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  • Dar, Indonesian minister reaffirm trade, investment as key pillars of bilateral cooperation
    Dawn - 10:11 Feb 10, 2026
    Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Indonesia’s investment minister Rosan Roeslani on Tuesday reaffirmed trade and investment as key pillars of bilateral cooperation. Roeslani, who is also the chief executive officer of Indonesia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (Danantara), arrived in Islamabad on Monday evening, according to the Foreign Office (FO). On Tuesday, Dar and Roeslani met at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where their discussions focused on strengthening Pakistan-Indonesia economic and investment ties, the FO said in a post on X. Both leaders also reviewed “potential collaboration opportunities and mutually beneficial projects, including exchange of views on sovereign wealth fund models, and reaffirmed trade and investment as a key pillar of bilateral cooperation”. The two sides also held delegation-level talks, wherein they reviewed potential cooperation avenues and projects, including the “exchange of best practices and cooperation in priority sectors such as health”. Presentations were provided by the ...
  • PAF’s participation in Saudi defence expo reinforces Pakistan’s position as ‘emerging hub of aerospace innovation’: ISPR
    Dawn - 10:01 Feb 10, 2026
    Pakistan Air Force’s participation in the ongoing World Defence Show 2026 (WDS-26) in Saudi Arabia highlights the country’s role as an emerging hub for aerospace innovation, operational competence, and reliable defence solutions, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday. “[The] World Defence Show 2026 serves as a premier global platform for defence and security,” the press release said. “PAF’s participation at WDS-2026 reinforces Pakistan’s position as an emerging hub of aerospace innovation, operational competence and reliable defence solutions.” The ISPR added that the participation in the show underscored PAF’s commitment to showcasing Pakistan’s “rapidly advancing indigenous aerospace capabilities and its proven operational excellence”. The military’s media wing added that the force will feature its “cutting-edge JF-17 Thunder Block-III multi-role fighter jet and the highly acclaimed Super Mushshak basic trainer aircraft”. “The JF-17 Block-III, representing the p...
    Tags: Pakistan ISPR
  • COAS Munir lauds ‘character, courage, competence’ shown by soldiers in ongoing fight against terrorism
    Dawn - 08:51 Feb 10, 2026
    Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir lauded the “character, courage, and competence” demonstrated by soldiers in the ongoing fight against terrorism, the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday. According to an ISPR statement, the CDF made these remarks while addressing the closing ceremony of the 9th International Pakistan Army Team Spirit (PATS) Competition as the chief guest on Monday. Reaffirming the core values of the army, the CDF “underscored the enduring soldierly attributes of ‘character, courage and competence’, which have been consistently demonstrated by Pakistani soldiers, particularly in the ongoing fight against terrorism”, the military’s media wing said. Field Marshal Munir also “commended all participating teams for their exceptional professionalism, physical and mental endurance, operational competence and high morale displayed during the exercise”. “He emphasised the importance of such multinational engagements in enhancing ...
  • Pakistan’s ranking in global corruption perceptions index edges up; score rises to 28
    Dawn - 08:20 Feb 10, 2026
    Pakistan’s ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025 improved by one point, moving from 135 out of 180 countries in 2024 to 136 out of 182 countries in 2025. At the same time, the country’s CPI score increased by one point, from 27 in 2024 to 28 in 2025, according to Transparency International’s report published on Tuesday. While Pakistan is undertaking commendable efforts in governance and institutional reforms, it is imperative that the recommendations of the IMF Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment are implemented effectively. This is essential to sustain Pakistan’s upward momentum in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in the coming years, said the Chair of Transparency International Pakistan, Justice Zia Perwez. The Berlin-based Transparency International (TI) notes that corruption is worsening globally, with even established democracies experiencing rising corruption amid a decline in leadership. The 2025 index shows that the number of countries scoring above 80 has shrunk fro...
    Tags: Pakistan
  • Epstein accomplice Maxwell seeks clemency from Trump before testimony
    Dawn - 06:17 Feb 10, 2026
    Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell refused Monday to answer questions from US lawmakers but her attorney said she was prepared to speak if granted clemency by US President Donald Trump. Maxwell, 64, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee to discuss her relations with Epstein. Rather than answer the committee’s questions, however, the former British socialite invoked her Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate herself. A recording of the deposition released by the committee showed Maxwell speaking via video link, her eyes cast down at the table she was seated in a Texas prison. She was asked about her and Epstein’s co-conspirators, whether they surrounded themselves with the rich and famous in order to “curry favor” and avoid scrutiny, and whether Trump ever engaged “in sexual activity with an individual introduced to him by you or Jeffrey Epstein.” Wearing a drab, beige uniform, Maxwell repeated the phra...
    Tags: Epstein Maxwell Trump
  • PM Shehbaz to attend Trump’s Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Feb 19
    Dawn - 05:53 Feb 10, 2026
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to visit Washington on February 18 and represent Pakistan at the first leaders’ meeting of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. The meeting is scheduled for Feb 19 at the US Institute of Peace. The inaugural meeting will focus on Gaza’s post-war reconstruction. The official invitation underlines the expected presence of “heads of state, heads of government, and international figures”. The summit is also expected to formalise the board’s mandate and structure. Eight Muslim-majority countries are expected to participate in the meeting. They include Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, and the UAE. Muslim participants are expected to adopt a unified position on Gaza-related issues. These include halting Israeli ceasefire violations and securing durable peace guarantees. Such guarantees are seen as essential for reconstruction efforts to proceed. The meeting may also address mechanisms to support long-term stability. All 22 invitees have al...
    Tags: Board Peace Washington
  • Nepra pulls the plug on net-metering
    Dawn - 02:35 Feb 10, 2026
    • Notifies new regulations, shifts all prosumers to net-billing • New contracts will be limited to five years; existing seven-year terms will remain valid until expiry • Buyback rate for future prosumers cut to Rs10-11 per unit from Rs26 • Imported electricity from Discos to be billed separately at Rs37-55 per unit ISLAMABAD: In a rapid move, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Monday drastically changed the terms of contracts for all existing and future net-metered solar consumers — known as prosumers — to contain rising solar energy penetration and protect an expensive and inefficient state-owned power network. The contractual changes were introduced through a predetermined set of regulations that had been published as draft for public opinion but were notified without any change after a public hearing. The notification effectively terminates the existing net-metering regime and replaces it with net-billing for all. As a result, earlier public pronouncements by officials and minister...
    Tags: NEPRA
  • Lahore manhole deaths: 5 suspects granted bail after complainant chooses not to pursue legal action
    Dawn - 20:56 Feb 09, 2026
    LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Monday granted bail to five suspects in the case pertaining to the death of a mother and her infant daughter from falling into an open manhole near Bhati Gate last month as the complainant chose not to seek any legal action. The two — 24-year-old Sadia and her 10-month-old daughter Rida — had fallen into the sewer at the site of the under-construction Data Darbar expansion project near Bhati Gate on January 28. While the woman’s body was found late at night, the same day, the child’s body was recovered the next day. Subsequently, three officials of the contractor working on the project were arrested along with two others. Magistrate Shafqat Abbas conducted Monday’s proceedings after police presented the suspects before the court on the expiry of their physical remand. The suspects included Project Manager Asghar Sandhu, contractor company’s chief executive officer Salman Yasin, Site In-charge Hunzala, Ahmed Nawaz, and Daniyal. Sajid Hussain, the father of the deceased woman, a...
  • Former IHC judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri challenges removal in FCC
    Dawn - 20:52 Feb 09, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: Former Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri moved the Federal Constitutional Court on Monday against his removal. He was removed as an IHC judge in December last year by President Asif Ali Zardari in compliance with an order by the high court, which declared that his elevation was “without lawful authority”. A division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan had announced the verdict on a plea challenging the validity of Jahangiri’s law degree and, by extension, his appointment as a high court judge. On Monday, Jahangiri filed a plea in the FCC through his lawyer, Salahuddin Ahmed. The federation of Pakistan, the president of Pakistan, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, the parliamentary committee (defunct) for the appointment of judges to superior courts, the Higher Education Commission, the University of Karachi (KU) and lawyer Mian Dawood were named as respondents. Dawood had approached the courts over Jahangiri’s appo...
    Tags: Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri
  • Khawaja Asif stresses need for national identity as NA passes resolution condemning Islamabad suicide attack
    Dawn - 20:46 Feb 09, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday stressed the need for a national identity as the National Assembly passed a resolution condemning the attack at an imambargah in Islamabad. Speaking on the floor of the house, Asif said, “It is very important that we have a national identity on which no one disagrees.” Talking about terrorism, he said, “The spike in terrorism in the country; I am sad to say that we are not even united in the condemnation of terrorism.” He said that in order to protect political interests, some refrained from attending the funerals of martyrs. “At least on national issues — all of us sitting here, regardless of which party they belong to … this is one thing on which there needs to be consensus on and that is Pakistan and its integrity as well as respect for those sacrificing their lives,” he said. In his remarks, the minister said that two dictators in the past had joined the war in Afghanistan to please a superpower. He said terrorism was a blowback of mistakes committed by d...
    Tags: Islamabad
  • PSL franchise Multan Sultans sold for record Rs2.45bn; new owner says name will be changed to Rawalpindi
    Dawn - 20:45 Feb 09, 2026
    Pakistan Super League franchise (PSL) Multan Sultans on Monday was sold to Walee Technologies for a record Rs2.45 billion ahead of the tournament’s 11th edition. At the auction in Lahore, show host Fakhr-i-Alam informed bidders that the winning bid would also cover the annual fee to maintain ownership of the team for the next 10 years. Speaking at the auction ceremony, the new owner of the team announced that they would be changing the name to Rawalpindi. “Are you ready for a surprise? We will be going for Rawalpindi!” announced the company’s chief executive officer, Ahsan Tahir. Speaking at the ceremony, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi congratulated Walee Technologies on their successful bid and expressed gratitude to former board chairman Najam Sethi for his vision for the Multan Sultans franchise. “Multan Sultans was created by Najam Sethi sahib; we are so pleased he is with us today,” Naqvi said, inviting Sethi onto the stage. In his remarks, Sethi said, “I’m obviously delighted to be h...
    Tags: Rawalpindi Multan Sultans
  • Pakistan to play T20 World Cup match against India, govt announces
    Dawn - 20:42 Feb 09, 2026
    The government announced on Monday that Pakistan would play the T20 World Cup match against India, scheduled for February 15. The decision to play the match comes after a delegation from the ICC arrived in the country over the weekend and held meetings with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on the team’s participation in the match against India. It also came hours after Sri Lanka urged Pakistan to play India. In a post on X, the government said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was formally briefed by PCB Chairman Naqvi regarding the outcomes of high-level deliberations held between the PCB, representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). “The government of Pakistan has reviewed the formal requests extended to the PCB by the BCB, as well as the supporting communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and other member nations. These correspondences sought Pakistan’s leadership in securing a viable solution to recent challenges,” i...
    Tags: Pakistan T20 World Cup India
  • Iran says it could dilute enriched uranium if all sanctions are lifted
    Dawn - 19:09 Feb 09, 2026
    Iran could agree to dilute its most highly enriched uranium in exchange for all financial sanctions being lifted, its atomic chief said on Monday, one of the most direct indications so far of its position at talks with Washington. US and Iranian diplomats held talks through Omani mediators in Oman last week in an effort to revive diplomacy, after US President Donald Trump positioned a naval flotilla in the region, raising fears of new military action. The talks follow a crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in Iran last month. Trump joined an Israeli bombing campaign last year and hit Iranian nuclear sites. He also threatened last month to intervene militarily during the protests, but ultimately held off. Washington has demanded Iran relinquish its stockpile — estimated last year by the UN nuclear agency at more than 440 kilogrammes — of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent fissile purity, a small step away from the 90pc that is considered weapons grade. The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, M...
    Tags: Iran
  • Death toll from suicide attack on imambargah in Islamabad reaches 38, hospital data shows
    Dawn - 18:22 Feb 09, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: Data from hospitals showed that the death toll of the suicide attack on an imambargah in Islamabad reached 38 on Monday. Speaking in the National Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that 33 people were killed in the attack while more than 150 were injured. However, hospital records show that the toll has increased. On the day of the incident, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil said that 28 dead bodies were brought to the hospital. On the other hand, Polyclinic said that four dead bodies were brought to the hospital, which added up to 32 deaths, as reported by the media. A day later, on Saturday, the Pims Spokesperson confirmed that a patient had died. The same day, it was also learnt that some of the injured were shifted to the HBS Institute of Healthcare and Allied Health Sciences, out of which three had died. The hospital’s representative, Dr Riaz Janjua, told Dawn that three deaths were reported at his hospital. He informed t...
    Tags: Islamabad
  • T20 World Cup: ‘All the pressure’ on Pakistan, says USA leg-spinner Mohammad Mohsin
    Dawn - 15:53 Feb 09, 2026
    USA leg-spinner Mohammad Mohsin said on Monday that “the pressure will be on Pakistan” when the teams lock horns in the T20 World Cup again, two years after the Americans inflicted a shock defeat on the former champions. But Pakistan quick bowler Salman Mirza insisted the stunning super over defeat in Dallas in the 2024 T20 World Cup would be firmly “in the past” when the two clash in Colombo on Tuesday. The USA team gave tournament favourites India a big scare in their opening match in Mumbai, reducing them to 77-6 at one point, with Mohsin taking a wicket on his T20 World Cup debut, before losing by 29 runs. They are confident they can repeat their stunning upset of two years ago in the Group A encounter. “The pressure of losing the last game will be on Pakistan,” said Mohsin. Born and brought up playing cricket in Pakistan, Mohsin migrated to the US five years ago and warned that the USA was a better team now than two years ago. “I have played with most of the players in this Pakistan team, so I have given...
    Tags: Mohammad Mohsin Pakistan T20 World Cup
  • UK’s Prince William and Kate ‘deeply concerned’ about Epstein revelations
    Dawn - 13:39 Feb 09, 2026
    Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate said on Monday they were deeply concerned by the revelations in the Jeffrey Epstein files amid further damning disclosures about the heir-to-the-throne’s uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles who had already been cast out of the royal inner circle over his close relationship with Epstein, has faced fresh scrutiny since the recent publication of millions of new documents relating to the late convicted US sex offender. While Charles and his wife Camilla said in October that their thoughts and sympathies were with the victims and survivors of abuse, Monday’s comment by the Prince and Princess of Wales is the most pointed message so far delivered by the royal family on the Epstein scandal. “I can confirm the prince and princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations,” a spokesperson for William and Kate told reporters ahead of the prince’s arrival in Riyadh for a high-profile trip. “Their thoughts rem...
    Tags: Kate Prince William Epstein
  • India says it will maintain multiple sources of energy supply
    Dawn - 13:35 Feb 09, 2026
    India plans to maintain multiple sources of energy supply and diversify them when needed as New Delhi looks to ensure consumers receive “adequate energy at the right price through reliable and secure supplies”, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Monday. Misri was responding to a question at a media briefing seeking clarity on India’s position on the purchase of Russian oil after US President Donald Trump said last week that New Delhi had “committed to stop directly or indirectly” importing it. “India’s priority is to safeguard the interests of its consumers through an energy policy driven by adequate availability, fair pricing, and reliability of supply,” Misri said. He added that India was neither dependent on any single source for crude oil nor did it “intend to be”, importing from a “mix of sources” depending on “objective market conditions”, adding that “national interests” guide both the government and Indian energy companies. Last week, Trump signed an executive order lifting the punitive 25%...
    Tags: India
  • China rejects US claims of secret nuclear tests
    Dawn - 13:07 Feb 09, 2026
    China on Monday denied the United States’ allegations that it had conducted secret nuclear explosive tests, calling them “outright lies” and accusing Washington of making excuses to start up its own trials. At the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Friday, Thomas DiNanno, the US under secretary of state for arms control, accused China of conducting the tests, including one on 22 June, 2020, and of preparing for more tests with massive yields. “The US allegations are completely groundless and are outright lies. China firmly opposes the US attempt to fabricate excuses for its own restarting of nuclear tests,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement to AFP on Monday. It also urged the US to “immediately stop its irresponsible actions”. US President Donald Trump said in October that Washington would start testing nuclear weapons “on an equal basis” with Moscow and Beijing, but without elaborating or explaining what kind of nuclear testing he wanted to resume. DiNanno’s comments came as he w...
    Tags: China
  • Omar Ayub, Ali Amin Gandapur declared absconders in ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’ case
    Dawn - 13:05 Feb 09, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: A judicial magistrate on Monday declared two PTI leaders — former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur and ex-National Assembly opposition leader Omar Ayub — absconders in two case pertaining to the party’s 2022 ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’. The march is one of several protests that the party has carried out following the ouster of PTI founder Imran Khan as the prime minister through a no-confidence vote in 2022. Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hassan Chishti heard the two cases related to the protest, registered at Islamabad’s Bara Kahu police station, declaring Ayub and Gandapur absconders and issuing their perpetual arrest warrants over their persistent absence from hearings. Judge Chishti observed that the two had failed to appear before the court despite the issuance of summons multiple times. They also did not furnish any plausible justification for their absence, the judge noted. They were summoned several times, but they continued to evade the proceedings, the judge remarked. Making th...
    Tags: Ali Amin Gandapur Omar Ayub Haqeeqi Azadi March
  • Punjab CM lauds authorities on organising ‘safe Basant’
    Dawn - 12:51 Feb 09, 2026
    Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday praised authorities for organising a “safe Basant” festival over the weekend in Lahore. In televised remarks, she expressed gratitude to various authorities for their arrangements and work during the three-day festival to make sure it was a success. “I wish to praise all 15 departments of the Punjab government for arranging a safe Basant with a whole-of-government approach,” she said. She made special mention of Punjab Inspector General Rao Abdul Kareem, Lahore Capital City Police Officer Bilal Kamyana, Lahore Deputy Inspector General Operations Faisal Kamran and their teams. CM Maryam also expressed happiness that citizens followed standard operating procedures and installed “safety rods” on their bikes, aimed at preventing motorcyclists from suffering injuries caused by kite strings. “It was a positive change for lots of people, where people saw that citizens in Lahore were abiding by the law and following safety protocols,” she added. “It gave me hope tha...
    Tags: Punjab Basant

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