Dawn
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Dawn - 02:53 Aug 05, 2026
• Around 500 mourners, monks gather in Kathmandu • Funeral of missing Pakistani climber held in Hunza • Efforts continue to recover bodies amid bad weather KATHMANDU/GILGIT: Hundreds of Nepalis held a candlelight vigil on Tuesday honouring 10 climbers killed in an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, as rescuers battled treacherous conditions to recover the remaining bodies. Buddhist monks in maroon robes chanted prayers and around 500 mourners lit candles and incense in a square in the Nepali capital. World-renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, 43, was among the victims along with six elite Nepali guides, killed in the avalanche in Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday. “Nepal has lost a generation of accomplished mountaineers,” said Tul Singh Gurung, president of Nepal National Mountain Guide Association. The gathering observed a minute’s silence in their memory, in front of a banner with photographs of the 10 climbers. At the centre, candles were arranged in the shape of Nepal’s national flag, flickering i... -
Dawn - 02:53 Aug 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The government is once again finalising plans to unbundle the country’s two gas utilities into five smaller companies — one transmission company and four provincial distribution firms — on the pattern of the more than 15 ex-Wapda generation, transmission and distribution companies. The proposed gas sector reforms, including the unbundling of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGCL), were discussed on Tuesday at a meeting led by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik on the government side and by World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, Bolormaa Amgaabazar, on the other. “The reform framework also proposes the restructuring and unbundling of the Sui companies by separating their transmission, distribution and energy businesses, while creating greater opportunities for private sector participation throughout the gas value chain,” an official statement said after the meeting. Informed sources said some major business groups were interested in the transmission busi... -
Dawn - 02:51 Aug 05, 2026
• Qassem says talks will bring Lebanon ‘nothing but shame, humiliation’ • Salam accuses group of ‘helping Israel’ • Talks between both sides continue in Rome BEIRUT: Hezbollah’s chief said on Tuesday that direct talks between Lebanon and Israel would bring only “humiliation” for Lebanon and accused authorities of helping Israel, prompting Lebanon’s prime minister to hit back. The statement came as Lebanon and Israel were preparing to hold a fresh round of direct talks in Rome under US sponsorship, the seventh such meeting since the outbreak of the US-Iran war. “All the direct negotiations will bring Lebanon nothing but shame, humiliation, disappointment and successive concessions,” Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said in a televised address. He said Lebanese President Joseph Aoun “has not acted as an arbiter, nor as a unifying figure, but has become biased and divisive, which is incompatible with his role and with Lebanon’s strength”. The head of the Iran-backed group also accused Lebanese authorities of having “... -
Dawn - 02:42 Aug 05, 2026
GILGIT/LAHORE: Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts and rapid glacial melting wreaked havoc across Gilgit-Baltistan on Tuesday, damaging homes, roads, bridges and agricultural land, while leaving hundreds of tourists and local residents stranded in several districts. As a result, the Karakoram Highway (KKH) was closed for traffic near Altashi Nullah in the Gini area of Chilas. Authorities have warned that rising water levels in the Hunza, Nagar and Indus rivers, as well as other streams, posed a threat to downstream communities, with riverbank erosion reported in several areas. Heavy rainfall triggered flash floods in various parts of the region, with Ghizer district among the worst affected where an artificial lake was created when flash floods in Mayon village blocked the Ishkoman River. According to local authorities, the artificial lake inundated Hasis village, submerging dozens of houses, agricultural land and public infrastructure. Residents of the affected homes were evacuated after floodwater... -
Dawn - 02:42 Aug 05, 2026
• PPP’s Bazil Ali Naqvi maintains narrow lead in LA-28 • PML-N’s Noreen Arif leads by fewer than 200 votes in LA-27 • Talal tells Bilawal to ‘show grace in defeat’ after PPP cries foul over rigging • AJK speaker alleges 14,000 fake votes after defeat; seeks forensic vote audit in Khawra MUZAFFARABAD / ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidates appeared poised to secure one seat each in the two constituencies of Muzaffarabad division where polling was held on Tuesday after being fully or partially deferred on Sunday due to landslides and adverse weather that blocked roads and prevented the timely dispatch of polling staff and election material. According to unofficial and unverified results available past midnight, PPP candidate Syed Bazil Ali Naqvi was maintaining a slender lead over his PML-N rival, Chaudhry Shahzad Mahmood, in LA-28 (Lachhrat). The final consolidation of results was under way when this report went to press. Polling had been held at 122 of the... -
Dawn - 02:38 Aug 05, 2026
• Party says Peshawar event will be centrepiece of its campaign • Rawalpindi admin denies permission for Liaquat Bagh rally • Aleema pins hopes on Afridi ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR/KARACHI: Reaffirming its unity, the opposition PTI will stage countrywide protests today (Wednesday) to mark three years since the imprisonment of party founder Imran Khan and demand his release, with the Peshawar gathering serving as the centrepiece of its campaign. PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram told Dawn it had been decided that a public meeting would be held in Peshawar, while regional and local organisations in the other three provinces had been directed to hold protests at their convenience. “It cannot be ignored that raids and crackdowns have been launched against PTI workers in other provinces, particularly Punjab, “ he said. Replying to a question, Mr Akram said that although protests would be held, there would be no violence, as “there is no space for violence in PTI.” “However, we expect that voter... -
Dawn - 18:52 Aug 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD/ MUZAFFARABAD: The PPP and Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) appeared set to win the two constituencies in Muzaffarabad division where polling had been postponed due to landslides and bad weather. Voting was held in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I (Kotla) and at 71 of the 174 polling stations in LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II (Lachhrat) after authorities delayed the exercise due to blocked roads. According to unofficial results, PPP’s Syed Bazil Ali Naqvi retained LA-28 (Lachhrat), defeating Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Chaudhry Shahzad Mehmood. Polling was held at 122 of the constituency’s 174 polling stations on Sunday. However, following allegations that PPP workers had taken away ballot boxes, the Election Commission ordered repolling at two of those stations, along with polling at the remaining 52 stations where voting could not be held earlier. Results from the remaining 120 polling stations had put Naqvi ahead of his rival by just five votes. Meanwhile, polling was held at all 197 polling station... -
Dawn - 18:09 Aug 04, 2026
The government on Tuesday reduced the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs3.39 and Rs4.07 per litre, respectively. Following the revision, petrol will retail at Rs328.56 per litre, while HSD will cost Rs385.86 per litre. The government continues to levy Rs110 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs96 per litre on diesel. The Petroleum Division’s notification said the new prices would be applicable for August 5 (Wednesday). The diesel price has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on February 28. The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its upward trajectory from Rs266 in the first week of March. Earlier, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be fixed on a daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US. The government had been announcing weekly revisions to fuel... -
Dawn - 17:18 Aug 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Goods Transporters Alliance on Tuesday announced a nationwide wheel-jam strike from Aug 8, warning that the suspension of freight movement could disrupt the supply of essential commodities if the government failed to address its demands. The announcement was made at a press conference at the National Press Club by the alliance’s leaders, including All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association President Muhammad Owais Chaudhry Advocate, Malik Shafeeullah Awan and Malik Nisar. They said the transport sector was facing an unprecedented financial crisis due to repeated increases in diesel prices, higher taxes and other government measures. The transporters demanded that taxes on diesel be reduced and fuel prices be restored to their July 1, 2024, level. Demands were also issued for a reduction in the withholding tax on cargo transporters from seven per cent to 2pc, arguing that oil tanker operators were already paying only 2pc. The alliance also rejected a provision introduced in the... -
Dawn - 17:13 Aug 04, 2026
Qatar said mediators were making progress in efforts to end the US-Iran war on Tuesday, driving oil prices lower, although Tehran has denied President Donald Trump’s assertion that talks are already under way. Benchmark Brent crude fell more than four per cent after the comments from Qatar, extending Monday’s steep losses on hopes that an arrangement could soon be reached to restore traffic through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. But for now, the strait remained virtually shut, with another ship reportedly coming under attack while trying to cross it. Trump said on Monday that talks with Tehran had started and Iran faced a “last chance” to reach a deal. Iranian officials insisted no negotiations with the United States were taking place. Iran says its only talks are with Oman about the strait, and that no major meetings were planned this week. But senior US officials struck an optimistic tone on Tuesday, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both pointing to progress in discu... -
Dawn - 17:07 Aug 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD/ MUZAFFARABAD: Voting in two AJK constituencies concluded on Tuesday after it could not be held on the scheduled date of Aug 2 during the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, as the PPP again alleged rigging. Authorities had postponed polling in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I (Kutla) and at 71 of the 174 polling stations in LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II (Lachhrat) due to landslides and bad weather, which had resulted in blocked roads. Elections in AJK are being held in three phases due to security concerns, with polling having been held on seven seats of Muzaffarabad division and 12 refugee seats — reserved seats for refugees from India-occupied Kashmir — on Sunday. In the third phase, elections will be held in 11 constituencies of Poonch division on August 10. The first phase of polling was held in AJK’s Mirpur division on July 27, in which the PML-N had secured nine of the 13 seats while the PPP won the remaining four. The two parties, which are allies in Centre, have been engaged in a war of words... -
Dawn - 15:59 Aug 04, 2026
All foreign media personnel will now require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MOIB) to travel to any city outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi for news coverage, according to recently issued guidelines. The new Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026, outline requirements for the registration and accreditation of “foreign media houses, organisations and outlets working in Pakistan and all eligible journalists, media owners, media professionals, sources, freelancers, sponsors, fixers, attached persons, assignees etc, of Pakistan working or contributing for them”. All foreign media personnel already accredited or registered with the MOIB’s External Publicity (EP) Wing will require a mandatory NOC from the wing for movement to any city except Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, in order to produce “news content, story, video, film, documentary or social media content” for official use. For leisure trips to Abbottabad and Murree, a NOC may be granted by the EP Wi... -
Dawn - 15:55 Aug 04, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar departed for a one-day visit to Jordan on Tuesday to attend a ministerial meeting aimed at formulating a unified position on the situation in occupied Jerusalem, according to the Foreign Office (FO). The FO posted on X that the foreign minister had left for Amman, Jordan, where he would “reaffirm Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their just cause”. The Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem, scheduled to be held on Aug 5 (Wednesday), will bring together foreign ministers from Arab League member states and a group of Islamic countries to discuss the deteriorating situation in the region, the FO said in a previous statement shared on social media. Dar was invited to attend by Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi, the statement said. “The attending foreign ministers will also call on His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, during the visit,” the FO added. The fore... -
Dawn - 15:52 Aug 04, 2026
Palestinians in Gaza held funeral prayers on Tuesday for 112 people recovered from under the rubble of homes destroyed during Israel’s war on the enclave. The funeral is considered one of the largest in Palestinian history due to the high number of victims. Thousands of Palestinians took part in the funeral in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood, where the bodies were draped in Palestinian flags and placed near the ruins of the destroyed homes, according to an Anadolu reporter. The victims were members of the Al-Hasayneh and Abu Sharia families, who were killed when the Israeli army bombed their homes while they were inside on November 23, 2023. They are set to be buried at the Baptist Cemetery in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, south of Gaza City, after the funeral procession. The bodies were retrieved from the rubble by civil defence teams on Saturday. “The victims included 40 children, 38 women and seven people with disabilities,” it said in a statement. “The teams were unable to find 157 bodies still missing under... -
Dawn - 15:30 Aug 04, 2026
The main mourning procession to mark Chehlum concluded successfully in Karachi on Tuesday amid heavy security, according to the police. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed satisfaction and gratitude over the peaceful conclusion of Chehlum processions. He praised the Sindh Rangers, police and other law enforcement agencies for their excellent performance. The chief minister also thanked procession organisers and religious scholars for their cooperation, the CM’s spokesperson said. Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar also praised the Sindh police for the peaceful observance and successful conclusion of Chehlum processions. Chehlum, also known as Arbaeen (40 in Arabic), marks the 40th day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is marked by processions by Shia Muslims across the country. In an earlier update at 4:50pm, the police said the front of the main procession had reached Eidgah Chowk, while its tail was at Britto Road, en route ... -
Dawn - 14:02 Aug 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has claimed recovery of state assets worth Rs2.45 trillion during the second quarter of 2026, describing it as a “leap into AI-powered anti-corruption accountability”. According to the NAB spokesman, the bureau’s drive against corruption and efforts to recover state assets during the second quarter of 2026 continued with renewed vigour and yielded significant outcomes. The most notable achievement was the recovery of more than 1,078,283 acres of state land in Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). The total value of direct and indirect recoveries during the second quarter surged to Rs2.45 trillion, taking NAB’s recovery tally for the first six months of 2026 to Rs5.41tr — the highest-ever six-month recovery figure. NAB Sukkur recorded the highest recovery figures. In collaboration with the Sindh Board of Revenue and the forests secretary, the anti-graft body recovered 853,678 acres of land worth Rs1.01tr belonging to the Nation... -
Dawn - 13:03 Aug 04, 2026
French and British vessels saved 157 migrants after their boat caught fire while trying to cross the Channel on Tuesday, authorities in both countries said. It is one of the largest such rescue operations reported since records began in 2018. “A small boat caught fire on the boundary between French and British waters, forcing its occupants to jump overboard” on Tuesday morning, the prefect’s office in France’s Pas-de-Calais region said, adding no casualties had been reported. They had left the coastal village of Veules-les-Roses in Normandy on Monday, French maritime authorities said. A spokesman for the British coastguard said UK vessels and a lifeboat were assisting after “a vessel caught fire earlier this morning whilst in the French search and rescue region”. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution charity said a “lifeboat launched at 6:00am today to an incident”. In recent weeks, witnesses in France have said they have seen dinghies larger than usual cross the shipping lane, reporting they seemed to be 1... -
Dawn - 12:59 Aug 04, 2026
India’s aggressive drive to expand ethanol-blended petrol is facing growing resistance, with a protest march on Tuesday demanding the government rethink its decision to make E20 fuel the national standard. Opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal marched towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence carrying petitions signed by more than 200,000 people, but was stopped by police before reaching his destination. India, the world’s third-largest auto market, says the biofuel move is helping curb dependence on imported crude and boost farm incomes. But motorists have voiced concerns over vehicle performance, and the government’s campaign has upset India’s vast middle class — a key voter base for Modi, who worry that they are being forced to shoulder the costs of the transition. AFP breaks down the speed bumps on India’s fuel blending road. What’s ethanol-blended petrol? E20, the fuel at the centre of the controversy, is essentially petrol mixed with 20 per cent ethanol — which is produced largely from sugarcane. Ind... -
Dawn - 12:41 Aug 04, 2026
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said the decision to scrap FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup was “absolutely necessary and beyond question”. Wenger works as FIFA’s chief of global football development — he was appointed in 2019 — and the Frenchman became the latest high-profile figure to criticise Infantino’s scheme on Tuesday. Infantino wanted to sell a 20 per cent stake in the World Cup to private equity investors through his FIFA Forward Enterprise. The plan sparked a barrage of criticism for Infantino and has been rejected by three continental confederations, forcing the Italian to ditch his divisive idea. UEFA, European football’s governing body, threatened to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions if Infantino pressed ahead with his plan. Wenger, the most successful manager in Arsenal’s history, joined the chorus of disapproval on Tuesday, making it clear he was opposed to the plan. “The recent events at FIFA deserve some clarity fro... -
Dawn - 12:24 Aug 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Following demands from petroleum dealers, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has capped bank charges on sales of petroleum products through digital payment methods — including debit and credit cards and online transfers — to minimise the financial burden on fuel stations and promote digital inclusion. Under the decision, merchant discount rates (MDR) for card-based petroleum transactions have been capped at a maximum of Re1 per litre, while charges on online transactions conducted through QR codes and Raast have been capped at 20 paisas per litre. Earlier, banks charged these transaction fees at their discretion, with rates varying from bank to bank and customer to customer. The charges ranged between 0.7pc and 1.5pc, resulting in a transaction cost of Rs3-4 per litre. “This was too high compared to the fixed and regulated dealer commission of Rs8.64 per litre. After adding the 12pc withholding tax and other fixed charges, dealers were left with little option but to adopt dishonest means to survive,”...
12385 items