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Dawn - 02:49 Jul 10, 2026
THE national discourse on the budget has been dominated by what is in the document for the business community, exporters and salaried employees. And the theme is to celebrate the 10 to 15 per cent tax relief given to salaried employees — taken as proxies for common Pakistanis. These beneficiaries earn more than Rs200,000 a month. But 80pc of Pakistani households spend less than Rs100,000 a month, according to last year’s Household Integrated Economic Survey. This is the entire household which may have multiple earners, and not just one salaried employee. It is true that there are no taxes on salaried employees with an annual income of less than Rs600,000, which roughly translates to Rs50,000 a month. The majority live in rural areas where one-third of the country’s workers earn their living from farming. The agricultural income tax laws passed across Pakistan last year also peg the minimum annual taxable income at the same level. According to the calculations of the Pakistan Agricultural Coalition, 95pc of fa... -
Dawn - 02:44 Jul 10, 2026
THE security situation in Balochistan remains alarming, with a recent uptick in terrorist violence resulting in a large number of casualties amongst security forces. The seriousness of the situation can be gauged from the fact that the country’s top civilian and military leaders — led by the prime minister and chief of defence forces — were in Quetta yesterday to take stock of matters. On Tuesday, the ISPR chief, while addressing the media, discussed law and order issues in the province, mentioning that a large number of security personnel and civilians had lost their lives in separate attacks since July 5. The martyred included four civilians in Hanna Urak, at least 27 policemen in Ziarat, and 11 soldiers in Bela-Winder. A number of terrorists were also eliminated in retaliatory operations. The military says the banned TTP was responsible for the Ziarat outrage while the proscribed BLA was behind the Bela ambush. The ISPR chief, while indicating the state would give no quarter to terrorists, also pointed out... -
Dawn - 02:44 Jul 10, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the ultimate purpose of procedural law was to give voice to human suffering and not to silence it. The observation came while setting aside rulings of lower courts in a criminal appeal moved by Nayab Umrani before the Supreme Court regarding the murder trial of her sister Sanam Umrani. Advocate Sanam Umrani, who used to fight for women’s rights, was killed on May 31, 2018, in Jacobabad, Sindh. A two-member bench headed by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and comprising Justice Salahuddin Panwhar had taken up the criminal appeal in which the petitioner had approached the Supreme Court after her application to correct inaccuracies in her recorded testimony was dismissed by the trial court and the Sindh High Court (SHC). The Supreme Court, however, ordered the trial court to carefully re-examine the video recording of the petitioner’s statement and compare it with her written statement available on the record, in the presence of the accused and counsel for the par... -
Dawn - 02:40 Jul 10, 2026
• Raja Pervez Ashraf confident of party’s victory in coming polls • Warns India will ‘pay a heavy price’ if it attempts to stop Pakistan’s share of water LAHORE: The issue of refugee seats is constitutional in nature and would be decided by the upcoming Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said on Thursday. Addressing a press conference, the PPP central Punjab president expressed the confidence that his party would secure a convincing victory in the upcoming AJK elections, adding that only free, fair and transparent elections could help address the region’s issues. He also announced that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari would soon visit the region. Ashraf reiterated that the PPP believed in peaceful political struggle and said the current situation demanded comprehensive political dialogue involving all political forces. He said the PPP leadership, including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Ali Zardari, had a deep historical connect... -
Dawn - 02:36 Jul 10, 2026
ISLAMABAD: After failing to control the population growth for over three years, the federal government has now pinned hopes on Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir to play a role in curbing the population growth rate. This was disclosed by Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal during a joint meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on Thursday. Jointly chaired by Senators Amir Waliuddin Chishti and Samina Mumtaz Zehri, the meeting was held to discuss Pakistan’s growing population and the need for coordinated policy reforms. It is worth mentioning that Pakistan is the fifth most populous country and by 2030 it is set to become fourth by surpassing Indonesia. Briefing the committee, the minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had convened several high-level meetings on population management and constituted a committee to address the issue. He said Field Marshal Munir was also a member of the committee, reflecting the government’s ... -
Dawn - 02:35 Jul 10, 2026
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that a citizen’s computerised national identity card (CNIC) could not be blocked to enforce a maintenance decree, holding that such a measure had no sanction under the law and violated due process. Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir passed a judgement allowing a petition filed by Nasir Ali Ranjha, setting aside an executing court’s 2017 order directing the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to block his CNIC for non-payment of maintenance to his wife and children. The petitioner had challenged the order passed by the executing court in Gujrat under Section 51(e) of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), as well as subsequent orders refusing to recall the direction. The executing court had ordered the petitioner’s CNIC to be blocked after observing that he was residing abroad and had deliberately avoided complying with the maintenance decree. Observes blocking identity card without express legal authority violates due process, fundamental rights The court ... -
Dawn - 02:24 Jul 10, 2026
Iran’s assassinated supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried in the country’s holiest shrine, state media said early on Friday, after huge crowds gathered for his funeral with his son and successor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, still hidden from public view. The burial in Mashhad in northeast Iran follows a week of mass funeral processions, rallies and mourning ceremonies that have coincided with a renewed burst of conflict with the United States following weeks of truce in the four-month-old war. Khamenei was assassinated in the first strikes of the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. The US and Iran agreed to a truce last month. Khamenei’s body was carried slowly by truck on Thursday through the crammed Mashhad streets towards the gilt dome and minarets of the Shrine of Imam Reza as white-turbaned clerics walked on either side. Black-clad mourners pressed close behind, waving Iranian flags, photographs of the late Khamenei and red placards with revolutionary slogans. The buri... -
Dawn - 02:23 Jul 10, 2026
• Tarar briefs European delegation on legal, institutional reforms • Says govt committed to safeguarding human rights while ensuring strict implementation of counterterrorism steps ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Law and Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the European Union’s GSP+ framework and advancing human rights during a meeting with a delegation of the European Union and ambassadors of European countries. The delegation, led by the European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis, held discussions with the minister on Pakistan-EU relations, the GSP+ framework, human rights, the rule of law and areas of mutual cooperation. The EU delegation comprised ambassadors of Sweden, Norway, France, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, as well as the chargé d’affaires of Ireland, the high commissioner of Canada and senior officials of the Canadian High Commission. According to an official statement, both sides exchanged views on... -
Dawn - 02:13 Jul 10, 2026
• Sets July 14 as deadline for ‘acceptance’ of its demands • Two die near Rawalakot as forces clear path for convoy carrying food items MUZAFFARABAD: The proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) announced on Thursday that it would resume its long march on Muzaffarabad on July 15, if its demands remained unmet. Addressing participants at the Eidgah sit-in, JAAC core member Umar Nazir Kashmiri said the alliance would stage a long march on Muzaffarabad on July 15 if its charter of demands was not implemented by July 14. He said the long march, which had been halted in Rawalakot on June 10, would resume under the already announced standard operating procedures. “Once again, the JAAC seeks implementation of its charter of demands by July 14. If there is no progress by the evening of July 14, we will make a new announcement on July 15. That day, there will neither be this charter of demands nor any demand for the implementation of any agreement. God willing, we will leave this place with a new announcement,” ... -
Dawn - 01:47 Jul 10, 2026
Kylian Mbappe recovered from having a first-half penalty saved to score a magnificent opener that set France on their way to a 2-0 win over Morocco in their World Cup quarter-final showdown on Thursday. Mbappe’s weak spot-kick was easily saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, but he made up for that by producing a brilliant curling finish to make it 1-0 on the hour mark. That was Mbappe’s eighth goal at the tournament, moving him level again with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, before he came off late on and watched the final minutes with an ice pack around his right ankle. Before exiting, he set up Ousmane Dembele to run through and settle the contest watched by 63,811 at the Gillette Stadium, as France knocked Morocco out, just as they did in 2022. Their 2-0 win four years ago in Qatar came in the semi-finals, and this time the victory for Les Bleus takes them through to the last four. They will face Spain or Belgium in Dallas next Tuesday. France are looking to reach a third consecutive... -
Dawn - 19:06 Jul 09, 2026
The funeral prayers for assassinated supreme leader Ali Khamenei were offered late on Thursday as hundreds of thousands of mourners, braving sweltering heat and calling for revenge, massed in his hometown of Mashhad. An Israeli strike assassinated Khamenei in late February on the first day of the Middle East war. Following the funeral prayers, the late supreme leader was laid to rest at the Shrine of Imam Reza, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. Khamenei was buried with his infant granddaughter, son-in-law, daughter and Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife Zahra Haddad Adel, who were all killed in the February 28 strikes. Earlier, Khamenei’s body was carried by truck slowly through the crammed streets of Mashhad in northeastern Iran towards the gilt dome and minarets of the shrine. Thousands of people filled the streets of the eastern city. Footage posted by IRNA showed the procession en route to the shrine , where the assassinated leader was buried. With new hostilities breaking out with the United States even after... -
Dawn - 18:02 Jul 09, 2026
The El Nino weather pattern picked up strength over the past month and is highly likely to “rank among the largest” ever recorded when it peaks between October and December, US forecasters said Thursday. El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, triggering worldwide changes in winds, atmospheric pressure and rainfall patterns, and pushing warmer overall global temperatures. In its latest update, the US Climate Prediction Centre (CPC) said there is an 81 per cent chance of a “very strong” El Nino between October and December that would rank among the largest such events in the historic record going back to 1950. “Very strong” is defined as being 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) or more above an index value. The CPC also put the odds at 97pc that the event will persist through early spring 2027. That adds to a prediction made by Tim Stockdale, an El Nino expert of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, who said this week it would be “a v... -
Dawn - 17:12 Jul 09, 2026
Braving sweltering heat and calling for revenge, Iranians massed on Thursday for the burial of assassinated supreme leader Ali Khamenei in his hometown of Mashhad. An Israeli strike assassinated Khamenei in late February on the first day of the Middle East war. Thousands of people filled the streets of the eastern city of Mashhad, home to one of the holiest sites of Shia Islam. Footage posted by IRNA showed the procession en route to the Shrine of Imam Reza, where the assassinated leader will be buried. With new hostilities breaking out with the United States even after an accord last month to end the war, at least one fighter jet escorted the plane carrying the late Iranian leader’s coffin to Mashhad. State TV reported that a helicopter would transport the body across the final stretch to the shrine because the main avenue was expected to be crammed with people. The burial will be the final act in a marathon six days of funeral ceremonies, which have allowed people to pay tribute in Tehran, the clerical hub ... -
Dawn - 16:24 Jul 09, 2026
GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court on Thursday disqualified PPP candidate Fida Muhammad Nashad for concealing his assets in his nomination papers, setting aside the GB Chief Court’s decision that had allowed him to contest the elections. Nashad’s nomination papers were initially rejected by the returning officer (RO), prompting him to challenge the decision before the election tribunal. The tribunal, however, upheld the RO’s decision. Subsequently, Nashad challenged the tribunal’s verdict in the GB Chief Court, which allowed him to contest the elections. The Form 47 issued by the GB Election Commission after the recent general elections in June had declared Nashad the returned candidate from constituency GBA-09 Skardu-III. However, his opponent, Zakir Hussain, had challenged his eligibility to become a member of the assembly before the GB Supreme Appellate Court. On June 19, GB Supreme Appellate Court Chief Judge Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan issued an order suspending the issuance of ... -
Dawn - 16:12 Jul 09, 2026
The Pakistan Navy (PN) and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) rescued 20 crew members from a sinking cargo dhow east of Ormara, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. The military’s media wing said the vessel was experiencing severe flooding, adding that all crew members were successfully rescued in a “swift and coordinated emergency response”. The PNS Hunain and aerial assets were diverted for the operation upon receiving a distress call at the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre, it noted. “All 20 crew members were safely recovered from the distressed vessel due to the professionalism displayed by the rescuers,” the ISPR statement said, adding that those rescued — all Pakistanis — were being provided “necessary medical attention”. “The successful operation underscores Pakistan Navy’s and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety of life at sea and its readiness to respond to maritime emergencies around the clock,” it further said. I... -
Dawn - 16:04 Jul 09, 2026
ISLAMABAD: A local court on Thursday convicted three men, including a retired officer and a senior Bahria Town official, in a case regarding the illegal transfer of funds abroad for Bahria Town projects. The court handed down sentences of one year’s imprisonment and a fine of Rs500,000 to each of the three convicts. Additional District and Sessions Judge Nasaruminallah Baloch announced the verdict after hearing the final arguments from both sides. The three men convicted were Bahria Town Vice Chief Executive Colonel (retd) Khalilur Rehman, hawala operator Imran Kaka, and property dealer Mushtaq Ahmed. The court found them guilty under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act of illegally sending money abroad for various Bahria Town projects. According to the prosecution, the accused violated provisions of the Act by transferring funds through illegal channels instead of authorised banking channels. The latest conviction comes months after the same judge convicted Rehman in a separate high-profile money laundering ... -
Dawn - 16:00 Jul 09, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the country’s civil and military leadership had taken a “mutual and singular decision” to end terrorism after multiple major terrorist incidents in Balochistan in recent days. He made the remarks at a meeting in Quetta of the Provincial Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, with Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir also present. Chairing the meeting, PM Shehbaz declared, “One thing is decided: it is a mutual and singular decision of the civil and military leadership that we must end terrorism collectively.” He said the civil and military leaders had gathered in Balochistan after “very serious incidents took place in the past four days”, resulting in the martyrdom of policemen, soldiers and civilians. Noting that 54 terrorists were killed while responding to those attacks and in subsequent operations, he affirmed, “This war [against terrorism] will continue until the last fasaadi (vicious) terrorist in Pakistan i... -
Dawn - 15:42 Jul 09, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Committee on state-owned enterprises on Thursday rejected a request from two circular debt-hit state-owned gas utilities — Sui Southern and Sui Northern — for exemption from international accounting and financial reporting standards to avoid being declared insolvent. However, the cabinet committee, headed by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, “instructed the Petroleum Division to undertake further deliberations with the Finance Division and the Law and Justice Division and submit a revised proposal for consideration”, according to an official statement. The Petroleum Division had sought exemption for specified energy-sector state-owned enterprises (SOEs) from the applicability of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS-14 and IFRS-9), the statement added. Informed sources said a similar three-year exemption had already been availed of by these entities. The finance minister reportedly observed that such an exemption could not be allowed while the SOEs Act 2023 remained in pl... -
Dawn - 15:19 Jul 09, 2026
GUJRAT: A deportee hailing from Gujranwala was convicted by a local court on Thursday, taking the number of deportees from Libya and Greece sentenced over the past two weeks across three districts to 64. The deportees were handed 10-15 days’ imprisonment on average after summary trials in cases lodged against them by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in its three circles of the region. The courts of special judges central (SJCs) in Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot districts also imposed fines of Rs25,000-50,000 on them after they confessed to illegally crossing the international borders. As per the court decisions, the period of their judicial custody —between 10 and 15 days — has also been considered to count towards their imprisonment, and they were released after the payment of their imposed fines. On Thursday, a special judge central in Gujranwala district convicted a man under section 17(1) (unlawful emigration) of the Emigration Ordinance 1979. The judge handed him a sentence for the period already s... -
Dawn - 14:11 Jul 09, 2026
Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record last month as a searing heatwave swept across a continent facing increasingly frequent and intense heat extremes, the European Union’s (EU) climate monitor said Thursday. The report comes as a new heatwave is battering Europe this week, following a record-breaking one in June and an unusually early spring hot spell in May. The average temperature in western Europe reached 20.74 degrees Celsius in June, more than 3℃ above the 1991-2020 norm, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. It broke the region’s previous record set in June 2025. “We will see more heatwaves in a warmer world,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic climate lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which operates Copernicus. “They will be more intense and they will last longer, and they will impact more geographical areas,” Burgess told AFP. It was the second hottest June on record for the world and for Europe as a whole, Copernicus said, as hum...
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