Dawn
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Dawn - 18:56 Aug 11, 2026
Investigators probing the murder of young business owner Mir Raza Ali on Tuesday received the chemical examiner’s report and one DNA report, but said the findings were not yet “conclusive” enough to determine the direction of the investigation, Dawn has learnt. Owner of eatery Wafflix, Ali had gone missing on July 28, and his body was found a day later with a gunshot wound in bushes in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar. Investigators are also awaiting the findings of other samples and the police surgeon’s final report in light of the laboratory findings. The DNA report confirmed the identity of the deceased, ruling out theories circulating on social media that someone else might have been killed. Informed sources told Dawn that the chemical analysis of samples taken during the first post-mortem examination had revealed three key findings. First, it confirmed the presence of gunshot residue on the back of the perforation in the deceased’s shirt, indicating an entry wound. Second, traces of acid were found on his shi... -
Dawn - 18:38 Aug 11, 2026
The government on Tuesday reduced the price of petrol by Rs1.70 and increased the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs1.39 per litre. Following the revision, petrol will retail at Rs325.92 per litre while HSD will cost Rs382.25 per litre. The government continues to levy Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on HSD. According to the Petroleum Division’s notification, the new prices will be applicable on August 12. The price of HSD has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on February 28. The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its upward trajectory from Rs266 in the first week of March. Earlier, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be fixed on a daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US. The government had been announcing weekly revisions to fuel... -
Dawn - 18:07 Aug 11, 2026
After more than five months of conflict, oil markets continue to surge and tumble over the latest developments in the US-Iran clash, including United States President Donald Trump’s shifting pronouncements. What is behind the market’s volatility? The ‘shock’ of Hormuz While the potential vulnerability of the Strait of Hormuz has long been viewed as a risk, oil markets have still been caught off guard by Iran’s ability to largely close the crucial waterway. “What really shakes the market are surprises… and the Hormuz closure was a shock,” said Jim Burkhard, head of global energy crude oil research at S&P Global. Brent oil prices surged more than 13 per cent in the immediate aftermath of the US-Israeli siege against Iran on February 28. Since that time, prices have been jolted in both directions as the conflict has dragged on. “Number one, it’s the complete unexpectedness, unfamiliarity with what we are seeing,” Bob McNally, president of the Rapidian Energy Group and a former White House energy advisor to Georg... -
Dawn - 17:11 Aug 11, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Privatisation Commission on Tuesday approved the appointment of a financial adviser for the outsourcing of Lahore and Karachi airports. In a statement, the commission said its board of directors had approved a “consortium led by EY-Parthenon as the top-ranked interested party” for appointment as financial adviser for the outsourcing of Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, and Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. The board also constituted a negotiation committee to finalise the Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) with the successful consortium, the statement added. Meanwhile, the commission appointed the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) last month as financial and transaction adviser for the outsourcing of New Islamabad International Airport. The commission said its board also took up the privatisation of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) and Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) as major transactions, necessitating the appointment of financial advisers in accord... -
Dawn - 16:37 Aug 11, 2026
Indian investigators are examining evidence linked to an Air India flight that plunged sharply mid-air last week, authorities said on Tuesday, as local media reported the pilot had tested positive for marijuana. The Airbus A320 carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members lost about 300 feet (91 metres) of altitude shortly after departing from Thailand’s Phuket for New Delhi on August 4, before landing safely in the Indian capital. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said 24 people were injured in the incident, a higher figure than the 17 previously reported by the airline. The AAIB said it was “presently engaged in the systematic collection, preservation and examination of all relevant technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidences”. The agency was “committed to an independent, transparent and professional investigation”, it said in a statement. Indian media reports, meanwhile, said the chief pilot had failed a second drug screening test. Broadcaster NDTV, citing unnamed sourc... -
Dawn - 15:10 Aug 11, 2026
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Tuesday ordered re-polling at some polling stations in two constituencies in Poonch Division’s Bagh district. Polling in four constituencies of Bagh and Haveli districts was held on Monday as part of the third and final phase of AJK elections. Balloting in the Poonch and Sudhnoti districts had been postponed over law and order concerns in the wake of tensions between protesters and authorities. Re-polling at nine polling stations in LA-15 (Bagh Central) and 14 polling stations in LA-16 (Bagh East) will be held on August 15 (Saturday), AJK Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal told Dawn at his office on Tuesday. Re-polling has been ordered as the electoral process at some stations either could not begin on time or was disrupted and subsequently cancelled. Of the four constituencies that went to the polls on Monday, the PPP and PML-N appear set to win one seat each, while a lesser-known party has won the third seat and the result of the f... -
Dawn - 14:48 Aug 11, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Talks between the federal government and the All Pakistan Goods Transport Itehad on Tuesday ended without a resolution, with the transporters’ demands yet to be settled. The goods transporters had announced a countrywide wheel-jam strike on Saturday over the daily fixing of petrol and diesel prices, among other issues. Held at the Ministry of Communications in Islamabad, the talks covered the transporters’ major demands in detail. Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan assured the transporters of the government’s full cooperation in addressing their concerns and resolving the issues faced by the sector. However, the meeting concluded without any agreement or formal acceptance of the transporters’ demands and they subsequently announced that their nationwide wheel-jam strike would continue until their demands were accepted. Talking to Dawn, Muhammad Owais Chaudhry, spokesman for the transporters’ association, said they would not withdraw their “legitimate and legal” demands. “We are re... -
Dawn - 14:32 Aug 11, 2026
The death toll from a devastating earthquake that flattened dozens of buildings in western Colombia jumped to 224, local authorities said on Tuesday as emergency workers dug through the wreckage for survivors. Rescue efforts carried into a second day as emergency workers dug through collapsed buildings and flattened homes, amid expectations that the death toll from the country’s most powerful earthquake in decades could rise. The 7.4 magnitude earthquake, the most powerful to strike the South American country in decades, tore through Colombia’s coffee-growing heartland early on Monday, reduced multi-story buildings to rubble in cities such as Pereira and Cali, and caused one of the spires of a cathedral in the city of Manizales to collapse. Emergency teams aided by police, soldiers and volunteers worked through the night with excavators and, at times, their bare hands, hunting for survivors beneath debris. Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building following an earthquake, in Cali, Colombia, August 10,... -
Dawn - 14:32 Aug 11, 2026
President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday conferred the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) on General Aamer Raza, commander of the National Strategic Command, during an investiture ceremony held at Aiwan-i-Sadr, Islamabad. On July 31, President Zardari approved the conferment of the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) on Gen Raza. According to state media, the ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the services chiefs, and senior military and government officials. In July, he was promoted to the rank of a four-star general and appointed to the position of Commander of the National Strategic Command (CNSC), according to an announcement by PM Shehbaz. The CNSC post was created under last year’s 27th Constitutional Amendment, which made significant changes to the military’s chain of command, to assume the nuclear manager role previously exercised by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), a post which was abolished. Gen Raz... -
Dawn - 13:51 Aug 11, 2026
LAHORE: As many as 12 people, including six minors, were found dead after a speeding loader rickshaw carrying 24 people fell into the Muzaffargarh Canal on Monday night after attending a marriage ceremony in a nearby village, it emerged on Tuesday. On Monday, three loader rickshaws carrying a wedding procession were travelling to Basti Arain from Lomar Wala in Kot Addu district when one of the rickshaws lost control due to overspeeding and fell into the Muzaffargarh Canal near Sheikho Sugar Mills in Sanawan. A rescue operation was launched after three people climbed out of the canal on their own and alerted Rescue 1122 on Monday. Subsequently, the local community, along with Rescue 1122, pulled out six people alive and recovered three bodies. On Tuesday, as the operation continued, Kot Addu Rescue in-charge Osama Zeeshan told Dawn that nine more bodies had been recovered from the canal, taking the total toll to 12. He added that the operation was still under way to recover the remaining people. He said eight ... -
Dawn - 13:46 Aug 11, 2026
LAHORE: Ten additional judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) took their oath on Tuesday, hours after President Asif Ali Zardari gave his assent to the appointment of the judges, ending a weeks-long deadlock. Chief Justice Aalia Neelum administered the oath to the newly appointed additional judges at a ceremony held at the LHC. The newly sworn judges were Ghulam Sarwar Nihung, Muhammad Ajmal Khan Zahid, Aamir Ajam Malik, Shireen Imran, Asad Ali Bajwa, Muhammad Amjad Pervez, Khalid Ibn-i-Aziz, Munawar Iqbal Duggal, Syed Farhad Ali Shah and Muhammad Usman Ghani Rashid Cheema. In addition, Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa took oath as a permanent judge of the LHC on completion of his probation period. The new appointments were made for one year from the date of their oath. Following the induction of the new judges, 10 vacancies still remain at the LHC against the constitutionally approved strength of 60 judges. The vacant slots will increase to 11 next week with the retirement of Justice Shahid Karim. Earlier in the d... -
Dawn - 13:17 Aug 11, 2026
LAHORE: Amid conflicting reports regarding the outbreak of gastroenteritis in the provincial capital, some hospitals witnessed an extraordinary rush of patients brought in with severe complications of the waterborne disease. The situation was said to be particularly alarming at the province’s largest teaching hospital, Mayo Hospital, where medics said they were receiving patients with complications including kidney failure and stroke. Other government hospitals, including Lahore General Hospital, Jinnah Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, witnessed a spike in the number of patients, while the management of Services Hospital said its patient numbers were routine. “We are receiving a good number of patients with stomach infections, which may be the result of massive rains in the city,” said a spokesperson for Lahore General Hospital. Quoting a senior medical consultant at the hospital, the spokesperson said the majority of hospitalised patients were children. “We are receiving a large number of patients with g... -
Dawn - 13:02 Aug 11, 2026
A man, whom police claimed was affiliated with a “particular political party”, was shot dead by law enforcement officials on Rawalpindi’s Mall Road on Tuesday after he allegedly opened fire on security forces, injuring an official. “The attacker, Muhammad Hussain, was immediately killed in retaliatory fire,” said a statement by Rawalpindi police. The police added that evidence and “links have emerged from his mobile phone and other belongings”, adding that further investigation is ongoing. “Law enforcement agencies remain fully prepared and committed to eliminating all forms of terrorism and incitement to unrest,” police said. PTV News, quoting security sources, said the alleged assailant was a resident of Khyber district and an “active PTI member”. A PTI flag, bullets and weapons were also allegedly recovered from him, the report added. In a statement aired on news channels following the incident, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar slammed PTI’s “politics of violence” after state media reported the inciden... -
Dawn - 11:56 Aug 11, 2026
International standards are often assumed to be a modern invention. They are not. Many predate the United Nations itself; the International Labour Organization (ILO), for instance, was established under the League of Nations and only later folded into the UN system. Countries have long used such standards to strengthen governance, build credibility, and integrate into the global economy. Pakistan has been one of them. Over the decades, it has voluntarily become a party to numerous international treaties and conventions, incorporating many of their provisions into its Constitution, national legislation, and regulatory framework, including constitutional guarantees relating to fundamental rights, labour protections and environmental governance. It is, however, worth remembering that joining an international treaty is a sovereign, voluntary decision. Pakistan took on these obligations because they were seen as consistent with its long-term development goals, not because it was compelled to. Today, the country is... -
Dawn - 11:11 Aug 11, 2026
LAHORE: A sessions court on Tuesday summoned TikToker Rajab Butt and four other suspects to frame charges against them in a case of alleged sexual assault of a social media influencer. Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafaryab heard a private complaint filed by the social media influencer against Butt and four others and directed all five suspects to appear before the court on August 18 for indictment. The social media influencer had filed the private complaint in 2025, alleging that she was subjected to sexual assault and subsequent blackmailing by the suspects. She claimed to have evidence for the allegations, including WhatsApp conversations, a medical report and her statement recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The suspects, who rejected the charges against them, had secured pre-arrest bail from a sessions court. Last month, Nawab Town police registered a case against Butt and his accomplices for allegedly attacking some women and opening fire during an altercation at a caf... -
Dawn - 10:05 Aug 11, 2026
Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has sent a legal notice to former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Shabbar Zaidi and sought Rs1 billion in damages over allegations that the party received money to suppress public protests, according to a statement by the JI. The statement said the legal notice was sent on July 27 through Advocate Tahir Iqbal Malik on the directives of the party’s Karachi General Secretary Taufiquddin Siddiqui. When Dawn contacted Zaidi for his comment on Tuesday, the former FBR chief said he had forwarded the notice to his lawyer for legal advice. The JI’s statement, citing the party’s notice, said Zaidi made serious allegations against the party during a podcast interview and subsequently in statements circulated on YouTube, Facebook, X, TikTok, WhatsApp and other social media platforms. The notice alleged that the former FBR chairman described the party as the “establishment’s firewall” for “diluting” public issues and protests. In the notice, the statement said, JI’s lawyer contended that Zaid... -
Dawn - 09:42 Aug 11, 2026
A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced former ruler Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, after convicting him over charges of “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” during the country’s civil war. The ruling against Assad, who fled with his family to Moscow as rebels closed in on Damascus in December 2024, is the first under the transitional authorities who this year began trying figures from the former government, both in person and in absentia. Assad, who was born in 1965, became president in 2000 after his father Hafez died. Shaped in its early years by the Iraq war and crisis in Lebanon, Assad’s rule was defined by civil war, which spiralled out of the 2011 Arab Spring, when Syrians demanding democracy took to the streets, to be met with deadly force. A Syrian court also sentenced Assad-era official Atif Najib to death for “crimes against humanity” committed when he was head of political security in Daraa province, the cradle of the country’s 2011 uprising. The court convicted Najib, a cousin of Bashar ... -
Dawn - 08:58 Aug 11, 2026
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday gave his assent to the appointment of 19 additional judges for five high courts, along with confirmation of another five as permanent judges, ending a weeks-long deadlock between the Presidency and the government over the judicial appointments. “The president has approved the appointment of additional judges in the Lahore High Court (LHC), Sindh High Court (SHC), Peshawar High Court (PHC), Islamabad High Court (IHC), and Balochistan High Court (BHC),” the Presidency said in a statement. It added that he had also given his assent to the confirmation of certain additional judges of SHC and LHC as permanent judges. The appointments of 19 additional judges and confirmations of five judges were pending since July 20 and July 21, when the JCP — the body responsible for appointing judges to the superior judiciary — recommended them. The president gave his assent to the summary forwarded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which was based on the recommendations of the Ju... -
Dawn - 08:53 Aug 11, 2026
Father after father AFP spoke to in Afghanistan about the education ban that stops their daughters from going beyond primary school choked up in despair. The pain and anguish it is causing behind closed doors is clear from interviews AFP conducted across the country, with even deeply religious fathers questioning the ruling. The Taliban authorities justify the ban — the only one of its kind in the world — on their interpretation of Islamic law. But “you will never find in the Quran that education is only for men”, said one devout father, while another — who praised the Taliban government for restoring security and reducing corruption — said he couldn’t “find any proper justification for this”. All the men — whose identities AFP is protecting — described the emotional turmoil the bar is causing, with fathers losing sleep over what to do to help their bright and frustrated daughters. Nine out of 10 Afghan men questioned in a UN survey last year said it was important for girls to go to secondary school, with nea... -
Dawn - 08:36 Aug 11, 2026
US President Donald Trump said on Monday it would be “a terrible mistake” to replace Gianni Infantino, the embattled FIFA president who tried, and failed, to sell off part of the World Cup to private investors. Infantino came under renewed fire in an open letter signed by three confederations — Europe’s UEFA, North and Central America’s CONCACAF and Asia’s AFC — accusing the world football boss of breaking trust “through deception”. But Trump backed Infantino, who awarded the US president a “FIFA Peace Prize” at the World Cup draw ceremony last year. “FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump posted on Truth Social. Trump called Infantino “fantastic” and said he “presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented”. “If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again!” added Trump, who attended the World Cup final with Infantino last month. — Screengrab via Truth Social. Trump’s backing of...
12682 items