with the constitutional jurisdiction of the superior judiciary”, apparently by means of a 27th Constitutional Amendment. The proposed changes to the Constitution have raised concerns that the move could roll back some powers devolved under the landmark 18th Constitution Amendment and further “fine-tune” the structure and the functioning of the superior judiciary. “The said proposal, as publicly reported, contemplates the establishment of separate ‘Constitutional Courts’ and the curtailment or transfer of the existing jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the high courts of Pakistan conferred under Articles 184(3) and 199 of the Constitution. “Such an attempt, if permitted to proceed, would fundamentally alter the constitutional framework, destroy the independence of the judiciary, violate the doctrine of separation of powers, and extinguish the citizens’ right of access to justice and judicial review guarante... -
Dawn - 09:22 Nov 07, 2025
A Faisalabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) sent Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Mohammad Hamid Raza to jail on Friday, directing that he serve his 10-year jail term in a case pertaining to violent protests in the country on May 9, 2023. Hamid was convicted in the case along with several PTI leaders on July 31. According to his brother, he was detained by Islamabad police earlier today while he was on his way to Faisalabad to court arrest. He was later presented before the court, which issued an order, noting that Hamid had been convicted in the case registered at Civil Lines police station in Faisalabad by then-ATC Judge Javed Iqbal Sheikh. He was produced before the court today by Inspector Mujahid Iqbal of Civil Lines police station, it added. According to the order, a copy of which is available with Dawn, Hamid was sentenced in the case on multiple counts, with the maximum term being 10 years. It said that the Faisalabad Central Jail superintendent was required and authorised to receive the convic... -
Dawn - 08:43 Nov 07, 2025
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered the Punjab government to launch a rigorous campaign against smoke-emitting vehicles in the province in an effort to curb smog and air pollution. “Whenever you go out, you see dozens of smoke-emitting vehicles on the roads,” Justice Shahid Karim said while hearing a set of petitions against smog and environmental pollution. Justice Karim instructed authorities to run the campaign for at least two to three weeks and urged strict implementation. He also observed that vehicles travelling from Lahore to Karachi, in particular, were causing pollution. Officials from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the Parks and Horticultural Authority (PHA) and other departments also appeared before the court at today’s hearing. However, the judge expressed his displeasure over the absence of a director-level officer from the EPA, as instructed at the previous hearing. Taking exception to pollution caused by vehicles, Justice Karim directed the EPA to display banners across Lah... -
Dawn - 07:08 Nov 07, 2025
Pakistan has denounced India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), saying that such acts set a precedent for “resource-based coercion”. Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative, made the remarks while addressing the UN Security Council (UNSC). According to a press release issued by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations (UN), the envoy sounded alarm over the “deliberate weaponisation of shared natural resources”, citing the suspension of the IWT as an example. In his remarks, he warned that the move “should be of grave concern for every member of this council and for the international community as a whole”. “For more than six decades, this treaty has stood as a model of cooperation, ensuring equitable and predictable sharing of the Indus basin’s waters between Pakistan and India even in times of war,” he said. “India’s unlawful unilateral decision to suspend this framework undermines the letter and spirit of this treaty, threatens ecosystems, disr... -
Dawn - 06:58 Nov 07, 2025
US right-wing influencers falsely linked New York’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to the militant Islamic State (IS) group, amplifying a fabricated statement that garnered millions of views on social media, researchers said on Thursday. Mamdani — the first Muslim and South Asian elected to lead America’s largest city — secured a decisive victory this week in the face of fierce attacks on his policy proposals and religious background. A slew of anti-Mamdani accounts on the Elon Musk-owned platform X have circulated a statement purportedly from IS titled “Operation Manhattan Project”, which alluded to an attack in New York City on Election Day against what it called “American aggression”. Among the influencers who linked the fake communique to Mamdani was Laura Loomer, a conservative influencer who has Trump’s ear. “The Muslims can’t think of a better way for the Muslims to celebrate the victory of a Muslim mayoral candidate today than by committing an ISIS (Islamic State) attack in NYC,” Loomer wrote in a post on... -
Dawn - 06:09 Nov 07, 2025
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has opened an inquiry after former women’s captain Jahanara Alam accused former and serving officials of sexual harassment. The 32-year-old pacer, in an interview on a YouTube channel, accused officials including then selector and manager Manjurul Islam of sexual harassment during the 2022 Women’s World Cup in South Africa. Manjurul, who is currently in China, rejected the allegations as “baseless”. Describing an incident during the 2022 World Cup, Jahanara alleged that Manjurul “made inappropriate physical contact”, claiming he “often hugged or pressed female players to his chest” under the pretext of encouragement. “You can ask other girls in the team”, Manjurul said. “This is all false.” Manjurul, 46, a former left-arm seamer, played 12 Tests and 34 ODIs for Bangladesh between 1999 and 2004, before serving in various coaching and managerial roles. Jahanara took 48 wickets in ODIs, and 60 in T20s, across 135 white-ball matches for her country. She also named other BCB officials,... -
Dawn - 05:00 Nov 07, 2025
BAJAUR: People from various areas in Khar tehsil here on Thursday took to the streets and said their houses shouldn’t be targeted in the ongoing operation against terrorists. The demonstration held in the Kosar area along Bajaur-Peshawar Highway was attended by residents of Lra Banda, Shagi, Kosar, Delhi, Janat Shah, Galo Kass, Gooro and surrounding areas in large numbers. The gathering was joined by several political and social activists, including a delegation of Bajaur Aman Jirga led by its chief Sahibzada Haroon Rashid. The participants, who blocked the highway to vehicular movement by sitting on the road, claimed that a number of civilian houses and mosques in Kosar and its adjacent areas were targeted with heavy weapons last night. The angered protesters asserted that the targeting of civilian houses had not only created fear and panic among the local communities but had also put the lives of their families, mainly children, women and elderly people, in grave danger, as they were living in their houses ... -
Dawn - 04:28 Nov 07, 2025
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords to have normalised relations between Israel and Muslim-majority nations. The announcement came after Trump said he had held a call with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. “We will soon announce a signing ceremony to make it official, and there are many more countries trying to join this club of STRENGTH,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The Kazakh government said in a statement that the matter was in the final stage of negotiations. “Our anticipated accession to the Abraham Accords represents a natural and logical continuation of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy course grounded in dialogue, mutual respect, and regional stability,” it added. Kazakhstan already has full diplomatic relations and economic ties with Israel, meaning the move would be largely symbolic, something Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back against on Thursday. “It’s an enhanced relationship beyond ... -
Dawn - 03:09 Nov 07, 2025
• Former law officer says nation must brace itself for long struggle against ‘praetorian judges’ • Ruling elite has inflicted unprecedented harm on independence of judiciary, Akram Sheikh argues ISLAMABAD: As speculations swirl around the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment, legal experts have questioned the rationale behind such constitutional tweaks, especially after the previous 26th Amendment that had effectively brought the superior judiciary under the executive’s control. The “final draft” of this Amendment has hitherto been kept under wraps, but its contours were recently shared by PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari when he said a prime minister-led delegation had sought the PPP’s support for its passage. In a statement, he said the proposal included setting up constitutional courts, restoring executive magistrates, matters related to the transfer of judges, ending the protection of provincial shares under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, and amending Article 243, which pertains to... -
Dawn - 03:02 Nov 07, 2025
• Islamabad says demands ‘non-negotiable’ as third round opens in Istanbul • Taliban leader asks Afghan team to only make ‘realistic’ commitments • Flare-up at Chaman-Spin Boldak looms over talks; at least two killed ISLAMABAD: The third round of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks opened in Istanbul on Thursday, surviving a brief exchange of fire along the border that tested a shaky ceasefire. Mediated by Turkiye and Qatar and held at the Conrad Hotel with restricted media access, the two-day round is focused on finalising a framework for a “monitoring and verification mechanism” agreed in principle last week, and on addressing long-standing disputes linked to militant sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Pakistan’s delegation is led by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Asim Malik and includes senior military, intelligence and Foreign Office officials. The Afghan Taliban side is headed by General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) chief Abdul Haq Waseq and includes senior figures such as Suhail Shah... -
Dawn - 02:40 Nov 07, 2025
• Meets allies to secure their support; tweaks top agenda as Cabinet meets today; draft may be tabled following nod • PPP rejects any cut to provinces’ NFC share; backs limited changes to Article 243 • Remains non-committal on constitutional court for now • Tarar sees no ‘major roadblocks’ to new legislation • PTI says current govt lacks mandate to amend Constitution ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday held consultations with ruling allies to secure support for the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment, with the government expected to table the bill in the Senate within days. The prime minister has also convened a meeting of the federal cabinet today (Friday), with the 27th Amendment topping the agenda. Sources said the amendment could be introduced in parliament after cabinet approval. The premier is due to depart for Azerbaijan later in the day for a one-day official visit. Some media reports suggested PM Shehbaz has decided to establish a parliamentary committee bringing all parties ... -
Dawn - 01:59 Nov 07, 2025
PAKISTAN is in the midst of a dengue outbreak that has once more exposed the dysfunction within its health system. From Karachi to Peshawar, thousands have been infected and dozens are believed to have died since October, even as official figures remain implausibly low. In Sindh alone, families claim more than two dozen deaths in Hyderabad, but the health department acknowledges only eight. Similar gaps between official and ground-level data have been reported in KP and Punjab, where hospitals continue to receive new patients despite the onset of cooler weather. The scale of underreporting is alarming. By the government’s own admission, figures exclude patients tested or treated at private laboratories and clinics — the primary source of care for many. This omission has rendered the provincial response reactive and confused. Testing kits have been scarce due to procurement disputes, fumigation began only after public outrage, and the Sindh High Court has censured senior health officials for incompetence. Clim... -
Dawn - 19:10 Nov 06, 2025
When Zohran Mamdani inveighed against inequality and corruption during his underdog bid for New York City mayor, Joseph Beyanga at Uganda’s Daily Monitor could hear echoes of conversations almost 20 years earlier with the then-intern on the newspaper’s sports desk. “Mamdani would sit with me in the production room. He would always ask me, so who is affected by this one? Who pays the price?” Beyanga, The Daily Monitor’s media manager, told Reuters. “He was always interested in how the big picture affects the everyday person,” Beyanga said. The 34-year-old Mamdani’s resolutely progressive message, focused on lowering the cost of living and addressing inequalities through direct government interventions, propelled him to victory in an election on Tuesday that drew the highest turnout since 1969 in the most populous US city. Young Mamdani lived ‘in a simple way’ despite privilege The son of a Ugandan academic of Indian origins and an Indian-American filmmaker, Mamdani was born and spent several years as a child i... -
Dawn - 19:02 Nov 06, 2025
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday said there are no major roadblocks and impediments with respect to the 27th Constitutional Amendment. Earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held meetings with the delegations of multiple parties in what appeared to be efforts by the government to prepare the ground to get the 27th Constitutional Amendment approved by parliament. Tarar was present during these meetings. Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, the minister said consultations among political parties on the proposed amendment were taking place in a “positive environment” and that a broad consensus appeared to be emerging. “The feeling I got during today’s meetings, in which different political parties were present … I got the feeling that there is no major roadblock or impediment,” he said. “There was no need for any further discussions or debate. Ideas were shared in a positive environment, some of which were agreed upon.” The information minister added that the obje... -
Dawn - 18:40 Nov 06, 2025
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said on Thursday that there was no need for a notification to specify the army chief’s five-year term, as it was established in Section 8C [of the Pakistan Army Act]. “I do not think there is a need [for a notification] and the reason is the lawmaking we did, which specifies that [section] 8C, will be read in the same manner as it has always been part of this legislation and hence, it is five years,” said the state minister. Section 8C of the Pakistan Army Act outlines the “retirement age and service limits prescribed for a general, under the rules and regulations made under this Act, shall not be applicable to the Chief of the Army Staff, during his tenure of appointment, reappointment or extension, subject to a maximum age of sixty-four (64) years. Throughout such tenure, the Chief of the Army Staff shall continue to serve as general in the Pakistan Army”. In November 2024, the government passed six bills, including three related to the extension o...
5792 items