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Dawn - 05:42 Sep 27, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed the Ministry of Defence to ensure that a senior Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officer — either the Deputy Director General or the relevant Sector Commander — appears for an in-camera briefing in the case of missing citizen Omar Abdullah. The direction came after the federal government transferred Rs5 million into the account of Abdullah’s family. During the hearing, Additional Attorney General and officials of the defence ministry presented the receipt of the online transfer before the court. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, while addressing the victim’s father, remarked that the family would receive the money by tomorrow, but added that compensation could not heal the trauma caused by enforced disappearances. “This money cannot cure the family’s suffering,” the judge observed. He further warned that the matter could lead to criminal proceedings at any stage, criticising parliament for its silence on the issue. “This is the work of parliament, but ... -
Dawn - 04:23 Sep 27, 2025
UNITED NATIONS: As President Donald Trump claimed being close to a deal to end the war in Gaza and bring prisoners home, an increasingly isolated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday tried to rebut what he called “the false charge of genocide”. He also denounced several Western countries for embracing Palestinian statehood, accusing them of pushing his country into “national suicide”. The Israeli leader, who has an International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes, addressed mostly empty chairs in the UN General Assembly, as scores of delegates — including the Pakistan contingent — walked out when he took the stage. At the same time, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic near Times Square in New York to protest the killing of more than 65,000 people in Gaza by Israeli strikes in less than two years. Israeli leader speaks to empty chairs as scores of delegates exit UNGA hall to boycott his address “War criminals don’t deserve any peace of mind. Th... -
Dawn - 03:36 Sep 27, 2025
DUBAI: Under fire after their twin thrashings at the hands of India in the ongoing Asia Cup, Pakistan proved they were good enough to make it to the tournament’s final when they edged Bangladesh by 11 runs in their last Super Four outing on Thursday and all their matters now for the side are the title honours. For the national side’s head coach Mike Hesson, whose credentials were questioned after India outplayed them in the group-stage and Super Four clashes, Pakistan deserved to be in the final after beating all of their opponents through the course of the tournament apart from the archrivals. And it’s India only, who’ll be in Pakistan’s way to their Asia Cup title ambition come Sunday. “We’ve deserved this opportunity, and now it’s up to us to make the most of it,” Hesson told reporters on Thursday night. “All the games before this were about getting into a position to win the trophy. “We know that the only match that really counts is the final, and that’s our focus, to play our best game when it matters.” ... -
Dawn - 03:05 Sep 27, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Members of a Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) subcommittee have forwarded several proposals to be considered while drafting rules for evaluating high court judges and setting criteria for their elevation. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail-led subcommittee met on Friday with Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan, Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) representative Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon, Senator Farooq H. Naek from the treasury benches and Senator Barrister Syed Ali Zafar from the opposition in attendance. The JCP subcommittee decided to consolidate and circulate each suggestion among all members for discussion at the next meeting, scheduled for the coming week and postponed proceedings, with an understanding to thoroughly discuss draft suggestions on framing benchmarks to assess judicial performance of sitting judges of the high courts. One of the proposals was to consider the time period within which a judgement is delivered after it has been reserved by a high court judge, since inordinate ... -
Dawn - 02:47 Sep 27, 2025
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has dismissed petitions filed by cinema operators seeking to extend the scope of the Motion Pictures Ordinance, 1979, to cover Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, ruling that the law cannot be applied to digital streaming services. Justice Raheel Kamran, delivering a detailed 20-page judgement, observed that the ordinance was enacted in a pre-digital era to regulate films exhibited through cinematographs in cinemas and other public venues, and was not designed for online streaming services. The petitioners, including NC Entertainment (Pvt) Ltd, had argued that requiring cinemas to obtain film certification while leaving digital platforms unregulated was discriminatory and infringed their fundamental rights. They contended that censorship principles under Section 6 of the Ordinance, derived from Article 19 of the Constitution, should apply equally across all platforms to uphold social norms of decency and morality. Says extending Motion Pictures Or... -
Dawn - 02:32 Sep 27, 2025
• Decision taken on PM’s directive after committee’s recommendation • FBR analysis points to widespread reluctance in voluntary asset valuation ISLAMABAD: In a dramatic U-turn, the government on Friday scrapped the asset valuation column from the tax return form for 2025 — just a day after issuing a strongly worded clarification — bowing to mounting pressure from various stakeholders. The lightning-fast reversal, prompted by criticism from tax practitioners, lawyers and other groups, has reignited debate over policy consistency and digital reforms aimed at documenting the cash economy. The income tax return form for 2025, released on July 7, had required taxpayers to declare the market value of their assets, as outlined on page 66 of the form. Since then, taxpayers had been submitting returns with the flexibility to either declare the estimated market value of their assets or enter zero in the designated column. This practice continued even as nearly 2.7 million taxpayers filed their returns under the same ar... -
Dawn - 18:53 Sep 26, 2025
The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) on Friday approved the adoption of the latest WiFi generation, WiFi 7, making it one of the first nations in the Asia-Pacific region to use the network. According to a press release, WiFi 7 and future generations will operate on the 6 GHz network band, underscoring Pakistan’s commitment to digital innovation and leadership. “Wi-Fi 7 delivers ultra-high data rates, low latency, and robust reliability, enabling 8K streaming, AR/VR, and industrial automation,” the press release read. “By easing congestion in legacy bands and reducing broadband delivery costs, it will strengthen connectivity for households, SMEs (small-medium enterprises), campuses, healthcare, and smart cities.” This development comes a week after Information and Technology Secretary Zarrar Hasham said that restoring damaged undersea internet cables may take four to five weeks. During a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, while resp... -
Dawn - 18:48 Sep 26, 2025
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday dismissed a set of petitions filed against the cancellation of Islamabad High Court’s Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri’s law degree over non-prosecution, observing that shouting slogans against the judiciary and disrupting the court’s decorum was “highly unbecoming”. In a related development, the University of Karachi (KU) issued a fresh declaration about the withdrawal and cancellation of the IHC judge’s degree. On Thursday, heated scenes were witnessed at the SHC as a two-judge bench declined to entertain the plea of the IHC judge to become a party in proceedings on seven petitions, challenging the cancellation of his law degree. The two-judge constitutional bench (CB) comprising Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha and Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon, however, set aside the IHC judge’s application, insisting that it would first hear and decide the maintainability of the petitions before it. In its written order on Friday, the CB noted that it had “given an opportunity of hearin... -
Dawn - 18:02 Sep 26, 2025
Trade negotiators from the United States have told their Indian counterparts that curbing purchases of Russian oil is crucial to reducing India’s tariff rate and sealing a trade deal, two people familiar with the talks told Reuters. While trade negotiations are on a positive track, a US official said, more work is needed to ensure India addresses US concerns over market access, the trade deficit and purchases of Russian oil. US President Donald Trump has sought to pressure India, the European Union and members of Nato to curb purchases of Russian oil as a way to cut Moscow’s revenue and hasten an end to the war in Ukraine. The Trump administration has shown a willingness to use maximum leverage to advance its policy goals, as evidenced by its linking trade negotiations with India to demands that it curb Russian oil purchases. Trump has expressed growing frustration over the slow progress toward ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, a conflict he pledged to resolve from his first day in office. The US has already im... -
Dawn - 17:08 Sep 26, 2025
As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif detailed the events of May’s four-day escalation between India and Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday, he highlighted the need for “proactive” rather than “provocative” leadership for South Asia. In May, the military confrontation between India and Pakistan had come as the former blamed Islamabad for the April 22 Pahalgam attack without evidence. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes on Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Both sides then exchanged missiles, which stretched over the week. It took a US-brokered ceasefire for both sides to finally drop their guns. PM Shehbaz recalled the escalation at the 80th session of the UNGA today, where he led Pakistan’s delegation. He began his address with these words: “Our world is more complex today than ever before. Conflicts are intensifying, international law is being brazenly violated, humanitarian crises are multiplying, terrorism remains a potent threat, disinform... -
Dawn - 15:53 Sep 26, 2025
Iran and Russia signed a $25 billion deal to build nuclear power plants in the Islamic republic, Iranian state media reported on Friday, just hours ahead of the likely return of sweeping UN sanctions on Iran. “A deal for the construction of four nuclear power plants with a value of $25 billion in Sirik, Hormozgan was signed between the Iran Hormoz company and Rosatom,” state television said. Iran has just one operational nuclear power plant in Bushehr in the south, with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts — just a fraction of the country’s energy needs. According to state news agency IRNA, each plant will have a capacity of 1,255 megawatts, though no details were provided on the timeline. The move comes as so-called snapback sanctions triggered by the European parties to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran are set to return by the end of Saturday. Britain, France and Germany triggered the sanctions last month, accusing of Iran of failing to adhere to its commitments under the agreement. At a Security Council ses... -
Dawn - 15:28 Sep 26, 2025
Pacer Haris Rauf and opener Sahibzada Farhan were on Friday reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for gestures made during the Asia Cup Super Four match against arch-rivals India, ESPNCricinfo reported. According to the publication, the pacer was fined 30 per cent of his match fee by match referee Richie Richardson. At the same time, “It is understood that Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan was not fined and let off with a warning by Richardson. “Rauf was seen responding to heckling from Indian fans by signalling 6-0 with his hands and making gestures depicting the downing of aircraft, in apparent reference to the military conflict between India and Pakistan in May this year,” the report read. “Farhan had celebrated his fifty by mimicking a gunshot.” Earlier, India captain Suryakumar Yadav was found guilty by the ICC of breaching the code of conduct for his comments that alluded to the brief military skirmish between India and Pakistan this year, after their group stage match in the Asia Cup on... -
Dawn - 13:20 Sep 26, 2025
Big smiles, a red carpet and a thumbs up: the first formal bilateral interaction between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and US President Donald Trump during the early hours of Friday morning was plastered all over the airwaves. The meeting, which was also attended by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, was described by the Prime Minister’s Office as being held in a pleasant atmosphere. However, the meeting itself was closed to the press — a break from President Trump’s usual modus operendi — as he is quite fond of Oval Office photo-ops and there was no press conference either; just a statement issued from Pakistan where the US president was described as a “man of peace” and stressing the need to enhance cooperation in security and intelligence. With Pak-US ties ‘gradually warming’ in President Trump’s second term, the meeting was closely watched by geopolitical hawks and analysts. Here’s what some had to say about it: ‘Quite surprising’ Author and journalist Zahid Hussain termed the meeting “v... -
Dawn - 13:13 Sep 26, 2025
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday declaring that his plan to sell Chinese-owned TikTok’s US operations to US and global investors will address the national security requirements in a 2024 law. The new US company will be valued at around $14 billion, Vice President JD Vance said, putting a price tag on the popular short video app far below some analyst estimates. Trump on Thursday delayed until January 20 enforcement of the law that bans the app unless its Chinese owners sell it amid efforts to extract TikTok’s US assets from the global platform, line up American and other investors, and win approval from the Chinese government. The publication of the executive order shows Trump is making progress on the sale of TikTok’s US assets, but numerous details need to be fleshed out, including how the US entity would use TikTok’s most important asset, its recommendation algorithm. “There was some resistance on the Chinese side, but the fundamental thing that we wanted to accomplish is that w... -
Dawn - 12:58 Sep 26, 2025
Indian police on Friday detained prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk over violent protests in the Himalayan territory of Ladakh that left at least five people dead, a lawyer said. Demonstrations demanding greater political autonomy for the sparsely populated, high-altitude region bordering China and Pakistan turned deadly on Wednesday when security forces opened fire. New Delhi blamed the unrest on “provocative speeches” by Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike demanding either full federal statehood for Ladakh or constitutional protections for its tribal communities, land and fragile environment. Mustafa Haji, a lawyer for the Apex Body Leh — which is spearheading the protests — told AFP that Wangchuk was “picked up” by the police from his village of Uley Tokpo on Friday. “Charges against him are not known yet,” Haji said. An engineer by training, Wangchuk, 59, is best known for pioneering water conservation projects in the Himalayas. He received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2018 for his enviro... -
Dawn - 11:04 Sep 26, 2025
A man in Karachi’s Malir area has died of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), raising the city’s death toll from the virus to five this year, the Sindh health department said in a statement on Friday. According to the World Health Organisation, the CCHF, commonly known as Congo Virus, causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks with a case fatality rate of 10-40 per cent. There is no vaccine available for the disease. Experts say the CCHF virus is primarily transmitted to people either by tick bites or through contact with infected animal blood or tissues during and immediately after slaughter. As per the statement, a lab report confirmed that a 28-year-old butcher from Karachi’s Landhi area had contracted the disease. He developed symptoms on September 24, was admitted to the hospital the same day, and died within hours of admission. His symptoms included a high-grade fever, cough, shortness of breath, and bleeding from the mouth and rectum, following which a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was... -
Dawn - 10:17 Sep 26, 2025
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday announced plans for a new nationwide digital ID in a bid to curb illegal migration, but the move faces strong opposition in country that has long-resisted such moves. The new digital ID will be held on people’s phones and there will be no requirement for individuals to carry or be asked to produce it, said the government. However, it will be “mandatory as a means of proving your right to work,” a statement said. “This will stop those with no right to be here from being able to find work, curbing their prospect of earning money, one of the key ‘pull factors’ for people who come to the UK illegally,” it added. The government said the drive will also make it simpler to apply for services like driving licences, childcare and welfare, while streamlining access to tax records. The announcement comes as Labour, the party in government, prepares to hold its annual conference, with Starmer under intense pressure, particularly over immigration. “Digital ID is an enormous opportu... -
Dawn - 09:41 Sep 26, 2025
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta on Friday refused to extend the physical remand of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) chief Dr Mahrang Baloch and other organisers, according to the group’s lawyer. Advocate Israr Jatak, a member of BYC’s legal team, told Dawn.com, “Quetta ATC-1 refused to extend the physical remand of five accused, namely Mahrang, Bebow Baloch, Sibghatullah Shahji, Beberg Baloch and Gulzadi and ordered them to be sent to jail on judicial remand.” In a hearing presided over by Judge Muhammad Ali Mubeen, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) produced Mahrang and others in court today after the completion of their 15-day physical remand granted on September 11. Advocate Shoaib Mengal, along with Advocate Jatak, appeared in the court on behalf of the accused. The CTD requested the court for an extension to the physical remand of the accused, but Judge Mubeen refused, asking for the accused to be handed over to jail custody. On September 11, a Quetta ATC judge extended the physical remand of ... -
Dawn - 09:40 Sep 26, 2025
At least five people, including two cops, were injured on Friday in an accidental firing incident at the residence of Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Manndokhail in the province’s Zhob district, police said. Speaking to the media, Zhob Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shaukat Mohmand said that three students and two police officers had been injured in the incident. “The firing happened by mistake and was done by the station house officer’s gunman,” the police officer said. He added that the gunman had dropped his gun on the ground, which had resulted in it going off. The injured students, who had come to meet the governor, were pupils at the Zhob Government Boys Degree College, he added. The official said that the condition of all the injured people was stable and they had been taken to a nearby hospital for medical intervention. According to initial investigations, police have termed the incident an accident, he said, adding that further investigation was underway. Earlier this month, a teenage girl was kille... -
Dawn - 09:25 Sep 26, 2025
A digital reconstruction of a million-year-old skull suggests humans may have diverged from our ancient ancestors 400,000 years earlier than thought and in Asia not Africa, a study said on Friday. The findings are based on a reconstruction of a crushed skull discovered in China in 1990, and have the potential to resolve the longstanding “Muddle in the Middle” of human evolution, researchers said. But experts not involved in the work cautioned that the findings were likely to be disputed, and pointed to ongoing uncertainties in the timeline of human evolution. The skull, labelled Yunxian 2, was previously thought to belong to a human forerunner called Homo erectus. But modern reconstruction technologies revealed features closer to species previously thought to have existed only later in human evolution, including the recently discovered Homo longi and our own Homo sapiens. “This changes a lot of thinking,” said Chris Stringer, an anthropologist at the Natural History Museum, London, who was part of the researc...
5467 items