Dawn
Source:
https://www.dawn.com
Found 7393 news
-
Dawn - 12:05 Dec 29, 2025
The National Assembly Secretariat on Monday wrote a fourth letter to the opposition’s chief whip, Amir Dogar, seeking a written reply detailing court cases pending against former opposition leader Omar Ayub. Since Omar Ayub’s disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the seat of the opposition leader in the lower house has been vacant. Meanwhile, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had maintained that the matter of the nomination of the opposition leader in the house is “sub judice”. According to the press release issued by the NA Secretariat spokesperson, earlier letters on the same matter were sent on November 19, December 5, and December 19, 2025. “However, no response has so far been received by the National Assembly Secretariat,” it said. The statement said that the “provision of this information is essential to fulfil the constitutional requirements for the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition”. “The [National Assembly] Secretariat has been made a party in certain subjudice cases involving th... -
Dawn - 11:03 Dec 29, 2025
LAHORE: Lahore High Court’s Justice Faisal Zaman Khan said on Monday that the matter of the new property protection law “should not be politicised”, as he took up a petition filed by two PTI-backed lawmakers challenging the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance, 2025. The ordinance, which empowers deputy commissioner-led committees to decide property disputes, has become a point of contention with LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum suspending its operation on December 22 and the provinicial government voicing opposition to the court decision. Today, Justice Faisal Zaman Khan took up a petition filed by two members of the Punjab Assembly against the ordinance. The petition was filed by MPAs Imtiaz Mahmood and Ijaz Shafi — who are both backed by the PTI, which is in the opposition in Punjab — on Saturday. Their lawyer, Azhar Siddique, appeared before the court at the hearing where the judge asked him whether the petitioners had raised their concerns against the law in the Punjab Assembly. T... -
Dawn - 09:33 Dec 29, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Former chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hameed‘s lawyer confirmed to Dawn on Monday that an appeal had been filed against the ex-spymaster’s sentencing by a military court. “Yes, we have appealed his sentencing,” Hameed’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, told Dawn but did not share any details about the appeal. Hameed was sentenced to 14 years rigorous imprisonment by a military court on December 11 after being convicted on four counts related to violating secrecy laws, engaging in political activities, misuse of authority and causing harm to others. He had a 40-day window following his conviction and sentencing to appeal against the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) decision, according to Section 133B of the Pakistan Army Act. The appeal is first reviewed by a Court of Appeals, led by a major general or higher, as designated by the army chief. The chief then holds the authority to confirm, revise, or overturn the sentence. Historically, the military’s appellate process has stretched over s... -
Dawn - 08:35 Dec 29, 2025
Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Monday announced that an inquiry conducted into the chaos that marred the arrival of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to the provinicial legislature’s building over the weekend would be sent to the law enforcement agencies. During his three-day visit to Lahore over the weekend, the KP chief minister had given an address at the Punjab Assembly to opposition MPAs on Friday. However, the visit was marred by altercations between members of his entourage and security officials, while heated exchanges between PTI leaders and journalists were also witnessed. Addressing the incident at a press conference in Lahore today, Khan said that the report on the unrest was being sent to the law enforcement agencies, which would conduct an independent investigation into the incident. He said that he had informed the KP chief minister that a special permit was required to enter the assembly premises, and that in the absence of any other documentation, “at least... -
Dawn - 08:23 Dec 29, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) said on Monday that the persecution of minorities in India was a matter of “deep concern” following incidents of vandalism reported in the neighbouring country ahead of Christmas. Last week, mobs armed with wooden sticks vandalised Christmas decorations at a shopping mall in central India, while right-wing groups disrupted school celebrations and burned holiday merchandise in the northeast, according to Indian media. The incidents occurred in the states of Chhattisgarh, Assam, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh ahead of the holiday. In a statement released on Monday, the FO said, “The persecution of minorities in India is a matter of deep concern. “Recent condemnable incidents of vandalism during Christmas, as well as state-sponsored campaigns targeting Muslims — including the demolition of their homes and repeated lynchings, notably the case of Muhammad Akhlaq, in which the state worked to shield the perpetrators from accountability — have deepened fear and alienation among Muslims,” it said. A... -
Dawn - 07:50 Dec 29, 2025
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in a weather advisory issued on Monday, asked authorities to ensure all necessary preparations and response measures ahead of an expected cold wave in the country. The NDMA said that a “westerly wave” is likely to approach the western parts of the country from December 29 (today), resulting in rain and snowfall in various areas from tonight till January 2. It said that the system was expected to grip “most upper and central parts of the country on Dec 31 and persist in the upper regions till the morning of Jan 2“. According to the NDMA, “snowfall may lead to road closures and slippery conditions in Naran, Kaghan, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Shangla, Astore, Hunza, Skardu, Murree, Galiyat, Neelum Valley, Bagh, Poonch and Haveli from the night of Dec 30 till the morning of Jan 2.” It also projected a likelihood of “landslides and avalanches in the hilly areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir during the same... -
Dawn - 07:21 Dec 29, 2025
KARACHI: YouTuber Rajab Butt was physically assaulted at a sessions court in Karachi on Monday during the hearing of a case registered against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Butt appeared before the sessions court (Central) upon the expiry of his interim bail, which was granted to him on December 20. The hearing, however, was marred by violence and chaos as Butt was attacked. Butt‘s counsel, Mian Ali Ashfaq, alleged in a post on social media platform X that his client had been attacked by “some lawyers” at Karachi City Courts’ premises during the hearing of a case. He said the attack was carried out in his presence, in which Butt was injured. “[They] continued to beat him despite being repeatedly asked to stop,” Ashfaq said, terming “such conduct by the lawyers unprofessional”. He added, “Taking the law into their hands is weakening the reputation of lawyers in the country.” Ashfaq further stated that if “lawyers will become a party [in cases] every other day and continue to attack private li... -
Dawn - 07:04 Dec 29, 2025
Senator Sherry Rehman on Monday said that the “weaponisation of water was neither sane nor acceptable” after Indian media reported that New Delhi had approved a hydel power project on the Chenab River. In a post on the social media platform X, the PPP leader said, “In flagrant violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), India has just given approval to the Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab River in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). “As per the IWT, which cannot be unilaterally revoked, as recent UN rapporteurs have confirmed, Pakistan has control over the waters of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, while the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers fall under India’s control,” she said. “Following the illegal suspension of the treaty, India has decided to fast-track several disputed hydroelectric projects in the Indus Basin. These projects include Sawalkot, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru, and Kirthai-1 and 2. Dulhasti Stage-II is considered part of this strategy,” she said. ... -
Dawn - 05:37 Dec 29, 2025
Bondi Beach shooting hero Ahmed al Ahmed recalled the moment he ran towards one of the attackers and wrestled the gun from him, saying in an interview published Monday with a US outlet he wanted to protect “innocent people”. Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram are accused of targeting a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 people and wounding dozens in what authorities have described as an anti-Semitic terrorist attack. Despite the tragedy, tales of heroism emerged of those who tried to stop the two gunmen during their deadly rampage. Among them was Ahmed al Ahmed, a fruit seller, who went viral for ducking between parked cars as the shooting unfolded and then wresting a gun from one of the assailants. “My target was just to take the gun from him, and to stop him from killing a human being’s life and not killing innocent people,” he told CBS News in an interview that airs on Monday. “I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry for the lost.” Ahmed was shot several times in the shoulde... -
Dawn - 05:26 Dec 29, 2025
China’s military moved army, naval, air force and artillery units around Taiwan on Monday for its “Justice Mission 2025” drills, as the island vowed to defend democracy and mobilised troops to rehearse repelling a potential Chinese attack. The Eastern Theatre Command announced the drills will involve live-fire exercises on Tuesday, in a statement containing a graphic demarcating five zones surrounding the island that will be under sea and air space restrictions for 10 hours from 8am (5am PKT). This marks China’s sixth major round of war games since 2022 after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the democratically governed island, and follows a rise in Chinese rhetoric over Beijing’s territorial claims after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo. The exercises began 11 days after the United States announced $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the largest ever weapons package for the island, drawing a prote... -
Dawn - 03:28 Dec 29, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday asked the provincial government to support the military operations in the province as the security situation had significantly deteriorated due to militancy. Speaking at the National Press Club, he said the KP government should support security operations, as “without stability, development projects could not move forward”. Insecurity has a negative impact on the social and economic conditions of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said, adding that “sustained peace was essential for businesses and investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”. Mr Kundi blamed Afghanistan for the rise in terrorism and alleged the involvement of Afghan nationals in the attacks in Pakistan. He said those Afghans who did not have documents to stay in Pakistan were “illegal”. The governor said no foreign national could reside in Pakistan without valid documents and the same policy applied to the undocumented Afghans too. He added that those wishing to study or work must en... -
Dawn - 02:52 Dec 29, 2025
• KP CM says dialogue without ‘resistance’ not effective; Karachi his ‘next destination’ • Believes talks can be meaningful if ‘power-wielding individuals’ participate • Azma claims ‘street movement’ failed to attract public, dubs it ‘social media hype’ LAHORE: After spending three days in the provincial capital galvanising party supporters, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the PTI would not engage in talks with the government without first taking to the streets to demonstrate its opposition to the status quo. His remarks come as party leaders are split into two camps: one led by veterans favouring dialogue, while the other is bent on street agitation as per the directions of the incarcerated founder, Imran Khan. A day earlier, CM Afridi said the decision to initiate talks rested with the opposition alliance, and that he was in charge of the ‘street movement’. CM Afridi, along with other provincial ministers and members of the assembly, had arrived in Lahore to launch a new street movemen... -
Dawn - 02:34 Dec 29, 2025
KARACHI: A war of words erupted between two factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Sunday after Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal once again blamed party founder Altaf Hussain for being involved in the 2010 murder of senior party leader Dr Imran Farooq in London. Speaking at a press conference at a park adjacent to the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters, Mr Kamal said if Mr Hussain “truly considers himself innocent, he should approach a London court and file a petition for a transparent investigation into the brutal murder of Dr Imran Farooq”. It may be noted that in 2020 an Islamabad anti-terrorism court had sentenced three men — Syed Mohsin Ali, Moazzam Ali and Khalid Shamim — to life imprisonment and declared Mr Hussain an absconder in the Imran Farooq murder case. The MQM-P leader’s presser came a day after the burial of Dr Imran Farooq’s widow Shumaila, who died a couple of days ago in London. Mr Kamal, as well as leaders of MQM factions, attended the funeral and expressed their condolence with he... -
Dawn - 19:11 Dec 28, 2025
The interim Afghan Taliban regime’s interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, on Sunday extended his gratitude to all organisations and actors extending goodwill and good intentions to Afghanistan, including the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F). The comments, delivered during an event in Kabul, come after JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on December 23, criticised Islamabad for striking terrorist targets in Afghanistan and Iran and for deporting Afghan refugees. “There comes a point when refugees become a problem, but you come together to resolve it; you don’t expel people who have been living in your country for 40 years,” he said, calling on Pakistan and Afghanistan to maintain friendly relations. A declaration from Dec 23 stated that tension “is not in the interest of either country and will only benefit anti-Islamic forces”, urging Kabul and Islamabad to resolve their issues through dialogue. Haqqani referred to the conference on Dec 23, noting that Fazl and religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani “expressed ... -
Dawn - 18:14 Dec 28, 2025
A man stabbed to death nine people, including five children, overnight in Suriname’s capital Paramaribo, police said Sunday, adding the suspect was wounded and arrested. The man appeared to be suffering from mental health issues, and four of his own children were among the fatalities in the attack, which took place in and around his home, according to local media reports. The suspect had an argument with his wife over the phone before stabbing one of the victims, his 11-year-old daughter, 44 times in the kitchen of their home, local media reported. “A man killed four adults and five children with a sharp object at a residence in Hadji Iding Soemitaweg,” the local police said in a statement. “A sixth child and an adult were seriously injured and were transported” to the hospital, according to the statement. Officers who arrived on the scene had to open fire on the suspect, as “he attacked police with a sharp object,“ the statement said. The man sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and has been hospitalised und... -
Dawn - 17:44 Dec 28, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had “a good and very productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida later today. He did not provide details about what was discussed. Meanwhile, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported that the pair had spoken, citing Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Taking to Truth Social, Trump wrote that the meeting would take place in the main dining room of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida’s Palm Beach at 1pm (11pm PKT). “Press is invited,” the US president wrote. Zelensky and Trump intend to hammer out a plan to end the war in Ukraine, but face major differences on crucial issues and provocations from Russian air attacks. Russia struck Kyiv and other parts of war-torn Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday, knocking out power and heat in parts of the capital. Zelensky called it Russia’s response to the ongoing US-brokered peace efforts. Zelensky has told jou... -
Dawn - 17:15 Dec 28, 2025
The year 2025 was found to be “deadliest” for terrorists in Pakistan, with 2,115 terrorist fatalities, while 664 security personnel and 580 civilians were slain, according to a report released by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). PICSS said that Pakistan saw a “marked escalation” in 2025, with violence intensifying in both “tempo and lethality”, pushing several security indicators to their highest levels in years. As per the report, the year 2025 has not only delivered a steep rise in overall combat-related deaths, but also became the deadliest year for terrorists since 2015, the most lethal for security forces since 2011, and the worst for civilian casualties in a decade. “Militant attacks climbed to their highest annual total since 2014, and the use of suicide bombings and small drones showed a clear upward trend,” said the report. According to statistics released by PICSS, combat-related deaths in 2025 rose by 73 per cent to 3,387, compared to 1,950 in 2024. Fatalities included ... -
Dawn - 16:00 Dec 28, 2025
ISLAMABAD: To ensure the security of the federal capital, the administration has decided that vehicles without M-Tags will not be allowed to enter Islamabad from January 1, 2026. The M-Tag is a prepaid radio frequency identification (RFID) sticker for a car windshield that automates toll payments. As a vehicle passes through a toll plaza, scanners identify the vehicle and entry point; upon exiting, the system automatically deducts the fare from the balance, eliminating the need to wait in long queues. The decision has been made on the instructions of the Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi. Moreover, actions will be taken against vehicles without M-Tags. The Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Islamabad, Irfan Memon, has ordered that processing at all M-Tag points be expedited so that the maximum number of vehicles can be registered before the deadline approaches. According to Memon, “16 M-Tag facilitation points have been established at various locations across the city.” Since November 14, nearly 100,000 veh... -
Dawn - 15:57 Dec 28, 2025
KARACHI: Bodies of a woman and three children have been found hanging inside a house near Machhar Colony in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth, police said on Sunday. A statement issued by Sohrab Goth police said a crime scene unit had visited the site and further investigation was under way. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said Sohrab Goth police brought the bodies of the woman, 35 and her children, aged 10, 3 and 2, for post-mortem examination at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. “We have collected all samples for chemical analysis,” said Dr Syed, adding that the cause of death has been reserved until reports are issued. East Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zubair Nazir Shaikh told Dawn that there was no sign of a quarrel at the site of the incident, nor did neighbours say they heard a struggle. “The husband told police that he worked at New Subzi Mandi and had left for work at around 4am on Sunday,” SSP Shaikh said. “When he returned several hours later, he saw his wife and three children dead.” The SSP said police are wa... -
Dawn - 15:50 Dec 28, 2025
A report on journalism in Balochistan has highlighted how pressure, intimidation and violence from multiple actors have caused the space for press freedom to shrink in the province. The report, titled State of Media Freedoms, Access to Information and Safety of Journalists and Media Professionals in Balochistan – The Way Forward, was released by Freedom Network (FN) on Sunday and examines Balochistan’s overall media landscape, threat actors, service structures, gender dynamics, legal cases and challenges, including censorship, harassment, intimidation and dismissals from service. It notes that national television channels and newspapers have steadily reduced their bureau presence in Quetta, as digital distribution becomes the norm, leaving coverage outside the provincial capital sparse or non-existent. “Drawing on desk research, focus group discussions and key informant interviews, it (the report) finds a chronically constrained information environment in which local media are financially brittle, structurall...
7393 items