Dawn
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Dawn - 09:48 Dec 24, 2025
BANNU: Bannu Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sajjad Khan said on Wednesday that 27 cops were martyred in 134 terrorist attacks targeting personnel in the district in 2025. He made the remarks while addressing a press briefing at his office, where he gave a detailed breakdown of the overall law and order situation in the district and operations carried out against terrorist elements. According to the DIG, Bannu police conducted comprehensive, well-organised and result-oriented operations against militants. He said the data showed that during 2025, a total of 134 terrorist attacks targeted police stations, police posts, checkpoints, police mobiles and police parties. In these attacks, 27 police personnel were martyred, while 79 sustained injuries. In retaliatory action by police, 53 terrorists were killed and 163 were injured, he said. The DIG said that Bannu police carried out 168 intelligence-based operations across the district, resulting in the arrest of 105 terrorists and the elimination of 65 terrorists. O... -
Dawn - 09:02 Dec 24, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said that the government was satisfied with the sale of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), adding that it had great “symbolic value”. He expressed these views on Geo News programme ‘Geo Pakistan’ when asked whether the government was satisfied with the process. “Yes, the government is satisfied. This is the first biggest transaction of our privatisation process. This transaction has a great symbolic value,“ he said, recalling that previously First Women Bank had also been privatised but that transaction was not as big. A consortium led by the Arif Habib group won the auction for a controlling stake in Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Ltd (PIACL) on Tuesday with a bid of Rs135 billion after a competitive, televised process, marking the country’s first major privatisation in nearly two decades. The sale is a central plank of the government’s plan to offload loss-making state-owned enterprises and a key condition under Pakistan’s $7bn International Mo... -
Dawn - 08:52 Dec 24, 2025
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday that Pakistan had reached a critical turning point, with macroeconomic stability, sustained reforms, and policy continuity restoring confidence and steering the economy toward export-led, long-term growth. In an interview with USA Today, the minister said this was opening new horizons for domestic and global investors, and positioning the country for sustainable, long-term economic growth. He said this transition was enabled by macroeconomic stabilisation, easing inflation and improved external balances, with the government driving export-led, productivity-based growth through structural reforms, sustaining reform momentum despite challenges, and actively encouraging global investment in emerging opportunities across agriculture, minerals, technology and climate resilience. He noted that, for the first time in several years, Pakistan had achieved both a primary fiscal surplus and a current account surplus, signalling a decisive shift away from the cycle of... -
Dawn - 07:41 Dec 24, 2025
The daytime movement of heavy traffic vehicles has been banned in Karachi for two months, it emerged on Wednesday. The development comes as the city has recently witnessed a steep increase in traffic accidents, with many resulting from collisions with heavy vehicles such as dumper trucks and water tankers. A notification issued on Tuesday by Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said that the deputy inspector general of the Karachi Traffic Police had requested the imposition of a ban on the movement of heavy vehicles during the daytime “in order to resolve traffic congestion issues due to the influx of heavy vehicular traffic and to prevent road traffic accidents”. The notification added that in the interest of protecting human lives and ensuring the smooth flow of traffic, there were sufficient grounds to proceed under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to regulate the movement of heavy traffic within the city. As a result, the Karachi commissioner imp... -
Dawn - 07:37 Dec 24, 2025
India’s space agency launched its heaviest ever payload on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling the deployment “a significant stride” for the space sector. The LVM3-M6 rocket launched the US-built AST SpaceMobile communications satellite into low-Earth orbit. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it was the “heaviest payload to be launched from Indian soil”. The launch is a boost for India’s ambitious low-cost space programme, with plans for an uncrewed orbital mission and human spaceflight in the coming years. The satellite, weighing 6,100 kilogrammes (13,448 pounds), was launched on a modified version of a rocket that India plans to use for its future space missions. India is vying for a larger slice of the booming commercial satellite business as phone, internet and other companies seek expanded and more high-end communications. Modi said the launch marked “a proud milestone in India’s space journey”. “It strengthens India’s heavy-lift launch capability and reinforces our growi... -
Dawn - 06:18 Dec 24, 2025
The Libyan army’s chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, died in a plane crash on Tuesday after leaving Turkiye’s capital Ankara as well as four others that were on the jet as well. “This followed a tragic and painful incident while they were returning from an official trip from the Turkish city of Ankara. This grave loss is a great loss for the nation, for the military institution, and for all the people,” Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah said in a statement. According to the Washington DC-based Stimson Centre, Libya has effectively split into two virtual quasi-states since 2014. The west is ruled by the Government of National Unity (GNU), of which Dbeibah is the prime minister, while the east is run by Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar’s Libyan Armed Forces. Dbeibah said the commander of Libya’s ground forces, the director of its military manufacturing authority, an adviser to the chief of staff, and a photographer from the chief of staff’s office were also on the aircraft. Turkish Interi... -
Dawn - 05:40 Dec 24, 2025
Gold surged past the $4,500-an-ounce mark for the first time on Wednesday, while silver and platinum also scaled record highs, as investors piled into precious metals on safe-haven demand and expectations that US interest rates will fall further next year. Spot gold rose 0.1 per cent to $4,492.51 per ounce by 3:59am GMT (8:59am PKT), after touching a record high of $4,525.19 earlier in the session. US gold futures for February delivery climbed 0.3pc to a record high of $4,520.60. Silver gained 1.2pc to $72.27 an ounce, after hitting an all-time peak of $72.70 earlier, while platinum jumped 3.3pc to $2,351.05 after rising to a historic high of $2,377.50. Palladium climbed almost 2pc to $1,897.11, its highest level in three years. “Precious metals have become more of a speculative narrative around the idea that, with de-globalisation, you need an asset that can act as a neutral go-between, without sovereign risk particularly as tensions between the US and China persist,” said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro a... -
Dawn - 03:25 Dec 24, 2025
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that the statutory definition of a “workplace” under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010, is expansive and covers situations linked to official activity even if the harassment occurs outside office premises. Justice Raheel Kamran issued the ruling while dismissing a petition filed by a government official seeking to overturn his removal from service for workplace harassment, a penalty imposed by the Punjab Ombudsperson and later upheld after the rejection of his representation by the governor. The petitioner, Umer Shehzad, a district manager, was accused by his female subordinate, an ad hoc teacher, of persistent harassment. According to the complaint, Shehzad allegedly used his supervisory position to cast indecent glances, send inappropriate WhatsApp messages and demand an illicit relationship in exchange for professional favours. According to the complaint, Shehzad forcibly entered her residence, attempted to rape her and ... -
Dawn - 02:39 Dec 24, 2025
• Court directs ex-PM to appear at next hearing in person or via video link • Lawyer again barred from meeting PTI founder to sign power of attorney ISLAMABAD: A local court on Tuesday extended the interim bail of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the May 9 cases and five other matters, while directing the former prime minister to appear at the next hearing either in person or through video link. Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka heard the pre-arrest bail applications. Advocate Shamsa Kayani appeared on behalf of the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi. However, arguments on the bail pleas could not be advanced due to the unavailability of the ex-PM. Consequently, the court extended the interim bail and adjourned the hearing till Jan 27, directing that the PTI founder’s appearance be ensured on the next date. Apart from the May 9 cases, other cases, including attempt to murder and submission of alleged fake receipts, have been registered against the former prime minister. A... -
Dawn - 02:26 Dec 24, 2025
• IT minister says process to improve 3G and 4G services, pave way for 5G launch • Claims 245m Pakistanis ‘making do’ with 274MHz, compared to 600MHz available in Bangladesh • ECC approves over $7m bailout package for PIA-IL to discharge $4m tax liability ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday approved the process for the auction of 600 megahertz (MHz) spectrum within two months, followed by the rollout of 5G internet in five to six months, on the recommendation of a US-based consultancy firm. The decision was made at a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, which also approved a Rs20bn (more than $7m) bailout package for Pakistan International Airlines Investment Limited (PIA-IL) to discharge $4m tax liability against Roosevelt Hotel, New York, and other domestic loan liabilities. Speaking at a no-questions-asked recorded statement, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khwaja said the new spectrum auction, to be completed by early Fe... -
Dawn - 02:22 Dec 24, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Inflow of foreign loans and grants to Pakistan increased 14 per cent to $3.032 billion in the first five months (July-November) of the current fiscal year compared to $2.667bn, mainly on the back of support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Inflows in November alone amounted to $511m, relatively higher than $471m in October, but almost 46pc lower than $944m in the same month of last year. Of the total, foreign loan inflows rose 46.22pc to $2.521bn in 5MFY26 compared to $1.724bn last year. Grants, on the other hand, fell by 43pc to $54m from $94m in the same period last year. These inflows do not include $1.2bn disbursed by the IMF early this month and would be accounted for later. MoF reports Pakistan receives over $3.03bn, including grants The target for total foreign inflows for current year has been set at $19.9bn compared to $19.4bn last year. In July-November of 2023, Pakistan was able to materialise more than $4.3bn mainly because of signing of the 9-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA)... -
Dawn - 19:05 Dec 23, 2025
In a night of stark contrasts that laid bare the brutal beauty of mixed martial arts, Pakistan’s fighting corps experienced both a poignant end and a violent new beginning at Brave CF 103 on Tuesday. The nation witnessed its undefeated king, Rizwan ’The Haider’ Ali, dethroned, only to see another warrior, Ismail ‘The Volcano’ Khan, announce his arrival as a genuine global force with a breathtaking finish. The main event carried the hopes of a nation on the shoulders of its brightest star, Rizwan. Entering the Bukhara arena with an unblemished 11-0 record and seven first-round finishes, the PAKMMA superstar faced a daunting task: defeating the local hero, Nozim ‘The Bukhara Warrior’ Kalandarov, in his own fortress. Trouble appeared before the fight even began, with the 28-year-old Rizwan missing the lightweight limit, forcing the bout to a 72kg catchweight. In the cage, a more critical problem emerged. Kalandarov executed a flawless grappler’s game plan, securing takedowns with ease in every round. Despite a v... -
Dawn - 18:55 Dec 23, 2025
GILGIT: The Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) Chanas area was blocked by a large rockfall on Tuesday, leaving thousands stranded, according to a local official. Nagar district Deputy Commissioner Asghar Khan told Dawn that the rockfall occurred in the early hours of Tuesday. He advised travellers and tourists to avoid the area until confirmation about the status of the KKH was received. “The [rock] slide occurred around Fajr time in the boundary area between the Nagar and Gilgit districts,” Khan said. “We immediately informed the FWO (Frontier Works Organisation), and they arrived with machinery.” Khan added that the boulders blocking the road were very large and would require blasting to clear. Nobody was hurt in the rock slide, but access to the Hunza and Nagar districts was cut off, leaving thousands of students, patients, and tourists stranded for eight hours. A long queue of vehicles formed on both sides of the road. Some people walked across the debris and changed vehicles after reachin... -
Dawn - 18:24 Dec 23, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday rejected the comparison between Islamabad‘s actions against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and New Delhi’s unprovoked action against the country in May as “wrong and inappropriate”. The defence minister‘s remarks come a day after Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman questioned Pakistan’s objection to Indian attacks when the country also allegedly conducted cross-border strikes against terrorist targets in Afghanistan. Pakistan has either denied or not commented on striking targets inside Afghanistan. In a post on X, Asif also said that India, to date, has “not been able to provide evidence” of Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack, despite Pakistan’s offer of “neutral investigations”. “The report issued by the United Nations also clarifies that the Indian aggression was illegal and unsubstantiated, and Pakistan’s response was fully justified,“ said the defence minister. He elaborated that the international community and the... -
Dawn - 17:59 Dec 23, 2025
PTI founder Imran Khan‘s sisters — Aleema Khan, Noreen Khan Niazi and Uzma Khan — ended their sit-in and left Rawalpindi’s Factory Naka on Tuesday night, hours after they were again barred from moving towards Adiala jail in a bid to meet the incarcerated ex-premier. Over the past several weeks, the PTI founder has been denied meetings in prison with his family, party members and lawyers, prompting them to stage sit-ins near or outside the prison complex every Tuesday and Thursday — the court-mandated days for visiting Imran. At times, police also used water cannons and baton charges to disperse them. A Dawn correspondent said that the PTI founder’s sisters left Factory Naka at around 9:30pm and moved towards Gorakhpur on foot, before heading home. Meanwhile, traffic resumed on the thoroughfare as soon as the 6-hour sit-in ended. Half an hour before that, the Saddar police station house officer arrived at the protest site and began negotiations with PTI’s Shaukat Basra and Meena Khan Afridi. After initial talk... -
Dawn - 17:55 Dec 23, 2025
KARACHI: Police informed a sessions court on Tuesday that a criminal case against the director, producer and actors of the Bollywood film Dhurandhar for defaming the PPP was legally not possible. In response to an application filed by PPP worker Mohammad Amir seeking a First Information Report (FIR) against the director, the producer, and other crew members of Dhurandhar, SHO Darakhshan stated that, during the course of an inquiry, police found that all the proposed accused are Indian nationals and have no residential, business, or legal presence in Pakistan. “The impugned film was produced, filmed and released in India, and all alleged acts took place outside the territorial jurisdiction of Pakistan. No material or evidence has surfaced to suggest screening, circulation, or availability of the said film within Pakistan,” he added. The SHO stated in the report that the applicant also failed to disclose the commission of any cognisable offence within the territorial jurisdiction of the Darakhshan police statio... -
Dawn - 17:49 Dec 23, 2025
ISLAMABAD: A successful bid of Rs135bn by Arif Habib won the auction for Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Ltd (PIAC) after the process moved to an open auction round at a ceremony in Islamabad, marking the country’s first major privatisation in nearly two decades. Initially, pre-qualified bids were submitted by Lucky Cement, private airline Airblue and investment firm Arif Habib in the morning. Airblue exited the race after the first round of bidding, with a proposition lower than the reference price of Rs100bn. In the first round, Lucky Cement put up a bid of Rs101.5bn, Airblue Rs26.5bn, and the Arif Habib consortium bid Rs115bn, after which the reference price was announced. Following that, a 30-minute break was taken so that the two top bidders could hold consultations. A second round was then commenced. It began with the base bid at Rs115bn, and the minimum increment was at Rs250 million. The base price was set on the basis of the highest bid made during the first round by Arif Habib. Both bidd... -
Dawn - 16:44 Dec 23, 2025
WASHINGTON: Thousands of new documents linked to the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were made available on Tuesday by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), amid mounting criticism over the pace of the publication and heavy redactions. The latest release includes around 11,000 files containing 30,000 pages of documents, with many redactions, including an email from a prosecutor indicating President Trump had travelled aboard his private jet “many more times than previously has been reported”. The tranche of materials released on Friday included photographs of former Democratic president Bill Clinton and other famous names. According to BBC News, these include the likes of pop stars Diana Ross, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson, actor Kevin Spacey, British politician Peter Mandelson and former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, broadcaster Walter Cronkite, French modelling agent Jean Luc Brunel and Virgin founder Richard Branson. An initial review of the released materials by BBC News and The Guardi... -
Dawn - 16:33 Dec 23, 2025
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed strong concern on Tuesday on the suspension of the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act, 2025 by the Lahore High Court (LHC), arguing that the move would “benefit encroachment and land-grabbing mafias”. Maryam‘s statement issued by the CM’s Office comes a day after LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued an interim order suspending the operation of the newly enacted Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act, 2025, which empowers dispute resolution committees led by deputy commissioners to resolve property disputes. The ordinance was approved by the Punjab chief minister on Oct 31 and mandates the resolution of land disputes within 90 days. The law has been challenged in the LHC, about which Maryam argued that its enactment was aimed at providing “long-awaited relief to millions of citizens suffering from prolonged land and property disputes”. “The legislation, for the first time, fixed a 90-day time frame for the reso... -
Dawn - 16:25 Dec 23, 2025
Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Palwasha Khan on Tuesday submitted a privilege motion in a Senate committee against Communications Minister Aleem Khan for reacting in a manner “highly unbecoming” to hold public office. A heated exchange was witnessed between Minister for Communications Aleem Khan and Senator Palwasha Khan last week during a meeting of the Senate Committee on Communications over a question related to the construction of a road project. Palwasha blamed Aleem for personal attacks as he reacted angrily to parliamentary scrutiny. “We will treat you the way we are treated,” Aleem had responded, saying that he cannot stand the allegations levelled against him. During a press conference in Islamabad today, the senator, along with other party members, condemned the behaviour of the communications minister. She emphasised that it was not a personal matter, but a question of the collective dignity of parliament, and that remaining silent on this would not be appropriate. View this post on Instagram “If w...
7393 items