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Dawn - 07:57 Mar 04, 2026
The US State Department said on Wednesday it had ordered non-emergency personnel from US consulates in the cities of Karachi and Lahore and their families to leave Pakistan due to security concerns. “The Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and the family members of US government personnel from US Consulates Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to safety risks,” the US Mission in Pakistan said in a statement. It said there was no change to the status of its embassy in Islamabad. The advisory noted “an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran and significant disruptions to commercial flights” amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. While there is also an additional consulate in Peshawar, the updated travel advisory did not mention anything about it. Following the onset of hostilities between Iran and the US and Israel since February 28, the State Department has issued similar instructions for its staff in multiple regional countries. These include Jordan, Bah... -
Dawn - 07:41 Mar 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday formally requested that Saudi Arabia provide an alternative oil supply route through Yanbu to maintain its fuel supply chain in the wake of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the United States-Israel attack on Iran. The request was made by Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik to the Saudi ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki during a meeting. The Saudi ambassador assured full support in this regard, according to a statement by the petroleum division. During the meeting, both sides discussed matters of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation. The minister apprised the ambassador about the current situation and the implications of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on global energy markets. He stated that Pakistan is closely monitoring the evolving situation on a daily basis, as the majority of Pakistan’s energy supplies transit through the strait. The minister emphasised that Pakistan’s government was actively endeavouring to ensure continui... -
Dawn - 05:45 Mar 04, 2026
The Pakistan Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (USE) announced the temporary suspension of its in-person consular services “until further notice” on Wednesday in view of the evolving regional situation. A circular issued by the embassy referred to an advisory by the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation recommending remote work for the private sector, discouraging workers from remaining in open areas. The embassy termed the measure “precautionary”, saying it had been taken “in the interest of the safety and well-being of community members and embassy staff alike”. It provided emergency contact numbers for community members to remain in touch if they needed assistance: +971 2 4447800 (Landline) +971 50 121 0260 (Mobile) +971 50 124 8934 (WhatsApp) The embassy added that updates regarding resumption of services would be communicated “in due course” through official channels. It advised Pakistani nationals to follow the instructions of local authorities and stay informed through official announceme... -
Dawn - 05:09 Mar 04, 2026
GENEVA: The United States made a “totally stupid decision” to attack Iran while in negotiations, and betrayed Gulf nations by trashing their diplomatic efforts, Tehran’s UN ambassador in Geneva Ali Bahreini said on Tuesday. The ambassador insisted Tehran had made no approach to Washington for negotiations, saying “there hasn’t been any contact from our side”. Trump had claimed earlier that the Iranian leadership “wants to talk” and had “contacted Washington” for this purpose. Ali Bahreini said Tehran had no problem with its neighbours, but could not let US bases in the Gulf be used as launch pads for attacks on Iran. “War was not our option. War was imposed on Iran,” Bahreini told UN correspondents. Ambassador Ali Bahreini denies Trump’s claim that Tehran has reached out to Washington for talks “Nobody should expect Iran to show restraint in front of aggression. We will continue our defence until the point that this aggression is stopped,” he said. On Feb 26, Washington and Tehran held indirect negotiations i... -
Dawn - 03:18 Mar 04, 2026
GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan government on Tuesday decided to constitute a judicial commission to investigate the overall security situation in the region. At least 13 people, including a security official, were killed and over 100 injured, while government and non-government infrastructure, private properties and security installations were vandalised during protests that erupted after the martyrdom of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US and Israeli attacks on Iran. According to a press release, the GB government also decided to launch a large-scale de-weaponisation campaign in the region, and relevant institutions have been directed to immediately complete all necessary arrangements in this regard. In view of the security situation, curfew will remain in force in Gilgit and Skardu until further orders, with limited relaxation allowed for movement and emergencies. Meanwhile, a meeting of the Special Apex Committee was held in Gilgit under the chairmanship of GB caretaker Chief Minister retire... -
Dawn - 03:15 Mar 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: In a significant political development, the government on Tuesday invited the main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to sit together and shun their differences specifically for the sake of external and internal security threats to Pakistan and fragile security situation in the region. The ruling PML-N extended the olive branch to the PTI when Special Assistant to PM on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah met Mehmood Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas, leaders of the opposition in the National Assembly and the Senate, respectively, inviting them to attend an important in-camera briefing, convened by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at his office at 11:00am today. However, the PTI has decided not to attend any meeting unless a meeting with its founder Imran Khan is arranged. Govt had invited all parties to the briefing, convened by PM Shehbaz The decision was made during the meeting of the party’s political committee, held on Tuesday. Earlier, after meeting opposition leaders, Mr Sanaullah and Minister ... -
Dawn - 03:09 Mar 04, 2026
The US Congress meets this week to consider a Senate war powers resolution and two competing measures in the House of Representatives aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s authority to expand US military operations against Iran without explicit congressional approval. The Senate resolution, led by Senator Tim Kaine (Democrat–Virginia), invokes the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which was enacted during the Vietnam War to check presidential war-making authority. If adopted, it would require the termination of the US armed forces’ involvement in hostilities against Iran unless Congress authorises their continuation. “The Constitution says we’re not supposed to be at war without a vote of Congress,” Kaine said. “The lives of our troops are at risk. We ought to come back to Washington right away and vote on this.” In the House, Rep. Ro Khanna (Democrat–California) and Rep. Thomas Massie (Republican–Kentucky) have introduced a bipartisan resolution directing the president to remove US forces from hostilities ... -
Dawn - 02:33 Mar 04, 2026
• Iran says building housing Assembly of Experts, tasked with electing new supreme leader, was ‘not in use’ • Death toll rises to 787 after Tehran rocked by intense bombing; Tel Aviv hit by retaliatory salvos • Khamenei to be laid to rest in Mashhad • Trump shatters Pehlavi’s ambitions, says ‘someone from within’ should take over Iran • Rubio reveals US invasion triggered by fear of imminent Israeli attack • US president contradicts secretary of state, says he may have ‘forced Israel’s hand’ • US lawmakers outraged after Washington empties embassies, orders citizens to flee Middle East without any official help • Gulf states continue to reel from attacks WASHINGTON: Explosions tore through Tel Aviv, Tehran, Qom and Beirut on Tuesday, as financial markets around the world tumbled at the prospect of a prolonged disruption to global energy supplies, on the fourth day of the US-Israeli war against Iran. Israeli and US strikes on Tuesday hit the Assembly of Experts building in Qom, which is tasked with electing Ir... -
Dawn - 18:56 Mar 03, 2026
The government has invited parliamentarians to an in-camera briefing on the regional situation scheduled for Wednesday, according to Law Minister Azan Nazeer Tarar. Speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday, the minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had invited parliamentary leaders and party heads to “sit down and develop a course of action so we can move forward”. “There are sensitivities we have to take into account and things that you cannot discuss openly, considering the tension in the region and our relations with brotherly Muslim countries,” the minister said. He said that while Pakistan shared friendly relations with Iran, “we also have long-standing relations with other countries”. “In particular, Saudi Arabia, with whom we are in a defence agreement,” the minister said. “I am requesting both sides of the aisle that this is a sensitive situation and we must sit together for Pakistan and for the security of the wider region,” he said. He further said that Prime Minister’s Adviser on Politica... -
Dawn - 18:25 Mar 03, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) said on Tuesday night that PTI founder Imran Khan was examined at Adiala jail for the follow-up treatment of his eye ailment, which showed that his vision had “improved remarkably”. However, the party asserted that any medical examination carried out without the presence of Imran’s personal physicians and his immediate family lacked “transparency and credibility”. In a press release, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the Pims administration said that Imran was examined by a medical board comprising Dr Nadeem Qureshi, the head of the vitreoretinal department at Al–Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi, and Dr M Arif Khan, the head of the ophthalmology department at Pims, Islamabad. The same team had examined Imran last month in Adiala jail, where the former premier is incarcerated. “This examination was performed as a follow-up of his second dose of intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF,” the press release said. According to the American Academy... -
Dawn - 17:48 Mar 03, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday held a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which the latter said Turkiye would “contribute to the re-establishment of the ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan”. According to a post on X by the Turkish Presidency, the two leaders discussed ties between Pakistan and Turkiye and also “regional and global issues”. “Condemning the terror attacks carried out in Pakistan, President Erdogan said Turkiye will continue to stand by Pakistan in its anti-terror fight, and that it will contribute to the re-establishment of the ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, reached through Turkiye’s initiatives as well,” the Presidency said. “Stressing that engaging once again in diplomacy in the region regarding the conflicts that began with the attacks against Iran will be extremely beneficial, President Erdogan noted that Turkiye stands ready to provide all the support it can to that end,” it added. Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz said that in the phone... -
Dawn - 17:09 Mar 03, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Privatisation Commission board on Tuesday recommended the inclusion of the Faiji Fertiliser Company (FCC) in the Arif Habib-led consortium that won the auction for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). Last December, the consortium had successfully bid Rs135 billion for a 75 per cent stake in the national flag carrier. The FFC was initially among the bidders but had withdrawn from the process ahead of the auction. It had later joined the winning consortium on December 25. It should be mentioned that the Privatisation Commission board’s recommendation has now paved the way for the consortium to buy the remaining 25pc stake in PIA for the consortium to take full control of the flag carrier. On Tuesday, the Privatisation Commission held a meeting, which was chaired by the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation, Muhammad Ali. According to a press release, in accordance with the terms of the share purchase and subscription agreement, the FFC was nominated by the consortium, with Arif Habib ... -
Dawn - 16:50 Mar 03, 2026
United States Marines opened fire on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate over the weekend, two US officials said on Monday — a rare use of force at a diplomatic post that could sharply escalate tensions in the country amid widespread protests over the assassination of Iran’s leader. On Sunday, 11 people were killed when protesters breached the compound’s outer wall after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated in strikes on Iran. Citing initial information, the two US officials said it was unclear whether rounds fired by Marines struck or killed anyone. They also did not know whether shots were also fired by others protecting the mission, including private security guards and local police. This would mark the first confirmation by US officials that Marines were involved in firing at the protestors. A Sindh government spokesman, Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, said “security” personnel had opened fire, without specifying their affiliation. Daily security operations at US... -
Dawn - 15:46 Mar 03, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said that Pakistan was ready to facilitate dialogue between the United States and Iran. “Pakistan is ready to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad,” Dar said while speaking in the upper house of Parliament. He noted that both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir had played a “very active and positive role” in diplomatic and defence-level engagements aimed at defusing tensions. He also told the Senate that Iran had agreed not to build nuclear weapons, but said the US was pressing for the complete dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear programme. In his speech, he also recalled that the dialogue process between the US and Iran was initially progressing “successfully”. He also highlighted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Austria, where he held a meeting with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief, who Dar said was “optimistic that dialogue was heading in a p... -
Dawn - 15:29 Mar 03, 2026
Energy prices surged on Tuesday, sending stocks tumbling and the dollar rising as investors worried about inflation and the inability of central banks to help with interest rate cuts. World oil prices soared around nine percent and European natural gas prices rocketed for a second day running as the war disrupted Middle East exports. Brent North Sea crude, the international benchmark, topped $85 a barrel for the first time since July 2024. The US and Israeli attacks on Iran and its retaliation across the region have upended regional energy flows, with the crucial Strait of Hormuz — through which about a fifth of global oil transits — effectively closed off. The war has also fuelled fears of a fresh energy crisis that could ramp up inflation. “The higher energy costs are fueling inflation concerns, pushing out rate cut expectations for some and increasing rate hike possibilities for others, while also raising earnings concerns that stem from higher operating costs and a potential slowdown in consumer spending,... -
Dawn - 15:13 Mar 03, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Ill-planned surplus generation capacity, low plant utilisation, high fixed costs and inefficient generation dispatch have become a permanent source of high consumer-end power tariffs, as well as a financial drain on the power sector and the federal budget, says the power regulator’s annual report. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (Nepra) Annual Report on the Performance of Power Plants in Pakistan FY2024-25 said: “Overall, the [power] sector’s high fixed costs, low utilisation, and inefficient dispatch of generation resources collectively resulted in higher electricity tariffs and financial stress on the power system.” It further said, “In summary, achieving an economically sustainable power sector requires thorough evaluation of the financial and economic consequences before adding new generation capacity. Simply expanding capacity without assessing its cost-effectiveness and expected utilisation can result in inefficiencies such as under-used assets and increased electricity cos... -
Dawn - 14:28 Mar 03, 2026
Five PTI leaders imprisoned at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail said on Tuesday that the government needed to revisit its approach to address immediate national challenges, adding that “national reconciliation is the need of the hour”. The PTI leaders — Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, and Omar Sarfraz Cheema — made the remarks in a statement released through their lawyer. They said that rising terrorism due to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, the deterioration in ties with Afghanistan, the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel in the middle of ongoing negotiations and Tehran’s retaliation had “destabilised the entire region”. They further said that the advancement in ties between India and Israel was a “serious threat” to Pakistan. They also talked about rising oil and gas prices after the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East, saying it would have an “immediate impact on the macro-economic stability recently achieved through a huge price paid by the people... -
Dawn - 14:16 Mar 03, 2026
England will go into their T20 World Cup semi-final against India with no fear, said all-rounder Sam Curran on Tuesday, adding that their first job would be to silence a raucous home crowd. England will take on the favourites and hosts in front of 35,000 fiercely partisan fans in Mumbai on Thursday, with a place in the final against South Africa or New Zealand at stake. The noise will be deafening at times in the cauldron-like confines of the Wankhede Stadium. But Curran said that because he and many of his England teammates — such as Will Jacks at the Mumbai Indians — play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), they will not be fazed. “It’s an experience as a young cricketer you dream of — playing India in the semi-final of a World Cup,” left-arm seamer Curran told reporters. Curran was in the international wilderness a year ago but forced his way back into the England squad with eye-catching performances in T20 franchise leagues, including the IPL. “India are a quality side but we’ve played a lot of cricket he... -
Dawn - 12:26 Mar 03, 2026
A balloon in the shape of an airplane has caused a stir on Indian media. According to several media outlets, the balloon has been taken into police custody. Indian news agency ANI posted on X that an “aircraft-shaped balloon” with “PIA” written on its was found in Rajouri in occupied Kashmir. “The police team took the object into possession. No electrical or electronic components were found affixed,” the post said, citing police. The images shared with the post showed a deflated balloon in the shape of a plane and with the words PIA on the sides, ostensibly a reference to Pakistan International Airlines. The development was also reported by the Hindustan Times, Times of India. Meanwhile, NDTV also shared the the same on its X account. “Further proceedings underway to determine its origin,” it said. In 2021, a similar incident had occurred, with authorities in occupied Kashmir seizing a plane-shaped balloon bearing the name of the Pakistan International Airlines. According to the report, the balloon featuring ... -
Dawn - 11:03 Mar 03, 2026
Pakistan’s benchmark stock index, the KSE-100, closed in the green, up 5,159.10 points to 157,132.09 points on Tuesday, following the largest single-session decline in the bourse’s history on Monday. This 3.39 per cent increase marks a significant rebound from yesterday’s drop of more than 16,000 points. This upward momentum followed early volatility, with the benchmark slipping 700 points into the red at 9:16am. Topline Securities noted that market participation also improved, with total traded volume reaching 770 million shares and turnover clocking in at Rs 44.3 billion. However, the index continued to reflect the volatility seen in the previous session, swinging between an intraday low of 151,258.85 points and a high of 158,217.01. The most actively traded stocks were led by K-Electric Limited, which climbed 8.81pc to Rs7.29 on a volume of 74,401,539 shares. It was followed by Worldcall Telecom Limited, up 8.04pc to Rs1.21 with 50,045,665 shares traded, while Pak Elektron Limited declined 9.04pc to Rs39.3...
8986 items