Pakistan

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced that applications for Hajj 2026 will open tomorrow (Monday, August 4) on a first-come, first-served basis.

During Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Pakistan, a total of 13 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the two countries.

The nationwide death toll from monsoon rains has risen to 299, up from 234, as the season that began in late June continues to cause widespread devastation, the National Disaster Management Authority said on Sunday, according to state-owned PTV News. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. However, heavy downpours also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. According to earlier NDMA estimates, the death toll stood at 234, while 596 people have been injured since June 26. According to the latest figures, “at least 299 people have lost their lives in this year’s flash floods and torrential rains, while another 715 people were reported injured. Out of the total death toll — 140 were children, 102 men and 57 women,” the report said. Out of the 715 injured, 239 were children, 204 were women, while 272 were men, it added. Deta...

Funeral prayers were held Sunday morning for a police constable martyred in a terrorist attack on a checkpoint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, where an exchange of fire also left three terrorists dead and three policemen injured. Over the past few months, multiple areas of KP — including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur — have seen a series of attacks, particularly targeting police personnel in Bannu in July. Bannu Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan said in a statement that three terrorists were killed and police constable Rooh Niaz Khan was martyred when 40 to 50 terrorists attacked the police check post in Fateh Khel, Bannu. Three terrorists were killed and as many policemen were injured in the exchange of fire, which lasted more than an hour, the statement added. Soon after receiving information about the attack on the post, RPO Khan and District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas Kulachi, along with the force, left for the site of the incident, Aamir Khan, spokesperson for the...

More than 400,000 Hindus took part in a month-long pilgrimage in Indian-held Kashmir, authorities said, shrugging off security worries weeks after a military conflict with Pakistan. The pilgrimage began on July 3 and closes officially on August 9, but organisers said that lashing rains had damaged narrow paths, forcing a premature end. Official Vijay Kumar Bidhuri said in a statement late on Saturday that 415,000 pilgrims had taken part. Many of the faithful began their trek to the Amarnath ice pillar from near Pahalgam, where an April 22 attack in Pahalgam killed 26 mostly Hindu tourists in the Muslim-majority region. New Delhi, without evidence, said the gunmen were backed by Pakistan, claims Islamabad rejected — triggering a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures that escalated into a four-day conflict. It was the worst standoff by the nuclear-armed nations since 1999, with more than 70 people killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides, before a May 10 ceasefire. New Delhi last week claim...

Russia’s Ministry for Emergency Services lifted a tsunami warning for the Kamchatka Peninsula on Sunday after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the nearby Kuril Islands. The ministry had said earlier on the Telegram messaging app that expected wave heights were low, but warned people to move away from the shore. The Pacific Tsunami Warning System, which gauged the quake at 7.0, said, however, there was no tsunami warning after the quake. The US Geological Survey also said the earthquake was at a magnitude of 7. Overnight, the Krasheninnikov Volcano in Kamchatka erupted for the first time in 600 years, Russia’s RIA state news agency and scientists reported on Sunday. Both incidents could be connected to the huge earthquake that rocked Russia’s Far East last week, which triggered tsunami warnings as far away as French Polynesia and Chile, and was followed by an eruption of Klyuchevskoy, the most active volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Kuril Islands stretch from the southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. R...

Torrential rains accompanied by strong winds swept through Lahore on Saturday, inundating low-lying areas and prompting local authorities to remain on high alert as the monsoon season intensifies.

A formal welcome ceremony was held at the Prime Minister House on Sunday in honour of Iranian President Dr.

Jason Holder smashed a four on the final ball to give West Indies a dramatic two-wicket victory over Pakistan on Saturday, lifting the hosts level in their T20 international series. On the same night he took four wickets to reach a West Indies T20I record 81 for his career — breaking Dwayne Bravo’s old mark of 78 — Holder went 16 not out and West Indies ended a horrid losing streak with zero balls to spare. Pakistan, which won Thursday’s opener by 14 runs, will try to bounce back in Sunday’s series-deciding T20 match under the lights at Lauderhill, Florida. West Indies, set 134 to win, was on the brink of a seventh consecutive T20 defeat after having been swept 5-0 last month by visiting Australia. Gudakesh Motie led West Indies with 28 runs but went down on the first ball of the 17th over, run out by Mohammed Haris with the hosts on 96 for six. Haris caught Keacy Carty for a duck three balls later but Holder swatted a six to end the 18th over, West Indies still needing 24 to win. Romario Shepherd smashed a s...

KARACHI: The body of the man who drowned himself and his two minor children at Do Darya near Seaview on Thursday afternoon was recovered on Saturday, police and rescue officials said. An Edhi spokesperson added that when their lifeguards resumed the search operation on Saturday morning, they found the body of Aurangzeb Alam floating at sea near China Port. The bodies of the two minor children — Ahmed and Ayat — were found at Seaview on Friday morning. The man with his minor son and daughter had jumped into the sea near a waterfront high-rise building. South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the children’s maternal uncle Rameez Husain in a written statement told the police that his brother-in-law Alam and his sister along with their children had appeared before a court on July 31 over a petition (No 3290/2024) for custody of the children. He claimed that the custody issue was ‘amicably’ settled between the couple. Later, Alam, along with his wife and children, went to the food street at Burns Road for a lunch....

LARKANA: The Grand Democratic Alliance’s senior leader Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi has advised Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior to form his own party and join hands with the opposition to launch a joint struggle for clean, honest and corruption-free leadership in Sindh. Jatoi was talking to journalists outside the court of the first additional sessions judge Larkana on Saturday where he appeared in connection with a case, accusing him of obstructing official duty. The court adjourned the hearing to Aug 18. He said the case was registered at Badah police station. It was initially heard in Dokri court and was then transferred to the district and sessions court from where it was subsequently assigned to the first additional sessions judge Larkana. He said the hearing did not proceed and was put off to Aug 18. “God willing, truth will prevail, and falsehood will be exposed,” he said. He said that a similar case was registered in Ranipur but later his and his colleagues’ names were struck off the case, and they were acquitted....

ISLAMABAD: After failing to obtain permission from the district administration to hold a workers’ convention on August 5, the Islamabad chapter of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has announced it will begin an unarmed but political “guerrilla struggle” from Sunday (today). PTI Islamabad chapter head Aamir Mughal said that, under the “guerrilla struggle,” they would block various main roads and share the message of Imran Khan. “However, workers will disperse before the arrival of police. Our goal is to record the protest and protect our workers from arrest and police torture. We know that torture is the only weapon of the ruling elite,” Mr Mughal said. He vowed to expand this new strategy from Islamabad to the rest of the country. It is worth mentioning that PTI has called for a protest on August 5, the day marking two years of Imran Khan’s incarceration. Imran Khan will lead the protest from jail. Earlier this week, PTI submitted a request to the capital administration to hold a workers’ convention (jalsa) at ...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally announced its decision to withdraw from all future editions of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), citing political interference, biased conduct, and inconsistent tournament rules.

In a significant show of unity, tribal elders from North Waziristan have pledged full support for the Pakistan Army’s ongoing efforts to eliminate terrorism from the region, particularly in light of an operation launched against India-sponsored terrorist elements.

PESHAWAR: The federal government’s decision to expel Afghan nationals with Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, the last category of refugees legally living in the country without visas, has left those over one million people in panic. The interior ministry on Thursday issued a special regulatory order (SRO), saying PoR cards expired on June 30 this year, rendering their holders’ stay in the country unlawful. It empowered district administration, police, prosecution, prisons and all other authorities to take appropriate measures for the arrest and detention, whether in jails or other suitable premises, and repatriation of all such illegal foreigners. “Federal Government is pleased to invoke the provisions of sub-sections (I), (2)(c), (2)(e)(i) and (2)(g) of Section 3 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, in relation to PoR card holders forthwith,” the SRO read. Following the issuance of SRO, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home and tribal affairs department on Friday made a public announcement regarding the deportation of Afghan...

BAJAUR: Terrorists in Bajaur district have conditionally agreed to vacate civilian areas, but would not leave the district completely, sources said on Saturday. The second round of talks between Bajaur Aman (peace) Jirga members and local terrorist leaders aimed at convincing them to leave the region ended on Saturday, said the sources. They told Dawn that talks between the 50-member peace jirga and terrorist leaders were held in the Lowi Mamund tehsil. The terrorists had requested a day’s time at the Friday meeting to consult their leadership over the jirga’s two-point demands — either to return to Afghanistan or retreat to the mountains if they wanted to fight the security forces, as their presence posed a serious threat to locals. However, the sources said that no significant development took place in this crucial meeting, meant to convince the terrorist to leave the region peacefully. The details of the meeting, which started at around 3pm and ended late on Saturday evening, have yet to be formally disclo...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s value-added textile sector has raised alarms over the United States’ recent imposition of a 19 per cent tariff on Pakistani exports, warning that it could neutralise any potential gains in market access. The new tariff, added on top of existing duties, is seen as significantly higher than expected, undermining hopes for improved trade relations and market share, particularly in comparison to regional competitors such as Vietnam and Bangladesh. Industry leaders argue that the new tariff structure, combined with rising domestic production costs, makes it increasingly difficult to compete. One exporter noted that the higher tariffs, along with Pakistan’s growing production costs, could result in a decline in export volumes. “The deal is neutral at best,” the exporter said, pointing out that regional players like Vietnam and Bangladesh, with their lower production costs, remain better positioned. Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Jawed Bilwani told Dawn that Pakistan’...

ISLAMABAD - Aleema Khan, the sister of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, on Saturday clarified that Imran’s sons have applied both for their national identity cards for overseas Pakistanis (Nicops) as well as visas to visit Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD - The federal government has decided to establish separate immigration counters for for-eign passengers at all international airports in the country.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Iran on Saturday reaffirmed commitment to strengthen bilateral ties and promote peace and stability in the region.