Pakistan

RAWALPINDI: For the first time since 2011, the number of dengue patients in Murree has surpassed Rawalpindi, as confirmed cases in the hilly district rose to 62. Meanwhile, 59 dengue patients have been reported in Rawalpindi district so far this year. This year, dengue cases in Murree have been reported from Ghel and Paghwari union councils and the numbers are still rising. In the Rawalpindi division, 62 cases have been confirmed in Murree, 59 in Rawalpindi, one in Jhelum, four in Chakwal and five in Attock. Majority of the cases in Murree have been reported from Ghel and Paghwari union councils A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that dengue surveillance in Murree had not been conducted earlier due to a shortage of staff. Surveillance began only after the virus started spreading. He said the Rawalpindi District Health Authority was managing health affairs in Murree despite it being declared a separate district. He added that once dengue cases were detected, the Murree district administ...

LAHORE: The confidence radiating from Rizwan Ali is palpable. As he prepares to move into the cage on Sunday at the Pakistan Open MMA Championship, the undefeated lightweight fighter isn’t just predicting a win; rather he is forecasting a swift and decisive conclusion to his bout against Egypt’s Adham “Warrior” Mohamed. “It will, hopefully, be a knockout finish,” Rizwan told Dawn, a prediction backed by the momentum of two back-to-back knockout wins that have solidified his status as one of Pakistan’s top mixed martial artists. Speaking on his upcoming clash, Rizwan framed it as a classic striker versus grappler match-up. He acknowledged the contrasting styles each man brings to the cage. While Adham boasts a record of 11 wins and four losses and carries a reputation for his grappling strength, Rizwan believes his own striking prowess will be the difference-maker. “We both have contrasting styles as my opponent struggles in striking while I lack a bit in my wrestling; so it will be a good fight,” he said, ant...

LAHORE: Train drivers are up in arms over being held responsible for recent derailments and accidents, and warned of initiating a country-wide strike if Pakistan Railways (PR) continued to use ‘faulty’ wagons. “We are really worried that the drivers are being held responsible for the derailments and accidents despite the fact the such untoward events are happening because of the brakeless wagons and coaches. Though, after recent instructions, the situation has improved in the passenger train operations with shortened train composition by excluding faulty coaches, the use of brakeless wagons in goods’ trains is still continued,” explained PR Train Drivers Association (Multan chapter) President Karim Bakhsh while talking to Dawn on Saturday. “They (the officers) know very well that derailments are caused due to the rolling stock. Then why are they holding our drivers responsible for this,” he wondered. In a recent communication after accidents of 116-Down and 14-Down, the PR administration directed to use coach...

The Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA) has finalised the application process for Pakistan’s Government Hajj Scheme 2026.

• High alert in multiple districts as Sutlej flows in high flood, Chenab and Ravi rivers stable • GB survivors face shortage of essentials; over 3,000 displaced in Ghizer; Glof-II project probe demanded LAHORE: A day before the arrival of a fresh monsoon spell, the Punjab government on Saturday evacuated thousands of people along the Sutlej River, as the river surged to a high flood level at Ganda Singh Wala, recording a dangerous flow of 129,866 cusecs. The Provincial Disaster Manag­ement Authority (PDMA) initiated evacuations and emergency operations across multiple districts amid a new and intense monsoon spell forecast on August 24-27. According to a hydrological report by the Board of Revenue, the situation at Ganda Singh Wala was critical and expected to persist for the next 48 hours. In response, district administrations in central and southern Punjab were racing against time to relocate communities living along the riverbanks. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad said that over 19,000 people were eva...

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is meeting in Islamabad today (Sunday) to sight the crescent of Rabi-ul-Awwal 1447 Hijri.

KARACHI: After over a year of price stability driven by declining interest rates and encouraging economic indicators, consumers are now facing rising prices for wheat and related products. The wheat crop, although harvested in March, came in below expectations, contributing to growing concerns. Traders warn that wheat consumption in the livestock and poultry sectors has added to the supply pressure, as a significant amount of wheat has been diverted for animal feed. In addition, recent heavy rains, particularly in Karachi and the upcountry, have exacerbated the supply-demand imbalance for vegetables, leading to higher prices at markets. As per the latest data from the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) for the week ending Aug 21, the price of a 10kg wheat bag in Karachi has risen to Rs660, up from Rs640 at the start of August. Similarly, the cost of one kilogram of fine flour has increased to Rs95 from Rs93. The 20kg wheat flour bag now costs between Rs1,500 and Rs1,800, compared to Rs1,350 to Rs1,700 earlier this m...

KARACHI: Amid the city’s ongoing water crisis, recent monsoon rains have brought a significant improvement by raising the Hub Dam’s water level by 11 feet and securing potentially enough storage for up to three years. According to official sources, the water level at Hub Dam rose significantly due to the recent monsoon rains, increasing from 322 feet to 333 feet. Karachi faces severe water shortages, with a daily requirement of over 1,200 million gallons per day (MGD) but currently receiving only around 650 MGD, officials said. The Hub Dam supplies approximately 100 MGD to the Keamari and West districts, while the remainder is sourced from Keenjhar Lake. Officials say additional six feet of water is required to reach dam’s maximum capacity of 339 feet Officials also said that the dam’s maximum capacity is 339 feet and when filled to this level, it can supply water to the West, Keamari and Central districts of the city for up to three years. When the dam reaches full capacity, excess water is released through ...

KARACHI: Currency dealers in the banking market have reported a sharp 50 per cent decline in dollar sales by money changers this month, amid concerns that the grey market has re-emerged, buying dollars at higher prices. Dealers indicated that while remittance inflows remain unaffected, with July witnessing $3.2 billion in transfers, the drop in open market sales could destabilise the exchange rate. Money changers explained that the strict documentation requirements for dollar purchases are limiting their sales, with only transactions of up to $500 not raising any questions. According to bankers, the open market has sold around $115 million to the banking sector this month, significantly lower than the same period last year. “The open market is running low on dollars. They are only selling what they receive from the public, which suggests that someone is purchasing dollars before selling them to money changers,” said a money changer, who requested anonymity. While sales may rise this year, the money changers e...

KARACHI - Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori has approved the Anti-Terrorism (Sindh Amendment) Bill 2025 here on Saturday.

GILGIT: The six-day-long protest sit-in of Gilgit-Baltistan lawyers outside the Chief Minister’s House ended on Saturday after the government assured them that their key demands would be accepted. The Gilgit-Baltistan Bar Council, GB Supreme Court Bar Association, GB High Court Bar Association and District Bar Associations had jointly given the call for protest. HCBA Secretary General Advocate Islamuddin told Dawn that lawyers in the region had been protesting for the past 10 months, boycotting court proceedings and holding rallies. They had also blocked the River View Road. The protesting lawyers said they had been demanding their rights, including the long-delayed induction of judges in the GB Supreme Appellate Court, the establishment of special courts such as family and consumer courts, advertisement of vacant civil judge posts, and the separation of judicial magistrate from civil judge positions in line with practice elsewhere in the country, with appointments made from the legal fraternity on merit. The...

QUETTA: The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Commercial Bank­ing Circle Quetta has arre­sted three suspects invol­ved in illegal currency exchange and hawala/hundi transactions. Meanwhile, the agency also taken into custody three human traffickers in separate operations in Taftan. A spokesperson for FIA said that the operation was conducted on the directives of FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja as part of a crackdown on networks enga­ged in hawala and illegal money transfers. The arrested suspects were identified as Muhammad Umar, Lal Muhammad, and Abdul Wali. Officials said a total of Rs1.7 million was recovered from the accused, along with four mobile phones, registers, and other evidence related to hawala/hundi dealings. The suspects, who failed to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the seized currency, were taken into custody and further investigation has been initiated. Human traffickers held Meanwhile, the FIA spokesman said that the agency also arrested three human traffickers in se...

TEHRAN: Iranian for­ces killed six militants in a raid in the restive southeast, saying they were members of a “terrorist” group linked to Israel. “During an intense exchange of fire with terrorists in Sistan-Baluch­istan province, six assailants were killed and two others arrested,” official news agency IRNA said, citing a statement from the intelligence services. Sistan-Baluchistan, which borders Pakistan and Afg­hanistan, has long been a flashpoint for clashes bet­ween security forces and armed groups. The news agency said there were “documents” indicating “the Zionist nature” of the group targeted in the latest raid, adding that its members had planned to attack a “vital” facility in Iran’s east, without elaborating. The report said that “the main operation team” was composed of “seven non-Iranian terrorists”, but did not specify their nationality. Two intelligence agents and a police officer were wounded in the gunfight. Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2025

LONDON: Former Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage set out plans on Saturday for “mass deportation” of migrants who have crossed the English Channel on small boats if his Reform UK party forms Britain’s next government. In an interview with The Times newspaper, Farage said he would withdraw Britain from the Euro­pean Convention on Human Rights and sign deals with Afghanistan, Eritrea and other top countries of origin to repatriate illegal migrants. “We can be nice to people, we can be nice to other countries, or we can be very tough to other countries … I mean (US President Donald) Trump has proved this point quite comprehensively,” Farage said. Asked if he was concerned that asylum seekers would be killed or tortured if they were sent to countries with poor human rights records, Farage said he was more worried about the threat he believed asylum seekers posed to Britons. Small-scale protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers have become frequent “I can’t be responsible for despotic regimes all over the world....

• Party leaders say legal options to restore Ayub, Shibli to be exhausted first • Omar says PkMAP chief’s nomination to boost opposition alliance ISLAMABAD: Amid controversy surrounding the nomination of Mahmood Khan Achakzai — the head of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party — and Senator Azam Swati as opposition leaders, PTI insiders have said these appointments will only proceed if former leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz remain barred from parliament. The party plans to avail all legal options to reverse the disqualification of National Assembly Oppo­s­ition Leader Omar Ayub and Senate opposition leader Shibli Faraz, who were disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakis­tan in light of the May 9 sentences. Against this backdrop, the PTI chief earlier this week named Mr Achakzai, who also heads the PTI-led opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan, and Senator Swati for these coveted roles. The decision, however, upset many in the party, and a debate ensued over why an outsider was picked to l...

LONDON: Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres netted his first two Premier League goals and defender Jurrien Timber scored twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. However, the loss of captain Martin Odegaard and winger Bukayo Saka to injury took some of the shine off Arsenal’s second win of the […]

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