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Dawn - 19:24 May 03, 2026
The final match of the 11th HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) edition was preceded by a star-studded closing ceremony, featuring fireworks and performances by popular singers, including Aima Baig, Arif Lohar and Atif Aslam. Scores of spectators arrived at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on a hot Sunday to witness the gala event that was followed by the final clash between Peshawar Zalmi and debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen. Here are some glimpses of the closing ceremony. Spectators witness fireworks at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium ahead of HBL PSL 11 final match on May 3, 2026. — White Star Dancing groups representing different franchises perform at the closing ceremony of the HBL PSL 11 on May 3, 2026. — White Star Singers perform at the closing ceremony of the HBL PSL 11 on May 3, 2026. — White Star Singer Arif Lohar performs at the closing ceremony of the HBL PSL 11 on May 3, 2026. — White Star Singers Aima Baig and Atif Aslam perform at the closing ceremony of the HBL PSL 11 on May 3, 2026. — White Star Singer Aima Baig p... -
Dawn - 18:27 May 03, 2026
KARACHI: Aurat March organisers in Karachi said on Sunday that they had not been issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) yet for holding the annual march in the city, scheduled for May 10. The organisers said they had sent a letter to PPP’s Aseefa Bhutto Zardari “after receiving no positive response from the authorities” on the matter. “Seven days to the march, and we still have no NOC! We really hope that Aseefa Bhutt-Zardari will stand with Aurat March in the spirit of Sindh’s history of women in political life, and ensure that an NOC is promptly issued!” they said in a post on X. The march is planned to be held at Sea View on Mother’s Day, which is observed on the second Sunday of every May. Dawn reached out to the relevant authorities regarding the matter, among whom South Deputy Inspector General Asad Raza said police would provide “maximum security to the organisers of the Aurat March” like they did every year. But as far as the issuance of an NOC is concerned, that was to be “dealt with by the district... -
Dawn - 16:50 May 03, 2026
An Israeli court on Sunday extended for two days the detention of two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla, who were brought to Israel for questioning, a rights group representing them said. The flotilla of more than 50 vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and bring supplies to the devastated Palestinian territory. They were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece early on Thursday, with Israel saying it had removed some 175 activists — two of whom were taken to Israel for questioning. Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila appeared before a court in the southern city of Ashkelon on Sunday. AFP footage showed the pair being escorted into the courtroom, with Avila walking with his hands behind his back and Abu Keshek’s feet in shackles. “The court extended their detention by two days,” Miriam Azem, international advocacy coordinator at the rights group Adalah, told AFP. Adalah said the state attorney had prese... -
Dawn - 16:12 May 03, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced on Sunday a $70 billion initiative on Sunday to expand energy and digital infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region by 2035, aiming to strengthen power grid links, boost cross-border electricity trade and increase broadband access. The plan includes $50bn for a new Pan‑Asia Power Grid Initiative and $20bn for the Asia-Pacific Digital Highway project. At the inaugural session of its May 3-6 annual meeting in Samarkand, the Manila-based lending agency said it “will back $70bn in new energy and digital infrastructure initiatives by 2035, aiming to connect power grids, expand cross-border electricity trade, and improve broadband access across Asia and the Pacific”. “Energy and digital access will define the region’s future,” said ADB President Masato Kanda. “These two initiatives build the systems Asia and the Pacific need to grow, compete, and connect. By linking power grids and digital networks across borders, we can lower costs, expand opportunity, an... -
Dawn - 13:31 May 03, 2026
Israel gave final approval for a plan to purchase two new combat squadrons of F-35 and F-15IA advanced fighter aircraft from Lockheed Martin and Boeing in a deal worth tens of billions of dollars, the defence ministry said on Sunday. The deal, approved by Israel’s Ministerial Committee on Procurement, is a first step in a 350 billion shekel ($119 billion) plan to bolster Israel’s military and “strengthen readiness ahead of a demanding decade for Israeli security,” it said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said much of this expanded defence budget will be to produce munitions in Israel and not be dependent on foreign countries. Israel, he noted, will also develop “groundbreaking” aircraft. The ministry added that the new squadrons will serve as a cornerstone of the military’s long-term force development, addressing regional threats and preserving Israel’s strategic air superiority. “Alongside immediate wartime procurement needs, we have a responsibility to act now to secure the Israeli Defence Forces’ militar... -
Dawn - 12:49 May 03, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif at their Jati Umra residence in Lahore on Sunday, a statement issued by the PM’s Office (PMO) said, adding that the Middle East conflict and the political situation in the country were discussed during the meeting. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was also present on the occasion. The PMO statement said the premier briefed Nawaz on the “situation in the country” and exchanged views on the political situation. He further informed him about the situation in the Middle East and Pakistan’s efforts for the restoration of peace in the region, the statement added. The conflict in the Middle East, which is now more than two months old, began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. And while hostilities have paused following a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire on April 8 — which has been extended indefinitely by US President Donald Trump — the world continues to face its consequences. Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has been engag... -
Dawn - 12:13 May 03, 2026
Opec+ agreed on Sunday on a modest oil output hike for June, an increase that will remain largely on paper as long as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to disrupt Gulf oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Seven Opec+ countries will raise oil output targets by 188,000 barrels per day in June, the third consecutive monthly increase, Opec+ said in a statement after an online meeting. The increase is the same as that agreed for May minus the share of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which left the group on May 1. The move is designed to show the group is ready to raise supplies once the war stops and signals that Opec+ is pressing on with a business-as-usual approach despite the departure of the UAE from Opec+, sources associated with the alliance and analysts said. Opec+ is sending a two-layer message to the market: continuity despite the UAE’s exit, and control despite limited physical impact, said Jorge Leon, an analyst at Rystad and former Opec official. While output is increasing on paper, the real i... -
Dawn - 11:33 May 03, 2026
Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Sunday acknowledged that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line had proven to be a “very tough” project for the provincial government, but asserted that there had been no delay on its end. Speaking to reporters in Karachi, Memon said the Sindh government had to make some difficult decisions on the BRT Red Line after “all other options were exhausted”. The senior minister asserted that there had been “no mistake, mal-intent or delay” from the Sindh government on the BRT Red Line. He noted that work on the project’s Lot-1 was “underway with great speed”, while work on Lot-2 had been restarted. The Sindh government recently cancelled the construction contract for the BRT Red Line project. Subsequently, it chose the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) to resume construction on a section of the BRT Red Line along University Road, where commuters have been facing inconvenience. Designed to cover around 27 kilometres from Malir Halt to Numaish via University Road, work on BRT... -
Dawn - 11:00 May 03, 2026
Renowned mountaineer Sajid Ali Sadpara summited the world’s fifth-highest peak, Mount Makalu (8,485m) in Nepal, without supplementary oxygen, the expedition’s organisers said on Sunday. Sadpara is on a mission to summit all 14 “eight-thousanders” in the world without supplemental oxygen, and this marks his 10th summit of that mission. According to a statement issued by Seven Summit Treks, the expedition team Sadpara was part of, an excellent summit push at 5am on May 2 successfully reached the summit of Makalu. The statement added a team of three members, including Sadpara from Pakistan and Johannss Lau, with seven sherpas, stood on the summit, marking a remarkable achievement on the technically demanding peak. “We wish them a safe and smooth descent back to base camp,” Seven Summit Treks added. Sadpara had arrived in Nepal on April 4 for the mission and reached Makalu base camp on April 16. The expedition team completed their summit rotation at Makalu on April 25. Sadpara is the proud son of the legendar... -
Dawn - 09:14 May 03, 2026
LAKKI MARWAT: A police official was martyred in a gun attack in the Kaichi Kamar area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Sunday. Lakki Marwat district police officer’s (DPO) spokesman Qudratullah Khan confirmed that terrorists targeted Constable Irfanullah near his house in the trans-river belt known as Kurrum Par area. The incident occurred within the limits of Dadiwala police station. Qudratullah said that the policeman received critical bullet injuries and died on the way to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in the Serai Naurang town. The police official said that the martyred cop was posted in Peshawar and had come to his native village on leave. “After the attack, a large police contingent reached the area and launched a search for the assailants,” he added. Today’s incident comes just a day after unknown terrorists attacked the house of a police official with explosives in the district’s Shadikhel area, causing significant damage. Also in the Shadikhel area, a policeman embraced martyrdom i... -
Dawn - 09:02 May 03, 2026
Cities heat up faster than surrounding areas because of how they’re built. Urban areas can be up to 5.6 degrees Celsius warmer than nearby regions because of roads, concrete surfaces and dense construction that absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night, preventing cities from cooling down. This is known as the urban heat island effect. This means that when heatwaves hit, cities are already at an elevated baseline temperature and more prone to overheating. In most places, conventional planning prioritises plot sizes, road widths, and construction speed without mapping heat pockets or protecting natural cooling systems. However, climate sensitive urban planning incorporates nature as a fundamental element of urban living. How can climate smart urban design be integrated into our cities practically, and how does it differ from conventional urban planning? DawnNews discusses all this and much more with urban planner Sana R Gondal. As Pakistan confronts the accelerating realities of climate change,... -
Dawn - 08:41 May 03, 2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Rome and the Vatican this week, an Italian government source said on Sunday, just weeks after a clash between Donald Trump and Pope Leo. Rubio, who is a Catholic, is expected to meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the source told AFP. Italian media reported that he would also meet Defence Minister Guido Crosetto during the Thursday-Friday visit. The meetings come several weeks after US President Trump’s extraordinary criticism of Pope Leo XIV over the Catholic leader’s anti-war rhetoric. Trump also dismissed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — one of his closest European allies — as lacking courage after she defended the US pontiff. Italian media on Sunday presented Rubio’s visit as a meeting to “thaw” relations. Since taking over as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis, Leo has criticised the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. But it... -
Dawn - 08:32 May 03, 2026
The sound of drums from the Pakistan Embassy could be heard distinctly as soon as visitors turned into International Drive, where the usually quiet diplomatic corridor had been transformed into a global fairground for the annual Passport DC “Around the World Embassy Tour”. From early morning, crowds moved steadily along the tree-lined street, following a trail of music, aromas and colour that flowed from one embassy to the next. The dhol at the Pakistan Embassy set the tone — deep, insistent, and celebratory — cutting through the spring air and pulling visitors toward gates already filling with activity. Inside the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC, the sensory experience was immediate. The aroma of kebabs and samosas drifted far beyond the entrance, while food trays disappeared almost as quickly as they were placed on counters. Visitors lingered under displays of truck art, embroidered textiles, gemstones and handicrafts, while mehndi artists worked patiently on outstretched hands and calligraphers wrote ... -
Dawn - 07:17 May 03, 2026
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed the government’s resolve to protect press freedom and stressed the importance of credible journalism. They issued separate messages on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, reaffirming that Pakistan, as a state, remained firmly committed to safeguarding and promoting freedom of the press. In his message, President Zardari said this year’s theme, “Shaping a Future at Peace”, underscored that peace cannot be secured without truth. Noting that Article 19 of the Constitution guaranteed the right to press freedom subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law, the president said, “A free, independent and diverse media is not a threat to a confident nation, rather a proof of one.” “At the same time, freedom brings responsibility. Accuracy must not be sacrificed for speed and balance must not give way to partisanship. Public trust, the most valuable asset of free press, must be earned, protected and never taken for granted,” h... -
Dawn - 06:22 May 03, 2026
Wildfires that scorched forests in northern Japan, reportedly the second biggest in over 30 years, have been brought under control after 11 days, officials have said. Hundreds of firefighters and more than 1,000 military personnel had battled the blazes since late April, as they burned around 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) across the mountainous Iwate region. The affected area is almost five times the size of New York City’s Central Park. At least eight buildings were damaged, and two people suffered minor injuries, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Thousands of people were evacuated as fires picked up. Otsuchi town mayor Kozo Hirano told reporters on Saturday that he had been “informed that… the fire had been brought under control” after visiting the area with fire officials. He credited aerial and ground firefighting operations, as well as heavy rainfall, for containing the flames. But Hirano said authorities would remain vigilant as there was a possibility that smouldering embers would re... -
Dawn - 05:38 May 03, 2026
Monks perform rituals in connection with Vesak Day at Dharmarajika Stupa near Taxila. — Dawn TAXILA: After nearly 15 centuries of silence, the ancient Dharmarajika Stupa came alive on Friday as chants of Buddhist monks echoed once again across the historic site, marking the first such occasion since its destruction in the 5th century CE by the White Huns. For centuries, the site had remained largely quiet, disturbed only by the soft tread of visitors and the rustle of leaves in the breeze. On Friday afternoon, however, the centuries-old calm gave way to a spiritually charged atmosphere as monks performed religious rituals and delivered a Dhamma sermon at one of the most significant Buddhist heritage sites associated with Emperor Ashoka. The peace prayer ceremony was organised by the Punjab Archaeology Department in collaboration with Buddhist delegations from five Southeast Asian countries, including Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Vietnam and Myanmar. The ritual began in the afternoon with venerable monks from S... -
Dawn - 05:29 May 03, 2026
RAWALPINDI: The residents of Bahria Town Rawalpindi on Saturday staged a protest demonstration against the administration of Bahria Town for not providing civic facilities despite getting hefty fees from them. A large number of residents, traders, property owners, investors, families, and community leaders from Bahria Town Phases 1-8 assembled at Allama Iqbal Junction Phase 8. Jamaat-i-Islami representatives also participated in the protest. The participants carried placards, banners, and display boards, clearly expressing their demands and urging Malik Riaz and Bahria Town Private Limited to relinquish control. Tahir Nihad Bajwa, Chairman of RABT and President of BRACE, led a procession and said that highlighted systemic failures in governance, service delivery, and regulatory oversight and declared that the community has been paying heavily without receiving basic rights or services. He presented the charter of demands and said that it had already been submitted to all relevant authorities. He urged the Raw... -
Dawn - 05:10 May 03, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Security measures put in place around places of worship, especially during Friday prayers, were found unsatisfactory, raising concerns about public safety. Police officials told Dawn that the Islamabad inspector general of police himself found security arrangements around worship places unsatisfactory and compromised when he visited mosques and imambargahs during Friday prayers. The police chief visited several worship places, including Jamia Masjid Bibil in Sector G-6/3, to check and review security measures during Friday prayers. However, he found improper arrangements at the mosque, as no police official was present on duty. Besides, improper and unsatisfactory security arrangements were also found at various worship places in the capital, including some located inside the high-security zone. IG visited several worship places to check and review security measures during Friday prayers There were no security arrangements around a number of worship places. In some cases, an unarmed lone policeman ... -
Dawn - 05:00 May 03, 2026
LAHORE: The Counter Terrorism Department has arrested a YouTuber for recruiting individuals for a banned outfit and registered a case against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The FIR identified the suspect as Muhammad Saad bin Riaz, associated with YouTube channel named Eon News. A case has been registered against him on behalf of the state under Section 11F(2), pertaining to membership and support of a proscribed organisation and Section 11W, which relates to the dissemination of material linked to banned groups. According to FIR, the arrest was made on April 27 during a search operation near GPO Chowk on Mall Road. “After getting information from a source that a suspected al-Qaeda member was present at a mosque, Hanfia Ghusia Mughal Saraiy, opposite to Lytton Road, he was caught recruiting individuals and distributing prohibited material.” During the raid, officials claimed to have recovered five copies of a book about Osama bin Laden from his custody along with an al-Qaeda membership card. Meanwhile... -
Dawn - 04:04 May 03, 2026
QUETTA: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), Balochistan, has announced the launch of a protest movement against raids on religious seminaries across the province. Senator Maulana Abdul Wasey, the provincial chief of the JUI-F, stated that a province-wide shutter-down strike and protest demonstrations would take place on May 6. Addressing a press conference on Saturday, he said that on May 10, seminary students and party workers from across Balochistan would march towards Quetta. He added that JUI-F members in the provincial assembly would stage strong protests inside the Balochistan Assembly. He also announced that party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would address a JUI conference in Pishin on June 4. These decisions were taken during a meeting of the JUI-F’s provincial leadership and later announced at the press conference. Opposition Leader Mir Younas Aziz Zehri, Maulana Salahuddin, Maulana Faiz Muhammad, Agha Mehmood Shah, Malik Sikandar, and others were also present. Red line Maulana Wasey alleged his party f...
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