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Dawn - 03:42 Feb 16, 2026
• Accumulated losses hit Rs2.07tr by June 2025; half of it piled up in just three years • Outstanding loans stand near Rs3.1tr, debt rising Rs300bn a year • Financing cost reaches Rs210bn in FY25, highest among SOEs ISLAMABAD: Carrying the largest outstanding loan portfolio on its books and a negative return on assets, the National Highway Authority (NHA) — the country’s logistics backbone — is the single largest entity bleeding the federal budget, exposing Pakistan to substantial fiscal risk despite the recent doubling of tolls. The NHA is the “largest loss-maker”, operating on a “structural deficit model and reliant on budgetary support”, the Central Monitoring Unit (CMU) of the Ministry of Finance said in its Annual Aggregate Report on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) for the year ended June 30, 2025. With accumulated losses of Rs2.074 trillion, the entity that owns and operates all the national highways and motorways accrued around Rs1.004tr in the last three years alone — about Rs295 billion each in FY24 a... -
Dawn - 03:10 Feb 16, 2026
JOB creation and the ‘future of work’ are now the renewed focus of multilateral organisations trying to make growth inclusive and resilient, and to combat domestic instability fuelled by joblessness. World Bank President Ajay Banga says, “We’re trying to move the bank group as a whole from the idea of projects to the idea of outcomes.” He told Reuters that employment creation will remain “a binding constraint on growth over the long-term”, as such, “Job creation is the North Star”. With the productive economy suffocated, Pakistan is heading towards a severe employment crisis, leaving millions of young people without visible job opportunities, says Chairman of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry Businessmen’s Panel Mian Anjum Nisar; the country is losing its most valuable assets — its workforce. Jobs are created when factories run on full capacity with value-addition, without which job creation will be limited and vulnerable to external shocks, he explained, listing the various factors e... -
Dawn - 02:50 Feb 16, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The government on Sunday increased the petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) prices by Rs5 and Rs7.32 per litre, respectively, till the end of February, owing to movement in international market prices. In a late-night announcement, the petroleum division said the revision followed movements in international markets and recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra). According to the announcement, the ex-depot price of HSD has been increased by Rs7.32 per litre (2.7pc) to Rs275.70 per litre for the current fortnight from Rs268.38 per litre. Most of the transport sector runs on HSD. Its price is considered inflationary as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains and agricultural engines like trucks, buses, tractors, tube-wells and threshers and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other eatables. The ex-depot petrol price was increased to Rs258.17 from Rs253.17 per litre, up 2pc. Petrol is primarily used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws, and tw... -
Dawn - 02:39 Feb 16, 2026
• US diplomat underscores Islamabad’s role in ‘multilateral diplomacy’, ‘stability’ in South Asia • CDF Munir meets Rubio, top defence leaders on sidelines WASHINGTON: After Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir discussed “global and regional security dynamics” with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a senior US diplomat has highlighted Pakistan’s key role in Washington’s global strategy. US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz highlighted Pakistan’s role in Washington’s global and regional diplomacy. “We could walk around the world — Kashmir and India and Pakistan — where we faced a very serious nuclear escalation,” he said during the Munich Security Conference, underlining enduring US concerns about strategic stability in South Asia. Ambassador Waltz also linked Pakistan to multilateral diplomacy. “The United Nations Security Council created the ‘Board of Peace’ — unanimously — with countries such as Pakistan, our friends in the UK, France and other... -
Dawn - 18:47 Feb 15, 2026
Pakistan on Sunday lost their blockbuster clash with arch-rivals India by 61 runs, being bowled out for 114 in Colombo. With the win against Pakistan, India made it to the Super Eight. Pakistan, however, will have to beat Namibia in their last group-stage match on February 18 to qualify for the next round. After the match, criticism of the national team’s performance flooded social media, coming from former players and cricketing icons. Former Pakistan player and commentator Ramiz Raja called the match “a bit of a disaster — especially batting”. “India have been fielding [the] same bowling attack against Pakistan since last two or three years, and every time [the] batsmen have been woefully ordinary,” he said in a post on X, adding that there was no growth. Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf took aim at Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam and Shadab Khan, saying that “time’s up” for them. “Pakistan’s T20 squad needs new performers, not empty wins against weaker sides,” he said. Former opener Ahmed... -
Dawn - 18:45 Feb 15, 2026
JHELUM: A man was arrested on Sunday after he reportedly attacked cleric Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, the police said. Per a first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Dawn, the incident took place in Jhelum at Mirza’s Qur’an-o-Sunnat Research Academy at the end of a lecture. According to the complainant Muhammad Kashif Qureshi, a core member of the academy, attendees were returning home after listening to the lecture, but some of them stayed back to take selfies with Engineer Mirza. “Just then, a man attacked Engineer Mirza by grabbing his collar, throwing punches at him, and removing his turban,” the FIR quoted Qureshi as saying. “He violently threw his honourable turban onto the ground, strangled him with both hands to suffocate him, and loudly chanted slogans,” he added. Qureshi was quoted as saying that people present at the site of the incident intervened immediately to protect the scholar. “We then handed him over to the police on duty to ensure that legal action is taken against... -
Dawn - 18:24 Feb 15, 2026
There are nights when Pakistan versus India feels like theatre: breathless, chaotic, hanging by a thread. And then there are nights like the one in Colombo. At the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, this was not a last-over classic or a heart-stopping choke. It was clinical. India posted 175, Pakistan were rolled for 114. A 61-run defeat. No controversy to dissect, no umpiring debate to hide behind, no “if only” moments to cling to. Just a gulf. Here are five takeaways from a game that was disappointingly straightforward. Agha’s captaincy: bold or baffling? Salman Ali Agha did not hide behind convention and that alone deserves akcnowledgement. He decided to chase on a slow Colombo surface that was expected to grip more under lights. Bold. He opened the bowling himself and dismissed Abhishek Sharma for a duck - poetic, especially after publicly stating he wanted the Indian opener to play. He even promoted himself to bat at no.3 earlier in the tournament, leading by example. But bold decisions are a double-edged sword. O... -
Dawn - 18:08 Feb 15, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Vienna on Sunday for his two-day tour of Austria, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. “The prime minister and the Pakistani delegation were warmly welcomed upon arrival at the Vienna International Airport, and a contingent of the Austrian Armed Forces presented a salute,” the statement read. PM Shehbaz announced his arrival in Vienna in a post on X, calling it a “city of history, culture and global diplomacy”. “I look forward to my meeting with Chancellor Christian Stocker to further strengthen the bonds of friendship between Pakistan and Austria,” the premier said, adding that their focus would be trade, investment and economic cooperation. He added that he was keen to meet the leadership of the International Atomic Energy Agency, (IAEA) the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the UN Industrial Development Organisation during his visit. PM Shehbaz said that these engagements aimed to “deepen our cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy, c... -
Dawn - 17:46 Feb 15, 2026
Former United States president Barack Obama has said during an interview that “aliens are real”, Time magazine reported on Sunday. Citing an interview of Obama by podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, the report stated that when asked about the existence of extraterrestrial life, the former president responded: “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them. “They’re not being kept at Area 51. There’s no underground facility — unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the President of the United States,” Obama jokingly added. Time reported that Cohen “did not ask a follow-up question on the topic”. Obama has been known for having a sense of humour, as seen in White House Correspondents’ Dinner ceremonies during his presidency. The report added that Obama spoke out about the deployment of thousands of immigration agents to Minnesota, condemning what he deemed “rogue behaviour” on the part of the federal government. “Obama compared the actions of the Trump Administration in Minnesota to behaviour that ‘we’ve ... -
Dawn - 16:59 Feb 15, 2026
ISLAMABAD: ‘When the river dries, our cultural imagination dries with it,’ remarked one of the speakers as a panel on Folk Literature and Climate Change session, which turned into an urgent call to reconnect language and land for survival on the third day of the Pakistan Mother Languages Festival 2026 held at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Sunday. The talk, moderated by Ghina Mehr, brought together poets, academics, activists and journalists who argued that the climate crisis is not merely an environmental or technical issue, but a cultural and civilisational one. : Speakers on the third day of the Pakistan Mother Languages Literature Festival 2026, held on Sunday, February 15, at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA ), Islamabad. — Muhammad Asim / White Star “In our folk tradition, the river, soil and land are not just a backdrop; they are the main protagonists,” Mehr said at the outset, asking whether climate change was only “a matter of files” or fundamentally “a matter of cultu... -
Dawn - 16:08 Feb 15, 2026
United States President Donald Trump on Sunday said that member states of the Board of Peace have “committed thousands of personnel” to join the International Stabilisation Force expected to deploy in the Gaza Strip. In a post on Truth Social, the US president said he would announce this development when the Board meets in Washington on February 19 at the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace. “We will announce that member states have pledged more than $5 billion dollars toward the Gaza humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, and have committed thousands of personnel to the International Stabilisation Force and local police to maintain security and peace for Gazans.” Trump wrote. He also stated that Hamas must uphold its “commitment to full and immediate demilitarisation”. “The Board of Peace will prove to be the most consequential International Body in History, and it is my honour to serve as its Chairman,” Trump wrote. Earlier this week, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed that Prime Minis... -
Dawn - 15:49 Feb 15, 2026
ISLAMABAD: A team of doctors examined PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail on Sunday and left the premises after around an hour, sources said, as the party rejected the inspection conducted without his family and personal physicians, terming it “malicious”. On February 12, Imran, currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, claimed that his right eye had only 15 per cent vision remaining, following which the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the formation of a medical team to examine him. The SC also directed that Imran be allowed to speak to his children. It was ordered that both the eye inspection and the phone calls be conducted before February 16 (Monday). Although government figures on Saturday had hinted that Imran would soon be taken to a hospital, no such development had occurred till Sunday afternoon. At 3:45pm, however, Imran’s sister Noreen Khanum said on X that an “ambulance has reached Adiala jail to move Khan sahib to a hospital”. “But, this is unacceptable to us without us and Khan sahib’s pe... -
Dawn - 15:32 Feb 15, 2026
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Sunday vowed that “strict and indiscriminate action” would be taken against those hoarding or raising the prices of goods during the holy month of Ramazan. According to the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), the first day of Ramazan is “likely to fall” on February 19, 2026. However, the final announcement regarding the beginning of the Islamic holy month will be made by the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, the sole competent authority, based on credible witness testimonies from across the country. “Exploiting citizens in this sacred month will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” the provincial chief executive said in a post on X. She added that directives and enforcement measures would be outlined in a meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning (Monday). The Punjab Food Safety and Consumer Protection department (FS&CP), earlier this week, instructed the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (Pera) force to ensure the availability of food item... -
Dawn - 15:18 Feb 15, 2026
Iran is pursuing a nuclear agreement with the United States that delivers economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomat was reported as saying on Sunday, days before a second round of talks between Tehran and Washington. Iran and the US renewed negotiations earlier this month to tackle their decades-long dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme and avert a new military confrontation. The US has dispatched a second aircraft carrier to the region and is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks do not succeed, US officials have told Reuters. “For the sake of an agreement’s durability, it is essential that the US also benefits in areas with high and quick economic returns,” foreign ministry deputy director for economic diplomacy Hamid Ghanbari said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Iran has threatened retaliation against any US attack, but the official struck a conciliatory note on Sunday. “Common interests in the oil and gas fields, joint fields, mining i... -
Dawn - 14:00 Feb 15, 2026
The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital on Sunday dismissed social media claims regarding the withdrawal of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for a fundraising event for its Karachi facility, clarifying that the purported notification being circulated dates back to December 2023. Several reports emerged on social media and television platforms claiming that the NOC issued by Islamabad’s administration related to holding a fundraising ceremony for the under-construction SKMCH in Karachi had been withdrawn. SKMCH issued a formal clarification regarding the purported development, saying, “The news currently circulating on social media about the withdrawal of a NOC by the Islamabad administration is from December 2023.” “It relates to a fundraising gala dinner planned in Islamabad for December 29, 2023, in support of Shaukat Khanum Hospital Karachi,” it added. It said that fundraising and construction had continued without interruption since then. “The Karachi hospital remains on track for opening in December ... -
Dawn - 12:49 Feb 15, 2026
BAJAUR: An additional station house officer was martyred after terrorists attacked a police station in the War Mamund tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district on Saturday night, officials said. According to a police statement, a group of terrorists attacked the police station using both light and heavy weapons. They added that personnel deployed at the station quickly acted and repelled the assault. “The police personnel successfully foiled the overnight attack of militants at the War Mamund station, but Additional SHO Gul Mahmood Din was martyred after fighting bravely,” said a senior police official who visited the area on Sunday morning with his team. The official told Dawn that all the other station personnel were safe and secure following the attack. Attacks on police personnel, law enforcement agencies, and security forces have escalated across KP and Balochistan, especially after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a ceasefire agreement with the government in November 2022. Earlier ... -
Dawn - 12:21 Feb 15, 2026
The West Indies became the first team to qualify for the Super Eights phase of the T20 World Cup when they cruised to victory against Nepal by nine wickets on Sunday. After restricting Nepal to 133-8 in their 20 overs, captain Shai Hope’s 61 not out helped his team romp to 134-1 in 15.2 overs in the Group C clash at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium. Hope reached his fifty off 38 balls and scored three sixes and five fours in all. He put on an unbroken 91 with Shimron Hetmyer to reach the 134 target with 28 balls to spare. Hetmyer was 46 not out at the end from 32 balls, with two sixes and four fours. Hope said the qualification was “one step, one hurdle that we’ve crossed”. “Good to contribute to wins,” he added of his own batting, after scores of 19 and nought in his side’s two previous matches at the tournament. “It’s about continuing how we’ve been playing. Hopefully, we can carry through that.” Hope won the toss and chose to field and his decision was justified by a magnificent spell by Matthew Forde. The Nepal ... -
Dawn - 11:28 Feb 15, 2026
Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 12 people since dawn on Sunday, while a military official said the attacks were in response to ceasefire violations. Despite a US-brokered truce that entered its second phase last month, violence has continued in the Palestinian territory, with Israel and Hamas blaming each other for violating the agreement. The civil defence agency, which operates as a rescue force, said one strike hit a tent of displaced people in northern Gaza and another targeted an area in the south. Five people were killed and several were injured when an air strike targeted a tent sheltering displaced people in Jabalia in the north, the agency said in a statement. Five more were killed and several were injured in a separate early morning strike in the southern city of Khan Younis, the agency said, adding that one more was killed in Israeli shelling in Gaza City. The agency also said that one person was killed by Israeli gunfire in Beit Lahia in north Gaza. The Al... -
Dawn - 11:24 Feb 15, 2026
KARACHI: At least 11 people were killed and eight were injured after a bus collided with a trailer on the National Highway near Tando Masti in Sindh’s Khairpur district on Sunday, motorway police said. As per a statement issued by National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP), “11 people have died so far, while another eight remain injured in a collision between a bus and a trailer on the National Highway near Tando Masti”. The bus was heading from Bahawalpur to Karachi. In an earlier statement, the motorway police said the accident occurred due to “negligence and recklessness on the bus driver’s part”. “Rescue teams and motorway police immediately reached the site of the incident,” the statement said, adding that the bodies and injured were rushed to nearby hospitals. The NHMP inspector general (IG) has taken notice of the incident and sought a report on it, the statement said. “The motorway police are continuing to restore traffic and clear the road,” the NHMP said. It added that an emergency control room had ... -
Dawn - 10:48 Feb 15, 2026
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Sunday issued directions to the Punjab Police to ensure “grooming” of their personnel as part of police reforms, warning them against violating the “dignity of common people”. In a high-level televised meeting, the chief minister directed Punjab Inspector General (IG) Abdul Kareem to “groom” the police staff, citing complaints of “intimidating behaviour” exhibited by Punjab Police. “Teach them how to talk to people, and groom them mentally as well,” CM Maryam stressed, warning that the police officials would “not be permitted to interact with people if they refuse to address them as sir or sahib”. “Police staff that patrol or interact with the public should directly teach them the appropriate body language,” she directed. The chief minister noted that police in Punjab often addressed people in public spaces with “oye”, rather than speaking to them respectfully. “Do not violate the dignity of the public,” CM Maryam stressed. She further underscored the “need for accountabi...
8986 items