Dawn
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Dawn - 02:26 Jun 26, 2026
LAHORE: The Ministry of Commerce has issued dual directives introducing structural clarifications and a selective, conditional waiver for used vehicles imported under the Gift and Transfer of Residence schemes. While the decisions aim to resolve intense clearance logjams at ports, they have drawn sharp criticism from the local automotive industry, which warns of severe fiscal and safety ramifications. In an official office memorandum, the ministry addressed a long-standing impasse regarding the validity of Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) certificates. The federal government announced that certificates issued by EAA Company (Pvt) Ltd and Auto Terminal Pak (Pvt) Ltd through their foreign principals in Japan are fully acceptable. This compliance clearance follows their formal registration with the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) for automobiles. To prevent fraudulent filings, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and customs authorities must verify the certificates directly with the local off... -
Dawn - 02:11 Jun 26, 2026
KARACHI: Pakistan could once again tap Iranian crude oil supplies following a temporary easing of US sanctions on Tehran, reopening the possibility of sourcing discounted crude and refining it locally to produce higher-value petroleum products. While industry experts say local refineries are technically capable of processing Iranian crude, commercial and operational challenges remain, particularly due to the high furnace oil yield and the absence of significant domestic demand for the fuel. Pakistan Refinery Ltd (PRL) had previously imported Iranian crude under a long-term contract with the National Iranian Oil Company, but purchases halted after US sanctions were imposed. Since then, no Iranian oil has been imported into the country. Commenting on the prospects for refining Iranian crude oil, a former head of a leading refinery in Karachi told Dawn that the scenarios are changing and sanctions are being lifted temporarily. The outcome remains uncertain over the next two months. Discounts, demand and tech upg... -
Dawn - 19:19 Jun 25, 2026
Apple said on Thursday that it was raising prices for its MacBook computers, iPad tablets and other products, citing spiralling memory and storage costs sparked by the rise of artificial intelligence. The price hikes — the first concrete change stemming from outgoing CEO Tim Cook’s repeated warnings about rising costs — sent Apple shares plummeting more than 4.7 per cent in morning trade. On its US website, price increases ranged from $30 to $300. The 14-inch MacBook Pro, which once sold for $1,700, now retails for $2,000, while the iPad Air increased from $600 to $750. The Apple TV streaming device rose from $130 to $200. For now, the price of the iPhone — the company’s main source of revenue — remained unchanged. “The rapid expansion of AI data centres has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement sent to multiple media outlets. “We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly.” Apple did not immediately respond to AFP r... -
Dawn - 18:19 Jun 25, 2026
Thousands of Venezuelans were feared dead on Thursday after two powerful earthquakes wreaked havoc in and around the capital Caracas, trapping people beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings and setting off powerful aftershocks. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160km west of Caracas on Wednesday afternoon, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey. Emergency workers scrambled over the debris of collapsed buildings in Caracas as night fell, while distraught relatives sought help for loved ones feared trapped. Dazed survivors were taken away, some on stretchers. Rescuers evacuate a person from a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. — AFP “When we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie,” said Maria Alejandra, a resident from a nearby building, who did not give her surname. “We had to climb over the rubble and everything. The building superintendent with the baby and all the neighbors coming down. But from... -
Dawn - 18:06 Jun 25, 2026
ISLAMABAD: A recently released report by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has identified irregularities worth Rs3.41 billion in various ancillary departments of the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), it emerged on Thursday. The report, available with Dawn, found fraud, embezzlement and misappropriation amounting to Rs28.41 million, procurement-related irregularities worth Rs1.779bn, and irregularities in the management of accounts maintained with commercial banks involving about Rs1.484bn. However, Rs127.27m was recovered following the intervention of the audit department. Pakistan Nursing Council According to the report, the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC) refused to have its accounts audited, in violation of orders issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) in its July 8, 2013 judgment. In response to the audit intimations, the PNMC, referring to letters dated March 31, 2023, May 15, 2024, and May 21, 2025, stated that it was an autonomous body that generated its own revenue th... -
Dawn - 17:59 Jun 25, 2026
The US Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump a victory on Thursday by backing the federal government’s authority to turn away asylum seekers when officials deem US-Mexico border crossings too overburdened to handle additional claims. The court, in a 6-3 ruling powered by its conservative justices, overturned a lower court’s finding that the policy violated federal law. The Republican president’s administration has said it may seek to revive the policy, known as “metering,” after it was dropped by Trump’s Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden. The ruling was one of two in immigration-related cases issued by the court on Thursday backing Trump. The metering policy allows US immigration officials to stop asylum seekers at the border and indefinitely decline to process their claims. It is separate from a sweeping policy to deny entry to asylum seekers at the border that Trump announced after returning to the presidency last year. That policy also faces an ongoing legal challenge. A demonstrator holds a sign a... -
Dawn - 17:42 Jun 25, 2026
KARACHI: A high-level team formed by Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Javed Alam Odho has launched an investigation into the rape and murder of a three-year-old girl in Karachi’s Quaidabad, collecting DNA samples from over a dozen suspects from the same neighbourhood. The body of Kulsoom Mohammed Qasim, who had left her home to play outside in Muslimabad Colony on Tuesday afternoon, was found stuffed in a gunny bag at a main gate of the street leading to her home near Mustafa Masjid in Muslimabad later that evening. Doctors confirmed that she was subjected to “violent rape” before being murdered. Malir SSP (Investigation) Majida Perveen Halepota told Dawn on Thursday that the police had taken DNA samples from some suspects and were awaiting lab reports for possible matches. Another member of the investigation team told Dawn that a team of doctors, led by police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed, had taken DNA samples of 12 suspects from the same neighbourhood, some of whom were relatives of the victim. The offi... -
Dawn - 17:37 Jun 25, 2026
Muharram 9 processions concluded countrywide on Thursday amid tight security arrangements as mourners commemorated the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD. The central procession in Islamabad for the day was taken out after Zuhr prayers from Markazi Isna Ashari Imambargah in G-6/2. The gathering culminated at the same place later in the night after passing through its designated route. The main procession in Karachi departed from Nishtar Park at around 1:30pm and concluded at Imambargah Hussainia Iranian in Kharadar. In Hyderabad, the main procession set off from Imambargah Chahardah Masoomeen in Latifabad in the afternoon. Organised by Anjuman Guldasta-i-Akbar, the gathering culminated at the same imambargah by evening prayers. Similarly, in Lahore, the main procession emerged from Pando Street in Islampura in the morning and concluded at Khaima-i-Sadaat Imambargah at around 10pm after passing through its traditional route. State broadcaster PTV News re... -
Dawn - 16:23 Jun 25, 2026
Sargodha police on Thursday received a preliminary postmortem report of the seven-year-old girl found murdered earlier this week, which indicated possible rape before her killing. The girl was found dead in a shop on Monday and four suspects were arrested, with one of them confessing to sexually assaulting and killing her during an interrogation. Sargodha District Police Officer (DPO) Sohaib Ashraf told Dawn that doctors who performed the postmortem said the preliminary report indicated possible rape. However, he added that doctors were awaiting a final and detailed autopsy report for confirmation. To a question, DPO Ashraf replied that the report pointed out multiple deep wounds on the girl’s head and neck, as if she had been hit hard with a blunt weapon during the incident. Quoting the report, the DPO said the cause of death was excessive bleeding due to wounds suffered from a sharp object. On Wednesday, Sargodha police said the prime suspect was killed “by his accomplices’ firing” during a reported encount... -
Dawn - 15:30 Jun 25, 2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Gulf allies on Thursday that any deal with Iran would take their interests into account, as he wrapped up a Middle East trip aimed at selling the Trump administration’s preliminary accord to sceptical regional partners. Speaking at a meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, Rubio said Washington was seeking an enduring peace with long-time foe Iran that would not undermine the security and prosperity of its allies in the oil-rich region, which fear the accord is too soft on Iran. Iran fought two of the world’s most powerful armies — the US and Israel — during the conflict and took effective control of the vital Strait of Hormuz, heavily disrupting oil flows and rattling global energy markets and the wider economy. The war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, and Tehran targeted US assets and bases in Gulf countries in retaliation. It, however, has not accepted responsibility for all of those attacks. At t... -
Dawn - 15:17 Jun 25, 2026
Mourners wearing black took part in processions on Thursday as the country observed Muharram 9 to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husain and his companions in the Battle of Karbala in 680AD. Dawn takes a look at the scenes as huge flags with Islamic emblems and “Zuljanahs” (horses) remained a key part of the processions. Muslims participate in a religious procession on 9th Muharram on Peshawar’s Saddar Road on June 25, 2026. — PPI Images Mourners participate in a Muharram procession on the ninth day of Ashura in Lahore on June 25, 2026. — AFP Muslims Participate in a Muharram procession on the ninth day of Ashura on Peshawar’s Saddar Road on June 25, 2026. — PPI Images Muslims participate in a Muharram procession on the ninth day of Ashura in Peshawar on June 25, 2026. — AFP A security personnel stands guard as Muslims participate in a Muharram procession on the ninth day of Ashura in Peshawar on June 25, 2026. — AFP Muslims participate in a Muharram procession on the ninth day of Ashura in Peshawar on June... -
Dawn - 14:59 Jun 25, 2026
MUZAFFARABAD: AJK police chief on Thursday warned citizens at home and abroad against disinformation and AI-generated content, urging them to rely on official sources for information amid what he described as a “hybrid warfare” environment. Addressing a press conference, Inspector General of Police Captain (retd) Liaqat Ali Malik said all entry points into AJK remained open to all types of traffic, including vehicles carrying essential commodities, and rejected reports suggesting otherwise. He urged overseas Pakistanis, particularly members of the Kashmiri diaspora in the United Kingdom and Europe, to verify information through authentic government media and social media platforms. “All major entry points into the territory, including Kohala, Azad Pattan and Bararkot, are open for all types of traffic without any intervention, except routine security checks within police protocols,” he said. Malik alleged that activists of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had erected barriers at some locatio... -
Dawn - 13:22 Jun 25, 2026
A long-awaited ceasefire has brought relative calm to Lebanon, but it hasn’t brought peace of mind to Hussein Merhi. He is among tens of thousands who remain displaced because their homes were destroyed in Israeli strikes or their hometowns fall within a swathe of the south occupied by Israel’s military or, as in his case, both. “I still can’t go back to my village. It’s still occupied. My house is gone, and my livelihood is gone,” said the former farmer, who was living in the historic Lebanese border town of Kfar Kila, which now lies destroyed. Merhi, 39, spoke to Reuters in a university being used as a shelter in the southern Lebanese port city of Sidon, following a ceasefire that took hold on Saturday between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. “We were displaced, and we’re going to remain displaced. There’s a ceasefire — what did I gain?” Stray dogs walk past the rubble of flattened homes and businesses, destroyed by the Israeli military, in the southern Lebanese village of Tibnin on June 24, 2026. —AFP/File ... -
Dawn - 13:05 Jun 25, 2026
KARACHI’S history is replete with instances of public land being taken over by government agencies for the benefit of the ruling elite or political parties. Gutter Baghicha is a case in point. Originally, it was 1,016 acres, but now only 480 acres are left. It contains housing for members of the political elites. More recently, land at Hill Park and Kidney Hill has been taken over to create plots for the representatives of local bodies. The case of the beautifully designed Jahangir Park is an example of insensitive planning. It had a long association with cricket. Hanif Mohammad and Intekhab Alam, among others, played here. Liaquat Ali Khan and Shaheed Suhrawardy held political rallies here. And the park contained the offices of the Afro-Asian solidarity group, to which leftists, including I.A. Rehman and Nisar Usmani, were regular visitors. All this is not represented in the renovation theme and is lost to history. Now the area comprising Clifton’s adjacent Beach View and Bin Qasim parks is under attack; it ... -
Dawn - 12:57 Jun 25, 2026
Wealthy nations with the highest rate of immigration over the past 35 years reaped a large economic benefit, and many could still absorb more workers, according to research to be presented at a top European Central Bank conference next week. Political tensions over immigration have been on the rise in recent years as far-right, anti-immigrant parties have helped drive the issue to near the top of the political agenda while making headway in countries including the US, Germany and Britain. The study, which looked at data in dozens of rich countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), said growth and productivity were both likely to have been boosted sharply by the influx of immigrants, most of whom were highly skilled, despite any political claims to the contrary. “Receiving countries’ labour productivity grew significantly during and after periods of higher immigration rates,” said the paper, authored by University of California, Davis professor Giovanni Peri. “The predictive... -
Dawn - 12:33 Jun 25, 2026
BANNU: Five people including a police constable were safely returned to their homes on Thursday after having been abducted in separate incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu and its surrounding areas. According to police sources, the abducted Constable Zareen Khan — posted at Utmankhel Police Station — as well as two residents of Pathona Mamandkhel, were released and returned home safely. Their release was reportedly secured through the efforts of local elders and a tribal jirga. Separately, a resident of Sathi Khel Sorani, who had been taken away by unidentified individuals several days earlier, also returned home safely. His family members and local residents expressed relief and happiness upon his return. Additionally, Nisar Khan, the headmaster of Government High School Sardar Khan Mandev in Miryan tehsil, also safely returned home after being abducted from the school premises on Wednesday. Police sources confirmed his return, stating that he was in good health and reunited with his family. The headm... -
Dawn - 12:25 Jun 25, 2026
It is a pecularity of Pakistan’s criminal justice system that it has treated children as miniature adults, not just in the way their crimes are prosecuted but in how the victims themselves are perceived. “We handle a four-year-old child through the same protocols used for an 18-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl, or even a 30-year-old man,” said Police Surgeon Dr Sumaiyya Syed. She is part of the government effort to open the country’s pilot Child-Friendly Medicolegal Clinic at the Office of the Police Surgeon as part of the Anti-Rape Crisis Cell. It was inaugurated last week and fulfils a requirement of the Sindh Medico-Legal Act. In the case of bodily harm, a medico-legal certificate or report needs to be prepared as evidence. The child has to be brought to a government facility where one of its doctors will examine the child and document injuries, their severity and probable cause. The ML certificate is the bridge between medicine and the courts. Every year, Sahil, a nonprofit organisation working on child p... -
Dawn - 12:05 Jun 25, 2026
In the city of Catia La Mar on Venezuela’s coast, Yilsmaris Blanco stared in shock at the scenes of devastation early Thursday after powerful twin earthquakes levelled dozens of buildings. “It was terrible. Everything, everything collapsed,” the 39-year-old woman told AFP. “We thank God because… we’re alive, but there are people right now suffering with their relatives buried, with their relatives crushed and they can’t get them out.” A man walks past a fire outside a building following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, some 30kms north-west of Caracas, early on June 25, 2026. —AFP Two massive earthquakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck areas west of the capital Caracas on Wednesday evening, killing at least 164 people and injuring nearly 1,000, according to interim leader Delcy Rodriguez. Authorities have yet to provide a figure for those missing, as reports flooded in from across the country of people trapped under rubble. The northern region of La Guaira, facing the Caribbean, was hit harde... -
Dawn - 11:48 Jun 25, 2026
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, fresh from a spat with US leader Donald Trump, was set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday to tighten ties. One of Europe’s most prominent right-wing leaders will arrive in the resort of Antibes on the French Riviera for her first bilateral summit with Macron. The talks, set to begin Tuesday afternoon, mark the first Franco-Italian summit since a treaty on a strategic alliance came into force in 2021, elevating relations to a level comparable to that between France and Germany. “This summit will provide an opportunity to deepen Franco-Italian cooperation in several strategic sectors, notably defence, nuclear energy, and space,” the French presidency said. “We need each other,” it said ahead of the talks at the Villa Eilenroc, a dazzling 19th-century residence overlooking the Mediterranean. Relations have often been strained between Macron, a pro-European centrist, and Meloni, who leads a coalition of right and far-right parties. While the leaders of the ... -
Dawn - 11:08 Jun 25, 2026
E-commerce giant Amazon announced on Thursday an additional $13 billion investment by 2030 to expand its artificial intelligence footprint in India, months after declaring plans to invest more than $35bn. The announcement was made following a meeting between company CEO Andy Jassy and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The $13bn will target AI and cloud infrastructure in Mumbai and Hyderabad, the company said in a statement. “Amazon’s cumulative investments in India from 2010-2030 stand at over $88bn,” the company said. Jassy said he was “excited” about the future. “Still early days for what we can build,” he said in a post on X. “By 2030, we plan to support 3.8 million jobs, enable $80bn in ecomm exports, and bring benefits of AI to 15m small businesses and 4m government school students,” he added. Modi welcomed the investment, adding that it would increase opportunities for the country’s youth. “It shows the growing interest across the world to invest in India!” he said on X. Several global corporations h...
12400 items