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Dawn - 02:15 Jul 13, 2026
ISLAMABAD: A government-constituted inquiry committee has held all three key stakeholders — the contractor, consultant and employer (Wapda) — responsible for the cofferdam collapse at the 1,530MW Tarbela-5 Extension Hydropower Project, citing post-contract unauthorised design changes as one of the main reasons for the incident. The collapse has contributed to at least a two-year delay and more than 285 per cent cost escalation in the project, whose cost has risen from Rs82 billion to Rs317bn. As a result, the project’s levelised generation cost over 30 years may rise to around Rs27-28 per unit — the country’s highest so far for renewable energy — making it economically unviable and unsustainable, according to the Planning Commission. The project, which involves $700m in loans from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, is now targeted for completion by end-June 2028 instead of 2026. Inquiry body holds Wapda, contractor, consultant responsible as project cost rises from Rs82bn to Rs317bn ... -
Dawn - 01:58 Jul 13, 2026
Pakistan counts 7.14 million business establishments in its Economic Census, and only 9.8 per cent of them sit in manufacturing. Wholesale and retail trade accounts for 45.1pc, nearly five times as many. Twenty-seven years of measuring small and medium enterprises (SME) policy success by headcount and GDP share, never by whether small firms are actually financed for production, has led the government to finance consumption. Trade and consumption-facing services recycle domestic demand; they do not build export earnings, productivity growth, or foreign exchange. An SME policy that channels financing toward that segment by default, because it is sector-blind, not because it is deliberate, is financing consumption growth and calling it SME development. This is in a scenario where consumption as a percentage of GDP has consistently exceeded 97 per cent, while investment as a percentage of GDP has lagged at an average of 12pc over the last five decades. There does not exist a single example of a middle-income econ... -
Dawn - 01:58 Jul 13, 2026
• Kashmir Martyrs’ Day being observed today • President, PM reaffirm pledge to support Kashmiris ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday urged the international community to play its role in ensuring respect for human rights in India-held Jammu and Kashmir and support efforts aimed at the peaceful resolution of the long-simmering dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. In their messages on the eve of Kashmir Martyrs’ Day, they reaffirmed their pledge to stand shoulder to shoulder with Kashmiris steadfastly supporting their just cause. The Kashmir Martyrs’ Day is observed on July 13 every year. “The Government of Pakistan reiterates its unwavering political, diplomatic, and moral support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We stand in complete solidarity with their just struggle for the realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in UNSC resolutions. Lasting peac... -
Dawn - 22:03 Jul 12, 2026
Italian top seed Jannik Sinner resisted an all-out onslaught by an inspired Alexander Zverev to retain his Wimbledon crown in a thunderous final and claim a fifth Grand Slam title on Sunday. Zverev, in his first Wimbledon final hot on the heels of winning the French Open, threatened an upset after taking an intense opening set, but eventually ran out of firepower as Sinner found another gear to win 6-7(7) 7-6(2) 6-3 6-4. The destiny of the title was still on a knife edge nearly three hours into an absorbing contest but second seed Zverev’s resistance finally cracked after a nasty tumble in the third set and Sinner surged on to the title. Sinner, 24, became the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title last year by beating Carlos Alcaraz, and now joins an elite list of 10 men to successfully defend it in the professional era. It was a 10th successive victory for Sinner over Zverev but this time he was pushed to the limit by the 29-year-old who had been bidding to become the first German man to win the Wi... -
Dawn - 21:12 Jul 12, 2026
The US military launched fresh strikes on Iran after the latter struck a container ship on Sunday, while Tehran said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz and escalated attacks on US facilities in states across the Gulf. The strikes were the latest in a cycle of attacks and counter-attacks as Iran seeks to assert control over shipping through the strait. However, the latest barrage marked a sharp escalation in pace and range. The attacks extended to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had not been targeted since early May, and Qatar, a mediator in ceasefire talks that had not come under attack since April. Iran said it closed the strait after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel travelling on an “unauthorised route”. It warned that any retaliation over the incident would be met with a “severe response”. Iran later said it had disabled a second vessel. India said one of its nationals was missing after an attack on the container ship GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman earlier on Sunday. Oman said 23 c... -
Dawn - 20:45 Jul 12, 2026
Qatar’s government on Sunday announced the death of former leader Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who led the country from 1995 to 2013. He was 74, according to a government website. “With hearts steadfast in faith in God’s decree and destiny, the Bureau of the Emir mourns the great loss to the nation of the late — may God have mercy on him — His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,” read a statement published by the emir’s office on social media. Qatari officials said funeral prayers would be held on Sunday evening along with several days of public mourning across the country, which would see government offices and public institutions closed and flags flown at half mast. Pakistan would also observe a day of mourning on Monday. The former leader was seen as one of the key architects of modern Qatar and led the country during a period of rapid economic growth. Sheikh Hamad took power in June 1995, overthrowing his father in a bloodless coup while the latter was abroad. He inherited a ... -
Dawn - 19:02 Jul 12, 2026
HYDERABAD/KARACHI: PPP on Sunday staged rallies across Sindh to condemn India’s unilateral attempt to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and its plans to divert Pakistani waters in the Indus river system. Water and the IWT remain a contentious issue between India and Pakistan, following New Delhi’s unilateral abeyance of the accord last year — a move that was followed by a brief military conflict between the two sides in May 2025. PPP activists held demonstrations in several districts and cities, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Thar, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, Shikarpur, Naushahro Feroze and Dadu. They gathered under the slogan ‘marsoon marsoon, Sindhu na desoon’ (We will die, but we will not give up the Indus). Leading a rally in Hyderabad, PPP Sindh chapter president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had raised the issue at global forums and would take it to a logical end. The rally started from Shahbaz Building Chowk and culminated outside the local press club in the evening. PPP dis... -
Dawn - 18:41 Jul 12, 2026
He has led multiple wars, outlasted several American presidents, and watched his political obituary written — only to be shredded — more times than any other leader in modern Israeli history. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, faces an international arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, a long-running corruption trial, and a spiralling multi-front conflict that has dragged on for nearly three years and has seen his country’s first direct military confrontations with arch-foe Iran. Now the silver-haired 76-year-old, nicknamed “Bibi”, is staring down an election that many believe could finally draw the curtain on one of the most consequential and contested careers in Israeli politics — or extend it once again. Netanyahu has declared that he “intends to win” in the election scheduled for October 27, setting the stage for what could be the defining contest of his political life. Shattered image of ‘Mr Security’ Netanyahu built his entire career on a single promise: that he alon... -
Dawn - 17:43 Jul 12, 2026
Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Sunday decided to establish a “grand” Kashmir peace jirga to facilitate dialogue between the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government and the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in an effort to restore stability and normalcy in the region. The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s central Majlis-i-Shura chaired by JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman at Mansoorah, Lahore. According to a press release, the jirga will engage both the government and the JAAC, with the restoration of peace and the resolution of issues in AJK identified as its top priorities. To oversee the initiative, Rehman constituted a committee headed by JI Deputy Emir Liaqat Baloch. The committee included JI AJK Emir Dr Muhammad Mushtaq Khan and the party’s former regional chiefs Abdul Rashid Turabi and Dr Khalid Mahmood. The JI chief also indicated that the committee would be expanded to include former civil bureaucrats, retired judges, ex-military officials and members of civil society from AJK. The Shura exp... -
Dawn - 17:39 Jul 12, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The LPG Importers Association of Pakistan (LPGIAP) on Sunday warned of a “serious” nationwide shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the next two to three days if the government did not immediately intervene. In a letter to Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, LPGIAP Chairman Sheikh Mukarram Waheed warned that unless the issue was resolved without delay, the country’s LPG supply chain could face “significant disruptions”. He called for an emergency meeting of all relevant stakeholders to address serious concerns over the current LPG pricing mechanism. “The LPG price notified by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on June 30, 2026, does not accurately reflect the actual landed cost of imported LPG,” the letter read. It emphasised that the “international prices, freight charges, exchange rate fluctuations, port handling fees, inland transportation, financing costs and other operational expenses” had pushed import costs “well above the notified selling price, leaving importers to absorb... -
Dawn - 17:03 Jul 12, 2026
Pakistan expresses 'deep concern' over Middle East escalation, urges all sides to exercise restraint
Pakistan on Sunday expressed its “deep concern” over the ongoing escalation in the Middle East and urged all sides to exercise restraint after the United States and Iran traded fresh strikes, with Gulf countries also coming under attack. In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said Pakistan was “following with deep concern the recent incidents that are further escalating the regional tensions”. “Pakistan reiterates its strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all brotherly countries in the region, and urges all sides to exercise restraint, take immediate steps towards de-escalation, and uphold respective commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),” the statement read. “On its part, Pakistan remains committed to providing all support towards achieving lasting peace and stability in the region through dialogue and diplomacy,” it affirmed. The FO statement comes in the backdrop of fresh US strikes on Iran after the latter struck a container ship, while Tehran said it... -
Dawn - 15:49 Jul 12, 2026
Flash floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains have killed at least 50 people in Bangladesh in the past week, officials said on Sunday, with tens of thousands displaced from their homes. Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation criss-crossed by rivers, is highly vulnerable to floods and landslides during the monsoon season, but scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. For the last few days, army and border guard personnel have been ferrying food, drinking water and other essential supplies by boat to communities cut off because of heavy flooding in the country’s southeastern districts. As many as 50 people have died in the worst-affected Chattogram district in the past week, including 29 who were buried by landslides, divisional commissioner Mohammed Ziauddin told AFP by phone. “Two individuals are still missing,” he said. Some 35,000 people have been forced to seek shelter in government-run centres, he added. Among those caught up in the disaster ... -
Dawn - 15:41 Jul 12, 2026
The US military launched fresh strikes on Iran after the latter struck a container ship on Sunday, while Tehran said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz and escalated attacks on US facilities in states across the Gulf. The strikes were the latest in a cycle of attacks and counter-attacks as Iran seeks to assert control over shipping through the strait. However, the latest barrage marked a sharp escalation in pace and range. The attacks extended to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had not been targeted since early May, and Qatar, a mediator in ceasefire talks that had not come under attack since April. Iran said it closed the strait after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel travelling on an “unauthorised route”. It warned that any retaliation over the incident would be met with a “severe response”. Iran later said it had disabled a second vessel. India said one of its nationals was missing after an attack on the container ship GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman earlier on Sunday. Oman said 23 c... -
Dawn - 14:53 Jul 12, 2026
Armed men gunned down five workers hailing from Punjab in the Mashkail town of Balochistan’s Washuk district on Sunday, Deputy Commissioner Abdul Majeed Sarparah said. The incident occurred amid ongoing Operation Shaban and other counterterrorism operations in the province, in which the security forces have eliminated 109 terrorists since July 5. “The incident took place in Mashkail town close to the Pakistan-Iran border area, when armed men riding motorcycles opened fire on shops where the labourers from Punjab were working,” DC Sarparah told the media. Police officials said the five individuals suffered multiple bullet injuries and succumbed to their wounds on the spot. They added that after firing, the assailants escaped from the site. The officials said police and other security personnel rushed to the site soon after receiving information about the incident and shifted the bodies to the government health facility in Mashkail. After completing legal formalities, arrangements will be made to dispatch the w... -
Dawn - 14:26 Jul 12, 2026
Security forces killed another seven terrorists during the ongoing Operation Shaban in Balochistan, following which the total number of terrorists killed in the operation reached 71, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. Operation Shaban is being jointly carried out across the province by the army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police following the terrorist July 7 attack in the Mangi Dam area, in which 27 police personnel were martyred. Citing security sources, Radio Pakistan said a total of 109 “khawarij terrorists” have been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations in Balochistan since July 5. The outlet had earlier reported that three terrorists were killed, and later said another four were eliminated in the Saran Tangi area. Security sources said a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the possession of the killed terrorists. The recovered weapons include M4 rifles, submachine guns, rocket launchers, mobile phones, and other equipment. Security sources reaffirm... -
Dawn - 12:52 Jul 12, 2026
Politicians, journalists and experts have taken to social media to criticise Friday’s approval by a Senate panel of a bill allowing blue passports for ex-legislators’ children under the age of 28. If it becomes law, the legislation would bring ex-members of parliament in line with the existing entitlement available to dependent children of retired Grade-22 government officers. State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry denied that he supported the bill, saying he opposed it when it was introduced in the Senate. He further asserted that he had told the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control, which passed the legislation, that the matter should first be discussed with the federal cabinet and relevant stakeholders. “Despite my reservations, the Senate & Standing Committee on Interior proceeded with its decision to pass the bill,” he said. Senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique condemned the bill, comparing it to the KP assembly’s recently approved bill that allowed additional privileges f... -
Dawn - 12:13 Jul 12, 2026
Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will visit Washington on Monday to deepen strategic ties with the United States, with oil and gas deals expected to be signed as part of a broader push for economic, trade and investment cooperation. Iraq has been seeking to balance its ties with neighbouring Iran and the US as military escalation between the two rivals continues. “The agreements to be signed will include several memorandums of understanding in the oil and gas sector as Iraq prepares to bring in various US companies that will provide momentum to increase oil production capacity,” government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said. Iraq’s state news agency, citing al-Aboudi, said the planned oil and gas agreements would also seek to create alternative export outlets to reduce Iraq’s exposure to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Iraq, like other Gulf oil producers, has suffered a drop in oil revenue due to the effective closure of the vital shipping route during the US-Iran war. Al-Aboudi said strengthening Iraq... -
Dawn - 11:35 Jul 12, 2026
Prominent US Senator Lindsey Graham, a key ally of President Donald Trump, died on Saturday aged 71 following a “brief and sudden illness”, his office said. Graham, known for his foreign policy work, was a staunch supporter of the US-Israeli war on Iran and in recent years urged both Trump and the Biden administrations to back Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion. “On the evening of Saturday, July 11, US Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” the Republican senator from South Carolina’s office said in a statement on his official X account. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.” Trump paid tribute to the influential senator on Sunday, calling him “one of the greatest people” in a post on his Truth Social site. “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!” Graham ... -
Dawn - 10:35 Jul 12, 2026
Qatar’s government on Sunday announced the death of former leader Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who led the country from 1995 to 2013. He was 74, according to a government website. “With hearts steadfast in faith in God’s decree and destiny, the Bureau of the Emir mourns the great loss to the nation of the late — may God have mercy on him — His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,” read a statement published by the emir’s office on social media. Qatari officials said funeral prayers would be held on Sunday evening along with several days of public mourning across the country, which would see government offices and public institutions closed and flags flown at half mast. The former leader was seen as one of the key architects of modern Qatar and led the country during a period of rapid economic growth. Sheikh Hamad took power in June 1995, overthrowing his father in a bloodless coup while the latter was abroad. He inherited a small, largely marginal emirate with nearly empty coffers... -
Dawn - 08:57 Jul 12, 2026
Pundits and former players highlighted India’s struggles with the bat on Saturday after the Twenty20 World Cup champions suffered back-to-back series defeats by England and Ireland. England beat India by 56 runs in the fifth and final T20I at Southampton, the hosts sealing a 4-0 series win after the opener ended in a no result due to rain. That series defeat came after Ireland had completed a 2-0 T20 whitewash last month. Player-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik said India’s batting unit had looked out of rhythm throughout the tour. “I think India have a problem adapting to a little bit of extra bounce,” he told cricket news site Cricbuzz. “The middle order looks wobbly, not confident, and it is definitely not the Indian team that we saw during the World Cup or before it in bilateral series, where they took down opponents and actually imposed a lot of fear. Where has that gone?” India captain Shreyas Iyer said their failure to adapt to different conditions had cost them in the series. “We kept on going from o...
12682 items