Dawn
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Dawn - 13:09 Jul 16, 2026
Multiple X users have been sharing a video on the social media platform since July 14, claiming that it shows the Iranian Navy destroying a ship in the Strait of Hormuz amid renewed hostilities in the Middle East. However, the video is old and shows the US Navy destroying an Iranian Soleimani-class corvette vessel in the Persian Gulf. Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted once again after Iranian forces shut down the vital maritime route after exchanging heavy missile and drone assaults with US forces, with multiple US facilities in the Gulf states coming under fire on July 12, 2026. The United States military has concluded a fourth consecutive night of strikes against Iran, as Washington and Tehran both stake claims for control of the Strait of Hormuz. On July 14, a pro-Iranian account, based on its display profile and past posts, shared a video on X, showing a ship engulfed in flames in the sea, claiming to have been attacked by the Iranian Navy in the Strait of Hormuz. The post was captioned: “This... -
Dawn - 12:46 Jul 16, 2026
South Air’s inaugural flights from Karachi to Quetta, via Turbat, and to Islamabad, via Bahawalpur, departed from Jinnah International Airport on Thursday morning, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said in a statement. The authority added that the new carrier’s flight operations have “ further strengthened Pakistan’s domestic air connectivity”. “The new services represent an important addition to the domestic flight network at Jinnah International Airport, providing passengers with enhanced travel options and improved connectivity.” Initially, South Air will operate one weekly flight on the Karachi-Quetta route via Turbat and three weekly flights on the Karachi-Islamabad route via Bahawalpur. The airline plans to expand its operations with additional flights from Karachi to Peshawar, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Gwadar, according to the PAA. “These new air services are expected to promote tourism, facilitate trade and improve travel convenience by strengthening regional connectivity across Pakistan,” PAA sa... -
Dawn - 12:28 Jul 16, 2026
An Indian court directed authorities on Thursday to monitor the health of an activist who is on the 19th day of a hunger strike on a stage in central Delhi to demand the education minister quits, and to intervene if his condition deteriorates. It is the first time that a court has intervened in the protest, as concern over Sonam Wangchuk’s condition grows among his supporters. The instruction means he could be moved to a hospital if his health worsens. Wangchuk has been fasting in solidarity with India’s youth Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is staging a sit-in demanding minister Dharmendra Pradhan step down over exam paper leaks that affected millions of students. The 59-year-old, who has said he will continue his strike until their demands are met, has lost more than 9 kilograms since he began his fast but remains mentally alert, a doctor attending to him told news agency ANI. Acting on a petition for authorities to force-feed Wangchuk before his condition worsens, a two-judge bench of the Delhi High Cou... -
Dawn - 12:14 Jul 16, 2026
Junaid Rashid was five when his father vanished from military custody nearly three decades ago, one of the thousands who disappeared in Indian-occupied Kashmir during the 90s. But after years of the family searching for him and fighting court battles, a judge in the contested Himalayan territory declared what Rashid already believed: his father Abdul Rashid Wani was dead. It was the first such ruling among thousands of petitions for the disappeared, marking a rare recognition that many other families still don’t have of their loss. The judgement ordered the issuance of a “death certificate”, but also acknowledged a police probe that identified the army officer who took Wani into custody in July 1997. Wani, a timber trader, was stopped near his home in the city of Srinagar while carrying “a good amount of cash” on his way to pay suppliers, according to his family and the police probe. That evening, his wife and two children sat “all dressed up” waiting for him to return and take them to a wedding reception. “H... -
Dawn - 11:48 Jul 16, 2026
US Vice President JD Vance has said that late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein “seemed to be connected” to elements of the “Israeli deep state” as well as the “highest levels of American intelligence”, while also acknowledging the Trump administration mishandled its response to the case. He made these remarks in a podcast episode with host Joe Rogan that was published on Wednesday. During the episode, Rogan brought up that most people thought Epstein was linked to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, to which Vance replied, “Yeah, Mossad or CIA or some other deep state, whether in America, Israel, or another country.” “He clearly had connections to the upper, the highest levels of American intelligence. He clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence,” he said. He added that he found the Epstein case “interesting” because, “as much as I know, [Israeli] Prime Minister Netanyahu, not a particularly popular person in the United States of America right now, Epstein seemed to be connected to t... -
Dawn - 11:10 Jul 16, 2026
KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Thursday granted police week-long physical remand of three suspects in the murder case of a young doctor that drew widespread condemnation. Dr Akash Kumar, a doctor at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), was killed on Monday after robbers intercepted his vehicle near Teen Talwar and escaped with around Rs2 million that he was carrying after withdrawing cash from a private bank. Three suspects were later arrested in connection with the murder and robbery. The three men were presented before South Judicial Magistrate Zahid Ali on Thursday. Prosecutor Abdul Latif appeared on behalf of the state and supported the investigating officer’s (IO) request for the suspects’ physical remand. Seeking the suspects’ 14-day physical remand, the IO contended that more accomplices of those arrested, including a woman, needed to be traced. He added that the motorcycles and car used in the incident were yet to be recovered, as well as the stolen money. Police on Wednesday said they ha... -
Dawn - 11:06 Jul 16, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reached China’s Shanghai on two-day visit on Thursday to sign an agreement for Pakistan to join the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) as a founding member, the Foreign Office (FO) said. China proposed the creation of WAICO last year for AI governance. Upon his arrival in China, Dar was received by Shanghai Vice Mayor Wu Wei, Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires to China Aizaz Khan and Consul General of Pakistan in Shanghai Shahzad Ahmad Khan, the FO said on X. It added that apart from attending the signing ceremony of WAICO, Dar will also participate in the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 during the visit and engage with other leaders to advance international AI cooperation and promote inclusive, equitable AI governance. An earlier statement by the FO said that Dar would also hold a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, as well as meetings with other officials to discuss matters of mutual interest during t... -
Dawn - 10:49 Jul 16, 2026
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday mandatory annual testosterone screening for troops 30 years old or above, an initiative he said was aimed at combating testosterone deficiency that can undermine health. Hegseth said the screening could lead to troops being offered testosterone replacement therapy aimed at “ensuring you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best”. “Because it’s well-established science that as we age, testosterone levels often naturally drop,” he said in a video message. The screening would become part of annual testing for troops aged 30 and above, and troops could voluntarily decide whether to accept any recommended hormone replacement treatment if they were diagnosed with low testosterone levels. Troops below the age of 30 could request to be tested. The move comes as the US Department of Health and Human Services has moved to ease some restrictions on testosterone replacement therapies, including announcing last month it would seek to remove... -
Dawn - 09:42 Jul 16, 2026
PESHAWAR: A house fire in the Tehkal Payan area of Peshawar killed a couple and their four children on Thursday, Rescue 1122 said. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi told Dawn that the rescue service received the report of the fire at around 2:30am. After reaching the site of the incident, it took the rescue team 45 minutes to bring the fire under control. The team recovered the bodies of six people from a room during its search operation. These included a husband, wife and their four children — three girls aged 11, nine, and three years, and a four-year-old boy. The man was a local worker of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Fazl (JUI-F), according to a statement issued by the party about the incident. According to Faizi, the fire apparently started in a storage area, where furniture and mattresses were kept and spread to other parts of the residential house. However, he said that the blaze was so intense that the family was likely unable to leave the single room they were staying in. The spoke... -
Dawn - 09:40 Jul 16, 2026
BANNU: A police official was martyred while six security personnel and four civilians were injured after terrorists attacked a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district last night, police said on Thursday. On Wednesday night, attackers had attempted to ram a vehicle loaded with explosives into Miryan Police Station, triggering a powerful blast, which was followed by a prolonged exchange of fire between the terrorists and police personnel. According to police, the terrorists attempted to storm the police station immediately after the attack. However, police and security forces responded promptly, successfully foiling their plans. Police official Noor Jamal Khan, who was critically injured in the attack, succumbed to his injuries, Bannu police said in an official statement on Thursday. Six security personnel and four civilians remain under treatment for their injuries, the statement added. The statement said the intense exchange of fire following the attempted attack had resulted in several casualti... -
Dawn - 08:17 Jul 16, 2026
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday urged the United States and Iran to “end violence” and resume technical-level talks, while noting that the Pakistan-mediated interim peace deal was “facing challenges”. Addressing a weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi noted that the implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed between the US and Iran last month was “facing challenges”. He affirmed that “Pakistan will continue to encourage all sides to end violence and resume technical-level talks in accordance” with the MoU and the joint statement issued by mediators Pakistan and Qatar on June 20 following the direct talks in Switzerland. “We hope all parties will remain committed to the path of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving their outstanding issues,” Andrabi added. The remarks come as the warring parties continued to trade attacks on Thursday, with the US hitting Iran’s coastal defences and missile sites and Iran retaliating by targeting American military sites in neighbouring G... -
Dawn - 07:09 Jul 16, 2026
The US State Department said on Wednesday it has approved the sale of an estimated $1.96 billion in weapons to bolster Saudi Arabia’s air defences, as the war ramps up in the Middle East. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-Nato ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region,” the State Department said in a release. Among the weapons the Gulf kingdom seeks are up to 20,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems and its warheads, which the US Navy’s website describes as “an inexpensive way to destroy targets while limiting collateral damage in close combat”. The principal contractor will be BAE Systems in Nashua, New Jersey, the department said. “The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defence, and improving interoperability with US forces, and other regional and Nato forces,” the ... -
Dawn - 06:23 Jul 16, 2026
The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark index continued to recover on Thursday as it surged by around 2,600 points during early trade. The KSE-100 index gained 2,604.49 points (1.49 per cent) by 11:04am to stand at 177,890.27 points from the previous close of 175,285.78. Awais Ashraf, director of research at AKD Securities, noted that the market continued Wednesday’s rebound after US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks. Trump said on Wednesday that Tehran was eager to reach a deal with Washington. “They want to settle so badly. They don’t like what we’re doing, and they do want to settle. We’ll find out whether or not we settle with them, or we just finish it off.” According to Ashraf, the US president’s remarks indicated that he wanted “to bring Iran back to the negotiation table to end the conflict”. “Stability in oil prices for the past two days is also adding to investor confidence,” he observed as oil prices turned lower on Thursday. After initially rising for a fourth straight session, Brent c... -
Dawn - 06:20 Jul 16, 2026
The US, early on Thursday, launched a second wave of attacks on Iran’s coastal defences and missile sites within a span of 24 hours after reimposing a naval blockade of Iranian ports, and Tehran responded by again targeting US military sites in neighboring Gulf countries. The latest escalation comes days after a fragile truce collapsed, raising the specter of a return to full-scale war, with Iran once again threatening to shut off more regional energy exports after blocking the vital Strait of Hormuz. Hostilities have intensified since Iran said late on Saturday it had closed the Strait of Hormuz. Military operations are also keeping ships from transiting the vital artery, which carried about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the US-Israeli war on Iran. Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, closed at a one-month high of $84.95 a barrel on Wednesday. US Central Command said the military had attacked coastal defence systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Iran’s Greater Tunb ... -
Dawn - 06:14 Jul 16, 2026
The US House of Representatives defeated an amendment to cut off aid to Israel on Wednesday, despite nearly half of Democrats supporting it, reflecting a growing rupture between US progressives and Israel over its attacks in Gaza. The House voted 314 to 104 to defeat the measure, offered as an amendment to a State Department spending bill by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. However, 103 Democrats and one Republican backed it, a sharp departure from years in which bills supporting Israel passed almost unanimously. Left-wing Democrats are pushing to end US aid to Israel as they campaign in midterm election primaries, while moderate Democrats promote sending money that would be used for defensive weapons only. Massie is a fiscal hawk who opposes all foreign aid, but he said he was also responding to the heavy toll on civilians of Israel’s attacks in Gaza. “There have been 70,000 casualties in Gaza, and I don’t think we should be part of that,” he said during the House debate. His amendm... -
Dawn - 05:14 Jul 16, 2026
• Committee headed by CS also recommends action against Civil Defence, fire department officers and building management committee • Suggests amendments to building control law to allow post-construction inspections KARACHI: The Implementation Committee constituted by the Sindh government has recommended disciplinary and legal action against officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) who served between 2020 and the date of the incident in January 2026 when the deadly Gul Plaza fire broke out. The committee held them responsible for alleged failures in inspection, enforcement and regulatory oversight, including the approval of a revised building plan and its subsequent regularisation. It also proposed amendments to the Sindh Building Control Ordinance, 1979, to empower the SBCA to carry out mandatory post-construction inspections and enforce compliance after completion of buildings. The recommendations were made at a recent meeting of the committee held under the chairmanship of Sindh chief secret... -
Dawn - 05:08 Jul 16, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar left for a two-day visit to China’s Shanghai on Thursday to sign an agreement for Pakistan to join the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) as a founding member, the Foreign Office (FO) said. China proposed the creation of WAICO last year for AI governance. According to FO, Dar would also participate in the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 during the visit and engage with other leaders to advance international AI cooperation and promote inclusive, equitable AI governance. An earlier statement by the FO said that Dar would also hold a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, as well as meetings with other officials to discuss matters of mutual interest during the China trip. “During his engagements, the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister will share Pakistan’s perspective on strengthening international cooperation in artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on the priorities and development nee... -
Dawn - 04:11 Jul 16, 2026
Security forces foiled on Thursday an attempted suicide attack targeting a military post in the Kari Kot area of Lower South Waziristan’s Wana, killing four terrorists, sources said. According to security sources, the terrorists tried to attack the security forces’ post using an explosives-laden vehicle. But the attempt was foiled as the threat was detected, and the suicide attacker was killed, they said. The sources said that three other terrorists were also killed in the action taken by security forces. They said the targeted post was being used to protect the local population and to prevent the movement of Fitna-al-Khawarij — a term that the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban — towards Wana Bazaar. The sources said that the terrorists wanted to destroy the post after their persistent failure in achieving their objectives. A search and clearance operation was launched in the area after their unsuccessful attempt to attack the post, they added. Last month, the district administrations of Upper South... -
Dawn - 04:03 Jul 16, 2026
THERE are many reasons to be bullish about Pakistan these days, not least the hard-fought stability in the external sector following a few years of near-catastrophic depletion of reserves. But there are now a growing number of reasons to be concerned about the underlying fragility of it all. The stability is real. There is no doubt about that. A wall of high repayment obligations that first loomed into view back in February 2021 and remained persistently high since then has finally started to come down. They not only met all these obligations and paid down their debt, but also built reserves through it all — organically — and not borrowed reserves. The return of stability to Pakistan’s external sector after the near catastrophic volatility of 2021-2023 is one for the history books. The most ferocious inflationary fire in our history was doused. The most precarious foreign exchange reserves position was rebuilt. The most runaway fiscal train wreck was returned to surpluses on its primary balance. The state... -
Dawn - 03:50 Jul 16, 2026
GILGIT-BALTISTAN has emerged as Pakistan’s climate ground zero. For decades, the country’s climate emergency was narrated from its floodplains: Sindh’s submerged villages, Punjab’s swollen tributaries, the 2010 and 2022 disasters. These were the consequences of a deeper story. The origin has abruptly moved upstream. GB is no longer the water tower that occasionally leaks. It is where the Indus system’s first disasters now begin, not where they arrive. Heatwaves once confined to Sindh’s cities and Punjab’s plains now reach the Upper Indus Basin (UIB). In June 2026 alone, the Met Office issued its second Glof (glacial lake outburst flood) alert of the month, warning that sustained high temperatures across GB and KP were accelerating glacier and snowfield melt to the point that existing lakes were expanding and new ones forming in real time. This follows a pattern of near-annual escalation: in August 2025, a Glof from the Shishper glacier tore through Hassanabad Nullah in Hunza, severing the Karakoram Highway, i...
12682 items