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Dawn - 06:04 Nov 30, 2025
KARACHI: The Pakistan Population Summit 2025, a dialogue on the country’s high population rate, will be held in Islamabad from Dec 1 to 2. Data compiled by research organisation Population Council, UK Aid and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) shows the average annual growth rate in Pakistan — based on data from 2017 to 2023 — is 2.55 per cent, resulting in a population of 241.5 million, making it the fifth most populous country in the world. The country is on course to cross 300 million within the next five years and edge towards 400 million by 2050. According to a DawnMedia press release, the two-day event will take place at the Serena Hotel. The event will take stock of the situation in Pakistan, as it faces the challenges of rising population growth outpacing available resources. “Urgent and serious action is required to bridge the growing gap between demographic increase and sustainable resource management. Recognising the crucial implications of a high population growth rate on Pakistan’s econo... -
Dawn - 05:56 Nov 30, 2025
TOBA TEK SINGH: Former Jhang District Bar Association president Mehr Muhammad Munir Sadhana, his driver and a passer-by were killed while a shopkeeper was injured when two unidentified persons riding a motorcycle opened indiscriminate fire on the lawyer’s car on Gojra Road of Jhang on Saturday morning. Jhang Satellite Town police said the attackers managed to flee after the shooting. Munir Sadhana was on the way to Jhang District Courts Complex when his car was attacked near Bilqees Hospital. As a result of firing, his driver Mumtaz Ahmad died instantly while Sadhana himself, shopkeeper and passer-by Mushtaq were shifted to Jhang District Headquarters Hospital where Sadhana and passer-by also succumbed to their injuries. The lawyer was a close aide of former federal interior minister Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, who was present at the hospital to receive the body of his friend along with relatives of the deceased. Deputy Commissioner Ali Akbar Bhinder and DPO Bilal Kiani were also present. As soon as news of atta... -
Dawn - 05:38 Nov 30, 2025
• Officials say SC Rules do not permit them • Policy meant for technical experts, not routine judicial administrators ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), the country’s newly-established apex forum for constitutional interpretation, apparently acting under the proviso of Article 208 of the Constitution made certain appointments in which some employees have been placed in the federal government’s Special Professional Pay Scale (SPPS) policy. A notification issued by FCC earlier this week, and approved by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan, created eight senior posts — including one in BS-22 and seven in BS-21 — all placed in SPPS. Under SPPS-I, the pay package ranges from Rs1.5 million to Rs2m, almost equivalent to the salary of a high court judge. However, senior federal officials familiar with service laws say the FCC administration has thus far not framed any rules under Article 208 and therefore, under the proviso to the said article, can only follow the Supreme Court Rules relating to the appoint... -
Dawn - 05:36 Nov 30, 2025
TEHRAN: Iranian authorities on Saturday halted electricity production at one of the country’s biggest dams due to a marked drop in the reservoir’s water level, state media reported. “Due to the drop in the Karkheh Dam reservoir level, its power plant’s units were removed from the production circuit,” Amir Mahmoudi, the head of the dam and its power plant, said, according to state news agency IRNA. He added that the water was subsequently released from the lower valves of the dam to meet the needs of people living downstream. He said that the reservoir behind the dam is currently holding about one billion cubic metres of water, adding that “the current water level is 180 meters, which is 40 meters lower than the natural operating level” for electricity production. The Karkheh Dam is one of the biggest earthen dams in the world and the largest in Iran and the Middle East, according to IRNA. Built on the Karkheh River, it is located 22 kilometres (14 miles) northwest of the city of Andimeshk in the southwestern ... -
Dawn - 05:34 Nov 30, 2025
WASHINGTON: Just one day before the terrorist attack against National Guard soldiers in the nation’s capital, another Afghan national, paroled into the United States under President Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome”, was arrested in Fort Worth, Texas, for threatening to blow up a building, it emerged on Saturday. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin of the Department of Homeland Security said in a post on X that the suspect, Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, had uploaded a TikTok video showing himself assembling what he suggested was an explosive device. She said the video indicated that the Fort Worth area was his intended target. Alokozay was arrested on Tuesday by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and charged with making terroristic threats. The arrest came less than 24 hours before the violent attack in Washington in which another Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, shot and critically wounded two members of the US National Guard. Lakanwal, who had been in the Uni... -
Dawn - 05:32 Nov 30, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday rejected what it called the “baseless” statement by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressing concerns about the 27th Constitutional Amendment. In a statement issued in Geneva on Friday, the human rights chief said the latest constitutional amendment, like the 26th amendment last year, had been adopted without broad consultation and debate with the legal community and wider civil society. He added that the “hastily adopted” amendments undermined judicial independence and raised concerns about military accountability. A press release issued by the FO said that Pakistan rejected the “baseless” statement. “Pakistan notes with deep concern the ungrounded and misplaced apprehensions aired on behalf of the UN high commissioner for human rights regarding the 27th Constitutional Amendment adopted by the two-third majority of the parliament of Pakistan,” the press release by the FO said. “Like all parliamentary democracies, all legislation as well as any... -
Dawn - 04:20 Nov 30, 2025
• Four 500-acre graveyards to be established on city outskirts and one 25-acre within Karachi • Sindh govt is likely to approve mayor’s proposal soon • While burial charges are just Rs9,300 in KMC-run cemeteries, actual charged amount can run up to Rs150,000 KARACHI: Amid a burial-place crisis that could leave Karachi with nowhere to bury its dead by the year 2040, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has decided to establish four 500-acre graveyards on city outskirts and a new 25-acre graveyard within the metropolis. The Sindh government has in principle agreed to this proposal and is likely to approve it soon. The KMC’s plan came to the fore after repeated warnings that almost all city graveyards have run out of space for burial. The situation has not only set off alarm bells but also exposed a set of troubling facts that are fast turning into a new challenge for Karachiites. The sources said Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab pushed for the plan which got the provincial authorities’ nod after whic... -
Dawn - 04:14 Nov 30, 2025
ISLAMABAD: One of the three Islamabad High Court judges who packed up their chambers earlier this week is considering submitting his resignation next week, as uncertainty deepens in the judiciary following the 27th Amendment. Sources told Dawn that Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri is likely to tender his resignation early next week. He is also expected to visit the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) on Dec 2, a day before key developments in his pending degree-related case. Justice Jahangiri is among the three IHC judges who removed their personal effects from the high court building over the past week as rumours intensified regarding their possible resignations following sweeping constitutional changes introduced through the 27th Amendment. The three judges — Justices Jahangiri, Babar Sattar and Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan — had reportedly packed their belongings and shifted them home. According to the sources, Justice Jahangiri removed all books, documents, decorative items and other personal effects fr... -
Dawn - 04:06 Nov 30, 2025
• Malik Ahmad stresses need for stable constitutional interpretation for governance, economic continuity • Cross-examined in PM Shehbaz’s Rs10bn defamation suit against Imran LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan has defended the 27th Constitution Amendment, describing it as a “necessary institutional reform aimed at reducing friction among constitutional bodies, clarifying judicial jurisdiction, and ensuring long-term administrative stability”. Addressing the “Speaker Aur Awam” public engagement session here on Saturday, he said a major part of the discussion centered on the 27th Amendment. He said the amendment established a Federal Constitutional Court, introduced reforms to the transfer process for high court judges, created a commander for the new National Strategic Command, and provided legal protections to senior armed forces officials and the president. “The amendment was necessary institutional reform aimed at reducing friction among constitutional bodies, clarifying judicial jurisdictio... -
Dawn - 03:54 Nov 30, 2025
THE photo shows one of the damaged sections of a railway track on the outskirts of Quetta.—Dawn QUETTA: Seven blasts rocked Quetta and Dera Murad Jamali on Saturday, with one explosion blowing up a section of railway track near the provincial capital and suspending train traffic to other parts of the country. The first blast took place near a police checkpost on Qambrani Road, where unidentified attackers hurled a grenade. The device exploded but caused no loss of life. Police said the second blast occurred shortly afterwards on the same road, when armed men detonated a motorcycle carrying an improvised explosive device (IED) as a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) vehicle passed by, carrying bomb disposal squad personnel to the site of the first explosion. “Miscreants planted an IED on the motorbike and detonated it with a remote control when the CTD vehicle was passing through the area,” SSP Operations Capt (retd) Asif Khan told Dawn, adding that the CTD vehicle escaped the blast and no casualties were rep... -
Dawn - 03:28 Nov 30, 2025
• Kyiv plunges into darkness as grid hit in Russian strikes; three killed • Moscow’s oil terminal halts operations after Black Sea drone attack KYIV/MOSCOW: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that a delegation headed by security council secretary Rustem Umerov was on its way to the United States to continue talks on an agreement to end Russia’s war. Umerov has been put in charge of the Ukrainian delegation after the previous lead negotiator, Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff Andriy Yermak, resigned on Friday hours after anti-corruption detectives searched his apartment. Zelensky said he expected that the results of previous meetings with the US in Geneva, which took place last weekend, would now be “hammered out” on Sunday. Those meetings allowed Ukraine to present a counter-offer to proposals laid out by US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll to leaders in Kyiv almost two weeks ago. “Rustem delivered a report today, and the task is clear: to swiftly and substantively work out the step... -
Dawn - 18:36 Nov 29, 2025
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Saturday emphasised that the mandate of the planned International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza should be focused on monitoring the ceasefire and securing the territory’s borders, as he suggested a broader Pakistani role in the reconstruction and recovery of the conflict-battered territory. “Our position on the stabilisation force is clear that its main mandate must be monitoring the ceasefire on the ground to ensure that both sides abide by their commitments, and securing the borders of Gaza,” he said while talking to Dawn shortly after landing in Islamabad for a two-day visit during which he would discuss with Pakistani leaders a wide agenda — from consultations on conflicts, including Gaza and Sudan, and the dispute over the Iranian nuclear programme, to ways of intensifying economic cooperation. His comments came after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar disclosed publicly for the first time that Islamabad had conveyed to international part... -
Dawn - 18:24 Nov 29, 2025
The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT) said on Saturday that the “vast majority” of its bank accounts were fully operational amid reports of closure and complaints that donations were not going through. The alleged closure of the trust’s bank account was widely discussed on social media, with some voicing concern that it could affect patients. However, SKMT assured its donors that it was making efforts to unfreeze the bank accounts and would ensure the uninterrupted supply of medicine to its patients. “We would like to reassure our donors and supporters that the vast majority of our bank accounts are fully operational, and we continue to receive donations without any disruption. A small number of our accounts have had restrictions placed on them, and we are working to have these lifted at the earliest. We expect that these restrictions will be removed soon.” It further confirmed that all patient care and treatment services continued uninterrupted. SKTM is a charitable organisation established under the Soci... -
Dawn - 18:08 Nov 29, 2025
Egypt Foreign Minister Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty arrived in Pakistan on Saturday for an official two-day visit. The diplomat arrived in Islamabad, where officials received him. In a statement, the FO said Abdelatty was undertaking the visit at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. “The visit reflects the longstanding and cordial relations between Pakistan and Egypt, grounded in common faith, cultural affinity, and shared perspectives on regional and international issues,” it said. The FO further stated that the visit “will contribute to further strengthening the strategic direction of Pakistan–Egypt relations and placing them on a broader trajectory, with a focus on political, economic, defence, cultural, and people-to-people cooperation”. It said that Abdelatty will hold a “tête-à-tête meeting and delegation-level talks” with his Pakistani counterpart. “The two sides will review the full range of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international develop... -
Dawn - 17:18 Nov 29, 2025
A fine show by bowlers, backed well by batters Saim Ayub and Babar Azam, steered Pakistan to a comfortable six-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the tri-nation series final at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Chasing a modest 115 for victory, the hosts came home in 18.4 overs thanks to Saim (36 off 33 balls). Babar (37 not out off 34) played an exquisite cut shot through point off pacer Dushmantha Chameera for a boundary to complete a well-deserved victory. Mohammad Nawaz won the Player of the Match, as well as Player of the Series. “To deliver when the team requires you is very important,” he said in the post-match presentation. “I plan with the coaches and try to keep it simple because as a fingerspinner, you don’t have many options. So I try to read the game and bowl accordingly. Speaking on his batting, he said: “I try to see what the situations demands: to build a partnership or attack. So I try to play accordingly.“ Skipper Salman Agha was pleased with his side’s performance ahead of the Wo... -
Dawn - 17:07 Nov 29, 2025
Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency on Saturday and appealed for international assistance as the death toll from floods and mudslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose to 153, with another 191 people missing. The extreme weather system has destroyed more than 20,000 homes, sending 108,000 people to state-run temporary shelters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported. A further 798,000 people required assistance after being temporarily displaced by the floods, DMC spokesman Pradeep Kodippili said. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake invoked emergency powers, granting him sweeping authority to manage the aftermath of the devastation caused by a week of torrential rain across the island. Kodippili confirmed that 153 people had been killed. Among them were 11 residents of an elder care home that was flooded in the north-central district of Kurunegala on Saturday afternoon, police said. Troops from the army, navy, and air force have been deployed alongside civilian workers and volunteers to assist with th... -
Dawn - 17:00 Nov 29, 2025
An Islamabad district and sessions court on Saturday completed the examination of prosecution witnesses in the controversial social media post case against lawyer and rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha. The case against Imaan and Hadi was registered on the accusations of attempts to incite divisions on linguistic grounds through social media posts and of creating the impression that the armed forces were engaged in terrorism within the country. During the previous hearing, Imaan and Chattha had objected after the apparent vanishing act of the court-appointed lawyer representing them in the case and the appointment of a new counsel. Two days prior, the counsel appointed by the court had refused to cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses, saying that he could not “ask questions dictated” to him. The hearing today — held amid tense exchanges between police officials and lawyers — resumed with the state counsel continuing the witness examination process, where f... -
Dawn - 15:37 Nov 29, 2025
Pakistan International Airlines remained unaffected even as global airlines scrambled on Saturday to fix a software glitch on their Airbus A320 jets after a recall by the European planemaker temporarily grounded aircraft in Asia and Europe and threatened travel in the United States during the busiest weekend of the year. The recall of 6,000 planes, covering more than half of Airbus’ global A320-family fleet, is among the broadest in its 55-year history and is a blow for the planemaker weeks after the A320 overtook the Boeing 737 as the most-delivered model. “PIA has confirmed that its entire A320 fleet is not affected by this Airbus alert. PIA’s Engineering and Maintenance department is closely monitoring their fleet’s airworthiness, ensuring safe operations,” said a statement by the airlines spokesperson issued today. Meanwhile, airlines worked through the night to make fixes after Airbus issued the emergency recall to 350 operators around the world, and global regulators directed carriers to remedy the soft... -
Dawn - 15:35 Nov 29, 2025
Finland has announced that it will be closing down its embassies in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar, citing “operational and strategic reasons,” it emerged on Saturday. “The ministry for foreign affairs has decided to close the embassies of Finland in Islamabad, Kabul and Yangon in 2026,” said the Finnish foreign minister in a press release issued on Friday. “The embassies will be closed for operational and strategic reasons, which are linked to changes in the countries’ political situation and their limited commercial and economic relations with Finland,” the statement added. “Decisions on closures are made by a decree of the President of the Republic,” it said. The ministry stated that preparations to close the embassies in the three countries have “already started” and added the missions would be closed during 2026. The move comes as part of Finland’s “strategic review” of its network of missions. It takes into account Finland’s foreign and security policy interests and the needs of Finland’s export prom... -
Dawn - 15:29 Nov 29, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said Pakistan was ready to commit its troops to the Gaza peace force, but distanced the country from any role in disarming the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. A cornerstone of the United States-brokered Gaza Peace Agreement is the establishment of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), composed mainly of troops from Muslim-majority countries. According to officials close to the discussions, an announcement is expected soon from the federal government regarding the decision. Officials familiar with the deliberations, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said discussions within the government and military establishment were at an “advanced stage”. According to them, the tone of internal consultations suggests that Islamabad is inclined to take part in the mission. Last week, the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted a US-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s plan to end the conflict in Gaza. The ...
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