Dawn
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Dawn - 16:17 Jun 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Secretariat has terminated all “Fuel Conservation and Additional Austerity Measures” with immediate effect and will return to a regular five-day work week with full staff strength from June 22 (Monday). The rollback comes following a US-Iran deal and a subsequent reduction in fuel prices. According to a notification issued on Saturday, and signed by Deputy Secretary HRM-I Qasim Omer, the measures introduced since March 12, 2026, have been withdrawn. The notification, issued with the approval of the chairman Senate, says that the secretariat will work Monday to Friday with full staff strength. The office hours will be 9am to 5pm on non-session days and until the conclusion of a session when it is underway. The notification has been marked for “immediate publication in the Gazette of Pakistan (Extraordinary)”. Copies have been sent to all senators, Senate office-bearers, the Cabinet Division, and senior officials. The government imposed fuel conservation and austerity measures in mid-March... -
Dawn - 15:46 Jun 20, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday arrived in Cairo to participate in a meeting bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. The Foreign Office (FO) said he would also hold bilateral meetings with the participating foreign ministers and call on Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on the sidelines of the meeting. In a statement on X, the FO announced Dar’s arrival and that he was received by Nazih El Naggary, Assistant Foreign Minister for Policy Planning, Research, Crisis Management and Assessments, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Egypt, Ambassador Aamir Shouket. In a statement issued on Friday, the FO said the meeting — which is scheduled to be held on June 21 (Sunday) and the fourth of its kind — will bring together the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan to “discuss regional developments and exchange views on issues related to peace, security, and stability”. “Building on the outcomes of previous R-4 meetings... -
Dawn - 15:32 Jun 20, 2026
GILGIT: PPP supporters blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Diamer in protest after the Election Commission notified independent candidate Imam Malik on Friday night, allegedly without preparing Form 49 or counting postal votes in the constituency. Supporters of PPP candidate Attaullah Khan, who contested the GBA-16 Diamer-II election, blocked the KKH at multiple locations in Chilas. The blockade began around 10am on Saturday and remained ongoing as of Saturday evening. PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari claimed that the party had a clear majority of 17–19 seats, including reserved and technocratic seats. “An attempt is being made to block the path of the PPP,” Bukhari alleged, adding that the GB electoral process is not being carried out in accordance with the Constitution and law. Due to the road blockade, traffic between Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and other parts of Pakistan was disrupted, stranding thousands of passengers. Long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the highway. The protesters alleg... -
Dawn - 14:37 Jun 20, 2026
At least 30 people have died since the start of May in one camp for displaced civilians in northeastern Congo, a death rate that camp officials said was unprecedented, with some confirmed to have died from Ebola in a sign the disease could be spreading fast there. It was not possible to confirm the causes of all the deaths because patients or their relatives in Kigonze camp in Bunia — the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) — had until Thursday refused testing, a camp spokesperson and aid organisation Caritas said. However, all had symptoms including headaches, fever and vomiting, which are associated with Ebola, a camp spokesperson, a bereaved father, three aid sources and a civil society leader told Reuters. People didn’t just die like this before, camp spokesperson Desire Grodya Bapi told Reuters. The deaths in Kigonze, which has more than 15,000 residents, raise fears that Ebola may be circulating undetected among eastern Congo’s over five million displaced people, with r... -
Dawn - 13:21 Jun 20, 2026
A strike by public transport operators in Karachi will continue after talks with police broke down, the head of a transporters’ union said on Saturday. The wheel-jam strike has been observed in the metropolis since Thursday against electronic traffic challans, “heavy fines and other regulatory measures”. Haji Tawab Khan, president of the Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI), told Dawn on Saturday that the strike would continue. “We held a meeting with the DIG Traffic, who said reversing the e-challans was not under his authority,” he said. “He, however, assured us that he would review the challans which transporters said were unjustified.” Tawab added that none of the transporters’ demands had been met and that, despite repeated requests to government officials, no meeting had been called. Earlier, Muhammad Ilyas, vice president of KTI, said that no breakthrough had been achieved on the transporters’ four key demands. “We have objected to heavy fines imposed under the e-challan system,” said Ilyas. “We believe tha... -
Dawn - 12:51 Jun 20, 2026
Nine people remain in a critical condition following a train crash on Friday near Bedford, about 100 kilometres north of London, in which the driver of one of the services was killed. Two passenger trains bound for London collided at around 5:15pm local time (9:15pm PKT) on Friday. The driver of one of the trains died at the scene. Peter Knapp, a doctor who said on a social media site he was on board one of the trains, described a “sudden crash” with one carriage off the rails and said he had sustained minor injuries. Sky News cited him as telling the Press Association that some passengers were unable to speak and had injuries, including broken legs. Providing an update on those injured in the crash on Saturday, British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi said more than 80 people had received hospital treatment on Friday night. A crime scene manager from the British Transport Police photographs the inside of an electrical box at the side of a train track near to where two East Midlands Railway (EMR) ... -
Dawn - 11:57 Jun 20, 2026
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Saturday asserted that the proposed budget for the next fiscal year (FY27) would set the foundation for “accelerating the sustainable growth” recorded in the past two years. He made the remarks on the floor of the National Assembly as he wound up the debate on the budget FY27, which was presented on June 12. The finance czar recalled that MNAs presented their opinions on the proposed budget during the debate, adding that reservations were also voiced in some proposals. “But, we have gotten very clear feedback from within and outside the House that this is overall a positive and pro-growth budget, which sets the foundation to accelerate the sustainable growth witnessed over the last two years,” he declared. Speaking on the budget proposals, Aurangzeb stated that a “sustainable and inclusive export-led growth that increases productivity” was the fundamental objective of the government and the budget. “We often hear and see that the documented corporate sector and salaried ... -
Dawn - 11:13 Jun 20, 2026
LAHORE: In another case of May 9 riots, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while sentencing senior PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and former senator Ejaz Chaudhry to 10-year imprisonment each. ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill announced the verdict, which was reserved on Thursday. In the case registered at Mughalpura Police Station, the leaders were accused of attacking and burning police vehicles in the Mughalpura area during the 2023 riots. The suspects were presented in the makeshift court established inside Kot Lakhpat Jail. Besides Qureshi, the court also acquitted 11 party workers. A total of 22 PTI leaders and workers were nominated in the case, while two accused had been declared proclaimed offenders after allegedly evading arrest. However, a few other workers were sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment each. The prosecution alleged that the PTI leaders and other accused persons had planned the May 9 incide... -
Dawn - 10:05 Jun 20, 2026
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency across the Latin American country on Saturday after more than six weeks of road blockades and protests demanding his resignation, saying he had exhausted “all avenues of dialogue.” The decision came hours after Paz signed an agreement with the country’s main trade union federation, Bolivian Workers’ Central (COB), ending the protests sparked by Paz’s plans for the economy. But not all sectors were covered by the agreement, and some unions continued protesting. “After exhausting all avenues of dialogue, reaching agreements with those whose demands were legitimate, and identifying those who used violence in an attempt to destabilise Bolivia, we made the decision to declare a state of emergency across the entire national territory,” Paz said in a televised speech. COB launched the protest movement in early May to reject US-backed Paz’s ideas for ending the country’s worst economic crisis in 40 years. Demonstrators — mainly blue-collar workers, farmers,... -
Dawn - 09:32 Jun 20, 2026
Earlier this week, the US and Iran finally reached an agreement to stop the war. Pakistan, which played a central role in said agreement has been acknowledged and praised by the international community. But is this where it ends for the country? Or can the Shehbaz-led government convert the diplomatic visibility and influence into that rare opening that actually guarantees dividends? Before we answer that question, however, it is important to acknowledge that the agreement, brokered after weeks of intense diplomacy between the United States and Iran, is not a peace treaty. It is an interim framework that has merely paused a dangerous confrontation and created a 60-day negotiating window during which the most difficult questions, including sanctions relief, nuclear restrictions, and regional security arrangements, will have to be addressed. The fragility of the arrangement was evident even before its conclusion, with disagreements linked to Lebanon threatening to derail the process at a late stage, and Qatar e... -
Dawn - 09:20 Jun 20, 2026
Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to visit Malaysia and China on his first trip abroad since assuming office, the foreign ministry said on Saturday, bypassing neighbouring India as his inaugural destination. Rahman will visit Malaysia on Sunday before travelling to China the following day, Dhaka’s state-run BSS news agency reported, citing foreign ministry officials. In Beijing, trade and infrastructure projects will be on the agenda, according to the officials. Those could include Chinese support for the long-delayed Teesta project, a plan to restore and manage a key Bangladesh river through dredging, embankment construction and irrigation. “The visits are being viewed as a major diplomatic initiative aimed at strengthening Bangladesh’s economic partnerships,” BSS reported, citing the foreign ministry. Malaysia has an estimated 800,000 Bangladeshi workers, more than a third of its foreign workforce. Bangladeshi land is largely encircled by India, but relations have been strained since a 2024 ... -
Dawn - 08:19 Jun 20, 2026
United States President Donald Trump has said that Pakistan “really helped” Washington with the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran. He made the remarks during an interview with American news outlet Axios. During the interview, the US president was asked about which global leaders he “liked”. In addition to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump talked about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before mentioning Pakistan’s leadership. “In Pakistan, you have the field marshal, who is great. Munir, he’s great. And you have the prime minister, and they just get along great … He totally respects the prime minister. It’s a beautiful thing to see,” he said, talking about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. “But they really helped us with this deal. They knew the Iranians, they knew the people and they were good,” he said. During the interview, Trump was also asked about the lessons he had learned about the “li... -
Dawn - 07:21 Jun 20, 2026
BANNU: Seven people were killed and three others injured in two explosions in Marka Bera, a semi-tribal mountainous area of Bannu’s Wazir sub-division. Bannu District Police Officer (DPO) Yasir Afridi confirmed that a total of seven people were martyred and three others were injured in the two blasts. He said security forces and law enforcement agencies immediately reached the area, collected evidence, and launched an investigation into the incidents. In a statement, the police said the two vehicles were targeted in “remote-controlled blasts” in the Phang Musa Khel area, terming the incidents a “cowardly act of terrorism”. According to the statement, a private Datsun vehicle carrying passengers was targeted first. The wounded from that blast were being taken to a hospital for treatment when the second blast occurred. According to police and local sources, the Datsun vehicle was travelling towards Domel when it was hit. Five people were killed in the blast, while the vehicle was completely destroyed. Eyewitnes... -
Dawn - 06:40 Jun 20, 2026
Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron claimed an unwanted piece of football history on Friday after becoming the first player to be sent off for covering his mouth during an on-field confrontation under new FIFA rules. Former Newcastle player Almiron was given his marching orders in first half stoppage time after covering his mouth while he appeared to direct a comment at Turkiye’s Mert Muldur during the two teams’ World Cup Group D game in Santa Clara, California. Paraguay were leading 1-0 when Almiron was dismissed following a VAR review. FIFA announced in April that players who cover their mouths in confrontations with opponents will be given a red card. The initiative being rolled out at the World Cup is part of a broader effort to combat racism, FIFA has said. The new rule follows controversy earlier this year when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior during a Champions League game in February. Prestianni denied racially abusing Vinicius but was later ba... -
Dawn - 05:26 Jun 20, 2026
US President Donald Trump unveiled on Friday a replacement Air Force One aircraft gifted by Qatar, which he dubbed a “flying White House”. “This is considered the world’s most luxurious plane,” Trump said at a speech inside the plane’s hangar, praising the gulf emirate for being “so nice and providing” it. Qatar’s gift of the aircraft — valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars — has raised ethical, constitutional and security concerns. Trump has previously said it would be “stupid” to reject the gift, while also stoking further concern by saying the plane would eventually be donated to his presidential library. At the unveiling on Friday at Joint Base Andrews, just outside Washington, Trump praised the workmanship that went into modifying the jet, saying “with the extraordinary devotion of many of you here today, this plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody’s ever seen before”. “When you see it, you won’t believe it, actually, the quality of woods, the quality of ... -
Dawn - 04:15 Jun 20, 2026
LAHORE: Eighteen Pakistani universities have secured places in the QS World University Rankings 2027, with Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) retaining its status as the country’s highest-ranked institution despite slipping in the global standings but no university managed to break into the world’s top 350. The latest rankings, released by UK-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), showed mixed performance of the Pakistani institutions with QAU as well as the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) registering slight declines while the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) posted improvement to emerge as the country’s third-highest ranked university. According to the rankings, QAU fell to joint 381 place from 354 last year while NUST slipped to 384 position from 371. However, the PIEAS staged a remarkable recovery, climbing from the 721-730 band in the previous edition to joint 560 place globally. The University of the Punjab was ranked 588, followed by Lahore University of Manageme... -
Dawn - 03:06 Jun 20, 2026
MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has placed 147 activists and supporters of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, even as a standoff between the group’s protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot continued on Friday and a region-wide strike entered its 11th day. According to official notifications issued by the AJK Home Department, those placed on the Fourth Schedule included 33 activists from Poonch, 31 from Sudhnoti, 15 each from Kotli and Bagh, 14 from Mirpur, 10 from Bhimber, eight each from Neelum and Haveli, and four from Muzaffarabad. The notifications said the decision had been taken at the 41st meeting of the AJK cabinet on June 5. Strike enters its 11th day; life remains disrupted across much of Poonch, Muzaffarabad divisions Official sources said more names could be added to the Fourth Schedule on the basis of intelligence reports and ongoing investigations. One official claimed that the properties of those placed o... -
Dawn - 02:48 Jun 20, 2026
• Rules judicial integrity cannot be compromised • Restores removal penalty for judicial officer, overturning tribunal’s decision to grant compulsory retirement ISLAMABAD: Establishing ethical standards for members of the judiciary, the Supreme Court on Friday ruled that removal from service became justified when a judge’s conduct compromised his or her integrity, undermined the moral authority of the institution and eroded public confidence in the judiciary. “The moment public confidence in the integrity of a judicial officer is fractured, the fracture runs through the entire structure of the rule of law, undermining the integrity of the judicial institution itself,” emphasised Justice Shahid Waheed, who headed a three-judge bench also comprising Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui. The bench, which had taken up a set of appeals revolving around the question of preserving the integrity of the judicial institution, observed that the robe of a judge was not stained only by proven corrupt... -
Dawn - 02:34 Jun 20, 2026
NEW DELHI: Indian police are investigating allegations of embezzlement at a temple in the country’s north that has been a focal point of Prime Minster Narendra Modi’s Hindu-first politics, a top state official said on Friday. The Ram Mandir temple in Uttar Pradesh state, built on grounds where a mosque stood for centuries before being torn down by Hindu zealots, was inaugurated in 2024 with great fanfare by Modi himself. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that a Special Investigations Team (SIT) had been set up to look into alleged syphoning of cash offerings made by devotees. “We have set up an SIT inquiry on the recommendation of the trust that administers the temple,” said Adityanath, a firebrand Hindu monk, at a public function. “If anyone has any documentary proof, please provide it to the SIT,” he added. The scale of the alleged embezzlement is unclear but opposition parties and local media reports say it could amount to more than $20 million. The construction of the temple cost an estima... -
Dawn - 02:16 Jun 20, 2026
• Lawmakers fear access to such data could be misused • Body okays proposed tax rates for salaried class, calls for more relief • Finance minister says no room for more concessions this year • Panel rejects stricter penalties for filers, non-filers in certain cases • Luxury vehicles above 3,000cc to face 41pc levy • IT, related services to remain taxed at 4pc; professionals, independent software developers to face 15pc rate ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Friday questioned the government’s claim of providing relief to the middle-income salaried class, while rejecting a proposal to grant tax authorities access to taxpayers’ bank account data and opposing stricter penalties for taxpayers in certain cases. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, chaired by MNA Naveed Qamar, approved higher surcharges for late filing of tax returns as well as the imposition of a special excise duty on imported luxury vehicles. Following extensive deliberations, the committee finalised its recomm...
12400 items