Dawn
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Dawn - 18:56 Dec 07, 2025
Karachi police arrested 45 people participating in the Sindh Culture Day rally on Sunday, after people allegedly pelted police personnel with stones. South Deputy Inspector General of Police Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that upon being attacked by participants, police responded with a baton charge and tear gas shelling. “We detained 45 people on Sharea Faisal,” DIG Raza said. “The South SSP (Senior Superintendent of Police) is at the scene, and the situation is under control.” The DIG said that since the Red Zone has been closed, alternative traffic routes are being provided for citizens and commuters. He added that the law enforcers asked the rally participants to use the Lines Area route towards Saddar and subsequently the venue of the rally at Karachi Press Club (KPC), but “they were bent upon using the main Sharea Faisal from Jinnah Bridge”. “They allegedly pelted stones on the police when they were stopped, resulting in injuries to five policemen,” he said, adding that it prompted the police to resort to tea... -
Dawn - 18:49 Dec 07, 2025
Pakistan Army served a powerful reminder of their sporting prowess, seizing 12 gold medals across multiple disciplines as the National Games charged through a pulsating day of action. Their goldrush on Sunday was spearheaded by utter dominance in taekwondo and sharp shooting on the ranges. The clearest demonstration of authority came in the taekwondo Poomsae events, where Army fighters ruled the roost, clinching eight gold medals across age categories. Their women set the tone: Sana Sabir (Under-50), Naila (U-30), Mehar-Un-Nisa (U-40) and Zeena Sheraz (Under-20) all stood atop the podium. The men followed suit with Adil Hussain (U-30), Mohammad Mumtaz (U-40), Irshad Ali (U-50) and Syed Zohaib (U-20) securing their own golds. On the shooting ranges, Army and Navy engaged in a high-class duel, sharing three gold medals apiece. Navy swept the 10m air pistol events, with Rabia Kabir (232.2) edging Army’s Rimsha Nadeem (231.6) for individual glory before teaming with Rasam Gul and Hadia Liaquat for team gold. Arm... -
Dawn - 17:59 Dec 07, 2025
Local public transporters on Sunday announced a wheel-jam strike for tomorrow (December 8) in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, rejecting the local administration’s request to delay the protest against the new traffic ordinance, which has raised fines for heavy vehicles. The strike was announced on the call of the Punjab Public Transport Association. Before the announcement, representatives of the association, along with the Goods Transporters Association, met City Traffic Police officer Farhan Aslam and Regional Transport Authority Secretary Asad Shirazi. The administration urged transporters not to observe a wheel-jam strike in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. However, local transporters refused to withdraw their decision, insisting they would go ahead with the strike to pressure the provincial government into repealing the ordinance. “We tried to convince the transporters not to go for a wheel-jam strike, but they demanded to abolish the new amendments, and it was beyond our authority to do anything ab... -
Dawn - 17:26 Dec 07, 2025
The United Nations called on the Taliban authorities on Sunday to lift its ban on Afghan women working in its offices, saying the restriction puts “life-saving services” at risk. Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, Afghan women have been barred from doing most jobs, visiting parks and beauty salons, and attending school beyond the age of 12. In September, the Taliban authorities began prohibiting women staff members from entering UN offices. “We call for the ban on Afghan women staff and contractors from entering United Nations premises to be reversed, and for their safe access to offices and the field,” Susan Ferguson, the special representative of the UN’s women’s agency in Afghanistan, said in a statement. “The longer these restrictions remain in place, the greater the risk to these life-saving services,” Ferguson said, adding that they violated the UN’s principles of human rights and equality. The statement did not say how many staff were affected, but UN sources indicated that several hundred women... -
Dawn - 17:00 Dec 07, 2025
The PTI on Sunday stated that “further attempts to malign” party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan in a bid to diminish his popularity would only cause his popularity to rise with each narrative orchestrated against him. The party presented its stance during a rally held at Peshawar’s Sports Complex, where its leadership was joined by its political ally, the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP). Both parties expressed their solidarity with Imran as they took exception to the recent remarks made against him, urging that “those responsible be held to account” to prevent similar remarks in future. Speaking to the participants of the rally, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and TTAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai said that undemocratic elements were apprehensive of the struggle of genuine political movements like the TTAP and PTI, prompting them to resort to using “improper language”. “Pakistan is our country, and we will make all efforts to save it from disintegration,” Achakzai said, adding his party... -
Dawn - 15:28 Dec 07, 2025
McLaren’s Lando Norris sobbed tears of joy and relief as he won the Formula One championship for the first time and ended Max Verstappen’s four-year reign with a nervy third place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. Red Bull’s Verstappen, who ended the campaign with more wins (eight) than any driver, triumphed in the season-ender with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri second and 12.5 seconds behind at the chequered flag. Norris, Britain’s 11th Formula One world champion, took his points tally to 423 with Verstappen on 421 and Piastri third with 410. View this post on Instagram McLaren, who secured the constructors’ championship in October for the second year in a row, won both titles in the same season for the first time since 1998. “I’ve not cried in a while. I didn’t think I would cry but I did,” said an emotional Norris in a post-race interview, after also shedding tears inside his helmet. “It feels amazing. I now know what Max feels like a little bit. “I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competi... -
Dawn - 15:02 Dec 07, 2025
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum closed ranks behind Pakistan’s armed forces on Sunday, criticising the PTI for what they described as an orchestrated attempt to malign state institutions and an alleged conspiracy against Pakistan. A day earlier, the PTI had lashed out at a press briefing by the military’s media wing, calling it “inappropriate and unfortunate” after the spokesperson accused incarcerated Imran Khan of being a “narcissist” and a “mentally ill person” who was edging into “security threat” territory through his persistent anti-army rhetoric. Taking to the X platform, PML-N leader and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal called Imran’s political rhetoric “a deeply irresponsible and dangerous trend that seeks to undermine Pakistan’s state institutions, weaken national cohesion, and erode public trust in the armed forces who defend our borders with courage and sacrifice.” “Political differences are part of any democracy—but when politics crosses the line into anti-state narrative building, deli...
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Dawn - 13:39 Dec 07, 2025
Security forces have killed 12 terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Kalat district of Balochistan, the military’s media affairs wing said on Sunday. According to the statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the IBO was conducted on Saturday on the reported presence of “terrorists belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna-al-Hindustan”. The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. The ISPR statement detailed that during the operation yesterday, “own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, 12 Indian-sponsored terrorists were sent to hell”. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were found in the terrorists’ possession, it said, adding that they had been “actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area”. “Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored terrori... -
Dawn - 13:18 Dec 07, 2025
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has refused to recognise Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as chairperson of the PTI, it emerged on Sunday. According to a letter dated November 26 and addressed to Barrister Gohar, which is seen by Dawn, the PTI leader had written an application to the commission on November 13 regarding the inclusion of senators into the PTI. While the letter did not elaborate on the matter raised by Barrister Gohar, he seemed to have sought the inclusion of those senators into his party who were elected to the upper house of Parliament from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in July after much delay. The ECP said in its letter that “after due deliberation, it was observed that the issue of intra-party election of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is pending before the commission due to the stay order obtained by the party from the Lahore High Court (LHC)”. “Hence, in the above circumstances, the commission is not in a position to accept you as chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. Therefore, you do not... -
Dawn - 10:55 Dec 07, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) rejected and condemned on Sunday the “highly inflammatory, baseless and irresponsible” remarks by Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar about Pakistan’s armed forces, terming them “misleading”. The FO’s condemnation came a day after Jaishankar alleged that India’s core challenges with its neighbouring country stemmed directly from Pakistan’s military establishment. In its reaction to his remarks, the FO underscored that Pakistan was a responsible state, and all its institutions, including armed forces, were a pillar of national security, dedicated to safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. The FO’s statement also referred to a brief four-day conflict between India and Pakistan in May, saying that it “vividly demonstrated Pakistan armed forces’ professionalism as well as their resolve to defend the motherland and the people of Pakistan against any Indian aggression in a befitting, effective yet responsible manner”. “No amount of propaganda can b... -
Dawn - 10:49 Dec 07, 2025
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said on Sunday that Pakistan would begin selling excess liquefied natural gas (LNG) in international markets from January 1. Malik’s statement during a press conference in Lahore came months after it was reported that Pakistan was exploring ways to sell excess LNG cargoes amid a gas supply glut that could cost domestic producers millions in annual losses. He noted that Pakistan had been importing gas from “our friend” Qatar and Italian energy company Eni. But, he continued, there was an excess of this imported gas as the use of this fuel for power generation had reduced in the country during the past few months. Resultantly, “we were compelled to divert it to domestic consumers, due to which circular debt was increasing in the gas sector”, he said, adding that it also caused a loss of around Rs1,000 billion to Pakistan from 2018-19 till now. “From January 1, we will sell this excess fuel in international markets and reduce our burden while limiting the loss caused by it,” ... -
Dawn - 09:45 Dec 07, 2025
Sri Lankan authorities issued fresh landslide warnings on Sunday with rains lashing areas already devastated by a powerful cyclone, as the death toll rose to 618. A chain of tropical storms and monsoonal rains has battered Southeast and South Asia, setting off landslides, flooding vast tracts and cutting off communities from Sumatra island’s rainforests to the highland plantations of Sri Lanka. At least 1,812 people have been killed in the natural disasters rolling across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam over the past two weeks. Indonesia’s president on Sunday vowed to step up aid, with demonstrators rallying after the country’s death toll surpassed 900. More than two million people in Sri Lanka — nearly 10 per cent of the population — have been affected by last week’s floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, the worst on the island this century. The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said monsoon storms were adding more rain and making hillsides unstable, including in the central ... -
Dawn - 07:18 Dec 07, 2025
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will undertake an official visit to Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from December 8-9, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday, adding that he will discuss with Pakistani leaders a “wide-ranging agenda” aimed at further strengthening ties between the two countries. According to the FO statement, President Subianto will arrive in Islamabad and will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising key ministers and senior officials. “This will be President Prabowo’s first visit to Pakistan. The last presidential visit from Indonesia was undertaken by President Joko Widodo in 2018,” the statement said, adding that the upcoming visit carries added significance as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Indonesia. During his stay, the statement said, President Prabowo will hold delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz and meet President Asif Ali Zardari. Chief of Army Staff and Chief ... -
Dawn - 06:50 Dec 07, 2025
A final report by a US watchdog has confirmed that billions of dollars’ worth of American-supplied weapons, military equipment, and security infrastructure left behind during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan now form the backbone of the Taliban’s security apparatus. Parallel findings from UN monitoring teams and a Washington Post investigation indicate that some of these weapons have already filtered to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), strengthening a group responsible for escalating attacks inside Pakistan. The 137-page report, released this week by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), recounts the scale of the two-decade American project to rebuild Afghanistan. Congress, it notes, provided roughly $144.7 billion between 2002 and 2021 to reconstruct the country and to support a democratic transition — “yet ultimately delivered neither.” Recent UN assessments reinforce the regional implications of that failure. A UN panel reported that the Afghan Taliban contin... -
Dawn - 06:48 Dec 07, 2025
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori administers the oath of office to Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput, with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Senior Puisne Judge Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro seated alongside them, during a ceremony at Governor House. —Dawn KARACHI: Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput took the oath as the chief justice of the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Saturday. Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori administered the oath at a ceremony held on the premises of the Governor House. Besides judges of the high court, the event was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, senior lawyers, federal and provincial law officers and foreign dignitaries. Justice Rajput has already been serving as the acting chief justice of the SHC since Sept 15. He became the senior-most judge of the SHC after the retirement of the then chief justice Mohammad Junaid Ghaffar. He was notified as the regular chief justice by the Ministry ... -
Dawn - 06:22 Dec 07, 2025
TOBA TEK SINGH: The Faisalabad FIA immigration officials have offloaded 13 passengers, including three women, who were illegally traveling to Europe on the pretext of Umrah. Those who were offloaded belong to Faisalabad. An FIA spokesperson said on Saturday that all of the passengers were going to Jeddah by flight number FZ 356 from Faisalabad airport; however, they were stopped during clearance on the basis of their suspicious movements and evidence. The passengers included Hamza Ali, Zeeshan Ali, Samiullah, Shiraz Hassan, Imran Waris, Bilal Hassan, Syed Yasin Hussain, Muhammad Rizwan, Ghulam Rasool, Haq Nawaz, Faizal Bibi, Zahida Bibi and Sardaran Bibi. He said there were reports that female passengers were being used as shields to travel to Europe through Saudi Arabia from various airports on Umrah visas. During the investigation, suspicious international phone calls were detected which were made from the passengers’ mobile phones. He also added that calls from the phones of offloaded passengers were also ... -
Dawn - 05:54 Dec 07, 2025
LAHORE: A joint public interest petition by four lawyers has been filed in the Lahore High Court against the alleged fake encounters being conducted by the Crime Control Department (CCD) in Punjab and seeking implementation of the Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act 2022. “Since the creation of the Crime Control Department in January 2025, the national media and human rights bodies have been highlighting incidents of extrajudicial killings by Punjab police,” said the petition filed by lawyers – Mian Dawood, Pervaiz Elahi, Rai Imran Khan and Nadeem Abbas Dogar. The petition argues that the CCD has created a state of fear and panic in society with the impression that the police can, now, kill any person by declaring him a criminal after preparing his past criminal record by implicating him in already lodged FIRs through supplementary statements. According to media reports, nearly 1,100 citizens have been killed in police encounters so far, it adds. The petition argues that the superior judiciary, in... -
Dawn - 05:34 Dec 07, 2025
A fire that ripped through an Indian nightclub in the popular tourist resort region of Goa killed 25 people, the state’s chief minister said on Sunday. Tourists were among the dead in the blaze, which broke out at about midnight at a club in Arpora in the north of the coastal state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement that the deaths were “deeply saddening”. Goa, a former Portuguese colony on the shores of the Arabian Sea, lures millions of tourists every year with its nightlife, sandy beaches and laid-back coastal atmosphere. “Today is a very painful day for all of us,” Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said in a statement, adding that “25 people have lost their lives and six have been injured.” Sawant told journalists that “three to four” tourists had died, without giving their nationalities. “I have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the entire incident to identify the cause and fix responsibility,” Sawant added. ‘Fire show’ Video images from the Press Trust of India news agency showed rescuers... -
Dawn - 03:57 Dec 07, 2025
KARACHI: Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) flotilla, comprising vessels Al Rasikh and Al Shinas, visited Karachi to participate in the 12th edition of Bilateral Exercise Thamar Al Tayyib (TAT) 2025. The exercise is aimed at strengthening maritime security cooperation and deepening longstanding bonds of friendship between Pakistan and Oman. Upon arrival at Karachi Port, the visiting ships were warmly received in a traditional welcome ceremony attended by senior officials of Pakistan Navy. A band of Pakistan Navy performed during the reception. Exercise TAT-2025 served as an important platform for mutual learning, enhanced interoperability and professional development. Pakistan Navy and Royal Navy of Oman have been conducting the TAT series of exercises regularly since 1980 and TAT-2023 was conducted in Omani waters. The visit included call-ons with senior Pakistan Navy leadership, onboard receptions and visits to key naval installations and training facilities. Personnel from both navies engaged in professional dialogu... -
Dawn - 03:45 Dec 07, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Public bodies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province proactively disclose an average of 57 per cent of the legally required information on their official websites, according to the latest transparency assessment report by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen). The assessment, conducted as part of Fafen’s “Countering Disinformation Through Information” campaign, emphasises the role of proactive disclosures in strengthening institutional transparency and curbing misinformation. A lack of official and authentic information fuels speculation, rumours, assumptions, and conjectures, all of which become major drivers of disinformation that undermines institutional credibility, erodes public trust, and contributes to instability. The assessment reviewed 190 public bodies, including 36 secretariat departments, 98 attached departments, and 56 autonomous bodies, against the proactive disclosure requirements of Section 5 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information (KPRTI) Act, 2013. The Act explicitly m...
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