Dawn
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Dawn - 05:33 May 06, 2026
A man accused of murdering 15 people in an anti-Semitic mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach is facing a raft of fresh charges, court records released on Wednesday showed. Naveed Akram is accused of opening fire as families thronged Bondi Beach for a Hanukkah celebration in December. The 24-year-old has already been charged with dozens of serious crimes, including 15 murders and committing an act of terrorism. Court records showed he is now facing 19 additional charges, including multiple counts of shooting with intent to murder, wounding with intent to murder, and discharging a firearm with intent to resist arrest. Akram, who is being held in a high-security prison, is yet to indicate how he will plead. His father and alleged co-conspirator Sajid, 50, was shot and killed by police during the assault. The charges were released after a sweeping inquiry opened public hearings into Australia’s deadliest mass shooting for 30 years. “The sharp spike of anti-Semitism that we have witnessed in Australia has been... -
Dawn - 03:29 May 06, 2026
WASHINGTON: On the first anniversary of the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, a growing body of commentary from US and international analysts suggests that the next such crisis between the two nuclear-armed neighbours is not only more likely, but will prove dangerous with fewer opportunities for outside powers to contain it. In a piece published on Tuesday, The Washington Post warned that the world may be underestimating the risks. “You know the world scene is chaotic when we’re approaching the first anniversary of a shooting war between two hostile nuclear powers and very few Americans remember it,” the newspaper noted, adding that another crisis is “probably not a question of if, but when.” The editorial described the May 2025 conflict as a new form of “non-contact” war, involving missiles, drones and air power without a ground invasion. It cautioned that both sides may now believe they can fight a limited conventional war without triggering nuclear escalation — a conclusion that could prove dangerously fla... -
Dawn - 01:24 May 06, 2026
NEW DELHI: The chief minister of West Bengal, who was swept from power this week by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in state elections, said on Tuesday that she had “not been defeated” and would not resign, in an unprecedented political twist. The BJP defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been in power in West Bengal since 2011, securing more than two-thirds of the 294 seats when votes were counted on Monday. The BJP has never ruled West Bengal, a populous eastern state that borders Bangladesh, and its victory is considered a political milestone as the party now controls almost all states in eastern India. The TMC tally fell to 80 seats from its earlier 215, with Banerjee herself losing her seat. Banerjee said about 100 seats were “forcibly taken” from her party, which also had to contend with a “biased” Election Commission. She did not back her accusation with evidence. “I will not resign, I did not lose... officially, through the Election C... -
Dawn - 18:59 May 05, 2026
Army’s top leadership asserted on Tuesday that peace and stability in the region were intrinsically linked to collective restraint, responsibility and respect for sovereignty, a statement issued by the military’s media affairs wing after the 275th Corps Commanders’ Conference said. Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir presided over the meeting at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) said. The military leadership’s observation comes against the backdrop of a conflict between the US and Iran. It began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February and later broadened into a regional crisis, involving disruption of traffic in shipping lanes attacks on Gulf countries. The conflict is paused for now, following a fragile ceasefire that continues to be tested. The Corps Commanders’ Conference, while deliberating on the broader regional security environment, “noted that emerging geopolitical developments carry significant implications ... -
Dawn - 18:57 May 05, 2026
Players would boycott the French Open if their prize money at the claycourt Grand Slam is not increased, women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka said on Tuesday, with Coco Gauff also voicing support for the drastic step. The threat deepens a dispute between players and Roland Garros organisers over prize money distribution, even though this year’s tournament offers a 9.5 per cent increase to 61.7 million euros ($72.19 million). Several top players released a statement on Monday saying they were set to receive prize money that would likely still be less than 15pc of tournament revenue, well short of the 22pc they demanded to match the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) combined 1000 events. When asked how far players might push their demands, Sabalenka told reporters at the Italian Open: “I think at some point we will boycott it (the tournament), yeah. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights. “Let’s see how far we can get, if it’s g... -
Dawn - 17:44 May 05, 2026
LAHORE: A woman and her three children were murdered in their house in Multan, police said on Tuesday, adding that the crime scene was staged as a suicide. City Police Officer (CPO) Multan Sadiq Ali Dogar confirmed to the media that the woman and her children were murdered, and it was staged as a suicide. “Certainly, this is not a suicide; this leans more towards murder,” he said. “It was a staged suicide.” The CPO added that evidence was still being collected and that all aspects of the case are under investigation. Initially, Rescue 1122 and police received a call on their helplines reporting that a woman had allegedly hanged herself along with her children in an informal settlement near Mumtazabad Phatak in Multan. However, investigators expressed doubts about the nature of the deaths. A senior police officer, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that initial findings suggested that the case appeared to be a suspected homicide staged as suicide. He added that evidence collected from the scene indicated tha... -
Dawn - 16:51 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Party leaders were once again denied a meeting with incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan in Adiala jail on Tuesday as his sisters appealed to the public to gather in large numbers outside the jail to exert pressure on the government. All three sisters of Imran arrived at Adiala jail, as per routine, as Tuesday is the designated meeting day, but were told by law enforcement officials that they could not proceed. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, former chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Junaid Akbar, who is also president of PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and other leaders were present outside the jail. Talking to the media outside Adiala Jail, Aleema said she hoped a large number of people would soon gather there to exert pressure on the government, but she appeared disappointed by the meeting’s closing time. She said that it was unfortunate that the courts were not delivering justice. Noreen Khan, speaking to the media, said: “They believe they are not answerable to anyone. Imran Khan is the... -
Dawn - 15:57 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the removal of YouTuber Rajab Butt’s name from the Passport Control List (PCL), ruling that the continuation of travel restrictions without lawful justification violates fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. In a detailed six-page judgment, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan directed the relevant authorities to immediately remove the petitioner’s name from the PCL, provided there was no other legal impediment or restraining order issued by a competent court. The court noted that Rajab Butt’s name had been placed on the PCL at the request of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). However, during the proceedings, the deputy attorney general informed the bench that the NCCIA had no objection to the removal of the petitioner’s name from the list. The judgment observed that while the power to include an individual’s name in the PCL is derived from the Passport Act and relevant rules, such authority is not absolute and must be exercised i... -
Dawn - 15:52 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Tuesday affirmed his decision regarding the composition of the newly formed Punjab Coordination and Monitoring Committee, saying that no existing member would be excluded and no new name would be added to the body. On Monday, Raja notified a five-member body under the convenership of Amjad Khan Niazi to “coordinate organisational matters between the four regions of Punjab through engagement with the presidents and general secretaries of the said regions”. PTI leaders Naeem Haider Panjotha, Shaukat Mahmood Basra, Ali Ijaz Buttar and Mehr Abdul Sattar were also named as members. However, several PTI members and workers have been criticising Raja’s decision to nominate Niazi as the convener of the body, because he had parted ways with the party in the wake of the events related to the May 9 protests. Speaking to Dawn, Raja said, “I know that some leaders have been criticising Niazi that he left the party, but they should not forget that Imran Khan himself had... -
Dawn - 15:30 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has announced that the party will hold protests all over the country on Wednesday and Friday against the “martyrdom” of prominent cleric Maulana Idrees. The renowned cleric and former Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MPA was killed on Tuesday after unidentified assailants opened fire on him, police said. “Full and peaceful protests will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) and on Friday against the martyrdom of Sheikh Idrees”, said JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghouri in a statement. He said the provincial and district organisations would arrange protest demonstrations at all four provincial headquarters and across districts. Terming the death of Maulana Idrees an irreparable loss, Ghouri said they were exhausted by carrying the bodies of senior scholars. “How long will the state continue to test us?” Ghouri asked, alleging that the federal and provincial governments have failed to maintain law and order. He asked public to participate in the protests and register their protes... -
Dawn - 14:17 May 05, 2026
The United States is “not looking for a fight” over the Strait of Hormuz, and its ceasefire with Iran still holds, but any attack on commercial shipping will be met with a “devastating” response, the Pentagon chief said on Tuesday. The warning from Pete Hegseth came on the second day of a US effort, dubbed ‘Project Freedom’, to facilitate the transit of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had closed in response to the US-Israeli war on the Islamic republic. “We’re not looking for a fight. But Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway,” Hegseth told reporters. “If you attack American troops or innocent commercial shipping, you will face overwhelming and devastating American firepower.” US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine addresses reporters at the Pentagon on May 5, 2026. — AFP The Pentagon chief added that Washington is promising security for commercial vessels with a “red, white and blue dome” over the Strai... -
Dawn - 14:06 May 05, 2026
CHARSADDA: Renowned cleric and former Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MPA Maulana Muhammad Idrees was killed on Tuesday after unidentified assailants opened fire on him, police said. Police Personal Relations Officer Safiullah told Dawn that Idrees left for Darul Uloom Noumania from his home in Tarangzai. He said that shortly before he arrived at his destination, armed assailants fired at the vehicle in the Tariqabad Utmanzai area. He said that two officials were also injured in the incident, adding that police had obtained CCTV footage of the incident. The cleric’s body was subsequently shifted to the District Headquarter Hospital. His funeral prayers were offered later in the day in his native Tarangzai area of Charsadda, with strict security arrangements in place and a large number of attendees, including prominent JUI-F leaders. Idrees was the JUI-F district ameer and was considered one of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s trusted advisers. The deceased’s father-in-law, Maulana Hassan Jan, who had defeated Awami ... -
Dawn - 14:00 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s quest to attract over $8 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and to generate 500,000 jobs between 2018 and 2024, remained well below the target, according to the investment minister. As of 2025, only four SEZs have advanced beyond the planning stage with partial implementation, Investment Minister Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh said on Tuesday. Speaking at the ‘Pakistan-China Industrialisation Dialogue’ in Islamabad, the minister explained that the four SEZs are located in Rashakai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Punjab, Dhabeji in Sindh, and Bostan in Balochistan.” “Under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), nine SEZs were designated in the first phase, targeting sectors including food processing, ceramics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and auto assembly, he added. Sheikh emphasised that Pakistan is now entering a decisive phase of CPEC, shifting focus towards industrialisation, export-led growth, and enhanced business-to-busines... -
Dawn - 13:54 May 05, 2026
Police on Tuesday released seven Aurat March activists after briefly detaining them near Karachi Press Club (KPC), following orders from Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar. The activists were detained after they gathered at Karachi Press Club (KPC) for a press conference scheduled for 4pm to demand a no-objection certificate (NOC) for their upcoming annual march in Karachi. An Aurat March organiser confirmed to Dawn that seven people, including Sheema Kirmani and Shahzadi Rai, had been released. This came shortly after Lanjar ordered the metropolis’ south zone police to release the detained activists. In a post on X following the release, Aurat March Karachi said: “We will NOT back down from our politics, and we will continue to demand an NOC! “Scare tactics to suppress dissent are shameful!” it said, demanding that the Sindh government issue a statement explaining the reason for the arrests and for the “delay” in granting the NOC. Shortly before 4pm, the rights group said three of its organisers were “pi... -
Dawn - 13:42 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health was informed by the health ministry on Tuesday that nearly 20,000 patients who initiated treatment at antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS are now “missing”. The committee also rejected the health ministry’s request to hold an in-camera briefing over the issue of HIV. The NA committee, chaired by MNA Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, had taken strong notice of the rising trend of HIV and AIDS cases in Pakistan and sought a briefing from the ministry. Pakistan has become one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, with new infections rising by 200 per cent over the last 15 years — from 16,000 in 2010 to 48,000 in 2024. The ministry informed the committee that an estimated 369,000 people were living with HIV in Pakistan, while only 84,000 cases were currently registered, highlighting a significant detection gap. In 2025 alone, 14,000 new cases were reported. In a critical r... -
Dawn - 13:09 May 05, 2026
An Israeli court on Tuesday extended the detention of two foreign activists taken from a Gaza-bound flotilla by six days, a lawyer representing them said. Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila appeared before a court in the southern city of Ashkelon for their second hearing, after being brought to Israel for questioning last week. The extension is to allow police more time to interrogate them, the pair’s lawyer said. The two, held in a prison in Ashkelon, were among dozens of activists aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off the coast of Greece early on Thursday. The other detained activists were taken to the Greek island of Crete and released. The representatives of Avila and Abu Keshek have accused Israeli authorities of abusing the two men, who have been on hunger strike for the past six days. The flotilla’s vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid... -
Dawn - 12:10 May 05, 2026
KARACHI: Ghulam Hussain Soho resigned as chairman of the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK), it emerged on Tuesday, following reports of irregularities and mismanagement at the board. He handed in his resignation late on Monday to the Secretary of the Universities and Boards Department, Abbas Baloch, after learning that a committee report recommended his suspension as BSEK head.” A committee formed on the directives of Sindh Universities and Boards Minister Muhammad Ismail Rahoo has completed its report, revealing that BSEK’s administrator made changes to 170 examination centres during the ongoing matric examinations. The report also recommended that the BSEK chairman be suspended. Learning this, Soho resigned himself. According to sources, Soho, in his resignation, wrote that he had tried to reform the BSEK. This, he noted, included measures such as the complete automation of the system, online payments, grievance redressal system and training of examination staff, which he contended did not sit wel... -
Dawn - 11:58 May 05, 2026
Last year’s military confrontation with India delighted us with something Pakistan rarely experiences: a unified national response. One voice and one direction from a collective will that held under pressure. We have the same reaction, at a smaller scale, during a cricket match against India. And then we watch as it dissolves. A pressing question lies behind this pattern. It is one I have asked for ten years on my podcast and in private conversations. I have asked people from the corridors of power, the circles of military brass, the layers of our Establishment, and the captains of industry. I have asked four Prime Ministers, Generals, CEOs. I have asked them all the same thing, on the record and off it: how do we fix Pakistan? Their answer is almost always the same. We know the problems. We often know the solutions. So why, after a decade of these conversations, does nothing change? We only unite when there is an enemy Pakistan’s capacity for collective action is not a myth. It exists and activates reliably ... -
Dawn - 11:34 May 05, 2026
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday announced a province-wide pen-down strike tomorrow (May 6) over the federal government’s alleged “discrimination” against KP. In a statement, CM Afridi contended that the Centre was discriminating against KP because the province has a government led by former premier Imran Khan’s PTI. “The federal government is deliberately discriminating against the province in the NFC (National Finance Commission) Award, electricity and gas,” the chief minister claimed. Since becoming the provincial chief executive in October 2025, Afridi has repeatedly accused the federal government of stalling the release of funds allocated for KP, particularly those committed for the merged districts under the NFC Award. In his announcement, the KP CM said that emergency services would be exempt from the pen-down strike. He urged all lawyers “who uphold the Constitution and the law” to participate in the strike. He also lamented that Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi were not being ... -
Dawn - 11:16 May 05, 2026
LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Tuesday launched a crackdown on ‘anti-state’ social media activities, arresting 13 individuals in Punjab. “In a province-wide crackdown against anti-state social media activities, the NCCIA has arrested 13 individuals from different cities of Punjab during the last couple of weeks,” a spokesperson for NCCIA told Dawn. He said the crackdown has been launched on the instructions of NCCIA Punjab Director Muhammad Ali Waseem, who recently took charge. Those arrested were involved in running a campaign against the state, particularly the army and government functionaries, across various social media platforms, he added. Two of them were also allegedly involved in posting content targeting Gulf countries. The arrested suspects have been booked under different sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016. According to the spokesperson, social media activists Usman, Qamar, Abbas, and Tahir Mushtaq have been arrested from Lahore; Hami...
10706 items