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Dawn - 02:01 Oct 15, 2025
Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached a staff-level agreement (SLA) on reviews of the implementation of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $1.1bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), the Fund said on Wednesday. Last week, an IMF mission led by Iva Petrova concluded talks with Pakistani authorities on the second review of the EFF — agreed in 2024 to shore up the economy after a severe financial crisis — and the first one of the RSF climate loan. “The IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement with the Pakistani authorities on the second review of the 37-month Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of the 28-month arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF),“ Petrova said in a statement issued by the IMF. The SLA is subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, Petrova added. Once approved, Pakistan will have access to about $1bn (SDR 760 million) under the EFF and about $200m (SDR 154m) under th... -
Dawn - 19:11 Oct 14, 2025
Fighting flared up again on Tuesday night between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reported state media. “Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij opened unprovoked fire in Kurram. Pakistani Army responded with full force and intensity,” reported state broadcaster PTV News, quoting security sources on X. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. It added that Taliban regime posts suffered heavy damage and a tank caught fire after being hit, with Taliban fighters fleeing from their posts. In a subsequent post, PTV said: “Another post and tank position of the Afghan Taliban destroyed in Kurram sector.’’ PTV added that a fourth tank position at Shamsadar post was destroyed. “There are reports of the killing of an important commander of Fitna al-Khawarij in this important operation of the Pakistan Army.’’ Earlier today, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch gave... -
Dawn - 19:07 Oct 14, 2025
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said on Tuesday that the government has decided to take a firm stand against the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), and that action against the protesters will be taken in a manner similar to that of May 9. Speaking to Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, the state minister said that since the formation of the current administration under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, TLP has attempted to march on Islamabad twice. “In every march, the government signed agreements with them; many of the terms of were not favourable for the state,” he said. However, he added, the state has taken a decisive stance. “We have to move forward and learn from past mistakes. We will not be blackmailed anymore. Those who bring extremism and violence into politics, whether it’s May 9, November 26, or the TLP dharnas, will not be tolerated. Action against them will be similar to what was taken after May 9,” he said, referring to the 2023 protests f... -
Dawn - 19:02 Oct 14, 2025
Pakistan has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026-2028 term, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday. The United Nations General Assembly also announced 13 other countries for the term beginning on January 1, 2026, namely: Angola, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, India, Iraq, Italy, Mauritius, Slovenia, South Africa, United Kingdom and Viet Nam. “My profound gratitude to all UN Member States for their support!” FM Dar said on X. “Pakistan’s election is a recognition of its strong credentials and contributions in strengthening the global human rights framework.” Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to work with the international community on the basis of “TRUCE”, i.e., tolerance, respect, universality, consensus-building, and engagement. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed delight at the development, saying it reflected Pakistan’s effective and active role at the United Nations. “We reaffirm Pakistan’s strong commitment to play an active r... -
Dawn - 18:50 Oct 14, 2025
China’s foreign ministry has said that Pakistan keeps its strategic ally aware of its cooperation with the United States in the mining sector, and the two countries have maintained a “high-level strategic mutual trust and close communication”. “The two countries have maintained high-level strategic mutual trust and close communication on major issues concerning each other’s common interests. From what I’ve learned, the two countries have been in communication on Pakistan-US mining cooperation,” said spokesperson Lin Jian. US Strategic Metals, which signed a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan in September to invest roughly $500 million to establish mineral processing and development facilities in the country, recently dispatched its first consignment of mineral samples to the US to advance the deal. The sample shipment, prepared locally in collaboration with the Frontier Works Organisation, includes antimony, copper concentrate, and rare earth elements such as neodymium and praseodymium. Pakistan also... -
Dawn - 17:18 Oct 14, 2025
A Levies constable deployed for the security of a polio team was killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on him in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district on Tuesday, according to the police. The attack comes a day after the government launched a nationwide polio eradication campaign, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children. A special order was issued for the campaign, with the deployment of 285 police personnel across the country to provide security to the vaccination teams. According to Swat’s District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Umar Khan, the martyred Levies constable was performing his duty along with a polio team comprising two female health workers. “The workers were administering vaccines inside a house while the constable was standing guard outside when he was attacked,” he said. “The assailants fled the scene after the incident.” Khan added that police and law enforcement officials had reached the area and launched an investigation. “The area has been cordoned off, and a search operation i... -
Dawn - 16:45 Oct 14, 2025
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) directed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Tuesday to administer the oath to Chief Minister-elect Sohail Afridi by 4pm tomorrow. PHC Chief Justice (CJ) S.M. Attique Shah issued the directive, further instructing that KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati should administer the oath if the governor did not. The court’s decision, which was reserved earlier today, came on a PTI application seeking the nomination of the assembly speaker or any other person “considered appropriate” in place of the governor to administer the oath to Afridi. Afridi’s election on Monday was held amid uncertainty about the status of Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation from the provincial chief executive’s position. The two resignations submitted to KP Governor Kundi by Gandapur — who is also from the PTI and stepped down on party founder Imran Khan’s directive — have been returned over “disparate signatures”. But, the PTI maintains that a chief minister’s resignation does not require the gover... -
Dawn - 15:55 Oct 14, 2025
A fire at a garment factory in Bangladesh and a chemical warehouse adjacent to it on Tuesday killed at least 16 people and injured several, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continued, an official said. “Sixteen bodies have been recovered from the second and third floors of the garment factory,” fire service director Tajul Islam Chowdhury said, adding that the number of deaths could rise as recovery operations were continuing. He said the cause of the blaze wasn’t immediately known. The fire broke out at around midday on the third floor of the seven-storey factory in the Mirpur area of the capital Dhaka, before spreading to a chemical warehouse storing bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, Talha Bin Jashim, another fire department official said, citing witnesses. Grief-stricken relatives gathered in search of their loved ones, some clutching photographs. A relative mourns while holding a picture of a missing girl following a fire that broke out at a garment factory and a chemic... -
Dawn - 15:29 Oct 14, 2025
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday asked Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to fulfill his “constitutional and legal responsibility” in accordance with today’s court order and return to his province to administer the oath to CM-elect Sohail Afridi. “You should go to KP. I will ask the Sindh chief minister to lend you his plane so you can reach KP and fulfil your constitutional and legal responsibility in accordance with the court’s order,” said the PPP chairman while addressing a seminar in Karachi. The Peshawar High Court (PHC) directed Kundi today to administer the oath to Afridi tomorrow by 4pm. The court’s decision, which was reserved earlier today, came on a PTI application seeking the nomination of the assembly speaker or any other person “considered appropriate” in place of the governor to administer the oath. View this post on Instagram In an apparent dig at the Punjab government, Bilawal stated that the PPP is competing internationally and not with any city or province of Paki... -
Dawn - 15:12 Oct 14, 2025
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday offered to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan to ease tensions, days after border clashes heightened friction between the two neighbours. On Sunday, 23 Pakistani troops were martyred and 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists were killed in border clashes following an attack from the Afghan side, according to the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). It said clashes began “on the night of Oct 11/12, 2025, after Afghan Taliban and India-sponsored Fitna-al-Khawarij launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan, along the Pak-Afghan border.” Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “In the past, I played a role in reducing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and I can do it now, too,” Fazl told reporters in Islamabad. The JUI-F chief, the only Pakistani political leader who has met the Taliban supreme leader, Shaikh Hibatullah, has an ... -
Dawn - 14:57 Oct 14, 2025
The first Test between Pakistan and South Africa was set for a thrilling conclusion after rival spinners Noman Ali and Senuran Muthusamy wrought destruction on day three in Lahore on Tuesday. Muthusamy took a maiden 10-wicket match haul to help bowl Pakistan out for 167 in their second innings on another day dominated by spin to give South Africa a target of 277 for victory. But Noman, following up his 6-112 in the first innings, dismissed captain Aiden Markram for three and Wiaan Mulder (nought) to keep the visitors down to 51-2 at the close. Ryan Rickelton, 29 not out, and Tony de Zorzi, unbeaten on 16, fought till stumps with South Africa needing another 226 runs. Pakistan need eight wickets for a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. With the threatening spin duo of Noman and Sajid Khan the home team will fancy their chances, especially because no visiting team in Pakistan has ever chased more than the 220-8 Sri Lanka did in Rawalpindi in 2000. Pakistan head coach Azhar Ali was in buoyant mood. “We will defin... -
Dawn - 14:51 Oct 14, 2025
Pakistan women’s all-rounder Syed Aroob Shah said on Tuesday that the team was looking to “perform better with the bat” ahead of the pivotal encounter with England in the ICC Women’s World Cup. Last week‘s defeat against Australia left their knockout hopes hanging by a thread as Pakistan registered three losses on the trot. A superb century from Beth Mooney dragged defending champions Australia back from the brink of disaster after being 76-7 before they completed a crushing 107-run win over the Green Shirts. “We’re working hard in the nets, and our main focus is for our batters to fight as much as possible on the ground. “It’s very important for us to post a big total — around 200+ — because that will increase our chances of winning. We’re working on this, and hopefully, in the next match, you’ll see us perform better,” the spin all-rounder said. She was answering a question about Pakistan’s batting struggles amidst high-scoring encounters in the rest of the tournament. The Green Shirts are yet to cross the ... -
Dawn - 13:40 Oct 14, 2025
Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday criticised US President Donald Trump’s call for dialogue, accusing Washington of “hostile and criminal behaviour” after his remarks to Israel’s parliament about being ready to strike a deal with Tehran. The ministry said in a statement that Trump’s call for peace is in conflict with his actions towards Iran. “Mr Trump can either be a President of Peace or a President of War, but he cannot be both at the same time,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a separate comment on X on Tuesday. In June, the US joined Israel in striking Iranian nuclear facilities after five rounds of indirect nuclear talks with Tehran that stalled over issues like domestic nuclear enrichment. The foreign minister reiterated his position that Tehran has always been open to “respectful and mutually beneficial diplomatic engagement”. US demands that Tehran stop enriching uranium were rejected earlier this year as “excessive and outrageous” by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said Teh... -
Dawn - 13:09 Oct 14, 2025
Pakistan is poised to sign a staff-level agreement (SLA) on a review of its loan programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said. Last week, an IMF mission led by Iva Petrova concluded talks with Pakistani authorities on reviews of the implementation of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $1.1bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The programme’s performance as of the end of June this year — the period under review — has been mixed. The mission left Pakistan without signing an SLA on the second review of the EFF — agreed in 2024 to shore up the economy after a severe financial crisis — and the first one of the RSF climate loan. However, the Fund said “significant progress” had been made towards reaching the staff deal. “During the course of this week, we’re hoping that we can get the SLA done,“ Aurangzeb told Reuters during an interview on the sidelines of the IMF World Bank annual meeting in Washington. “The mission was on the gro... -
Dawn - 12:09 Oct 14, 2025
‘Big win for Rano’: SHC directs Karachi Zoo to move distressed brown bear to sanctuary within 2 days
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered the Karachi Zoo administration to move the female brown bear Rano to a sanctuary within 48 hours, amid uproar over her worsening condition. On October 7, a two-judge SHC bench directed the senior zoo director and Sindh Council for Conservation of Wildlife (SCCW) secretary to appear in court today along with a report about the health of the brown bear. Animal rights activist Jude Allen Pereira petitioned the SHC and submitted that he approached the court in the public interest to seek a declaration of recognition of animal cruelty to the female brown bear, currently confined at Karachi Zoo, in violation of relevant law. A two-member bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and including Justice Syed Fiazul Hassan Shah, resumed hearing the petition today. Justice Kalhoro expressed his anger at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). “How could the bear be kept in such conditions,” he asked, in reference to Rano’s condition, and ordered the handing over of... -
Dawn - 11:23 Oct 14, 2025
A day after experiencing a significant downturn, the Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 index rebounded by 7,000 points on Tuesday, recouping the previous day’s losses. Bearish sentiment had taken hold of the market on Monday, with the 100-Index plummeting 4,600 points, wiping out Rs534 billion from market capitalisation, amid rising tensions with Afghanistan, political instability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and violent protests in Punjab. The market had closed at 158,443 points, lower by 4,654 points, or 2.85 per cent. Today, the KSE-100 index surged 7,032.6 points, or 4.44pc, to close at 165,476.02 points. Of 483 active scrips, 391 advanced , 69 declined while 23 remained unchanged. Yousuf M. Farooq, director of research at Chase Securities, told Dawn.com that the market had rebounded today as “tensions with Afghanistan and domestic unrest following the breakup of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protests had eased overnight”. “After entering a corrective phase following the trade data released o... -
Dawn - 11:07 Oct 14, 2025
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Tuesday dismissed the presence of an insurgency in the province, blaming “India-backed so-called separatist movements” for the worsening security situation. In recent months, Balochistan has witnessed a rise in terrorist attacks. The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces. Addressing participants of the 17th National Workshop in Quetta, the chief minister maintained that there was “no insurgency in Balochistan but so-called separatist movements” in the province. “The purpose of these anti-state elements is to harm and divide Pakistan,” he said. He added that the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was behind the deterioration of the security situation in the province. “The Indian agency RAW has a clear role behind the deteriorating situation in Balochistan,” he said. “Separatists are pleased with India but want to harm Pakistan.” CM B... -
Dawn - 10:56 Oct 14, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated his praise for United States President Donald Trump, stating that Pakistan would continue to “express admiration” for the American leader’s “unique contribution” to peace. The statement comes a day after Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye had signed a declaration meant to cement a ceasefire in Gaza, hours after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners. PM Shehbaz had also attended the ceremony held at the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. At a later press conference, the US president had especially mentioned the premier and the army chief. In a post on X, the premier said: “As I board the plane to return home after the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, I want to share some reflections on the potentially transformational nature of what took place and why Pakistan has been so deeply involved.” He stated that Pakistan’s biggest priority was the “immediate cessation of the genocidal campaign imposed on Gaza”, which he said he ... -
Dawn - 10:51 Oct 14, 2025
Senior lawyer Abid Shahid Zuberi on Tuesday told the Supreme Court’s (SC) Constitutional Bench (CB) that the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) had the power to form a full court as it took up a set of petitions against the 26th Amendment. The 26th Amendment was passed by Parliament during an overnight session in October last year, with the PTI claiming seven of its lawmakers were abducted to gain their favour as the party opposed the legislation. The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) also alleged its two senators were being, with both later defying party line to vote in the tweaks’ favour. The legislation, which altered judicial authority and tenure, has been a lightning rod for debate with both opposition parties and legal experts questioning its impact on the judiciary’s independence. The tweaks took away the SC’s suo motu powers, set the CJP’s term at three years and empowered a Special Parliamentary Committee for the appointment of the CJP from among the three most senior SC judges. It also paved th... -
Dawn - 10:14 Oct 14, 2025
Iran on Tuesday denounced “baseless claims” made by United States President Donald Trump, calling Washington “the largest sponsor of terrorism”. Addressing Israel’s Knesset on Monday ahead of joining an international peace summit in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, Trump said that Iran wants to reach a peace deal with the US “even if they said, ‘We don’t want to make a deal,’”. In a statement carried by the state news agency IRNA, the foreign ministry said: “The US, as the world’s largest generator of terrorism and supporter of the terrorist and genocidal Zionist (Israeli) regime, has no moral authority to level accusations against others.” “The repetition of false claims regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme can in no way justify the joint crimes of the US and the Zionist regime” in violating Iran’s soil, the ministry said. Israel launched a surprise attack on Tehran on June 13, targeting military, nuclear, and civilian sites as well as senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Tehran launched retalia...
5467 items