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Dawn - 14:56 Oct 28, 2025
Reports were mounting on Tuesday of ethnically motivated atrocities in the western Sudanese city of El-Fasher since its capture by paramilitaries, with allies of the army accusing fighters of executing “more than 2,000” civilians. El-Fasher fell to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after more than 18 months of brutal siege warfare, giving the group control over every state capital in the vast Darfur region. Allies of the army, the Joint Forces, said on Tuesday that the RSF “committed heinous crimes against innocent civilians in the city of El-Fasher, where more than 2,000 unarmed citizens were executed and killed on October 26 and 27, most of them women, children and the elderly”. Local groups and international NGOs had warned that El-Fasher’s fall could trigger mass atrocities, fears that Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab said were coming true. The monitor, which relies on open source intelligence and satellite imagery, said the city “appears to be in a systematic and intentional process of ethnic cle... -
Dawn - 13:48 Oct 28, 2025
At least six suspects were killed in four separate encounters with the Crime Control Department (CCD) in different locations of Lahore late on Monday, the CCD said on Tuesday. Earlier this year, the Punjab government launched the CCD with a mandate to tackle organised crime, terrorism, and high-profile criminal gangs. Recently, the body has carried out a range of encounters. Officials have publicly praised the department for its successes, claiming it has “significantly reduced street crime and targeted major criminal figures.” As per a statement issued by the department’s spokesperson today, “CCD teams conducted four different encounters in Lahore’s Nishtar Colony, Green Town, Harbanspura, and Ring Road, where six suspects were killed.” In the first instance, in Nishtar Colony, the CCD team came under attack while they were out to arrest the suspects, the statement said. “An exchange of fire ensued, leaving two suspects dead by their associates’ fire,” the CCD said, adding that the “deceased had been involve... -
Dawn - 13:47 Oct 28, 2025
Pakistan has tested multiple missile types over the last few years to increase its defence capabilities and also to ensure credible deterrence. The missiles range from ground-launched cruise missiles to medium-range ballistic missiles. Fatah 4 cruise missile On September 30, the Pakistan Army successfully conducted a training launch of a newly inducted, indigenously-produced Fatah-4 cruise missile at a range of 750 kilometres, the military’s media wing said. “Equipped with advanced avionics and state-of-the-art navigational aids, this weapon system is capable of evading [the] enemy’s missile defence system due to terrain-hugging features and engaging targets with high precision,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. An image of the newly inducted cruise missile Fatah-4. — Screengrab via X/@PTVNewsOfficial Fatah surface-to-surface missile On May 5, Pakistan conducted a successful training launch of a Fatah series surface-to-surface guided missile with a range of 120 kilometres, as pa... -
Dawn - 13:46 Oct 28, 2025
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday launched the Economic Cooperation Framework, which is based on their shared economic interests and reaffirms their desire to strengthen trade and investment relations. The decision to launch the framework was taken during a Monday meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) in Riyadh, according to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO). The FII9 convened global leaders, investors, policymakers, and innovators to explore the theme, ‘The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth’ and discuss key topics such as innovation, sustainability, economic inclusion, and geopolitical shifts. “As part of the framework, several strategic and high-impact projects will be discussed in the economic, trade, investment and development fields that will contribute to strengthening cooperation between the two governments, enhancing the pivotal role of the pr... -
Dawn - 13:31 Oct 28, 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday again stated that seven aircraft were shot down during the brief military escalation between Pakistan and India in May. Addressing a dinner with business leaders during his trip to Japan, Trump claimed that a lot of the wars he stopped were because of his tariffs imposed on multiple countries, stating that he did “a great service to the world”. “If you look at India and Pakistan, they were going at it,” he said. “Seven brand-new, beautiful planes were shot down. “I said to [Indian] Prime Minister Modi and I said to the Prime Minister [Shehbaz Sharif], very nice man, a very good man and the Field Marshal [Asim Munir] over in Pakistan … I said, ‘look we’re not going to do any trade if you’re going to be fighting’,” Trump said. “We said ‘no, we’re not doing any deals if you’re going to fight’ and within 24 hours that was the end of that. It was amazing, actually,” he added. “I think trade is responsible for 70 per cent of the fact that we didn’t have wars.” The May... -
Dawn - 13:21 Oct 28, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday said that the Peshawar corps commander visited the CM Secretariat earlier to “congratulate” him. The CM shared this information while speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court, where he was also asked what the two had discussed during the meeting. “He came to congratulate me, and it was not an official [exchange]. The conversation was unofficial. And our stance is the same [everywhere], what we say inside is what we say outside,” Afridi replied. Responding to a follow-up question, he further explained that he was the chief executive of a province and even the inspector general of police and the chief secretary had visited his office. Similarly, he continued, “the corps commander will also come there, and the officers of all of our security institutions will also come. We will discuss matters pertaining to the province with them.” Apparently referring to security officials, he said they should visit the chief ministers and the prime minister’s of... -
Dawn - 13:03 Oct 28, 2025
Amid recent tensions between Multan Sultans and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the PSL franchise on Tuesday submitted a proposal to the PCB aimed at strengthening the Pakistan Super League “through better governance, transparency, and partnership”, according to a statement. The letter to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi “acknowledges recent tensions but frames this as an opportunity to rebuild trust and put professional systems in place so the PSL can reach its full potential.” According to the statement, Multan Sultans owner Ali Khan Tareen reaffirmed the franchise’s long-standing commitment to the league. The letter notes concerns about ad hoc decision-making and limited management experience, and calls for institutional processes and accountability, the statement read. Four key reforms were proposed by Multan Sultans, beginning with franchise representation on PSL committees and working groups. “Formal inclusion of every franchise so policies reflect the league’s collective experience across scheduling, recrui... -
Dawn - 11:11 Oct 28, 2025
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Tuesday that the joint decision of his party, PML-N and the PPP, to support a vote of no confidence (VONC) against the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) premier was a sign of “democratic maturity” to solve the region’s issues. The PML-N and PPP — coalition partners in the federal government — announced yesterday that they will jointly bring about a no-trust motion against AJK Prime Minister Haq. The PML-N has said it would support the no-trust motion against the AJK premier but would not become part of the government, and instead would be in the opposition. PPP’s Qamar Zaman Kaira said his party accepted that decision. Today, Iqbal chaired a meeting of the PML-N’s “political coordination committee” at his planning ministry in Islamabad on the directives of PM Shehbaz Sharif. Kashmir affairs minister Amir Muqam and Adviser to PM on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah were among the meeting’s participants, while PML-N’s AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir was leading his parliamentary ... -
Dawn - 10:02 Oct 28, 2025
Pakistan’s economy has expanded by three per cent in fiscal year 2025 (FY25), the World Bank said in a report on Tuesday, but cautioned that growth is likely to remain the same in the next fiscal year due to the impacts of the recent floods. Earlier this month, the WB had cut its growth forecast for Pakistan by half a per cent to 2.6pc for the current fiscal year due to the recent floods, which are also expected to push up inflation to 7.2pc. It had said that for FY 2025/26, real gross domestic product (GDP) growth was projected to remain around 2.6pc, as ongoing catastrophic floods had damped the forecast. It projected a 3.1pc growth rate for the country in its previous biannual outlook in April 2025. Pakistan has set 4.2pc growth target and has since been looking at 3.5pc as part of its engagements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In the report released today, titled — Staying the Course for Growth and Jobs — WB predicted that the economy’s “growth is projected to remain at three per cent for the... -
Dawn - 07:07 Oct 28, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority Lt Gen (retd) Mazhar Jamil said Pakistan would continue to pursue its policy of ‘Quid Pro Quo Plus’ to reinforce strategic stability in South Asia, which has been undermined by great power politics and a technology bias in favour of India. Quid Pro Quo Plus is a military doctrine that entails a retaliatory response to Indian aggression exceeding the initial provocation in scale or severity. “Pakistan would continue to uphold its policy of ‘Quid Pro Quo Plus,’ thereby reinforcing strategic stability in South Asia,” Gen Jamil said while addressing the concluding session of a three-day workshop hosted by the Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS) in Islamabad. “Pakistan,” he added, “stands fully prepared to respond to any act of aggression, strategic, operational, or tactical, with resolve and capability, ensuring the preservation of deterrence equilibrium in the region.” The statement follows an ongoing tense period this month, which revived brinkma... -
Dawn - 06:08 Oct 28, 2025
United States President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi signed a framework agreement on Tuesday for securing the supply of rare earths, as both countries aim to reduce China’s dominance of some of the key electronic components. The leaders signed the documents, which included critical minerals, at the neo-Baroque-style Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, beneath three chandeliers decorated from top to bottom with gold ornamentation, as aides applauded. View this post on Instagram No direct mention was made publicly by the leaders about China, which processes over 90 per cent of the world’s rare earths, making it the source of each country’s concern about its mineral supply chain. Beijing has recently expanded export curbs. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in South Korea to discuss a deal that would pause steeper US tariffs and Chinese rare earths export controls. Japan and the US would use economic policy ... -
Dawn - 03:42 Oct 28, 2025
• Former ISI chief claims it was his own countrymen, not Pakistan, that handed Afghan envoy Mullah Zaeef over to the Americans • Retired Gen Ehsanul Haq says Zaeef insisted on remaining in Islamabad, despite warnings from Pakistani officials ISLAMABAD: Over 20 years after his now-infamous handover to American forces following their invasion of Afghanistan, a former Pakistani spymaster has claimed that it was his own countrymen, and not Pakistan, that handed over former Taliban ambassador Abdus Salam Zaeef to the US. The claim, which comes in the midst of an escalating fracas with a resurgent Taliban in Kabul, was made by retired Gen Ehsanul Haq, who took over the reins of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) following the September 11, 2001 attacks. For years, it was believed that Zaeef — who was the Afghan Taliban regime’s envoy to Islamabad at the time of the 9/11 attacks — was handed over to the Americans in violation of international law. In his book, My Life With The Taliban, the former envoy had asserte... -
Dawn - 20:04 Oct 27, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday ahead of the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) in Riyadh. The premier, visiting Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the crown prince, is leading a high-level Pakistani delegation during the trip. The delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and PM’s aides Tariq Fatemi and Bilal Bin Saqib, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). A statement issued on X by state broadcaster PTV News said the meeting with the Saudi crown prince was held in a “cordial atmosphere”. “Matters of mutual interest were discussed in the meeting. The joint statement of the meeting regarding discussions on promoting trade, investment, and cooperation in various sectors between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will be issued shortly,” the statement said, adding that the meeting was attended by FM Dar, COAS Munir an... -
Dawn - 19:37 Oct 27, 2025
The Federal Investigation Agency has arrested six personnel of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on allegations of misusing their authority and taking bribes, their lawyer said on Monday. Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq told Dawn.com the six were “taken into FIA custody and arrested on charges of misuse of authority and bribery”. He said they would be produced in a district court on Tuesday and he would represent them. Ashfaq said the six were Additional Director Chaudhry Sarfraz, In-charge Zawar, Sub-Inspector Ali Raza, Assistant Director Shoaib Riaz, Yasir Gujjar and Mujtaba Kamran. Chaudhry was reportedly removed over different controversies last month and asked to report to the NCCIA headquarters, Islamabad. He said he was transferred to the headquarters and he had sought a six-month leave. The three controversies were about laying hands on a number of YouTubers/social media influencers, including Saadur Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai and Rajab Butt, for their alleged involvement in u... -
Dawn - 18:31 Oct 27, 2025
The 9th Session of the Pakistan-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission (JEC) was convened in Dhaka on Monday, after a hiatus of 20 years, marking another important milestone in strengthening bilateral economic and development cooperation between the two countries. The meeting was co-chaired by Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik and Bangladesh Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed. At the conclusion of the session, both sides signed the Agreed Minutes of the 9th JEC, reflecting “significant progress” in multiple areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment and industries, agriculture, transport and communications, education, information technology, banking, health, tourism, energy, climate change, information and broadcasting, and the textile sector. The two sides emphasised the importance of enhancing cooperation between the national shipping corporations, with Pakistan offering the use of Karachi Port Trust as a gateway for Bangladeshs’s trade with regional countries, including China and t... -
Dawn - 18:15 Oct 27, 2025
President Donald Trump on Monday declined to dismiss speculation that he would seek a third term and said he hadn’t considered whether he would go to court to contest the US constitution’s two-term limit for presidents. Here is a look at the legal barriers Trump faces. What does the US constitution say? The 22nd Amendment states in part: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” The amendment was ratified in 1951 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt broke with a self-imposed two-term limit set by presidents since George Washington, the nation’s first. Roosevelt, a Democrat who was president during the Great Depression and World War Two, served a third term and then died months into his fourth term in 1945. Wayne Unger, a law professor at Quinnipiac University, said the Constitution was clear that presidents are limited to two terms of four years each. He said that while that had not been tested in court, any challenge by Trump would likely be unsuccessful. “I would predict ... -
Dawn - 18:06 Oct 27, 2025
PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira on Monday announced that his party and the PML-N had agreed on bringing a no-confidence motion against the government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a press conference with Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Kaira said: “It has been decided that the current AJK govt, which our parties were part of, has become a basis of creating a crisis instead of solving problems.” He said twice, crises of such a nature had occurred that had compelled the federal government to go and resolve them. “Now there is a consensus that a no-confidence motion will be brought against it and the PPP and PML-N will be together,” Kaira added. The PPP leader further said that the PML-N had previously announced that it would sit in the opposition, and while this may not have been the PPP’s desired wish, it still accepted the decision and agreed to it. Kaira said better governance, political stability, problem resolution and free and fair ... -
Dawn - 17:33 Oct 27, 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Monday ruled out running for vice president in the 2028 election but declined to definitively say he would not seek a third term, keeping alive speculation about how he might seek to extend his time in office. Trump has repeatedly flirted with the idea of serving beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms, joking about it at rallies and teasing supporters with “Trump 2028” hats. Some allies have taken those signals seriously, suggesting that they are exploring legal or political pathways to make it happen — a possibility dismissed by most constitutional scholars. The 22nd amendment to the US constitution bars anyone from being elected to the presidency a third time. Some supporters have suggested that one way around the prohibition would be for Trump to run as vice president, while another candidate stood for election as president and resigned, letting Trump again assume the presidency. “I’d be allowed to do that,” Trump said today in an exchange with reporters aboa... -
Dawn - 17:27 Oct 27, 2025
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Monday said the PPP and PML-N did not have any “actual plan” to form an opposition in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative (AJK) Assembly, calling them the “two sides of the same coin.” His remarks come against the backdrop of political turmoil in AJK after 10 legislators — all elected on PTI tickets in the July 2021 general elections — announced on Sunday that they were joining the PPP, which has been eyeing the premier’s slot in the region. PPP and PML-N announced that the two have agreed to bring a no-confidence motion against the government in AJK. Speaking to Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, Raja said, “PPP and PM-LN are the two sides of the same coin; they have an alliance and do not intend on forming an actual opposition”. “They are just each taking their respective turns right now,” he added. In response to a question regarding chatter of a new opposition leader in the National Assembly and whether Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) will support PTI, PPP o... -
Dawn - 17:23 Oct 27, 2025
Pakistan’s build-up towards next year’s T20 World Cup will continue on Tuesday when they take on South Africa in the opener of the three-match series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The national side goes into the series after faring decently in their biggest test at the Asia Cup last month — beating all sides they came up against except world number one and archrivals India, who handed them defeats in all three encounters including the final. South Africa, in contrast, arrive as a depleted outfit on paper — the presence of star batter Quinton de Kock, featuring in a Twenty20 International for the first time since June 2024, standing out in a largely second-string squad led by Donovan Ferreira, who has just nine T20Is to his name. Hence, Pakistan can be safely called favourites to take the series trophy, which would help restore their damaged confidence following the triple-drubbing from India. The hosts too haven’t shied away from striking a balance between experimentation and experience. Former skipper B...
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