Dawn
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Dawn - 09:22 Sep 26, 2025
Rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir on Friday filed a grievance letter over “inaction” on her workplace harassment complaint against Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar. Justice Dogar had warned Mazari of a contempt of court case and was reported to have gone as far as passing warning remarks along the lines of “getting a hold of her”. Multiple lawyers’ bodies had issued condemnatory statements and called for the judge’s dismissal from the post of the IHC top judge. On Sept 15, Mazari approached an inquiry committee of the IHC and the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), filing a complaint under Section 4 (procedure for holding inquiry) of the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010. As Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz took cognisance of Mazari’s complaint, the IHC administration stripped the judge of her powers to entertain harassment complaints. Instead, IHC’s Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas was appointed as the competent authority to oversee the case. This promp... -
Dawn - 08:09 Sep 26, 2025
At least 11 people were killed, and another three were injured after a truck crashed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan, rescue 1122 said on Friday. Speaking to Dawn.com, spokesperson Rescue 1122, Bilal Ahmad Faizi, said that, “Eleven people lost their lives and three were injured as the truck’s brakes failed, causing it to crash in the Dana Sar Daranda area of DI Khan.” “The deceased include five women, a child, and a man,” he said, adding that the three injured were rushed to the District Headquarter Hospital DI Khan.“ He further said that the truck was travelling from the Khanozai area of Balochistan. “Seven of the bodies were also taken to the hospital by the Rescue 1122 team, while four bodies were moved to the hospital by the local people,” he said. The deceased people have not yet been identified. Public Relations Officer of DI Khan Police Yaqoob Khan, in a statement, said, “Police are compiling a report for the identification of the deceased and arranging for the bodies to be handed over to thei... -
Dawn - 06:58 Sep 26, 2025
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) reported that an earthquake of magnitude 5.5 was felt in areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday morning. Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines means that tectonic movements remain a frequent occurrence in the region. A report issued by the PMD said that the earthquake originated at 8:17am PKT today, with its epicentre in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan at a depth of 195 kilometres, at a latitude of 36.51 degrees north and longitude of 70.98° east. Shocks were reported by the PMD to have been felt in Chitral, Peshawar and Swat, while the Pukhtunkhwa Times posted on X that “mild” tremors were also felt in Attock, Lower Dir and Upper Dir. At the start of the month, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan killed over 1,400 people and flattened homes, with tremors jolting KP and Punjab. However, no casualties or damages were re... -
Dawn - 06:53 Sep 26, 2025
KARACHI: Building on the success of the Breathe Pakistan International Climate Change Conference, DawnMedia has announced plans to convene a moot focused on tackling the issue of air pollution. ‘The Air We Breathe’ will be held at the Expo Centre in Lahore on October 11, under the umbrella of Breathe Pakistan — an initiative to combat climate change that aims to mobilise citizens to incorporate environmental sustainability in their daily lives. Air pollution has become one of the most pressing public health and environmental crises facing Pakistan, and Lahore in particular is no stranger to this phenomenon. Once celebrated for its gardens, the city now ranks among the most polluted in the world, with PM2.5 levels far exceeding WHO safety limits, a DawnMedia statement said. “Other major cities — including Karachi, Faisalabad, and Peshawar — face similar challenges, driven by industrial emissions, vehicular exhaust, stubble burning, and poor enforcement of environmental regulations.” “Vulnerable groups — childr... -
Dawn - 05:51 Sep 26, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and US President Donald Trump discussed regional security and cooperation along the lines of counter-terrorism, among other matters, as the two met for the first time at the Oval Office in Washington in the early hours of Friday morning, according to a press release from the PM Office. The premier was accompanied by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, while the US President was joined by US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as per an earlier statement from the PM office. PM Shehbaz thanked Trump for “his public endorsement of Pakistan’s role in counterterrorism and stressed the need to further enhance cooperation in security and intelligence,” as the two discussed matters of regional security. The premier described Trump as a “man of peace”, lauding his “sincere” efforts in ending conflicts around the world. PM Shehbaz branded Trump’s style of leadership “bold, courageous and decisive,” and thanked the US president for his role in me... -
Dawn - 04:14 Sep 26, 2025
• Govt faces tough task as it seeks flood-related relaxations • Fund questions use of emergency funds, delays in governance reforms • $1bn tranche hinges on progress in review talks ISLAMABAD: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) review mission began its work simultaneously in Karachi and Islamabad on Thursday, holding discussions with authorities on mixed programme performance without the customary opening engagement with Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, who is currently on a visit to the United States. Sources said the introductory meeting with Mr Aurangzeb, initially scheduled for Sept 25, has now been moved to Monday (Sept 29) in his absence. In the meantime, two IMF teams — one dealing with monetary policy and the other with fiscal policy — are engaged with the State Bank of Pakistan and federal government entities. The mission is expected to stay for about two weeks and will also hold forward-looking discussions, pressing the authorities to expedite implementation of end-December 2... -
Dawn - 03:59 Sep 26, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Foreign assistance inflows to Pakistan almost doubled to $1.377 billion in the first two months (July-August) of the current fiscal year, mainly because of an ongoing umbrella of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This helped the government to start the new fiscal year on a healthy note, unlike last year’s lacklustre beginning in the absence of IMF support. The total inflows, both loans and grants, in the first two months of the current fiscal year amounted to $1.377bn when compared to $714m last year, showing an increase of 93pc. Inflows in August alone amounted to $680m, almost 152pc higher than last year’s $270m in the same month. In July this year, a total of $698m loans and grants flowed into the country compared to $444m in the same month last year, representing a 57pc increase. The $1.345bn in foreign loans and $33m in grants in the first two months of the fiscal year flowing into the country were about 103pc higher and 31pc lower than last year’s $662m loans and $43m grants, respectivel... -
Dawn - 02:31 Sep 26, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has said that taxpayers are free to declare the market value of their movable and immovable assets at their own discretion, in tax returns for the year 2025, without requiring formal valuation or supporting documents. But this flexibility does not apply to high-net-worth individuals, who remain subject to stricter reporting requirements under Section 7E of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. The clarification came in the wake of misinformation, circulating on social media, regarding amendments to the income tax return form. The FBR has so far received 2.7 million tax returns. Tax bar associations have meanwhile requested an extension of the filing deadline. According to an official statement, the income tax return form for 2025 — released on July 7 — explicitly requires taxpayers to declare the market value of their assets, as outlined on page 66 of the form. FBR says high-net-worth individuals subject to more strict reporting requirements; those who have submitted re... -
Dawn - 02:26 Sep 26, 2025
• Two-judge bench declines Justice Jahangiri’s plea to join proceedings • Insists court will first hear and decide maintainability of petitions • Petitioners and their lawyers walk out of courtroom, stage protest KARACHI: Heated scenes were witnessed at the Sindh High Court on Thursday as a two-judge bench declined to entertain the plea of Islamabad High Court Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri 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. Justice Jahangiri, accompanied by IHC Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, pleaded for a right of hearing, saying he was the aggrieved party and Karachi University (KU) had not issued him a notice before canceling his degree. Lawyers for the petitioners, however, objected to... -
Dawn - 00:17 Sep 26, 2025
KARACHI: The Sindh government is considering a plan to introduce O and A Level programmes in public schools across the province, with at least one institution in each district to offer the courses. Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah met the Country Director of Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) in Pakistan Uzma Yousuf, who was accompanied by her delegation. Secretary School Education Zahid Ali Abbasi and other senior officials also attended the meeting. The discussions focused on strengthening Sindh’s education framework, particularly in the areas of curriculum development, teacher training, foundational learning and assessment reforms. Both sides agreed to establish a joint working group to devise actionable strategies and recommendations. Mr Shah said the Sindh government was committed to introducing Cambridge programmes in public schools. Under the initiative, at least one school in each district will offer O and A Level subjects, providing students from disadvantaged background... -
Dawn - 23:38 Sep 25, 2025
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said on Thursday that terrorists were receiving “state patronage” in Afghanistan, from where they launched attacks on Pakistan. His comments come against the backdrop of a tumultuous security situation in Balochistan, which has worsened in recent months, as terrorists, long involved in a low-level insurgency, have stepped up the frequency and intensity of their attacks. The banned so-called Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces. Islamabad, for the last couple of years, has been insisting that terrorists use Afghan soil to lauch attacks across the country. Kabul, however, denies the allegations. Responding to a question during a press conference in Islamabad, CM Bugti reiterated the state’s narrative and said, “Terrorists were provided safe havens and places to run training camps in Afghanistan.” He highlighted that many among the recently killed terrorists wer... -
Dawn - 23:20 Sep 25, 2025
US President Donald Trump hosted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir at the Oval Office in Washington, DC during the early hours of Friday morning. US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also present, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after the meeting said. It added that the meeting was held in a pleasant atmosphere. Photos released after the meeting showed both PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir exchanging views with Trump. Trump was also all smiles as he flashed his signature thumbs up sign during a group photo. The meeting, which was closed to the press, was originally slated to begin at 4:30pm Washington time (1:30am PST) but was delayed by approximately 30 minutes as the US president spoke to reporters after signing executive orders. The meeting itself lasted approximately one hour and 20 minutes. Photos from the White House press pool before it began showed PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir waiting pati... -
Dawn - 20:55 Sep 25, 2025
Pakistan won by 11 runs after stumbling to 135-8 in the virtual semi-final against Bangladesh in their men’s Asia Cup Super Four fixture at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. With that win, the Green Shirts bookëd their final date with archrivals India for the first time in the 17th iteration of the Asia Cup on Sunday. Speaking at the post-match ceremony, player-of-the-match Shaheen Afridi said: “I attacked up-front as the team needed an early breakthrough — the three overs in the powerplay made all the difference.” He dedicated his award to his wife and son. The left-arm pacer scored a vital 19 of 13 balls and got 3-17 with the ball, striking in his signature manner in the very first over of the innings yet again. Skipper Salman Ali Agha said, “If we can win these kinds of games, then we must be a special team.” He commended Mohammad Haris’s crucial 31 runs down the order, terming him a “special player”. On a pitch that spun prodigiously, Pakistan were staring down the barrel at 49-5 in the 11t... -
Dawn - 18:16 Sep 25, 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine, as Erdogan sought a long-awaited deal to buy US stealth fighter jets. As Erdogan visited the White House for the first time since 2019 during Trump’s first term, Trump called on him to use his influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Moscow’s invasion. Trump said that he would discuss Ankara’s wish to buy high-tech F-35 aircraft and was ready to end sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of Russian air defence missiles. Nato ally Turkey was booted out of the flagship US stealth fighter programme during Trump’s first term after it defiantly bought Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system. “I’d like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues this rampage,” Trump told reporters alongside Erdogan in the Oval Office. Trump said Erdogan was “very respected” by both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and “could have ... -
Dawn - 16:51 Sep 25, 2025
The PPP and PML-N continued to engage in a war of words over flood relief on Thursday, as PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari asserted that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was the “sole method” of providing relief to those affected by the recent floods in the country, while PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz accused his party of “politicising” the issue. The two parties, who are coalition partners in the Centre, have recently been arguing over the means for flood relief, with the PPP insisting on the use of BISP and the PML-N disapproving of the proposition. On Wednesday, after the PML-N questioned the transparency of BISP, the PPP accused its senior partner of showing an “irresponsible attitude” by refusing to use the programme’s data to compensate flood-affected people in Punjab. BISP is a national safety net programme in Pakistan that provides cash assistance to poor and vulnerable families, particularly targeting women. Addressing a press conference in Karachi today, Bilawal said: “Across the country, the a... -
Dawn - 16:46 Sep 25, 2025
PTI social media activist Falak Javed Khan was remanded in police custody for five days on Thursday, a day after her arrest by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). Javed was arrested by the agency in the case about fake videos of Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari being uploaded on social media, her lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq said on Wednesday. The activist was presented before a district court in Lahore today before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo, with the NCCIA requesting 30 days of physical remand. The remand order — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — states that Ashfaq argued that there was no material on record to justify Javed’s arrest. “There are illegalities in [the] procedure of warrant and proclamation,” the order read, quoting Ashfaq. “There is nothing on record to show any material to support remand … there is no plausible reason for remand. “There is [a] serious violation of Section 40 (forensic laboratory) [of] Peca, 2016,” he added “It was mandatory to establish a... -
Dawn - 16:39 Sep 25, 2025
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav is facing controversy after the International Cricket Council (ICC) acknowledged remarks he made following India’s Asia Cup group-stage victory over Pakistan on September 14, saying that it is reviewing a complaint lodged by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and has had a formal hearing, Hindustan Times reported on Thursday. The move comes after the PCB lodged an official complaint with the ICC against Yadav for dedicating its September 14 win over Pakistan to “the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack”. At least 24 people had been killed in the April attack, which led to a brief military escalation between India and Pakistan, as New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the attack without evidence. The ICC confirmed that it is reviewing a complaint filed by the PCB and a formal hearing took place today, as per Hindustan Times. “[Match referee Richie] Richardson heard Suryakumar’s explanation and is expected to deliver his verdict on Friday,” Hindustan Times added. The outle... -
Dawn - 14:44 Sep 25, 2025
A lady health worker, part of a vaccination team for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation campaign for girls, was beaten up by local women in Mandi Bahauddin on Thursday, police said. Speaking to Dawn.com, Kuthiala Sheikhan Police Station House Officer (SHO) Sabir Hussain Sindhu said that the incident took place in Chak No 38. “LHW Ghulam Sughra was beaten up by local women while the vaccination campaign was being carried out at a school,” he said, adding that the health worker was also thrown to the ground during the assault. He said that a first information report (FIR) had been registered on the complaint of the health worker but no arrests have been made so far. The FIR of the incident, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, was registered at the Kuthiala Sheikhan Police Station under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code. In the FIR, Sughra stated that she was present along with the ... -
Dawn - 12:45 Sep 25, 2025
Six journalists, including Lahore Press Club President Muhammad Arshad Ansari, approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday to challenge notices issued by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The petition, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, named the NCCIA director, deputy director and inspector from Lahore as well as the director general from Islamabad as respondents in the case. The petitioners were named as Ansari, Sheikh Mujahid Latif, Sheraz Nisar, Ahmed Faraz, Yasir Shamoon and Waseem Sabir. According to the petition, the journalists’ professional duty was to cover criminal cases and highlight issues and defects in the police administration. Further, it said that the petitioners had criticised the formation of the Crime Control Department, the appointment of Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Faisal Kamran without merit and the increasing crime rate in Lahore. The journalists contended that this prompted DIG Kamran to “launch malicious social media campaigns ... -
Dawn - 10:52 Sep 25, 2025
Meta is expanding ‘teen accounts’ to Facebook and Messenger in Pakistan starting this week, placing both new and existing teen users into “safer, more protected experiences,” the organisation said on Thursday. “Teen accounts are already rolled out globally on Instagram, and now Meta is extending the same protections to teens worldwide on Facebook and Messenger,” Meta said in a statement. Teen accounts were introduced by Meta a year ago, which, according to the statement, was “a significant step to keep teens safe across Meta’s apps”. “Since then, hundreds of millions of teens have already been placed into Teen Accounts across Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.” The statement added: “Teen Account protections were designed to address parents’ top concerns with automatic safeguards that limit who teens can interact with, filter the content they see, and ensure their time online is well spent.” While there’s always more work to be done, Meta says it is “encouraged to see that Teen Accounts are bringing parents mo...
5467 items