Dawn
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Dawn - 18:59 Oct 25, 2025
The Karachi police arrested two of the seven cops who were booked after a “teenage boy” died under controversial circumstances in the Special Investigation Unit’s (SIU) custody, while the victim’s relatives held a sit-in at Sohrab Goth on Saturday to demand justice. The seven cops were suspended a day ago after the incident came to light. While the police claimed that Muhammad Irfan died of heart attack, his relatives alleged that he was tortured to death. A first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered the same day at the Saddar Police Station on the complaint of SIU and Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Station House Officer (SHO) Mumtaz Ahmed under Sections 34 (common intention) and 319 (manslaughter) of the Pakistan Penal Code against seven nominated SIU/CIA officers. “The SIU/CIA police have handed over custody of two suspects nominated in FIR … who have been arrested. If need be, we shall convert the case to 302 (premeditated murder) and arrest more SIU officials if they were found involv... -
Dawn - 18:37 Oct 25, 2025
A second round of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan kicked off in Istanbul on Saturday, with Islamabad eyeing a “concrete” mechanism to monitor Afghan Taliban actions aimed at preventing cross-border terrorist attacks. Today’s meeting follows the first round of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks mediated jointly by Qatar and Turkiye in Doha on October 18-19. The Qatar talks had come after days of fighting along the Pak-Afghan border — where trade is still closed — and strikes by Islamabad on Gul Bahadur group camps in Afghanistan. The agreement reached in Doha extended an initial 48-hour truce and resulted in a permanent ceasefire, as well as a commitment to reconvene in Istanbul to work on mechanisms for lasting peace and stability between the two countries. According to Afghan interim administration spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, the Afghan delegation was to be led by Mawlawi Rahmatullah Najeeb, deputy minister at Ministry of Interior, Turkish news agency Anadolu reported. Islamabad has not said who it has sent... -
Dawn - 18:04 Oct 25, 2025
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Saturday announced changes in certain routes for the Karachi and Lahore flight regions for the upcoming week to ensure “continued safety and effective management of air traffic”. “The restrictions are effective from Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 5:01am Pakistan Standard Time (PKT) and will remain in place until Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 9am PKT,” said a NOTAM (notice to airmen) issued by the PAA today. “This is a routine operational safety matter. The measure is being implemented for ‘operational reasons’ to ensure the continued safety and effective management of air traffic.” In a separate development, open source tracker Damien Symon, also quoted by Reuters in earlier news reports, said Indian aviation authorities issued a NOTAM a day earlier “possibly for a military exercise/weapons test as India prepares for its Tri-Services Exercise across the border”. The open source tracker stated that India had also issued a NOTAM for a tri-services exercise along its ... -
Dawn - 17:50 Oct 25, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday claimed the federal government owed the province Rs550 billion, calling for the National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting to be convened immediately. He made these remarks while addressing a jirga in the province’s Khyber district today. Last week, CM Afridi had called for a grand peace jirga in a bid to discuss avenues for “establishment of peace” in the province. “After 9/11, Pakistan entered a foreign war without our consent,” CM Afridi said, referring to the attacks of Sept 11, 2001, when deadly plane hijackings claimed almost 3,000 lives. “It was said that Pakistan needs sacrifices. For Pakistan, we left our houses. Drone strikes and military operations started here,” Afridi said. “We were made the scapegoats,” he told the crowd. “Our homes, markets, and mosques were destroyed, yet we gave sacrifices for Pakistan.” The chief minister warned against the launching of any new military operation in the province’s tribal districts, saying the people ... -
Dawn - 17:27 Oct 25, 2025
The Customs Enforcement Wing of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) foiled on Saturday an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of narcotics worth more than Rs18 billion. The enforcement wing, in a post on X, said a truck coming from Taftan and going towards Quetta was intercepted by a team of FEU Noshki. “Upon detailed inspection, a modified fuel tank was found containing concealed boxes filled with narcotics substance.” At least 300kg of crystal meth (methamphetamine) was seized from the vehicle, said the enforcement wing. It added that two individuals, resident of Hoshab in Kech, were arrested. “FIR has been registered. Further investigation is underway.” “300 kg of Crystal/Ice (Methamphetamine) and the smuggling vehicle have been seized both valuing at approximately Rs. 18.67 billion.” Earlier in the week, Pakistan Navy ship Yarmook seized narcotics worth more than $972 million from sailboats in the Arabian Sea. The ship is operating in the Arabian Sea as part of the Combined Maritime Force (CMF), a naval pa... -
Dawn - 16:53 Oct 25, 2025
Security forces killed three terrorists while foiling an attempted suicide attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. A statement issued today from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that security forces foiled a “major terrorist incident and averted a potential catastrophic attack” a day ago after conducting an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the district’s general area of Jhallar based on credible intelligence about reported terrorist presence belonging to “Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij preparing a vehicle-borne suicide bomber for a major terrorist activity”. Fitna al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It added that troops effectively engaged them at their location and destroyed the vehicle being prepared for the suicide attack while eliminating three “Indian-sponsored” terrorists through “precise and skillful engagement”. The ISPR said that a sanitisation op... -
Dawn - 15:54 Oct 25, 2025
Indian police have arrested a man accused of stalking and inappropriately touching two Australian cricketers participating in the ICC Women’s World Cup in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Saturday. The incident happened in the central Indian city of Indore on Thursday morning when the two players left their hotel to go to a cafe, a day after Australia’s six-wicket victory over England in the group stage of the World Cup, when they were allegedly approached by a motorcyclist. “The security officers of the women’s Australian cricket team filed a complaint that two members of the team faced inappropriate behaviour,” additional deputy commissioner of police, Rajesh Dandotiya, told Indian news agency ANI. “A FIR (first information report) was registered, and the accused was identified and arrested following an intensive strategic operation.” He has been charged under sections 74 and 78 of the criminal code that deal with assault or using criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty and st... -
Dawn - 15:53 Oct 25, 2025
Lahore continued to experience dry and hazy weather on Saturday as the Met Office warned that persistent dry conditions and rising air pollution were likely to keep the city and other districts of eastern Punjab under the grip of smog. It added that continental air was prevailing over most parts of the country, bringing generally dry weather, while hilly areas were expected to remain cold during morning and night hours. Citizens were advised to take precautionary measures against the prevailing smog. Lahore was declared the world’s most polluted city earlier this week as a hazardous blanket of smog enveloped the metropolis, prompting authorities to issue a severe public health warning. Along with Karachi, the city was among the top five most polluted cities in terms of air quality, according to monitoring platform IQAir. Smog is set to intensify across Lahore and other parts of Punjab due to a combination of local emissions and pollutants carried by low-speed winds from India, following Diwali celebrations, a... -
Dawn - 14:17 Oct 25, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Saturday that the government was committed to making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) a profitable institution. He made the remarks during a ceremony at the Islamabad International Airport to mark the national flag carrier’s inaugural flight from the capital to the United Kingdom (UK) after a gap of nearly five years. Last month, the airline had received Third Country Operator approval for the UK. The development came after Britain’s Department of Transport concluded that security arrangements in the country were “satisfactory and in line with international standards”. Flight operations to Manchester are resuming in the first phase, with plans to extend them to Birmingham and London in the second. “After a long and difficult delay of five years, today the resumption of flights from Islamabad to Manchester is a feat we have achieved through our hard work and determination,” Asif said. “This success is not a coincidence, but a living testament of the government’s prior... -
Dawn - 12:27 Oct 25, 2025
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi stressed on Saturday the need for further coordination between their countries on matters of mutual strategic interest. Pakistan and Egypt share long-standing bilateral relations. In May, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s desire for stronger bilateral ties with Pakistan in a phone call with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Last week, Pakistan and Egypt agreed to enhance cooperation in the maritime and industrial sectors, aiming to foster joint ventures and promote their blue economies. The army chief is currently on a visit to the country. A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) today said the army chief held a meeting with the Egyptian president at the Itihadia Presidential Palace in Cairo. “COAS commended the Egyptian leadership for key role in the region’s peace and stability, while President el-Sisi expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s positive and proa... -
Dawn - 10:46 Oct 25, 2025
Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit, the mother of the current King Vajiralongkorn and wife of the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, died late on Friday at the age of 93, the palace said. The royal family is venerated in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glowing media coverage and gold-adorned portraits hanging in public spaces and private homes nationwide. Authorities ordered flags to fly at half-mast for 30 days, banned weddings and concerts, and instructed citizens to wear black. Former Queen Sirikit’s body will lie in state at the Grand Palace’s Dusit Thorne Hall in the capital, Bangkok, according to the palace. People react as they hold portraits of Thailand’s former queen Sirikit in front of Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok. People hold portraits of Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit as they gather in front of Chulalongkorn Hospital, where she passed away, in Bangkok on October 25. — AFP People react as they hold portraits of Thailand’s former queen Sirikit in front of Chulal... -
Dawn - 09:36 Oct 25, 2025
Countries signed their first United Nations (UN) treaty targeting cybercrime in Hanoi on Saturday, despite opposition from an unlikely band of tech companies and rights groups warning of expanded state surveillance. The new global legal framework aims to strengthen international cooperation to fight digital crimes, from child pornography to transnational cyberscams and money laundering. More than 60 countries were seen to sign the declaration on Saturday, which means it will go into force once ratified by those states. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the signing as an “important milestone”, but that it was “only the beginning”. “Every day, sophisticated scams destroy families, steal migrants and drain billions of dollars from our economy… We need a strong, connected global response,” he said at the opening ceremony in Vietnam’s capital on Saturday. The UN Convention against Cybercrime was first proposed by Russian diplomats in 2017, and approved by consensus last year after lengthy negotiation... -
Dawn - 09:22 Oct 25, 2025
Three suspected robbers were killed in a shootout with police in Quetta’s outskirts on Saturday morning, an official said. Saddar Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shaukat Jadoon told Dawn.com that three armed suspects opened fire on a police patrol party in the Killi Khali area, a locality on the outskirts of Quetta, within the limits of the Brewery Police Station. “All three suspects were killed during the police’s retaliatory action,” DSP Jadoon said. “Weapons were recovered from the possession of the dacoits,” the officer said, adding that their bodies were taken to the Bolan Medical College for medico-legal procedures. The suspects were dacoits and were present in the area with the intention of committing a robbery, the DSP said. Further police investigation was being carried out, he added. Last month, Salahuddin Achakzai, a prominent tribal elder of the Achakzai tribe, was shot dead and two others were injured when armed men riding motorcycles targeted them on the outskirts of Chaman. In late Au... -
Dawn - 08:28 Oct 25, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday stressed that consensus among provinces was necessary for unity and ensuring the “true spirit of a federation” within the country. Addressing the Balochistan Workshop in Islamabad today, PM Shehabz recalled various challenges faced by the people of Balochistan. Noting that some of those challenges required financial resources, the premier recalled meetings in Lahore held ahead of the 2009 National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, which he had attended as the then-Punjab chief minister. “I would like to mention in all humility that in Lahore, all four chief ministers were gathered together, along with their finance ministers. Three days’ marathon session went on without a break — of course, when night fell, we would go for a few hours’ rest and then gather the next morning again.” He noted that then-Balochistan CM Aslam Raisani had conditioned the acceptance of the NFC Award on “100 per cent financial resources being added to Balochistan’s share”. “I said Punjab is read... -
Dawn - 06:13 Oct 25, 2025
US President Donald Trump slammed Canada for playing “dirty” on Friday as a row over an advertisement featuring former leader Ronald Reagan that prompted Trump to scrap trade talks showed no sign of abating. The Canadian province of Ontario said it would pull the offending anti-tariff ad on Monday so that negotiations could restart, after Trump alleged that the ad misrepresented the views of fellow Republican Reagan. But Trump showed no sign of backing down, saying Ontario should not have let it air during the first two games this weekend of baseball’s World Series. Adding extra spice to the row, the World Series features a Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays, facing a US team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Blue Jays thrashed the Dodgers 11-4 in the first game on Friday. “Canada got caught cheating on a commercial, can you believe it?” Trump told reporters before heading on a trip to Asia. “And I heard they were pulling the ad — I didn’t know they were putting it on a little bit more. They could have pulled i... -
Dawn - 05:52 Oct 25, 2025
Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit, the mother of the current King Vajiralongkorn and wife of the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, died late on Friday at the age of 93, the palace said. The royal family is venerated in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glowing media coverage and gold-adorned portraits hanging in public spaces and private homes nationwide. Throughout her 66-year marriage to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Sirikit carved a dual reputation as a fashionista and the nation’s caring matriarch — with some Western media featuring her on magazine covers and comparing her to former US first lady Jackie Kennedy. “I had heard that she had been unwell and, given that she was in her 90s, I knew this day would come,” 53-year-old housekeeper Sasis Putthasit said early on Saturday in the capital Bangkok. “But I didn’t expect it to be today,” Sasis told AFP. “I feel sad because she was a mother figure to the country, and now she’s gone.” Sirikit had “suffered several illnesses” while h... -
Dawn - 05:30 Oct 25, 2025
LAHORE: Lahore was declared the world’s most polluted city on Friday as a hazardous blanket of smog enveloped the metropolis, prompting authorities to issue a severe public health warning. The crisis was quantified by alarming data, with the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching a “hazardous” level of 362. The situation was even worse in specific neighbourhoods, with the Shalimar area recording a staggering AQI of 690, followed by Shadman at 611 and Syed Maratib Ali Road at 609. Other areas, including Iqbal Town, Lower Mall, and the Civil Secretariat also registered levels falling in the “emergency range”, posing serious health risks to the residents. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast no immediate respite, warning that a thick layer of smog is likely to persist over eastern Punjab, with a further increase expected in the coming days. Met Office sees no immediate respite The department explicitly identified industrial pollution and vehicle emissions as the primary drivers of smog an... -
Dawn - 04:00 Oct 25, 2025
QUETTA: Unknown armed men abducted 18 labourers at gunpoint and set fire to numerous vehicles in an attack on Thursday night at a construction company camp and its crushing plant in Naal area of Khuzdar district, officials said. The incident marks the second kidnapping of labourers in the region in four days. The first incident took place three days earlier, although it was only made public by the officials yesterday. Levies officials said over two dozen armed men stormed the camp and crushing plant of a private construction company late on Thursday in the Naal area, about 80 km from the district headquarters of Khuzdar. “They set at least eight vehicles and other machinery on fire and took away workers with them [to an] unknown destination,” a senior Levies force official in Naal said. Assailants also set ablaze many vehicles; incident comes days after gunmen abducted nine labourers in Mastung The company manager, Zulfiqar Ahmed, said the attackers initially took 20 people. “The armed men kidnapped 20 labour... -
Dawn - 03:53 Oct 25, 2025
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has backtracked from his proposed visit to Malaysia at the weekend to attend an Asean-related summit, joining the discussions “virtually” instead, it was officially announced on Friday. The opposition Congress party blamed the change of plan on Mr Modi’s fear of meeting President Donald Trump. The annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-nation grouping, as well as associated meetings, will be held from Oct 26 to 28 in Kuala Lumpur. The Hindu said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had not provided any reason for Mr Modi’s decision, though the paper quoted Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as saying that Mr Modi had cited the “ongoing Deepavali celebrations” as the reason for the change in plans. The MEA announced that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent Mr Modi and lead the Indian delegation at the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 27. Asean is a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy and Asia-Pacific... -
Dawn - 02:56 Oct 25, 2025
• Adequate water availability anticipated in Punjab, Sindh • Sugarcane output estimated at 84.7m tonnes, rice at 9.4m tonnes ISLAMABAD: The federal government has set a wheat production target of around 30 million tonnes for the Rabi season 2025-26, banking on adequate water availability in Punjab and Sindh — the two main wheat-producing provinces. The wheat production target for the Rabi season 2024-25 was set at 27.92m tonnes, but the government exceeded it by achieving 28.42m tonnes. The target for 2025-26 was approved at a meeting of the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA), which also finalised the wheat policy to ensure farmers receive fair support prices, enabling them to cover production costs and earn reasonable profit margins, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research on Friday. In light of recent floods, the FCA recommended launching a campaign for early wheat sowing, ensuring the availability of quality certified seed of improved varieties through a t...
5680 items