Dawn
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Dawn - 08:58 May 02, 2026
Abbottabad’s streets mostly dissolve into a mundane blur but Circular Road has a way of catching you by the sleeve. This stretch of town is as silent as silence allows, lined with government offices leaning into one another, until a weathered gate interrupts the monotony. Behind its rusting iron, sits a house that doesn’t belong to the modern world. It is only when you begin to press the locals for answers that its name is spoken: Shahzada House. It is a name that carries an old-world grandeur the hushed street can barely support, with its roots stretched across borders and centuries back to Bukhara. A prince’s journey The story of Shahzada House is one of a man in open rebellion. Mir Syed Abdul Malik Tura may now be a footnote in history, but he was once the North Star of Bukhara, an heir to a lineage entrenched in power and learning, one that traces its foundations to the Timurid Era, a golden age of culture and science in Central Asia and Persia. His story is Bukhara’s. Records prove that the city was shap... -
Dawn - 08:32 May 02, 2026
Animal rights advocates were crowing on Saturday after Korean Air banned transporting roosters on flights from the United States to the Philippines, which has a huge cockfighting industry. Filipinos wager tens of millions of dollars daily, by some industry estimates, as they watch two roosters armed with metal spurs fight to the death in clashes that can end in less than a minute. The US is an important source of roosters for these fights, according to activists as well as local breeder Eduardo Eugenio, who told AFP shutting down US imports would have a “huge impact”. The South Korean carrier said in a statement sent to AFP on Saturday that it had “suspended the transportation of roosters of all ages on routes from the United States to the Philippines”. “Korean Air is committed to the lawful and safe transport of live animals, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations,” it added. US campaigner Animal Wellness Action said Korean Air was “in our estimation, the biggest global air carrier of illegally t... -
Dawn - 07:38 May 02, 2026
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Saturday issued an alert for glacial lake outburst floods (Glof) in the upper regions of the country, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as a result of an expected westerly wave this weekend. A Glof refers to the sudden release of water and debris from a glacial lake, leading to the loss of lives, property, and livelihoods in mountain communities. Over 7.1 million people in GB and KP are vulnerable to the phenomenon, according to the Ministry of Climate Change. In its statement, issued on Saturday, the Met Office said that a moderate westerly wave is expected to enter the upper regions of Pakistan from Sunday. “During this period, widespread rain, wind thunderstorms, and isolated heavy falls, are anticipated across Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the alert said. According to the PMD, the sudden increase in temperatures followed by widespread precipitation “significantly elevates” the risk of Glofs, flow of debris, and flash flooding in ... -
Dawn - 07:32 May 02, 2026
United States President Donald Trump’s administration has bypassed congressional review to approve military sales totalling over $8.6 billion to Middle Eastern allies Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The State Department announcements on Friday came as the US and Israel’s war against Iran marked nine weeks since its start and more than three weeks since a fragile ceasefire came into effect. The State Department said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that an emergency existed that required immediate sales to those countries and waived the congressional review requirements for the sales. The announcements included approving military sales to Qatar of Patriot air and missile defence replenishment services costing $4.01bn and of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) costing $992.4 million. They also included approval of the sale to Kuwait of an integrated battle command system costing $2.5bn and to Israel of APKWS costing $992.4m. The State Department approved a sale t... -
Dawn - 05:13 May 02, 2026
LAHORE: Who in this world would have thought a couple of weeks ago that debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen, having lost four of their first five initial-stage matches of the HBL Pakistan Super League, will make it to the decider as Islamabad United blinked in the final over of the action-packed encounter. The ultra-passionate fans present here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday night found themselves extremely lucky. Why not? They witnessed an absolute nail-biting Eliminator-2. Marnus Labuschagne’s energised sprint to the field immediately after the two-run triumph explicitly showed that Peshawar Zalmi will face a rejuvenated Kingsmen brigade in the all-important final on Sunday. Fielding is not generally considered a forte in this part of the world. However, the way Kingsmen’s Hassan Khan in an extraordinary leap in the air at mid-wicket boundary prevented a six off Faheem Ashraf’s bat in the 17th over was as stunning as anything. United went through ebb and flow in their chase of a tough 187 and fell short in the v... -
Dawn - 04:14 May 02, 2026
• Pakistan hands over Iran’s latest proposal to US, refuses to divulge contents • Trump says Iran ‘made strides’ in talks, claims process marred by ‘tremendous discord’; appreciates PM Shehbaz, FM Munir’s role • Diplomats describe transmission of proposals as a positive step, despite no immediate signs of progress ISLAMABAD: After Pakistan shared a new proposal by Iran with the US, President Donald Trump on Friday said he was still not satisfied with their offer to end the Middle East conflict, which started after the US and Israel struck Iran on Feb 28. The text of the proposal was handed to Islamabad on Thursday evening, the state-run IRNA news agency reported on Friday. Pakistan officials also confirmed that they had shared the proposal with the US, but refused to divulge its contents. “At this moment, I’m not satisfied with what they’re offering,” President Trump said late on Friday night. Asked why he was unsatisfied with the Iranian offer, he said: “They’re asking for things that I can’t agree.” He gav... -
Dawn - 03:52 May 02, 2026
KARACHI: With more than 75 per cent of top-level technical posts vacant, the Sindh health department is facing a serious shortage of experts at a time when the province is experiencing multiple outbreaks of infectious diseases, it has emerged. According to sources, the health management cadre — a specialised administrative structure within the Sindh health department designed to manage hospitals and health services — has 70 sanctioned Grade-20 posts, but 53 of the positions are vacant, primarily due to the retirement of officials with no timely replacements. They said promotions have been pending for the past six years. Currently, only 17 officers are working at the top level, leaving the health system practically without operational oversight. Of 70 Grade-20 posts in health management cadre, 53 are yet to be filled “These officers specialising in health management were often assigned the responsibility to oversee the emerging public health challenges,” an official said. He recalled that the health department... -
Dawn - 03:45 May 02, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to stop operations against informal settlements to retrieve state land in Islamabad after the hue and cry over the prime minister’s decision to halt action against the ‘One Constitution’ skyscraper. After a court order, the CDA and police had arrived outside the twin towers on Constitution Avenue to vacate the building, but the operation was stopped due to the intervention of PM Shehbaz Sharif, who formed a committee to resolve the matter after listening to the residents. The decision, however, caused an uproar on social media, with the CDA and the interior ministry attracting flak for their operations in the capital to retrieve state land in working-class neighbourhoods of Bari Imam and Saidpur. Against this backdrop, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told an interior ministry officer there was no justification for carrying out operations to retrieve state land until the One Constitution issue was settled, sources in the CDA told Dawn. They said th... -
Dawn - 03:19 May 02, 2026
• CPI rises nearly 11pc year-on-year in April • Transport costs, perishable food prices jump by over 15pc ISLAMABAD: Consumer inflation returned to double digits for the first time in 21 months, with prices rising by nearly 11 per cent year-on-year in April, driven by sharp increases in transport costs and essential food items, official data showed. The last time inflation was above 10pc was in July 2024, when the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was recorded at 11.1pc. For consumers, the April spike reflects a growing squeeze on daily expenses, as higher fuel and transport charges, along with rising prices of perishable food items, continue to erode purchasing power, even as some relief in wheat and flour prices offers only limited respite. The continued increase in monthly inflation, measured by the CPI basket containing several goods and services, has pushed it beyond the earlier comfort range as domestic energy tariffs registered a sharp rise in April. Energy prices rose sharply during the month due to the cont... -
Dawn - 02:27 May 02, 2026
TEL AVIV: A US military-run body near Gaza that critics say failed in its mission to monitor the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and boost aid flows to besieged Palestinians is set to be shut by the Trump administration, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The closing of the Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in Israel would mark the latest blow to President Trump’s Gaza peace plan, already undermined by repeated Israeli attacks since the October truce. Diplomats said the move, which has not been previously reported, underscores the difficulties facing US efforts to oversee the truce and coordinate on aid, as Israel seizes more Gaza territory and Hamas firms its grip in areas under its control. The move could add to unease among Washington’s allies, whom Trump encouraged to deploy personnel to the CMCC and commit funds for his Gaza rebuilding plan, effectively on hold since the US launched its joint war with Israel against Iran. Trump-led board denies Civil-Military Coordination Centre is shutting do... -
Dawn - 02:20 May 02, 2026
WASHINGTON: The United States Air Force has awarded a $488 million contract to Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. for long-term engineering and technical support of F-16 Fighting Falcon radar systems, with Pakistan among the countries covered by the deal. According to an official award notice, released this week, the firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract will support the APG-66 and APG-68 radar systems used on F-16 fighter aircraft. Work will be carried out in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and is scheduled to continue through March 31, 2036. The contract covers support for multiple partner countries under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, including Bahrain, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, South Korea, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Thailand and Turkiye. The award was issued on a sole-source basis by the US Air Force Lifecycle Management Centre in Utah. An initial $2.64 million in fi... -
Dawn - 22:11 May 01, 2026
More than 100 activists, including former Pakistani senator Mushtaq Ahmad, who were aboard aid ships bound for Gaza were released and taken to the Greek island of Crete on Friday, a day after Israeli forces seized their vessels in international waters near Greece. The activists were part of a second Global Sumud Flotilla, launched in recent months in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance. The ships set sail from the Spanish port of Barcelona on April 12. On Friday, an Israeli army ship transferred 168 members of the flotilla crew to Greek boats, which then took them to shore, where buses and an ambulance waited for them, organisers said and Reuters footage showed. Before communications were jammed, former senator Ahmad posted videos to social media platform X saying, “Flotilla under attack, Israeli terrorist army has captured 11 of our boats.” On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on X that the former senator, “who was unlawfully det... -
Dawn - 22:10 May 01, 2026
Tehran delivered a new proposal for peace talks with the United States via Pakistan, Iranian state media reported on Friday, with US President Donald Trump saying that he was “not satisfied” with what had been put forth. Though the United States and Iran have suspended hostilities since an April 8 ceasefire, the two countries remain at odds over a range of issues, including Iran’s nuclear ambitions and control over the Strait of Hormuz, and they have yet to agree to a second meeting, following a brief summit of senior officials in Islamabad last month. Trump’s comments on Friday indicated the deadlock over the two-month-old war is likely to persist. He also conveyed to the US Congress his stance that the hostilities had “terminated” following a ceasefire with Iran as the deadline to get Congress’s approval for the war arrived. Trump ‘not happy’ The text of Iran’s new proposal was handed to Islamabad on Thursday evening, the IRNA news agency reported on Friday. Hours later, Trump spoke to reporters at the Wh... -
Dawn - 18:38 May 01, 2026
RAWALPINDI/LAHORE/KARACHI: Pakistan is confronting a stark weather dichotomy this week, as extreme heat scorches southern parts of the country while central and northern regions brace for widespread dust storms, rain, and potential landslides triggered by an incoming weather system. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that a fresh westerly wave is expected to approach the northwestern parts of the country on Saturday evening and would persist in the upper regions until May 5. In sharp contrast, extreme heat has gripped much of Sindh. In Karachi, the maximum temperature is expected to rise to 39 degrees Celsius over the weekend, according to Chief Meteorologist Ameer Hyder. Across the large swathes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the fresh westerly weather system is forecast to bring dust-thunderstorms and rain, with isolated heavy falls and hailstorms. Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Shangla, Buner, Kohistan, Malakand, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Balakot, Haripur, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Bajaur, Mohm... -
Dawn - 17:14 May 01, 2026
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi expressed on Friday his intention to protest against drone attacks in his province, saying that these attacks were resulting in “collateral damage”. The CM made these remarks while addressing a provincial cabinet meeting, a day after he hinted at introducing legislation to criminalise collateral damage in such incidents. He said the meeting was called against “persistent drone attacks” and the subsequent collateral damage, which had “become a curse in KP”. The CM condemned these attacks, saying that they were fostering sentiments of “revenge among the people”, as well as resulting in an increase in terrorism, which was harmful for KP and the entire country. On Thursday, Afridi also announced that a jirga would be summoned on Saturday against drone attacks, while the opposition was also told to ensure tribal elders’ presence for deciding the future course of action. Addressing the cabinet meeting, Afridi also termed the loadshedding of gas in KP a viola... -
Dawn - 15:26 May 01, 2026
LAHORE: The Punjab government on Friday announced a new set of rules and regulations for kite-flying during next year’s Basant festival. After nearly two decades, a three-day Basant festival was celebrated in Lahore in February, following Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s decision to lift a ban on the cultural event of celebration, colours and kite-flying, with strict regulations. The festival was banned in 2007 because of the increasing number of deaths and serious injuries caused by sharp strings, particularly to motorcyclists and pillion riders, as well as by celebratory gunfire. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said that the festival will be celebrated in February 2027 and will be “bigger and better than the one held this year”. Speaking to Dawn, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “The new regulations have been issued on the directives of CM Maryam to ensure the protection of life and property.” She said that compliance with these instructions would be mandatory for every citizen, bui... -
Dawn - 15:18 May 01, 2026
Climate colonialism argues that the climate crisis is not an accident — it is the outcome of centuries of extraction. The world’s richest countries, a small percentage of the global population, are responsible for the majority of historical greenhouse gas emissions while regions like South Asia contribute little but face the harshest impact today. It is estimated that the G20 countries produce about 80 per cent year on year of global greenhouse gases. This disproportionate extraction and consumption of resources by a handful of countries contributes to crises that the rest of the world pays for. The climate colonialism framework connects past exploitation with present suffering by examining the drivers of the climate crisis — colonialism, capitalism and consumerism. Ahmed Rafay Alam, an environmental lawyer and former member of the Pakistan Climate Change Council, discusses all this and much more as he dives into drivers behind the climate crisis with DawnNews. As Pakistan confronts the accelerating realities... -
Dawn - 15:07 May 01, 2026
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday directed that an effective regulatory system for virtual assets in line with international standards should be operationalised as soon as possible The remarks came as PM Shehbaz met with State Minister and Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Chairman Bilal Bin Saqib in Lahore, according to a handout by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). “PM Shehbaz directed that an effective regulatory system for virtual assets in line with international standards should be fully operationalised as soon as possible to promote the digital economy in Pakistan and enhance investor confidence,” the handout said. During the meeting, the prime minister said that special measures should be taken to provide training to the youth in modern technologies, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence and digital finance, so that the country’s workforce can be aligned with future requirements. Saqib also briefed PM Shehbaz on the PVARA’s transition into an operational regul... -
Dawn - 14:39 May 01, 2026
The Pentagon said on Friday that it had reached agreements with seven AI companies to deploy their advanced capabilities on the War Department’s classified networks as it seeks to broaden the range of artificial intelligence (AI) providers working across the military. The statement notably excludes Anthropic, which has been in dispute with the Pentagon over guardrails for the use of its artificial intelligence tools by the military. The Pentagon labelled the AI startup, which is widely used across the Department of War, a supply-chain risk earlier this year, barring its use by the Pentagon and its contractors. SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Reflection, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, several of which already work with the Pentagon, will be integrated into its Impact Levels 6 and 7 network environments, giving more of the military access to their products, the Pentagon said in a statement. By expanding the AI services offered to troops, who use it for planning, logistics, targeting and a bevvy of other rea... -
Dawn - 14:16 May 01, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday constituted a high-level committee to review the issue involving One Constitution Avenue, a skyscraper in the federal capital that houses residential apartments, and also halted authorities from taking any action. The development comes a day after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) upheld the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) decision to cancel the building’s lease due to the company behind the project defaulting on payments. Late last night, reports had also emerged on social media of residents being served eviction notices by officials. Apartments in the building are also reportedly owned by prominent personalities, including PTI founder Imran Khan, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Shandana Gulzar Aurangzeb, former minister Burjees Tahir and former caretaker prime minister Nasirul Mulk. According to Radio Pakistan, the committee formed by the premier will be headed by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and will include Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, the c...
10706 items