Dawn
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Dawn - 11:34 Aug 13, 2026
PESHAWAR: A highly wanted terrorist commander was killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted by the Bannu police and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), the district police confirmed on Thursday. Bannu’s District Police Officer (DPO) Captain (retd) Muhammad Furqan Bilal confirmed the terrorist’s killing in a conversation with Dawn. The DPO confirmed that the terrorist was identified as a high-profile commander, Naseer Muhammad alias Geedarh, who carried a Rs6 million bounty on his head. According to a statement issued by the police, an operation is underway against terrorists in the jurisdiction of Domel Police Station under the supervision of DPO Bilal, involving both the Bannu district police and CTD teams. The statement elaborated that the operation is being conducted in Akbar Ali Khan Kili, Sada Khel, Sadarwan and the adjoining areas, where police and CTD teams are carrying out targeted actions based on intelligence reports regarding the presence and movement o... -
Dawn - 10:26 Aug 13, 2026
Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia will form political and military mechanisms under a defence pact signed between the regional powers last week, Turkiye’s defence ministry said on Thursday, adding the alliance would also deepen defence industry cooperation. The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed last week as the Middle East grapples with fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has dragged in regional players and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. At a weekly briefing in Ankara, the ministry said the mechanisms would include the three countries’ defence ministers, foreign ministers, and military chiefs. It added that the joint military exercises were also being planned under the pact, while cooperation could include joint production and technology sharing in the defence industry. The remarks come a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he hoped more countries would join the agreement. “Our vision for it is not limited to the three countries,” th... -
Dawn - 09:43 Aug 13, 2026
Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) police said on Thursday that eight highway police personnel on election duty had been “abducted” by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). Addressing a televised press conference, police spokesperson Khawar Ali Shaukat alleged that the JAAC attacked security forces deputed on election duty in the region. “Eight highway police officials on election duty were abducted,” he said as state media shared a collage of the officials’ pictures. “The personnel are in the custody of JAAC and have been subjected to brutal abuse,” he said. He said that the “miscreants also threatened the families of the personnel that they would be martyred if their demands were not met”. He said that recent events showed that the JAAC was not a peaceful group, but a violent one intent on challenging the state’s writ and weakening institutions. “I want to make it clear that the state was not and is not weak. The state has always shown restraint,” he said, adding that violent acts for the sake of rights... -
Dawn - 09:01 Aug 13, 2026
The body of Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, who was among the 10-person expedition that went missing after the deadly Broad Peak avalanche, was recovered and shifted to the mountain’s base camp, the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said on Thursday. The avalanche struck on July 30, cutting off contact with the 10-member international expedition led by world-renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains. Purja’s company later confirmed there were no survivors. The bodies of seven climbers were found. However, the search for Sakhi, American climber Sarah Mallory Geis, and Nepalese climber Nawang Thindu Sherpa was suspended last week due to a risk of fresh avalanches. On Thursday, ACP member Naila Kiani said that Sakhi’s body had been found. According to Naila, a team of local volunteers from Shigar, searching the area on their own initiative, found the remains, which were subsequently confirmed as those of Sakhi. She said the volunteers — Muhammad Nadeem, Muha... -
Dawn - 08:08 Aug 13, 2026
For decades, the world assessed Pakistan through a narrow lens: a frontline state in the war on terror, a nuclear power locked in rivalry with India, a country defined by its instability rather than its influence. That lens was always too small, and the past year has proven it. The US-Iran war and its aftermath have done what years of diplomatic messaging could not: they have forced Washington, Riyadh, and Abu Dhabi to recognise what Pakistan has quietly known for a long time: Pakistan is not a peripheral actor in Middle Eastern politics; it is fast becoming one of the region’s most indispensable players. The proof came in September 2025, when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in Riyadh, a pact that formalised what had long been an informal reality: Pakistan is Saudi Arabia’s most credible security partner outside the American umbrella. Security guarantor That agreement came just a week after Israeli strikes on Hamas officials ... -
Dawn - 07:15 Aug 13, 2026
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the provincial government on Thursday to constitute a committee for an “independent, impartial and comprehensive” inquiry into the HIV outbreak among children at Karachi’s Kulsum Bai Valika Hospital. A two-member SHC bench, headed by Justice Adnanul Karim Memon and comprising Justice Muhammad Jaffer Raza, issued the directive as it announced its reserved judgement on a plea seeking an independent inquiry, registration of a case and lifelong medical treatment as well as appropriate compensation for the affected children. The outbreak was initially reported late last year, following which the Sindh government carried out screening at the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI)-run hospital located in Karachi’s SITE area. According to data shared by the Sindh government, at least 78 children have been found infected with HIV at the hospital while a screening in the nearby area also confirmed 120 additional cases. But Advocate Tariq Mansoor, the lawyer who ... -
Dawn - 07:10 Aug 13, 2026
Hours after India made public assurances last week that its ethanol-blended petrol was safe, the country’s main auto lobby withdrew a complaint about fuel contamination it had sent to the government a week earlier. The group said some figures needed more checks. But separate communications between industry executives, reviewed by Reuters, showed that in the preceding days, top automakers Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra discussed their concerns about contamination of petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol, called E20. Their data compiled the most comprehensive fuel testing done by the industry since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government started rolling out E20 nationwide from last year to help curb pollution and cut oil imports. With no other petrol available since April 1, consumer concerns have grown about the impact on vehicle performance. The carmakers’ emails show for the first time how they are privately worried about contaminants in E20, like chloride and moisture, which they say are hurtin... -
Dawn - 07:06 Aug 13, 2026
QUETTA: The gas supply to several towns and cities of Balochistan, including parts of the provincial capital, was suspended late on Wednesday after a main gas pipeline in Bolan area of Kachhi district was blown up by unidentified miscreants. The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) confirmed the incident and said that the 18-inch wide gas pipeline was badly damaged, disrupting the supply. A statement by its spokesperson said that the explosion occurred at the KMP-246 Valve Assembly in the Bolan riverbed area near Gorkat, around 700 to 800 metres from the main Quetta-Sibi Road. It said that unknown people planted explosives under the pipeline in the riverbed and detonated it with a remote control. The company said the gas supply was suspended to Kolpur, Mach, Mastung, Kalat, Pishin, Ziarat and many parts of Quetta and added that consumers may face reduced gas pressure or supply. Local sources said unidentified individuals allegedly targeted the main valve of the gas pipeline with explosives in the Daraz Bent area o... -
Dawn - 05:39 Aug 13, 2026
Pakistan has reportedly asked the United States for a $10 billion currency-swap facility from the US Treasury’s Exchange Stabilisation Fund. The request arrived at an extraordinary moment: the United States is at war with Iran, Pakistan has become an important channel for diplomacy between Washington and Tehran, and Islamabad is again trying to turn geopolitical relevance into economic relief. The details of the proposal remain unsettled. Its legal structure, pricing, maturity, conditions and permitted uses have not been publicly disclosed. It may not be approved, and even an approved line may never be drawn. Those qualifications matter. But they do not make the request politically unimportant. On the contrary, the very possibility of such a facility tells us something about how money and power now travel together. Pakistan already has extensive experience with bilateral financial support, most notably through its currency-swap arrangement with China. A US facility would add another layer to that relationship... -
Dawn - 05:34 Aug 13, 2026
Pakistan and Norway on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest. The development came as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, who arrived in Islamabad earlier in the day, the first such visit in a decade. The Foreign Office (FO) said the two held a “restricted-format meeting”. “DPM Dar warmly welcomed Eide to Pakistan. The two ministers discussed the full range of bilateral relations, as well as regional and international developments, and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest,” it said. Upon his arrival to Islamabad, Eide was received at the airport by Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe) Ambassador Ayesha Ali. In a statement on Wednesday, the FO said the minister is undertaking the visit from Aug 13-14 at Dar’s invitation. During the visit, the two will hold delegation-level talks covering the full spectrum of Pakist... -
Dawn - 04:53 Aug 13, 2026
Spectators across Spain watched in wonder, some whipping off their protective glasses and rising to their feet in unison, as a rare total solar eclipse swept across the north of the country on Wednesday evening, plunging it into darkness. Spain deployed a massive police contingent and set up special viewing spots across rural areas that offered the best views of the spectacle. Millions of people gathered in Iceland and northern Spain to witness Western Europe’s first total solar eclipse in 27 years. Throughout human history, eclipses have stirred amazement, fear and reverence, as they appear to momentarily halt the normal course of nature. The shadow or “umbra” cast by the alignment of Sun and Moon creates a strange twilight during which temperatures drop, shadows appear at strange angles and some animals go to sleep. But the phenomenon is fleeting, lasting just minutes, with the lunar shadow moving across the surface of the Earth at some 3,430 kilometres (2,130 miles) per hour, according to the Paris Obser... -
Dawn - 04:50 Aug 13, 2026
Congressional Democrats demanded answers on Wednesday about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, following reports of food shortages, broken plumbing and mental health crises during the aircraft carrier’s record-setting deployment. In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Wednesday, Senator Richard Blumenthal called for the Navy to account for conditions aboard the aircraft carrier, which “has been deployed more than 250 days” without coming ashore “in over 200 days, setting a record for consecutive days at sea.” Blumenthal voiced concern for such extended deployments, noting “widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns” and other problems aboard the Lincoln. Senator Ruben Gallego called for “an official oversight visit with the bipartisan Senate Delegation to the USS Lincoln to investigate the reported alarming conditions,” in a post on X. The USS Abraham Lincoln departed San Diego, California on Novembe... -
Dawn - 03:09 Aug 13, 2026
KARACHI: While the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) is widely blamed for failing to provide water in many areas connected to its piped network across the metropolis, the utility has burdened Karachi residents with higher costs as it notified a uniform 7.05 per cent increase in water and sewerage charges for its residential and bulk consumers. The latest increase has marked the second major hike in just two years as in September 2024 the corporation had increased its monthly charges by roughly 23 per cent. At the time, sewerage charges were set at nine per cent of water charges. The decision draws widespread criticism from the public who have to rely on water tankers as the KWSC failed to ensure uninterrupted water supply in their areas. Uniform 7.05pc increase in monthly water and sewerage charges notified A notification published in the Sindh Government Gazette on August 10, 2026 made the increase official, following approval by the KWSC Board of Directors to revise both retail and bulk tariffs ... -
Dawn - 03:02 Aug 13, 2026
KARACHI: Investigators probing the murder case of young businessman Mir Raza Ali have sought the technical expertise of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to unlock the deceased’s digital footprint, it emerged on Wednesday. IBA graduate and owner of the eatery Wafflix Mir Raza had gone missing on July 28 and his bullet-riddled body was found a day later in bushes near Shahi Qila Ground in Gulistan-i-Jauhar. A seven-member team, headed by DIG Amir Farooqui, is currently investigating the case. Sources said they are trying to retrieve Raza’s “digital records / WhatsApp account details” through the NCCIA to determine whether there is anything suspicious. Police will not rest until killers are exposed, IGP tells Abad They believe that unlocking his digital footprint could help untangle the case. The sources said that the investigation team also recorded the statement of the online cab driver who dropped Mir Raza in Gulistan-i-Jauhar on July 28. Abad expresses concern over Raza’s murder, extorti... -
Dawn - 02:50 Aug 13, 2026
QUETTA: Seven miners working for a private copper mining company were abducted by a group of armed men in the Mahian Kaur area of Chagai district on Wednesday, officials said. Company officials said eight armed men arrived in the area on motorcycles, entered the miners’ camp and took them hostage at gunpoint. They remained in the area for seven hours. The mine is located about 18 kilometres west of Chagai town. The attackers collected equipment, weapons from the guards and other items from the camp before taking away seven miners at gunpoint. The abducted workers include four labourers from Gilgit — Wajahat, Wajid Shahid and Sabir — and three local workers identified as Ziauddin of Dalbandin, Shah Saleem of Mahian, Chagai, and Saeed Muhammad, also a resident of Mahian. According to sources at the mine, the armed men also took away vehicles, including a Zamyad truck and a four-wheel-drive pickup, more than 20 solar panels, a motorcycle, bedding and kitchen equipment. They also reportedly took 2,500 litres of d... -
Dawn - 02:50 Aug 13, 2026
RAWALPINDI: The post-mortem examination of the suspect who was shot dead after he allegedly opened fire at security personnel was conducted at DHQ Hospital on Wednesday, officials said, adding that a phone recovered from him was also being examined as part of the investigation. The body of 32-year-old suspect, Mohammad Hussain, was brought by the R.A. Bazaar police to the DHQ hospital, where a team of doctors conducted the autopsy on Tuesday night, as no one had claimed the body. Investigations revealed the suspect was a resident of Khyber district. Police said a political party flag, cap, weapon and mobile phone were recovered from him. Tallal Chaudhry says PTI can’t ‘wash its hands’ of suspect Meanwhile, speaking at a press briefing, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry held the PTI leadership responsible for what he described as radicalisation of the worker and said its leaders could not “wash their hands” of the conduct of supporters they had allegedly trained and radicalised. He said the Aug 11... -
Dawn - 02:48 Aug 13, 2026
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Wednesday approved two draft notifications granting sales tax relief to local service providers and industrial undertakings in Malakand division and the erstwhile tribal areas, and cleared a series of measures relating to education, youth employment, healthcare and compensation for victims of terrorist attacks. One notification provides exemption from sales tax on services for local service providers, while the other exempts industrial undertakings established or operating in the erstwhile tribal areas and Malakand division from the obligation to withhold sales tax. In an official statement issued after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the government had set a revenue target of Rs180 billion for the current fiscal year and expressed confidence that it would be achieved through sustained efforts to strengthen revenue mobilisation. He appreciated cabinet members for interacting with people in their respective areas and urged them to c... -
Dawn - 02:41 Aug 13, 2026
EVERY decade in Pakistan’s history has seen a moment when a robust defence of democracy as the best form of government for a country like ours is needed. The never-ending struggle for supremacy between the democratic and non-democratic forces make it necessary. One of the key ways in which non-democratic forces advance their argument is to amplify all the bad things that happen under democratic rule, and all the flaws that democratically elected leaders bring to their position. They advance the idea that a more selfless leadership will be better for the country since it will put the national interest above its own. This is the central argument which numerous non-democratic forces have used to try and justify their intervention in politics and governance. But there is a flaw in this premise. No leadership is selfless. Not in the political arena. Every contender for leadership emerges only by harnessing the powers inherent in society. Non-democrats, for example, have had the organised power of their respective ... -
Dawn - 02:38 Aug 13, 2026
• Tankers in Red Sea switch off tracking to evade attacks; conflicting data clouds scale of export disruption • Tehran says no major progress in talks with Washington • Trump claims US has total control over Hormuz DUBAI: Saudi crude exports from the Red Sea are increasingly vanishing from view as tankers switch off tracking signals to avoid attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, with analysts saying all recent Yanbu loadings have been conducted “dark”. The Houthis declared a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia on July 20, targeting the US and allies in the Iran conflict. They’ve since claimed attacks on Saudi-linked tankers, Yanbu oil facilities, and Jazan refinery, leading vessels to turn off tracking signals. The increase in “dark voyages” is complicating the assessment of Houthi threat impacts on Saudi crude flows. Ship-tracking firms have produced widely differing export estimates — data used by the International Energy Agency, OPEC and traders to forecast market trends. In the week beginning Aug 3, data analytics fir... -
Dawn - 02:27 Aug 13, 2026
• Taliban chief reportedly warned outfit to halt attacks or risk losing support • UN report points to training links involving TTP, BLA, Al Qaeda • ISIL-K attacks decline in Afghanistan, but increase in Pakistan ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban’s continued support for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has contributed to a rise in the frequency and lethality of terrorist attacks in Pakistan, even as Kabul has taken some initial steps to rein in the group, according to a UN Security Council-mandated monitoring report. The report also points to growing operational and facilitation linkages among the TTP, Al Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIL-K) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). The 38th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, covering the period from Dec 16, 2025, to June 9, 2026, said that “cross-border attacks between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated, provoked by a high number of attacks by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan against Pakistan”. Like previous editions, the report was ...
12682 items