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Dawn - 12:35 Oct 04, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that Palestinian group Hamas’s response to US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan “creates a window for a ceasefire and ensuring peace that we must not allow to close again”. Late Friday night, Trump told Israel to immediately stop bombing Gaza after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, but vexing issues like disarmament appeared unresolved. Subsequently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel was preparing for an “immediate implementation” of the first stage of Trump’s Gaza plan for the release of Israeli hostages following Hamas’s response. Meanwhile, the world welcomed Hamas’s positive response, with Pakistan also doing the same. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the premier said: “Alhamdolillah, we are closer to a ceasefire than we have been since this genocide was launched on the Palestinian people. Pakistan has always stood by the Palestinian people and shall always do so.” H... -
Dawn - 12:28 Oct 04, 2025
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday lauded the security forces for eliminating more than 14 terrorists in Khuzdar district. Earlier, a statement issued on X by state broadcaster PTV News said security forces “foiled an attempt to harass peaceful people in the Zehri area” of the district and destroyed multiple terrorist hideouts during an operation while killing over 14 Fitna al-Hindustan members and injuring over 20. In May, the government designated all terrorist organisations in Balochistan as Fitna al-Hindustan — a new phrase aimed at framing India’s alleged role in terrorism as a deliberate destabilisation strategy, potentially to galvanise domestic support. Congratulating the security forces, Naqvi hailed the operation as a “major success”, saying that the nation was “proud of the professional capabilities and courage of the security forces”. He further said: “Security forces are determined to eliminate Indian-sponsored terrorists in Balochistan. The people of Balochistan stand with the security ... -
Dawn - 11:32 Oct 04, 2025
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik has said that authorities are in contact with X (formerly Twitter) over the use of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan’s account on its platform and an investigation into who has been operating it is underway. Speaking on Dawn News TV’s programme ‘Doosra Rukh with Nadir Guramani’ on Friday, Barrister Aqeel Malik said: “Investigations are underway [into who is operating PTI founder’s X account].“ “Evidence and further material will come forward, and that will disclose where the account’s links are and who is running it,” the state minister added. “At this moment, all I can say is that there is definitely an [the authorities’] engagement with X. Along with this, I believe that the legal process which is being adopted in this investigation [and] its results will also be before you very soon.” Imran was recently quizzed in prison by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials about his “anti-state” tweets, critical remarks on foreign policy... -
Dawn - 10:19 Oct 04, 2025
Japan’s ruling party picked hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi as its head on Saturday, putting her on course to become the country’s first female prime minister in a move set to jolt investors and neighbours. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has ruled Japan for almost all of the postwar era, elected Takaichi, 64, to regain trust from a public angered by rising prices and drawn to opposition groups promising stimulus and clampdowns on migrants. A vote in parliament to choose a replacement for outgoing Shigeru Ishiba is expected on October 15. Takaichi is favoured as the ruling coalition has the largest number of seats. Inherits party in crisis Takaichi, the only woman among the five LDP candidates, beat a challenge from the more moderate Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, who was bidding to become the youngest modern leader. A former economic security and internal affairs minister with an expansionary fiscal agenda for the world’s fourth-largest economy, Takaichi takes over a party in crisis. Various other part... -
Dawn - 10:11 Oct 04, 2025
Test skipper Shubman Gill has replaced Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI captain, the country’s cricket board said on Saturday, starting with the series in Australia. The 38-year-old batsman Rohit and fellow stalwart Virat Kohli, 36, were both however named in the squad for the three-match series beginning on October 19. Top-order batsman Gill, 26, is now Test and one-day skipper, and vice captain of India’s T20 side. He took over the Test captaincy from Rohit starting with the series in England in the summer, earning praise for both his leadership and batting. He led from the front, scoring 754 runs in five Tests to help India draw the keenly contested series 2-2. Gill also leads Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. Rohit, one of India’s most successful limited-overs captains, led the side to a record third Champions Trophy title in Dubai earlier this year. He and Kohli have both retired from T20Is and Tests. Gill’s vice-captain for the Australia series will be Shreyas Iyer. India currently top both the OD... -
Dawn - 09:35 Oct 04, 2025
Light to moderate rain was likely in parts of Sindh and Balochistan on Saturday as cyclonic storm ‘Shakhti’ over the Arabian Sea had moved westward during the past 12 hours and further intensified into a “severe cyclonic storm”, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said. “It is likely to move west-southwestwards and reach northwest and adjoining central north Arabian Sea by Oct 5, then it will recurve and move east-northeastwards during subsequent 24 hours and weaken gradually,” a notification issued by the PMD said. It said that under the influence of the storm, wind/thunderstorm and light to moderate rain was likely today in Sindh’s Badin, Thatta, Sujawal and Jamshoro districts, and Balochistan’s Hub, Lasbela, Awaran and Kech districts, as well as at isolated places in Karachi Division. The notification stated that sea conditions were likely to remain “rough to very rough” with squally winds gusting 55 kilometres/hour near the Sindh coast. It also advised fishermen not to venture into the deep sea t... -
Dawn - 08:50 Oct 04, 2025
More rain is expected in the coming days across Punjab as surveys to assess the losses and damages from the recent floods are underway, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said on Saturday. Since June, monsoon rains across Pakistan have killed at least 1,037 people, swelling major rivers and devastating rural communities along their banks. In Punjab only, over 4.7 million people have been affected across 4,700 villages, according to the PDMA. Addressing a media briefing in Lahore today, DG Kathia said showers were expected to begin early tomorrow morning across Punjab, and continue till October 7 (Tuesday) in the northern parts. The PDMA chief said the north and northeastern regions from Rawalpindi to Lahore were likely to receive 30 to 35 millimetres of rainfall on average, while the province’s southern parts could see 5 to 10mm. He warned that the intensity of the showers would increase on October 6 and 7, with 50 to 70mm of rain anticipated in northern and nort... -
Dawn - 08:23 Oct 04, 2025
KARACHI: The Sindh government has introduced a new system of traffic penalties, including fines and a demerit points system, by amending the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965, to improve road safety across the province. Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said in a statement on Thursday that violations including overspeeding, driving without a license, signal violations, wrong-way driving, overloading, and reckless behaviour would now carry higher fines and demerit points. Under the revised penalty structure, overspeeding will result in fines of Rs5,000 for motorcycles, Rs15,000 for cars, and Rs20,000 for heavy vehicles, along with eight demerit points. Driving without a license will be penalised with a fine of up to Rs50,000 and six demerit points. Reckless driving will attract a fine of Rs25,000 and eight points. The new system also includes fines for one-wheeling, riding motorcycles without helmets, using tinted windows, driving in the wrong lane, and carrying passengers on vehicle roofs. “These measure... -
Dawn - 05:46 Oct 04, 2025
A coalition of unions, employers and religious groups filed a lawsuit on Friday seeking to block US President Donald Trump’s bid to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly-skilled foreign workers. The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco is the first to challenge a proclamation Trump issued two weeks ago announcing the fee as the Republican president moves to further restrict immigration to the United States. Plaintiffs include the United Auto Workers union, the American Association of University Professors, a nurse recruitment agency and several religious organisations. They argued that Trump’s power to restrict the entry of certain foreign nationals does not allow him to override the law that created the H-1B visa programme. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson in a statement said Trump’s administration engaged in lawful actions “discouraging companies from spamming the system and driving down American wages, while providing certainty to employers who need to bring the best talent f... -
Dawn - 04:16 Oct 04, 2025
KARACHI: The Sindh police have requested Interpol and the British police to share the detailed log of a tracker fitted in a high-end vehicle reported stolen from the United Kingdom and recently spotted in Karachi. The black Range Rover Sport was stolen on Nov 11, 2022 from Harrogate, UK, and in February this year, with the help of its tracker, it was located in Karachi on Korangi Road. Later, Interpol sent a letter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Islamabad, the Karachi police and the Anti-Vehicles Lifting Cell (AVLC), alerting them about the stolen vehicle. Talking to Dawn on Friday, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon said that the Interpol’s letter was received two days ago at the office of AVLC SSP. “We have sent an email to the UK police and asked them to send us a detailed log of the tracker fitted in the vehicle,” he said. Interpol says the SUV was last tracked on Korangi Road in February The IGP said that the police also sought the source of the active location of the vehicle fro... -
Dawn - 03:04 Oct 04, 2025
• Employees to pay 10pc, govt 12pc • Pension liabilities rise to Rs1.055tr in 2024-25, driven by armed forces pensions ISLAMABAD: With some discretionary changes, the government announced on Friday that federal employees will contribute 10 per cent of their pensionable pay to qualify for a 12pc contribution from the public exchequer under the newly formalised contributory pension fund scheme. The total contribution rate will thus be 22pc, replacing the traditional pension system for new entrants. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) published the “Federal Government Defined Contribution (FGDC) Pension Fund Scheme Rules 2024” under the Public Finance Management Act 2019, which regulates the scheme according to the Voluntary Pension System Rules 2005 and Non-Banking Finance Companies and Notified Entities Regulations 2008. These rules supersede an earlier MoF order of August 2024, which had set the government’s contribution at 20pc. On Aug 20, 2024, the MoF initially announced the introduction of the contributory pens... -
Dawn - 02:49 Oct 04, 2025
• Foreign minister distances Islamabad from 20-point plan by White House; insists Pakistan’s policy on Palestine remains ‘unchanged’ • Says several states eyeing Saudi-style defence pacts; claims controversial ‘speechwriter’ was not part of ‘official UN team’ • Return of flotilla activists being negotiated through ‘European country’ in absence of ties with Tel Aviv ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday stressed that the United States was now “the only hope” after the United Nations, European Union and Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) had failed to secure peace in Gaza. Making a policy statement in the National Assembly, Mr Dar again distanced the government from US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza “peace plan”, saying it differed from a draft jointly prepared by eight Muslim countries and shared with Washington. He said the prime minister’s initial statement welcoming the plan was issued while in transit, while he was “unaware of the changes”. “Pakistan’s policy on Palestine is wha... -
Dawn - 02:32 Oct 04, 2025
• Flood challenges, missed revenue targets dominate policy-level talks with IMF • FBR, Punjab and Sindh govts under critical scrutiny for missing target, failing to meet cash surplus commitments • Power sector shows improved recovery, lower circular debt ISLAMABAD: Pakistan appears well-placed to secure over $1 billion as the third tranche of the Enhanced Fund Facility (EFF) despite some slippages, as the authorities enter policy-level talks with a visiting review mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday. Informed sources said technical-level discussions had been concluded, indicating that the two sides would need to agree on a couple of waivers during policy-level engagements before wrapping up the review with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb by the weekend (Oct 9-10). While the power sector has shown unusual performance in terms of improved recovery and a reduction in circular debt — through diversion of fiscal space allocated to subsidies and fresh replacement loans — federal revenues ... -
Dawn - 21:49 Oct 03, 2025
US President Donald Trump said early Saturday Israel must stop bombing Gaza immediately and that he believes Hamas is ready for peace after an earlier statement by the Palestinian resistance group. Hamas said it would agree to some of the terms in Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war, including releasing hostages, but avoided addressing more vexing issues like disarmament and said it would seek further negotiations. Soon after, Trump posted Hamas’ response to his Truth Social account. Trump had earlier not specified whether the terms would be subject to negotiation, as Hamas is seeking. Notably, the resistance group did not say if it would agree to disarm and demilitarise Gaza — something Israel and the US want but Hamas has rejected before. It also did not agree to an Israeli withdrawal in stages, as opposed to the immediate, full withdrawal the group demands. A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that the group would not disarm before Israel’s occupation of the besieged enclave ends, comments that underscored... -
Dawn - 19:21 Oct 03, 2025
Communal tensions continue to simmer in India’s Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Maharashtra states as the ‘I love Muhammad’ row continues, reported Indian media on Friday. In UP’s Bareilly, Indian authorities deployed large contingents of security forces ahead of Friday prayers. Internet services have also been suspended till Saturday, 3 pm. Local administration claimed the move was due to recent communal tensions and in light of Dussehra and Durga Puja festivities over the weekend. Bareilly witnessed violent clashes last week, with over 2,000 protesters clashing with state police outside a mosque after Friday prayers. Local law enforcement arrested at least 81 people after the demonstration. The issue came to the forefront on September 9, when an FIR was filed against 24 individuals for allegedly putting up posters with ‘I love Muhammad’ during the Eid Miladun Nabi procession on September 4. Hindu groups and right-wing organisations in the region objected to the posters and called it a “deliberate provocation”. UP Ch... -
Dawn - 19:07 Oct 03, 2025
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) accepted the voluntary delisting request from tobacco giant Philip Morris from its index, according to a press release issued on Friday. Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, Philip Morris is one of the leading tobacco companies operating in Pakistan, and its product portfolio includes cigarette brands such as Marlboro, Parliament, Morven by Chesterfield, Diplomat, K2 and Red and White. The PSX said that Philip Morris was voluntarily delisted under PSX Regulation 5.14 and Section 19(5) of the Securities Act, 2015. It added that the delisting would go into effect on Monday, October 6. “The shareholders of the company, who may desire to avail the opportunity of buy back of shares by the sponsors, are advised to approach Topline Securities,” the press release read. “The purchase agent and sponsor of the company have already submitted an undertaking to purchase the remaining shares held by the minority shareholders at a price of Rs1,300 per share, which is valid up to September... -
Dawn - 18:30 Oct 03, 2025
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Friday night announced that the final round of negotiations with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had begun and an agreement was slated to be signed soon, in a bid to end ongoing unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Talks between the JAAC, the AJK government and federal ministers over elite privileges and reserved seats for refugees broke down last week. Rival groups have since staged protests, trading blame for violence that marred what began as a largely peaceful movement in AJK. Fierce clashes between protesters and law enforcers have left at least 10 people dead and scores critically injured in the territory. A fresh round of talks between a high-level government delegation and a civil society alliance was held yesterday, followed by another one today. Chaudhry, who is in Muzaffarabad as part of the federal government’s delegation, took to X and stated that matters between the two sides had been settled. “[The] final agreement is expected to... -
Dawn - 16:36 Oct 03, 2025
The depression over northeast Arabian Sea has intensified into a cyclonic storm “Shakhti” and now lay centered at around 360km south of Karachi, according to a notification issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Friday. “It is likely to move west-northwestwards initially and likely to further intensify into severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours. Thereafter it is likely to move west-southwestwards and reach over central north Arabian Sea,” it added. Under its influence, wind-thunderstorm and rain of light to moderate intensity is expected in Tharparker, Umerkot, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Tando Muhammad Khan, Hyderabad, Matiari, and Jamshoro districts, as well as at isolated places in Karachi division, as per PMD’s notification. Hot and dry weather is likely to prevail elsewhere in the province. The notification stated that sea conditions are likely to remain “rough to very rough” with “squally winds of 40 to 50 gusting 55 km/hour near Sindh coast”. It also advised fishermen not to venture... -
Dawn - 16:17 Oct 03, 2025
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Friday suspended the commercial flight operations of carrier Serene Air over failure to maintain a fleet of serviceable aircraft. According to a notification, which is available with Dawn.com, the CAA expressed “grave concern” over the carrier’s inability to comply with regulations mandating the maintenance of a “prescribed minimum fleet size”. “[Serene Air] presently has zero … serviceable aircraft available for operations, thereby rendering it incapable of sustaining the operational capacity required to conduct safe air operations in accordance with the applicable PCAA Rules and Regulations,” the notification read. “Therefore, the air operator certificate …. issued to Serene Air is hereby suspended with immediate effect … accordingly, you are directed to surrender the aforesaid certificates to the undersigned forthwith for the necessary endorsement.” Serene Air could not be reached by Dawn.com for comment. -
Dawn - 16:00 Oct 03, 2025
Supreme Court’s (SC) Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan on Friday issued a detailed dissenting note on the transfer of judges to the Islamabad High Court, stating that the transfer was carried out in “unnecessary haste” and not in the public interest. In June, a five-member SC bench ruled 3-2 in favour of the February transfers and said that there was nothing unconstitutional about them. Justices Afghan and Shakeel Ahmed dissented and issued a short note stating that the transfer violated articles 2A, 4 and 25 of the Constitution and “undermined the independence of judiciary, due process and principle of equality”. In a copy of today’s dissenting note, available with Dawn.com, Justice Afghan observed that the transfer process for Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Justice Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Sindh High Court’s Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro was initiated on January 28 and completed on February 1 — just five days. Moreover, a letter of consent for the transfer of Balochistan High Court Justice Muhammad Asif was written ...
5467 items