Dawn
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Dawn - 02:11 Aug 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The subcommittee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Monday strongly condemned what it called a “malicious media campaign” targeting its members following the seizure of 11 trucks allegedly loaded with smuggled cigarettes on the motorway. The meeting, convened by Senator Saifullah Abro at Parliament House, was mandated to scrutinise border security mechanisms, smuggling networks, anti-narcotics controls, and tax evasion, including an estimated $1 billion attributed to the tobacco sector. The convener of the committee noted that after the July 20 meeting discussed the truck seizure, an official press release and handout were circulated the next day on TV channels targeting the committee chairman and members. The committee directed the Member of FBR to personally review the handout issued by his media wing and identify officials responsible. The FIA has also been tasked with conducting a “completely impartial, full-scale inquiry” into TV channels running targeted s... -
Dawn - 21:35 Aug 03, 2026
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday reiterated his warning to the PML-N that a “countdown” for it has begun, as he declared that his party’s “movement” for people’s rights will extend to the entire country. Bilawal made the remarks in a series of video messages he shared on X, wherein he reiterated his allegations of rigging against the PML-N — his party’s ally in the Centre — during the ongoing Azad Kashmir elections. The PPP and the PML-N have been engaged in a war of words since the latter emerged in the lead in Mirpur polls on July 27. The PML-N has also won the majority of the seats in the second phase, with the PPP accusing it of rigging and other violent tactics in both phases. In one of the three clips posted on X on Monday, Bilawal affirmed that his party’s struggle for the people’s right to governance, ownership and employment will continue. “This movement will not remain restricted to the mountains of Kashmir or Gilgit-Baltistan. God-willing, I will run this movement across the entire Pak... -
Dawn - 19:59 Aug 03, 2026
LAHORE: At least three people were killed and three others injured in rain-related incidents across Punjab on Monday, while torrential monsoon rains inundated roads and low-lying neighbourhoods in several cities, disrupting traffic, restricting public movement and causing urban flooding. The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Saturday forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across parts of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan until Aug 4. According to a loss and damage report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), a man was killed and another injured when a house collapsed in Uch Sharif area of Bahawalpur district, while two children drowned in Khushab. Two more people were injured in separate roof collapse incidents in Mandi Bahauddin and Lodhran. The report also recorded a house damaged in Bahawalpur. Separately, authorities reported nine deaths in incidents not directly linked to rain or flooding. These included the drowning of a child in Kot Addu, a... -
Dawn - 19:40 Aug 03, 2026
The government on Monday slashed the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs4.08 and Rs2.45 per litre, respectively, passing on the impact of falling oil prices after US President Donald Trump called off a planned attack on Iran and announced talks with it. Following the revision, petrol will retail at Rs331.95 per litre, while HSD will cost Rs389.93 per litre. The government continues to levy Rs110 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs96 per litre on diesel. The Petroleum Division’s notification said the new prices would be applicable for August 4 (Tuesday). The diesel price 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 inte... -
Dawn - 18:56 Aug 03, 2026
Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday, after years of questions over the health and well-being of the 81-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner. Suu Kyi has been in detention since February 2021, when an elected civilian government led by her was ousted by Myanmar’s military in a dawn coup, plunging the impoverished Southeast Asian nation into turmoil. Since then, Suu Kyi’s exact whereabouts and health condition have been difficult to determine, with no foreign leader or envoy having publicly met with her despite requests for contact from countries in the region that have excluded Myanmar’s leadership from their summits. Suu Kyi met with Arnaud de Baecque, Resident Representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross to Myanmar, in the capital Naypyitaw on Monday, government spokesperson Khine Khine Soe said in a message via Telegram. The ICRC confirmed that a delegate had met with Suu Kyi, without naming the ... -
Dawn - 17:07 Aug 03, 2026
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif on Monday said that seven law enforcement personnel, including those of police and Rangers, were martyred during recent unrest in the region. The now-proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been demanding the abolishment of 12 seats in the local legislature reserved for refugees from Indian-held Kashmir, has been holding protests in the region for several weeks now. Clashes took place between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot and Mirpur last week, which reportedly resulted in several casualties. Amid the tensions, elections are being held across the region in three phases, with those in Mirpur (July 27) and Muzaffarabad divisions (Aug 2) marred by rigging allegations by the PPP. In a televised address on Monday, Hanif recalled a press conference held on July 27 where a police official presented weapons allegedly recovered from JAAC members. Hanif said that seven personnel were martyred from the “same... -
Dawn - 17:00 Aug 03, 2026
LOWER SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: A religious scholar was killed in an explosion, suspected to have been caused by a pressure bomb, at a supermarket in Lower South Waziristan’s Wana on Monday, police said. Wana Circle Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Asghar Ali Shah told Dawn that the explosion occurred on the ground floor of a supermarket located in Rustam Bazaar. He said Mufti Jana Mir Masti Khel sustained critical injuries in the explosion and was immediately shifted to Wana district headquarters hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The DSP added that he and Wana City Police Station House Officer Usman Wazir, along with a large contingent of police, reached the site of the incident after the explosion, and the area was cordoned off while investigators collected forensic evidence. The DSP said preliminary findings suggested that the pressure bomb had been planted in advance with the apparent intention of targeting the cleric. He said police had filed an initial complaint and further investigation was un... -
Dawn - 15:46 Aug 03, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed officials to complete all stages of the government’s privatisation programme within the prescribed timelines. Presiding over a meeting in Islamabad reviewing the privatisation of state-owned enterprises, the prime minister instructed relevant ministries and institutions to work in close coordination to ensure that all targets and deadlines under the privatisation programme were met, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Jam Kamal Khan, Ahad Khan Cheema, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari and other senior officials, the PMO said. PM Shehbaz said the privatisation structure for the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZBTL) should be designed in a way that safeguards the bank’s primary role in agricultural financing. “It must be ensured that even after privatisation, the Zarai Taraqiati Bank’s focus... -
Dawn - 15:39 Aug 03, 2026
ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has handed over former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and other suspects to police on a three-day physical remand in a case registered in connection with a protest. The police produced the former senator and another person named Daniyal before Duty Judge Rukhsanda Shaheen in the ATC. During the hearing, the prosecution requested a 30-day physical remand of the suspects, stating that the police needed to recover a vehicle and weapons allegedly connected with the case. After hearing the arguments, the court granted the police three-day physical remand of Mushtaq and the other suspects and directed that they be produced before the court again upon completion of the remand period. The first information report (FIR) was registered at Islamabad’s Shalimar Police Station on July 31, on the complaint of Sub-inspector Ghulam Murtaza. The FIR said Mushtaq and dozens of others had led a crowd of about 400-500 people and gathered in the capital’s F-10. It accused the former senator of...
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Dawn - 14:41 Aug 03, 2026
Palestinians in Gaza said on Monday that US President Donald Trump’s touting of a deal aimed at disarming Hamas and ending the war was out of touch with their worsening reality, after Israel killed 18 people in one of the deadliest days since a ceasefire last year. Trump on Thursday declared “a major milestone” towards implementing the Gaza peace plan agreed last October, saying that Hamas would disarm and Israel would withdraw in phases. But complications have swiftly emerged: Israel’s defence minister said on Sunday that Israeli troops in Gaza would not move before Hamas disarms and its tunnels are destroyed, while Hamas insisted Israel halt attacks before it begins implementing the part of the agreement dealing with its arms. On the ground in Gaza, still in ruins as a result of the Israeli offensive launched in retaliation for Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks, Palestinians say intensifying Israeli strikes in recent days have shattered any hope of progress. Israeli troops have occupied and depopulated two-thi... -
Dawn - 13:38 Aug 03, 2026
SWAT: The death toll from Sunday’s suicide bombing near a police station in Swat rose to 17 on Monday, including several policemen. The suicide bombing had taken place near the Kabal Police Station while a protest against lawlessness was under way at the adjoining public square. Police said that the suicide bomber had detonated his explosives after police personnel attempted to stop and search him at the entrance to the police station. According to a list of casualties shared by Swat police spokesperson Nasir Iqbal Karimi, seven policemen and 10 civilians have lost their lives in the incident while 18 policemen and nine civilians have been injured. Police have revised down the death toll from an earlier tally of 19, which they shared in a statement earlier in the day. Karimi said in the statement that a large-scale rescue operation had been launched immediately after the attack, in which more than 50 Rescue 1122 personnel participated. “Rescue teams provided first aid at the scene before shifting the injured... -
Dawn - 12:24 Aug 03, 2026
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened the week in the green on Monday, gaining more than 2,100 points to close above the 178,000 mark. The development came as global oil prices tumbled on Monday, after United States President Donald Trump said fresh talks with Iran would begin later in the day. At 11am, the benchmark KSE-100 index had gained 2273.78 points, from the previous close of 176,094.11 points. By 2:18pm, the index’s gains had dropped to 1781.72 points. However, after an intraday low of 177,759.88 points, it staged a recovery after 2pm to close at 178,200.02 points — up by 2,105.91 (1.20 per cent) from the previous close. Topline Securities Ltd. said that the rally reflected “renewed risk appetite as investors welcomed signs of easing regional tensions and softer energy prices”. On the index contribution front, FFC, MEBL, LUCK, PPL, and ENGROH emerged as the top contributors, collectively adding approximately 699 points to the benchmark index, according to the firm. Market activity also strengthene... -
Dawn - 12:00 Aug 03, 2026
SWAT: The death toll from Sunday’s suicide bombing near a police station in Swat rose to 19 on Monday, with police saying that four more victims had succumbed to their injuries. The suicide bombing had taken place near the Kabal Police Station while a protest against lawlessness was under way at the adjoining public square. Police said that the suicide bomber had detonated his explosives after police personnel attempted to stop and search him at the entrance to the police station. The bombing had claimed the lives of 15 people, including police officials, and left 18 injured. “However, four more victims succumbed to their injuries during treatment, raising the death toll to 19,” Swat police spokesperson Nasir Iqbal Karimi said in a statement. The statement added that a large-scale rescue operation was launched immediately after the attack, in which more than 50 Rescue 1122 personnel participated. “Rescue teams provided first aid at the scene before shifting the injured to various hospitals for further treatm... -
Dawn - 11:55 Aug 03, 2026
LOWER SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: A cleric was killed following an explosion, suspected to have been caused by a pressure bomb, at a supermarket in Lower South Waziristan’s Wana on Monday, police said. Wana Circle Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Asghar Ali Shah told Dawn that the explosion occurred on the ground floor of a supermarket located in Rustam Bazaar. He said Mufti Jana Mir Masti Khel sustained critical injuries in the explosion and was immediately shifted to Wana district headquarters hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The DSP added that he and Wana City Police Station House Officer Usman Wazir, along with a large contingent of police, reached the site of the incident after the explosion, and the area was cordoned off while investigators collected forensic evidence. DSP Shah said initial investigation suggested the bomb was planted to target the cleric. He said police had filed an initial complaint and further investigation was under way to identify the perpetrators and determine the motive b... -
Dawn - 10:03 Aug 03, 2026
A court in New Delhi acquitted the former head of the Indian wrestling federation on Monday of charges of sexual harassment and stalking brought by medal-winning athletes, his lawyer said. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, 69, a former lawmaker from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had been accused by some women wrestlers of groping and demanding sexual favours, allegations that he denied. The case triggered weeks of demonstrations in 2023 led by top wrestlers, including world championship winner Vinesh Phogat and Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, who demanded Singh’s removal as the head of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Singh’s lawyer, Rajiv Mohan, said on Monday he had been “honourably acquitted”. The court reached its verdict after finding “inconsistencies” in witness statements and “contradiction on major issues”, he told reporters. Singh’s supporters set off firecrackers and showered him with flower petals while chanting slogans after the ruling. “I had said tha... -
Dawn - 09:24 Aug 03, 2026
Iran said on Monday that no negotiations with the United States were currently being held despite US President Donald Trump announcing earlier that the two sides were set to begin parleys later today. “Iran is not currently holding talks with the United States and is now in discussions with Oman over a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a televised press conference. On Sunday, Trump said that new negotiations with Iran would begin on Monday after he decided to hold off on striking the country to pursue a deal to end the war entering its sixth month. Trump told reporters that the talks would cover the Strait of Hormuz and ultimately, the denuclearisation of Iran. Oil prices fell on Monday at the opening of Asian trade after Trump announced the new negotiations, with West Texas Intermediate dropping 4.7 per cent to $80.72 per barrel. Following a return to strikes last month, fears had mounted that the fighting could escalate once agai... -
Dawn - 09:19 Aug 03, 2026
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened the week in the green, gaining more than 1,700 points during intraday trade. At 11am, the benchmark KSE-100 index had gained 2273.78 points, from the previous close of 176,094.11 points. By 2:18pm, the index’s gains had dropped to 1781.72 points. The development came as global oil prices tumbled on Monday as Donald Trump said fresh talks with Iran will begin later in the day. Mettis Global, a web-based financial portal, said the positive momentum at PSX came as “investors took cues from easing geopolitical tensions after Trump called off a planned strike on Iran, reducing immediate concerns over a wider regional conflict”. Awais Ashraf, director of research at AKD Securities, said investor optimism extended the positive momentum from the previous week, driven by expectations of a swift agreement between the US and Iran. “Sentiment improved after the US president announced that talks with Iran would resume on Monday, without setting a deadline for reaching an agreement ... -
Dawn - 08:41 Aug 03, 2026
Israel has conveyed concerns to the United States on a Gaza plan hailed by President Donald Trump after Hamas said it had agreed on disarmament, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Monday. “Israel has conveyed its comments and concerns on the proposed framework to our American counterparts. The version that has been made public does not reflect Israel’s positions,” Doron Spielman, spokesman for the prime minister’s office, told AFP. He alleged that Israeli intelligence had found that Hamas had been rearming and recruiting forces since a ceasefire announced by Trump in October, which has reduced the level of violence although Israel has kept up strikes. Hamas announced on Friday that it had agreed to the next stage of a deal that includes handing over weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing committee. Trump called the move a “major milestone” in efforts to end the devastating war and told reporters that Israel was “very happy” about the developments. But Netanyahu’s spokesman said that Hamas’... -
Dawn - 08:23 Aug 03, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the PML-N’s leadership and successful candidates on Monday after unofficial results of the second phase of elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir showed it had won 14 of 18 seats up for grabs the previous day. The PML-N’s main rival in the contest and also its ally in the Centre, the PPP, has accused the PML-N of electoral malpractices, rigging and violence during Sunday polls, as it had during the first phase of the elections in Mirpur division on July 27. The PML-N secured nine of the 13 seats in the first phase while the PPP won the remaining four. Elections in AJK are being held in three phases over security concerns, with polling having been held on seven seats of Muzaffarabad division and 12 refugee seats — the reserved seats for refugees from India-occupied Kashmir — on Sunday. In the third phase, elections will be held in 11 constituencies of Poonch division. ‘Results reflect people’s confidence in PML-N’s policies’ A statement released by the PM’s Office on Mo... -
Dawn - 06:32 Aug 03, 2026
Oil prices tumbled more than $4 a barrel on Monday after US President Donald Trump held off on a fresh attack on Iran, seeking to reach a quick deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures slid $4.49, or 5.11 per cent, to $83.44 by 0408 GMT while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $79.77 a barrel, down $4.90, or 5.79pc. Both contracts jumped more than 20pc last month after fighting between the US and Iran resumed and as attacks on several tankers around Oman heightened security concerns, deterring shippers from entering the Gulf to load oil. In a sign of de-escalation, Trump said late on Saturday on his Truth Social platform that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked for time to complete a deal that would lead to “the Immediate, Complete and Total” reopening of the vital strait and “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat”. IG market analyst Tony Sycamore says, “The bigger focus is whether this week turns into a rinse and repeat of last week with hopes of a deal collapsing as Iran...
12385 items