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Dawn - 08:35 Oct 02, 2025
A Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official has stated that there is “no assurance” that India and Pakistan players will shake hands when the two sides meet during the Women’s World Cup on Sunday, according to the BBC. The development comes days after tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad spilled over onto the cricketing field during the Sept 9-28 Men’s Asia Cup staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), when Indian cricketers refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts during all three clashes in the tournament. The tensions had culminated in India not accepting the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief. The tournament had seen the first cricket matches between the two sides since the military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May after India had launched air strikes in Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir. Pakistan had denied involvement, and the crisis eased following US in... -
Dawn - 05:24 Oct 02, 2025
LONDON: Scientist and global activist Jane Goodall, who turned her childhood love of primates into a lifelong quest for protecting the environment, died on Wednesday at the age of 91, the institute she founded said. Goodall died of natural causes, the Jane Goodall Institute said in a social media post. “Dr Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionised science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world,” it said. View this post on Instagram The primatologist-turned-conservationist spun her love of wildlife into a life-long campaign that took her from a seaside English village to Africa and then across the globe in a quest to better understand chimpanzees, as well as the role that humans play in safeguarding their habitat and the planet’s health overall. Goodall was a pioneer in her field, both as a female scientist in the 1960s and for her work studying the behavior of primates. She created a path for a string of other women to follow suit, including the... -
Dawn - 04:24 Oct 02, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s total public debt rose by 13 per cent to Rs80.6 trillion by the end of FY25, driven mainly by a fiscal deficit of Rs7.1tr and slower-than-expected GDP growth, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF). In its Annual Debt Review 2025, the MoF said the debt-to-GDP ratio increased to 70pc, up from 68pc a year earlier. This was attributed to a lower nominal GDP growth rate, resulting from reduced inflation, which limited economic expansion and pushed the ratio higher despite efforts at fiscal consolidation. The MoF noted that while interest expenses rose by 9pc year-on-year, this increase was significantly lower than the 43pc recorded in the previous fiscal year. Total domestic debt stood at Rs54.5tr, and external debt at Rs26tr — both reflecting a 13pc annual increase. The average time to maturity (ATM) for domestic debt improved from 2.8 years in FY24 to 3.8 years in FY25. External debt ATM remained above six years, consistent with the government’s Medium-Term Debt Strategy 2026–28. The e... -
Dawn - 03:58 Oct 02, 2025
ISLAMABAD: While security forces put militants on the back foot in September, the first three quarters of 2025 saw nearly as much violence as witnessed in all of 2024. If this trend continues, the current year may turn out to be one of the deadliest in decades. This is the crux of two reports, issued by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) and the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), about militant violence in the country over the past month. According to PICSS, militant violence dropped significantly in Sept 2025, with both the number of attacks and militant capacity showing sharp declines compared to the record levels seen in Aug. The PICSS Militancy Database recorded 69 militant attacks in Sept — a 52 per cent reduction from August’s 143. These attacks resulted in 135 deaths and 173 injuries, whilst militants abducted at least 27 people. The fatalities included 61 security personnel, 20 militants, and 54 civilians. Amongst the injured were 74 security personnel and 99 ci... -
Dawn - 02:48 Oct 02, 2025
• Plan announced by White House differs from terms agreed between Trump and heads of Muslim countries • Distrust remains over proposed International Stabilisation Force • Hamas seeks changes to ‘disarmament’ clause DESPITE their misgivings with the ‘pro-Israel’ draft of US President Donald Trump’s plan to bring peace to war-ravaged Gaza, countries from the eight-member Muslim bloc may yet push for it to be accepted. Officials from Qatar and Pakistan have already implied — albeit diplomatically — that the plan announced by the White House was quite different from the one they signed up to in New York. But some countries — especially those in Gaza’s immediate neighbourhood — also believe they have secured key concessions, such as Trump’s refusal to recognise Israeli annexation of the West Bank and a US commitment that Palestinians will be allowed to remain in Gaza. Israel has also agreed, under the plan, not to permanently occupy the Gaza Strip. “Gaza’s reconstruction represents a major economic opportunity fo... -
Dawn - 02:33 Oct 02, 2025
• Meeting to end acrimony decides to take up the matter with Punjab CM, her father Nawaz • Kaira calls BISP ‘transparent aid method’, asks CM not to peddle ‘narrow nationalism’ • Azma hits back, says PPP cannot ‘steady itself’ by targeting PML-N LAHORE: As PPP and PML-N bigwigs met in Islamabad to find a way out of the row sparked by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s recent outburst against the coalition partner, the former has asked the Punjab CM to “rethink her tone” while speaking about water rights and Sindh’s ruling party. During the meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazir, Senator Rana Sanaullah and PPP’s Navid Qamar and Ijaz Jakhrani at the NA speaker’s office, it was agreed that the matter would be taken up with PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and CM Maryam Nawaz. The war of words, which began over flood compensation, expanded to water rights on the Indus River, as the Punjab’s chief minister told the PPP leadership to keep its advice to itself. In response, the PPP la... -
Dawn - 18:00 Oct 01, 2025
PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira on Wednesday defended the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) as a “tried and tested” method for providing flood relief, while criticising what he called the “harsh tone” adopted in recent exchanges between his party and its coalition partner, the PML-N. “In the past few days, such questions have been raised that now a dialogue has begun, which, in our understanding, is not appropriate. It is neither beneficial for politics, nor for democracy,” he said at a press conference in Lahore. “And this is our [PPP’s] view, not a suggestion to anyone,” he added. The PPP and PML-N continued to engage in a war of words over flood relief, as PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari asserted that the BISP was the “sole method” of providing relief to those affected by the recent floods in the country, while PML-N’s Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz accused his party of “politicising” the issue. Furthermore, the tensions between the ruling coalition partners on Tuesday flared in parliament as th... -
Dawn - 17:54 Oct 01, 2025
United States President Donald Trump has appointed himself troller-in-chief during a US government shutdown, mocking rival Democrats with sometimes racially tinged memes and hoping they take the blame. From ambushing top Democrats with “Trump 2028” hats in the Oval Office to an AI-generated video of US House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero, the social media onslaught has been extreme even by the Republican’s standards. But there is a serious strategy behind the socials — don’t negotiate, threaten mass layoffs and hope the Democrats cave in. As the clock ticked down to the deadline for a first shutdown in nearly seven years, Trump seemed more interested in trolling than dealmaking. Hours before the deadline on Tuesday, Trump posted three pictures on his Truth Social network of his meeting a day earlier with Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Jeffries. In the foreground? Red “Trump 2028” hats placed on the iconic Resolute Desk, referring to a constitutionally banned third Trump pr... -
Dawn - 17:42 Oct 01, 2025
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq and Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Wednesday invited the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to dialogue in a bid to ease the unrest triggered by protests in the region, which left three policemen dead. A three-day shutter-down strike has paralysed AJK under a communications blackout, as JAAC presses its demands after talks with the AJK government and federal ministers broke down last week over elite privileges and reserved seats for refugees. Rival groups have since staged protests, trading blame for violence that marred what began as a largely peaceful movement. Addressing a joint press conference in Islamabad today, the AJK PM said that negotiations were a “civilised” way to achieve rights and that the government had invited the JAAC back to the table. “This is a request to start from where the talks broke down,” Haq said. “Whenever it suits you, wherever the JAAC wants to talk, the state government is read... -
Dawn - 16:51 Oct 01, 2025
Efforts to bring a quick end to the US government shutdown floundered Wednesday when senators rejected a plan to resolve an acrimonious funding stand-off between President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress. With the government out of money after Trump and lawmakers failed to agree on a deal to keep the lights on, many federal departments and agencies have been closed since midnight. Senate Democrats — who are demanding extended health care subsidies for low income families — refused to help the majority Republicans approve a House-passed bill that would have reopened the government for several weeks while negotiations continue. Around 750,000 public sector workers are expected to be placed on furlough — a kind of enforced leave, with pay withheld until they return to work. Essential workers such as the military and border agents may be forced to work without pay and some will likely miss pay checks next week. Shutdowns are a periodic feature of gridlocked Washington, although this is the first since a re... -
Dawn - 16:21 Oct 01, 2025
Mobile networks and the internet were restored across Afghanistan on Wednesday, 48 hours after the Taliban authorities shut down telecommunications. Confusion gripped the South Asian country on Monday night when mobile phone service and the internet went down without warning, freezing businesses and cutting Afghans off from the rest of the world. The massive blackout came weeks after the government began cutting high-speed internet connections to some provinces to prevent “immorality”, on the orders of shadowy supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. AFP journalists reported on Wednesday that mobile phone signals and wifi had returned to provinces across the country, including Kandahar in the south, Khost in the east, central Ghazni, and Herat in the west. The Taliban government has yet to comment on the telecommunications shutdown. On Wednesday night, hundreds of Afghans poured onto the streets in the capital Kabul, spreading the word that the internet was back. “It’s like Eidul Azha; it’s like preparing to go ... -
Dawn - 15:33 Oct 01, 2025
At least ten terrorists were killed in Quetta’s Aghbarg area during an exchange of fire with security personnel from the Counter-terrorism Department (CTD), a spokesperson said on Wednesday. “Ten terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire between them and the CTD team in the Aghbarg neighbourhood of Quetta,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “CTD carried out the operation after receiving a tip-off from intelligence agencies,” he said, adding that “upon reaching the area, they were attacked by the terrorists but promptly retaliated.” “Heavy ammunition and weapons were recovered from the slain terrorists,” as per the statement. The spokesperson said that the “terrorists had previously been involved in attacking security forces and belonged to a banned terrorist outfit.” “The slain terrorists have not yet been identified,” the spokesperson said, adding that their “bodies have been transferred to a hospital for identification purposes.” “Further investigation into the matter is underway,” the statement... -
Dawn - 15:32 Oct 01, 2025
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday said that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were headed in the “right direction”. An IMF mission led by Iva Petrova held a formal kick-off meeting with Pakistan’s economic team to review the implementation of the EFF and RSF. The programme’s performance as of the end of June this year — the period under review — has been mixed. The start of the next review period, ending December this year, has also been off the mark, particularly in revenue collection. The two sides now have to agree on corrective measures during their dialogue to meet the next biannual targets. Today, Aurangzeb spoke to reporters as he left a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue in Islamabad. The minister told reporters that the $7.1 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the $1.1bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) were being reviewed. “So far, so good,” he said. The EFF is undergoing its second review, while the RSF is being reviewed fo... -
Dawn - 15:24 Oct 01, 2025
Four terrorists were apprehended during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district on Wednesday, a statement released by the military’s media affairs wing said. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces conducted an IBO on the reported presence of “terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan”. The state has designated Balochistan-based groups such as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. “During the conduct of [the] operation, own forces apprehended four [terrorists] trying to flee cowardly by disguising in women’s attire,” the ISPR said. “Weapons and ammunition was also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area,” it added. The ISPR further said that a sanitisation operation was being conducted to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area, adding that security forces were determined to wipeout the “menace... -
Dawn - 14:32 Oct 01, 2025
The United States will regard “any armed attack” on Qatari territory as a threat to Washington and will provide the Gulf Arab state with security guarantees, the White House said, after an Israeli strike on the country last month. “In light of the continuing threats to the State of Qatar posed by foreign aggression, it is the policy of the United States to guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the State of Qatar against external attack,” said an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump on Monday. In the event of an attack on Qatar, the United States will “take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability,” the order said. The agreement comes after an Israeli strike on the key US regional ally on September 9, targeting officials from Hamas who were discussing a US peace proposal to end the conflict in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minist... -
Dawn - 13:06 Oct 01, 2025
An Islamabad District and Sessions Court on Wednesday recalled the non-bailable arrest warrants issued against human rights defenders and lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha after the two appeared in court. Arrest warrants had been issued for the two lawyers yesterday for failing to appear before the court in a case related to controversial tweets. A junior lawyer informed the court that Mazari and Chattha had left for another appearance in Rawalpindi after marking their attendance earlier in the day. The case was heard by Judge Mohammad Afzal Majoka, with police deployed outside the courtroom for tight security. While the couple appeared in court today, they did not respond with a confirmation or denial when the charge sheet against them was read out. “We will hire lawyers and can respond to the court regarding this after that,” Chattha said. “We have filed a new application regarding our documents … No indictment can be made until this application is decided.” The accused had ... -
Dawn - 12:39 Oct 01, 2025
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has approved Pakistan Telecommunications Limited’s (PTCL) acquisition of mobile carrier Telenor Pakistan and Orion Towers shareholdings, according to a press release issued on Wednesday. According to the telecommunication company’s website, one of its subsidiaries is mobile carrier Ufone. As part of the deal, Telenor and Ufone will merge. According to the press release, the merger was announced today at a press conference at the CCP’s head office. CCP Chairman Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, CCP Registrar and Head of Legal Ambreen Abbasi and members Salman Amin and Shahzad Hussain shared the key highlights of the agreement. “They explained that [the] CCP conducted a comprehensive review of the merger transaction,” the press release read. “The review examined market structure, concentration levels, efficiencies, and potential competition risks.” Dr Sidhu emphasised that the commission’s decision “ensures a level playing field for all telecom operators and safeguards consumer ... -
Dawn - 12:02 Oct 01, 2025
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Asia Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday refuted claims by Indian media that he had apologised to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the trophy handover issue at Sunday’s Asia Cup final. The closing ceremony of the men’s Asia Cup descended into farce on Sunday as the Indian cricket team refused to collect the winners’ trophy from the ACC chief, marking a historic low in cricketing relations between the two countries. Subsequently, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav complained his side were denied the trophy after winning the Asia Cup. Later, Indian media alleged that Naqvi had himself refused to hand the trophy over to the Indian team. Today, several Indian outlets, including IndiaToday, Financial Express and Hindustan Times, reported that Naqvi had now apologised to the BCCI, but that he still refused to hand them the trophy. Responding to an India Today post about their report on social media platform X, Naqvi stated, “Indian media thri... -
Dawn - 11:37 Oct 01, 2025
IHC allows underage girl to live with husband but recommends steps to strengthen child marriage laws
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has allowed an underage girl to live with her husband but recommended steps to strengthen the legal framework around child marriages to protect minors, it emerged on Wednesday. According to the United Nations’ International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef), Pakistan is home to over 19 million child brides, with nearly 1 in 6 young women married before the age of 18 and as many as 4.8m girls married before the age of 15. “In view of the fact that the alleged detenue has attained puberty and appears to have given free and voluntary consent, she shall be at liberty to reside with the petitioner,” read a verdict issued by Justice Muhammad Azam Khan for a hearing held on July 11. The verdict was issued on a plea filed by Muhammad Riaz, challenging a June 23 order by an Islamabad-East district judge that denied the recovery of the girl after her family members allegedly “forcibly” took her away from the man’s house on June 21. According to the order, the birth certificate, which was... -
Dawn - 11:27 Oct 01, 2025
The ocean hidden under the icy shell of Saturn’s moon Enceladus harbours complex organic molecules, a study said on Wednesday, offering further evidence that the small world could have all the right ingredients to host extraterrestrial life. Just 500 kilometres (310 miles) wide and invisible to the naked eye, the white, scar-covered Enceladus is one of hundreds of moons orbiting the sixth planet from the Sun. For a long time, scientists believed Enceladus was too far away from the Sun — and therefore too cold — to be habitable. Then the Cassini space probe flew past the moon several times during a 2004-2017 trip to Saturn and its rings, discovering evidence that a vast saltwater ocean is concealed under the moon’s kilometres-thick layer of ice. Since then, scientists have been sifting through the data collected by Cassini, revealing that the ocean has many of the elements thought to be needed to host life, including salt, methane, carbon dioxide, and phosphorus. When the spacecraft passed over the moon’s sout...
5467 items