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  • Govt seeks opposition buy-in for fresh ‘democracy pact’
    Dawn - 07:34 Feb 24, 2026
    • Rana Sana urges opposition to rejoin parliamentary panels; seeks end to political confrontation, deadlock • Senate opposition leader asks govt not to complicate PTI chief’s health matters; says Imran not looking for deal • Upper house approves criminal procedure code tweaks to prevent police from holding suspects incommunicado ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Monday extended an olive branch to the PTI to advance the ‘Charter of Democracy’, signed between the PPP and the PML-N in 2006, and asked opposition lawmakers to rejoin parliamentary standing committees to kick-start the political process for reconciliation. The offer was made by PML-N Senator and PM’s aide Rana Sanaullah in his Senate address, while responding to a speech by Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas. “Let us sit together to strengthen and take forward the charter of democracy,” Mr Sanaullah said, adding that the government was ready for a dialogue to strengthen democracy and avoid confrontation and deadlock. “We are ready to sit with you...
  • Colleagues protest doctor’s murder outside Kohat hospital
    Dawn - 07:10 Feb 24, 2026
    KOHAT: Employees of the KDA Divisional Headquarters Hospital and members of the Young Doctors’ Association on Monday protested the murder of a woman doctor outside the hospital. Dr Mehwish Hasnain was killed late on Sunday as she was going home after performing duty at the KDA hospital. The police said they had registered an FIR against unidentified people for the murder. The protesters blocked the KDA Road and demanded the immediate arrest of the killer. They also called for tight security for themselves. The protesters insisted that Dr Mehwish was shot by an attendant whom she earlier asked to leave the space reserved for women patients. DPO says three teams formed to arrest killer Spokesman for the YDA’s provincial chapter Hafeez Orakzai said that the woman doctor left the hospital alone for home, considering the incident a minor one. “When Dr Mehwish was shot multiple times by the same visitor outside the hospital, she died on the spot,” he said. The spokesman said staff members had suspended all services...
  • Tariq Jahangiri’s appointment annulled
    Dawn - 02:35 Feb 24, 2026
    • 116-page judgement declares his law degree invalid • IHC rules appointment was ‘without lawful authority’ and a ‘legal nullity’ • Calls ex-judge’s plea to recuse CJ Dogar ‘dilatory tactics’ and ‘bench-hunting’ ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Monday issued a detailed 116-page judgement on the removal of one of its judges, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, declaring that his appointment to the bench was “without lawful authority” as he did not possess a valid law degree. An IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muha­mmad Azam Khan held that ex-Justice Jahangiri’s foundational law degree was void ab initio, rendering his elevation to the high court a “legal nullity”. The judgement relied heavily on original academic records produced by the University of Karachi (KU) registrar, concluding that the respondent’s academic credentials were tainted by fraud, impersonation and a deliberate attempt to circumvent a disciplinary ban. According to the verdict, Mr Jahangiri fi...
  • ‘Pakistan cannot tolerate this anymore’, says minister as he outlines terrorist attacks preceding Afghanistan strikes
    Dawn - 19:16 Feb 23, 2026
    Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry briefed the Senate on Monday on recent strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, pointing out that they were carried out following multiple attacks by militants in Pakistan and saying that Islamabad “cannot tolerate this anymore”. Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan in a retaliatory operation late on Saturday night, targeting groups responsible for recent attacks in its territory. The strikes were conducted in retaliation for a series of suicide attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur, and Bannu that had claimed the lives of Pakistani security personnel and civilians. Mentioning these incidents, Chaudhry said they were “linked” to Afghanistan-based actors, adding that it was subsequently decided to give a “decisive response” to the neighbouring country. “As a result, our Air Force carried out strikes in three Afghan provinces, Paktika, Nangarhar and Khost on February 21,” he said, adding that there were reports of the deaths of over 100 militants ...
    Tags: Afghanistan Pakistan
  • UK police arrest ex-envoy Peter Mandelson in Epstein case
    Dawn - 18:47 Feb 23, 2026
    London police on Monday arrested Britain’s former ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, amid allegations over his ties to disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein. “Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Images on UK television appeared to show Mandelson being driven away from his north London home accompanied by a man and a woman, after police raided his properties earlier this month. “He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and has been taken to a London police station for interview,” the Met added. The arrest comes days after ex-prince Andrew, King Charles III’s younger brother, was arrested in a misconduct in public office probe also related to the latest release of documents related to Epstein. Mandelson, a pivotal figure in British politics, is being probed over allegations that he sent sensitive documents to the late US sex offender Epstein when he was a government minister, inc...
    Tags: Peter Mandelson Epstein
  • ‘Abandon this dangerous fantasy’: Senate echoes with PPP’s displeasure over remarks on creating Karachi province
    Dawn - 18:33 Feb 23, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The upper house of Parliament on Monday echoed with the PPP’s displeasure over recent statements regarding the creation of a separate Karachi province, asserting that it was an inseparable part of Sindh. The development comes two days after the Sindh Assembly passed a resolution terming Karachi an “inseparable” part of Sindh and opposed any move that suggested otherwise. Opposing the resolution in the Sindh Assembly, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) had also declared it unconstitutional. On Monday, PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, Sherry Rehman, denounced recent statements by certain federal ministers, ostensibly a reference to MQM-P’s Mustafa Kamal and Khaliq Maqbool Siddique. Rehman said that such reckless talk was not only unconstitutional but also a direct provocation to the unity of the federation. “Let me be clear: the PPP is the custodian of Sindh’s unity and no one will be allowed to undermine it,” she said. She said Sindh had always opened its arms to everyone, adding...
    Tags: Senate Karachi
  • Food delivery rider killed after speeding car overturns, crashes into his motorcycle in Karachi: police
    Dawn - 18:33 Feb 23, 2026
    KARACHI: A food delivery rider lost his life after a speeding vehicle flipped over and crashed into his stationary motorcycle in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area, according to police. The video of the incident that took place on Sunday was widely shared on social media. South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) told Dawn that the food delivery rider was on his motorcycle outside a bungalow in DHA’s phase IV when a speeding car turned over and crashed into his vehicle. “Both the rider and the car driver were injured in the incident,” he said, adding that they were initially taken to a private hospital in the Clifton area. The rider was later taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in critical condition and died during treatment, the official said. Meanwhile, the car’s driver was at the private hospital in Clifton, and a police mobile was deployed outside the facility for the arrest of the car driver after treatment, DIG Raza said.
    Tags: Karachi
  • West Indies thrash Zimbabwe in T20 World Cup clash after piling up 254-6
    Dawn - 18:13 Feb 23, 2026
    The West Indies blew away T20 World Cup surprise package Zimbabwe by a colossal 107 runs in Mumbai on Monday as Shai Hope’s team opened their Super Eights campaign with a dominant victory. Shimron Hetmyer blasted 85 off 34 balls as the West Indies piled up 254-6, the second-highest total in the history of the tournament. Zimbabwe, who stunned Australia and Sri Lanka to reach the Super Eights, got off to an awful start chasing a monumental 255. They were reduced to 20-3 in the third over when two wickets fell to Akeal Hosein’s left-arm spin and never threatened to get close. They were all out for 147 in 17.4 overs with Brad Evans hitting some lusty late blows before being last man out for 43 off 21 balls with five sixes. Left-armer Gudakesh Motie was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 4-28 as he found some sharp turn. Hosein took 3-28. Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bowl, then saw his bowlers flogged to all parts of the Wankhede stadium. Only Sri Lanka, who made 260-6 against Ke...
    Tags: T20 World Cup West Indies Zimbabwe
  • ‘Let’s sit together and strengthen Charter of Democracy’: Govt invites opposition for talks
    Dawn - 18:10 Feb 23, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The government invited the opposition on Monday to hold talks and “strengthen and take forward” the Charter of Democracy — a 2006 document signed by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and late Benazir Bhutto, with the commitment to struggle against dictatorship. “Let us sit together to strengthen and take forward the Charter of Democracy”, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said while addressing a Senate session in response to a speech by Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas. Sanaullah said the government was willing to hold dialogue with the opposition, which would strengthen democracy, rather than opting for confrontation and deadlock. “We are ready to sit with you for the betterment of the country,” he asserted, maintaining that parties in the ruling coalition had stressed the need for talks even when the PTI was in power. However, PTI founder Imran Khan was not ready to talk to politicians, he said, saying that his “stubbornness is a big hurdle” in the way of talks. Without...
    Tags: Democracy Charter
  • Israeli minister says army will occupy all Gaza if Hamas does not disarm
    Dawn - 17:46 Feb 23, 2026
    Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday that Hamas may soon be given a deadline to lay down its weapons. “We estimate that in the coming days, Hamas will be given an ultimatum to disarm and completely demilitarise Gaza,” Smotrich said in an interview with public broadcaster Kan. Israel invaded the Gaza Strip in 2023, in retaliation for Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack. Under the first phase of a US-sponsored ceasefire in Gaza intended to halt two years of Isreali onslaught in Gaza, the Israeli army withdrew to positions behind a so-called Yellow Line, but still controls over half of the territory. Both Hamas and Israel accuse each other of near-daily ceasefire violations, with the health ministry in Gaza reporting 615 people killed by Israeli forces since the truce started. The Israeli military says it has lost five of its soldiers during the same period. If Hamas does not comply with the Israeli ultimatum to disarm, the army “will have international legitimacy and American ba...
    Tags: Gaza Israeli Hamas
  • PM Shehbaz lands in Qatar on 2-day official visit to explore new avenues of cooperation
    Dawn - 17:18 Feb 23, 2026
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached Qatar on Monday night on a two-day official visit, state-run PTV News reported. He was received by Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Muhammad bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Qatar Muhammad Aamer and other diplomatic staff at King Hammad International Airport, a post by PTV News on social media platform X said. The premier is accompanied by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and his aide, Tariq Fatemi, according to the post. Earlier, the Foreign Office (FO) said the premier would meet the Qatari emir during the visit. The visit is being undertaken at the invitation of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the FO said in a press release. During his visit, PM Shehbaz will hold a bilateral meeting with Sheikh Tamim, “covering the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including political engagement, economic collaboration, energy partnership, and people-to-people exchanges”, the FO added. “The...
    Tags: Qatar Shehbaz
  • India battle for T20 World Cup survival after ‘messing up on grand scale’
    Dawn - 15:54 Feb 23, 2026
    Defending T20 World Cup champions India need “two big performances” to reach the semi-finals after Sunday’s huge defeat to South Africa, said their assistant coach. India came into the T20 World Cup as hot favourites on home soil but were thrashed by 76 runs in the Super Eights as 80,000 fans at the massive Narendra Modi stadium were stunned into silence. In their first chase of the tournament, India’s batting came up woefully short in the face of some disciplined South Africa bowling. India collapsed to 111 all out in 18.5 overs in response to South Africa’s 187-7 as their 12-match win streak in the T20 World Cup came to a crashing end. The magnitude of the defeat has left India with a desperate net run-rate of -3.8 and likely needing to win their last two Super Eight matches convincingly to make it to the semi-finals. Anything less and India will need to rely on a combination of other results going their way. “Very disappointed in the performance,” said Ryan ten Doeschate. “When you set out to win a World C...
    Tags: T20 World Cup India
  • Trump renews attack on US Supreme Court, vows other tariffs and licences
    Dawn - 15:29 Feb 23, 2026
    US President Donald Trump renewed his condemnation of the Supreme Court on Monday after it ruled against his sweeping tariff programme last week, vowing to turn to other tariff powers and licences but giving no details. “The court has also approved all other Tariffs, of which there are many, and they can all be used in a much more powerful and obnoxious way, with legal certainty, than the Tariffs as initially used,” he wrote in a social media post. Trump said on Saturday he would raise a temporary tariff from 10 per cent to 15 pc on US imports from all countries, the maximum level allowed under the law, a day after the court ruled that Trump had exceeded his presidential authority when he imposed an array of higher tariff rates under an economic emergency law. In his post on Monday, Trump also pointed to the potential use of licences to pressure countries, writing that “incomprehensibly, according to the ruling, (I) can’t charge them a Licence fee — BUT ALL LICENCES CHARGE FEES, why can’t the United States do...
    Tags: Supreme Court Trump
  • 3 Federal Constabulary men martyred in terrorist attack in KP’s Karak
    Dawn - 14:52 Feb 23, 2026
    LAKKI MARWAT: Three Federal Constabulary men were martyred in a terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district on Monday, according to officials. In a statement, Karak police spokesperson Shaukat Khan said terrorists initially carried out a quadcopter attack on the Federal Constabulary fort in the Dargah Shaheedan area. The spokesperson said that during the initial attack, the terrorists detonated four rounds of explosives, causing injuries to four Federal Constabulary personnel. However, the Federal Constabulary personnel retaliated. The exchange of fire went on for a long time, he added. He said that Rescue 1122 teams arrived at the site of the incident to rush the injured to a nearby hospital; however, the ambulances were ambushed by the terrorists near Ghole Banda Dam, leading to the martyrdom of three Federal Constabulary personnel. Three Rescue 1122 officials were left injured, he said. He added that following the attack, the ambulances caught fire and were destroyed. Karak District Police Offi...
    Tags: Karak Federal Constabulary
  • Opposition leaders stage protest outside Supreme Court, demand immediate scheduling of Imran’s cases
    Dawn - 14:48 Feb 23, 2026
    Members of the opposition protested outside the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday to demand that the cases of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan be immediately scheduled for hearing and that he be allowed to meet his family. Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja participated in the protest, which ended at around 2pm. Other leaders present included chief whip Amir Dogar, MNAs Ali Muhammad Khan and Shahid Khattak, MPA Shafiullah Jan, and Muhammad Hussain. The protest participants also demanded that “a complete medical examination be conducted through his personal doctors”, according to a post by the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on X. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case and was convicted in another case regarding state gifts recently. His health has been garnering attention in recent days, with his family and party raising concerns since...
    Tags: Supreme Court Imran
  • Security forces kill 9 terrorists during intelligence-based operations in Balochistan, KP
    Dawn - 14:40 Feb 23, 2026
    Security forces killed nine terrorists, including a suicide bomber, during intelligence-based operations (IBO) in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to statements issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday. According to the military’s media affairs wing, an IBO in KP’s Dera Ismail Khan was conducted on Monday, on the “reported presence of khawarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna-al-Khawarij”. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term that the state has designated for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban. The ISPR said that security personnel “effectively engaged the khawarij location” during the operation, and after an intense exchange of fire, four terrorists were killed. It added that weapons and ammunition were recovered from “Indian-sponsored killed khawarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area”. Earlier in the day, ISPR shared the details of the IBO in Balochistan’s Pishin in a separate statement. It said security forces had killed five terrorists, including ...
    Tags: Balochistan Security
  • Punjab Assembly to take up ordinance against land grabbing tomorrow
    Dawn - 14:35 Feb 23, 2026
    LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly will take up on Tuesday (February 24) the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property (Amendment) Ordinance 2026, which is aimed at curbing land grabbing and fast-tracking property disputes. The ordinance was on the agenda for Monday’s session but could not be tabled due to a lack of quorum. The amended ordinance, promulgated on Feb 17, introduces jail terms of up to 10 years and fines up to Rs10 million for the illegal possession of immovable property, while mandating that cases be decided within 30 days. It amends the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act, 2025 — operation of which was suspended by the Lahore High Court last year — to strengthen protection for lawful owners and streamline adjudication through newly empowered district-level tribunals. Under the ordinance, a key structural reform is the establishment of the Punjab Property Tribunal in each district, to be presided over by a serving additional sessions judge, with exclusive jurisdiction t...
  • ECP to hear plea against victory of PPP’s Ali Hassan Zehri from Hub in Feb 8 elections
    Dawn - 14:15 Feb 23, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to hear a unique case on Tuesday (February 24), involving an increase of 10,000 in the number of polled votes and over 13,000 in the number of rejected votes for a Balochistan Assembly seat following a controversial recount. The recount at 39 polling stations of PB-21 (Hub) took place two months after the Feb 8, 2024 general elections. The recount had declared PPP’s Ali Hassan Zehri the winner, even though the original count had not even declared him the runner-up. The original winner, Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) Muhammad Saleh Bhootani, who had secured more than double the votes obtained by Zehri, was pushed down to the third spot. After the recount, the percentage of polled votes had also changed from 55.15 per cent to 58.48pc. It is worth mentioning that the significant change in the electoral figures was linked to a saga involving the arrest of five individuals from the strong room where the electoral record had been stored. They were alleged...
    Tags: Ali Hassan Zehri
  • Snoring at night? Low vitamin D might be playing a role
    Dawn - 14:00 Feb 23, 2026
    Snoring is often dismissed as a harmless habit or blamed on sleeping position, weight, or nasal congestion. But emerging research suggests there may be a less obvious contributor quietly influencing nighttime breathing: low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is best known for its role in bone health, but its influence extends far beyond that. It plays a crucial part in muscle strength, nerve signalling, and inflammation control — all of which are directly connected to how the airway functions during sleep. A growing body of scientific evidence shows that vitamin D deficiency is associated with impaired muscle performance. The muscles that keep the upper airway open during sleep rely on proper neuromuscular control. When these muscles relax too much, airflow becomes turbulent, causing the vibration of soft tissues in the throat — what we hear as snoring. Weakened or poorly functioning muscles can increase this collapse, especially during deep sleep. Inflammation adds another layer to the problem. Vitamin D has anti-i...
    Tags: Snoring
  • Canadian national who went missing in Lahore turns up in NCCIA custody
    Dawn - 13:33 Feb 23, 2026
    LAHORE: A Canadian national pursuing doctoral research, who went missing last week, has turned up in the custody of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The agency on Monday produced Hamza Ahmad Khan before a magistrate, who sent him to jail for 14 days on judicial remand. On Sunday, police registered a case on kidnapping charges on the complaint of his friend. According to the first information report, Hamza went missing in the early hours of Feb 19 after leaving his residence in DHA Phase 10, according to the first information report (FIR) registered at the Defence-A police station. On Monday, it emerged that Hamza was in NCCIA custody for allegedly making anti-state posts on social media platforms X and Instagram. In the FIR registered against him by the NCCIA, the cybercrime agency said that during routine cyber patrols, accounts associated with Hamza were actively “disseminating misinformation and disinformation targeting the state institutions”. The FIR, a copy of which is available wi...
    Tags: Canadian NCCIA

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