Pakistan headlines
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T16:08:58+00:00
A government delegation arrived in Lahore’s Mansoorah area on Saturday night in last-ditch talks with the Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan (JI), on the eve of the party’s planned march to Islamabad to demand the abolition of the petroleum levy. The government levies Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel. The JI has been staging regular sit-ins in Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and dozens of other locations across the country since August 16 to protest the levy. In a post on X, the JI said that a delegation comprising Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah and Provincial Minister Khawaja Salman Rafiq arrived in Mansoorah and was received by JI Deputy Emir Liaqat Baloch. Visuals showed Iqbal and Sanaullah exiting their cars and walking with Baloch through a hallway, before entering a sitting room to begin negotiations. JI Acting Secretary General Nazir Ahmad Janjua, Special Assistant Umer Idris, JI Lahore chief Ziauddin Ansari and Information Secretary Shakeel Ahmad Tabrabi were present at the meeting, according to the party. ‘No turning back’ Earlier, the party dug its heels in over its planned march, refusing to call it off unless the government abolishes the petroleum levy, with party chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announcing that protest caravans from across the country would begin moving toward the capital on Sunday. “If the rulers cannot abolish the levy, we cannot call off our march,” Rehman said at a press conference in Mansoorah, setting the stage for a potential standoff with the authorities. The government, equipped with a recent Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruling against activities that curtail the freedom of movement, is determined to prevent rallies from disrupting traffic and the normal flow of life in the federal capital. Rehman promised peaceful protest and warned the government not to take any action against the protesters. “A public rally will be held in Karachi on Saturda
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T15:48:48+00:00
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas on Saturday said only PTI founder Imran Khan had the authority to postpone his party’s countrywide protest planned for September 27. The PTI has called for a nationwide protest , including a “ long march ” to Islamabad, to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan and mobilise people for the supremacy of the Constitution. The Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) opposition alliance, which Abbas is a key leader of, has assured the PTI of its support for the protest. A post on Abbas’ X account on Saturday claimed that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had called on him and that the latter was informed only Imran could postpone the September 27 protest. “No one can minus Imran,” he wrote. TTAP Spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Ahmed Yousufzai, speaking to Dawn , claimed that the meeting was held on September 14 on Naqvi’s request. He added that Abbas and PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan attended the meeting on the opposition’s side. Responding to queries after a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad, Abbas said: “He (Naqvi) came to meet [us]. We have stated our stance and they will find out … that no individual can postpone the September 27 march without a meeting with Imran Khan sahib .” He asserted, “Imran Khan cannot be minused; we will not let Imran Khan sahib be minused. Therefore, no issue can be resolved without a meeting with Imran Khan sahib .” During the press conference, Abbas said providing basic facilities to the people and protecting their constitutional rights were major issues. He said that even a senior federal minister had acknowledged that the country’s system had “collapsed”. TTAP leader and former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair said there was a wide gap between the lifestyle of the ruling elite and the economic difficulties faced by ordinary citizens. He claimed that poverty, unemployment and inflation had increased compared with four and a half years ago. He said electricity pric
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T15:28:49+00:00
ISLAMABAD: More than 337,000 pensioners have obtained their Proof of Life certificate since its launch by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) on August 20, 2026, according to official data. The certificate is an official document that verifies that a pensioner is alive. Giving a breakdown of the facility’s usage, Nadra said 174,906 pensioners (52 per cent) obtained the certificate through the Pak ID app from home, 134,521 (40pc) through Nadra Registration Centres, 24,248 (7pc) through e-Sahulat centres and 3,585 (1pc) through mobile registration vans. Pensioners can obtain the certificate online or at the nearest Nadra service channel, according to their convenience, for proof of life, it added. Nadra noted that certain elements were deliberately misleading pensioners and urged them not to pay heed to such rumours. Pensioners were urged to contact the Nadra helpline, their nearest Nadra office or an e-Sahulat centre in case of complaints. It added that if a CNIC number was not included in the list of pensioners, the relevant department should be contacted. On August 20, Nadra had made the Proof of Life Certificate free for pensioners and expanded access to the document through multiple channels across the country. The initiative was launched on the special directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defence, Controller General of Accounts (CGA) and Military Accountant General (MAG). According to Nadra, the easiest option to obtain the certificate was through the PakID mobile application, through which eligible pensioners could obtain the certificate digitally from home. An immediate family member could also obtain the certificate on a pensioner’s behalf through their own PakID account, subject to the prescribed identity verification process. For those preferring assisted services, the certificate could be obtained free of charge at more than 5,000 e-Sahulat franchises and over 988 Nadra
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T14:28:21+00:00
THE state continues to leave no stone unturned in demonstrating that there is no rule of law in Pakistan. Even the highest courts appear to have no writ where the will of the state is concerned. This week, for yet another time, a Supreme Court order expired at the gates of a prison. The administration overruled the Supreme Court’s bail orders for Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha late Thursday evening with a hitherto unknown FIR, reportedly carrying a terrorism charge inked in by hand. The young couple are well-regarded in legal and rights circles . They were known for taking up cases few others would be willing to touch. That, precisely, is what seems to have irked some in the corridors of power, which led to the two being sentenced last January to 17 years in prison for posting ‘harmful’ content on social media. They have remained in custody since then. When the Supreme Court ordered their release on bail, the state swung into action. It discovered a case registered 18 months ago that had never been pursued or consolidated, and activated it hours before they were meant to be released. An Anti-Terrorism Court promptly remanded them to judicial custody. The sequence of events leaves many questions unanswered. If such a serious terrorism case had been pending against the two lawyers, why was it not pursued for such a long period? And why was it not brought before the Supreme Court’s attention when the decision to allow bail was being made? Furthermore, the new case pertains mainly to Pakistan Penal Code violations, and it seems the two were only brought before an ATC judge due to a terrorism charge added as an afterthought. The ATCs, which were created to prosecute violent terrorists, seem to have become a general-purpose tool for handling inconvenient people. The rulers of the day should remember that precedents are being set. If every bail order can be neutralised with a dormant FIR, this tool will invariably be used against any citizen who falls afoul of the
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T14:19:09+00:00
MUZAFFARABAD: The ruling PML-N and opposition PPP on Saturday submitted nomination papers for their respective candidates for the office of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) president, setting the stage for a contest on September 24. The office of the AJK president has remained vacant since January this year following the death of Barrister Sultan Mahmood. Previously, then-Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar was serving as acting president. The role was then assumed by incumbent Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq after he was elected speaker on August 25. Under the AJK Constitution, the president is elected by members of the Legislative Assembly by a majority of the total membership, in the manner prescribed by law. The nomination papers were received by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, who is also the returning officer for the presidential election. The PML-N has fielded 62-year-old former minister Dr Najeeb Naqi, whose nomination was proposed by senior PML-N leader and former prime minister Raja Farooq Haider and seconded by AJK Prime Minister Iftikhar Gillani. Meanwhile, the PPP nominated 78-year-old Akbar for the office, with his nomination proposed by former minister Deevan Ali Khan Chughtai and seconded by fellow legislator Sardar Mukhtar Ahmed Abbasi. The PML-N hopeful arrived at the Election Commission office accompanied by his proposer and seconder, as well as several other PML-N legislators, including the party’s regional president, Shah Ghulam Qadir. Haider and Gillani first posed for photographs with the nomination paper as they appeared to formally hand it over to the CEC. Subsequently, several other PML-N legislators, including the party president and ministers, also posed with the same nomination paper, standing alongside the CEC and appearing to hand it over to him in a similar manner. Akbar was also accompanied by several PPP legislators, who posed for photographs during the submission
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T14:02:45+00:00
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to process and decide within 15 days representations concerning the detention of two Pakistani citizens and PTI-affiliated individuals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Justice Sadiq Mahmud Khurram issued the directions in written orders on Sept 14 on two separate petitions filed by the families of Syed Salman Raza Zaidi and Muhammad Junaid Jahangir through Barrister Abuzar Salman Niazi. According to the petitions, Zaidi went missing from his residence in Sharjah on Sept 27, 2024, and was subsequently taken into custody by UAE authorities. His wife, Faryal Zainab, told the court that despite nearly two years having passed, she had not been provided with clear information about the charges against her husband, the judicial proceedings, any sentence imposed on him or the complete court record. In the second petition, Muhammad Ibrahim, Jahangir’s father, said his son was allegedly detained at Dubai airport on Sept 24, 2024, upon his return from Saudi Arabia. The petitions challenged the alleged failure of the federal government and the Foreign Office to provide effective consular protection and legal assistance to the two men. Barrister Niazi told the court that representations regarding the detention of both citizens had been submitted to the foreign secretary but had not been processed. The petitioners sought legal and consular assistance for the two men, access to their judicial records and diplomatic steps for their return to Pakistan. They also sought a report on the steps taken by the state in the matter. After examining the petitions and the documents attached to them, Justice Khurram directed the foreign secretary to process the representations concerning the detention of Zaidi and Jahangir in the UAE, if they were still pending, in accordance with the law and expeditiously. The court directed that the representations be decided preferably within 15 days of receipt
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T13:30:29+00:00
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday directed that all operational fuel stations be brought onto the system under the prime minister’s fuel relief scheme , while permanently closed stations and those dealing exclusively in diesel be removed from the list. He issued the directives while chairing a meeting of the National Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy to review the implementation of the scheme, according to a statement issued by his office. “Every fuel station which is open and operating” should be brought onto the system, while stations found permanently closed or dealing exclusively in diesel should be identified and removed from the list, the statement quoted him as saying. The committee was informed that an overwhelming majority of fuel stations across the country were now operational on the system and that citizens were redeeming fuel tokens. Registration is continuing nationwide via SMS to 9771. The committee also approved the redemption of fuel tokens via SMS at stations in areas without internet connectivity. Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and the provinces were asked to furnish lists of such stations so that they could be brought onto the scheme without delay. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) informed the committee that all payment claims received over the past three days had been settled in full, with claims received each day processed on the same day. Dar appreciated the efforts of the provincial administrations and the cooperation extended by the SBP, stressing that “the relief must continue to reach the intended beneficiaries without hindrance”. PM Shehbaz on Sep 13 announced a “relief scheme” for users of motorcycles, autos and vehicles of up to 800cc to “alleviate the burden” of rising global oil prices. Under the scheme, owners of motorcycles, rickshaws, Qingqis, three-wheelers and vehicles with engines of up to 800cc will receive a Rs100 per litre relief on petrol. On Friday, PM Shehbaz approved a
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T12:49:20+00:00
President Donald Trump claimed he halted all refugee admissions and made English the official language of the United States in a long list of what he called his top achievements, as difficult midterm elections loom. Trump is scrambling to boost his low approval ratings ahead of November’s vote, with polls showing the unpopular war in Iran and the fuel and other price rises it has caused are hurting his Republican Party. Polls say the party could well lose control of the House and perhaps even the Senate, a setback which would pose a major challenge for Trump and his America-first agenda in the last two years of his second term. Trump said Friday he “achieved the most secure border in history” in a lengthy social media post on Truth Social that focused on immigration, foreign policy and the economy. “ZERO illegal aliens admitted to the United States in the past 16 months,” he wrote, adding that his administration had slashed refugee admissions from “dangerous places”. Trump has presided over an often violent immigration crackdown which involves frequent deportations and shipping people whom the US cannot legally send home to third countries, which are sometimes compensated with money. He also claimed the US had “obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity” to ensure the Islamic republic “will NEVER have a nuclear weapon”. This was one of Trump’s often-changing justifications for going to war in February. The US-Israeli strikes on Tehran have rocked the global economy and engulfed the Middle East in war, proving a quagmire for a president who promised not to get America involved in any more foreign wars. Trump also flaunted hefty tariffs slapped on US trading partners, which he said were to “bring back American manufacturing”.
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T12:44:01+00:00
A large plume of smoke was visible near Riyadh’s main airport on Saturday after booms were heard and Saudi Arabia sent alerts overnight warning of potential danger around the capital, amid an escalation in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. This is the first time since Yemen’s long-standing civil war resumed that it has threatened the Saudi capital, further shaking a global economy already under pressure by nearly seven months of war between the United States and Iran. Reuters video and photographs showed a huge pillar of black smoke rising in the area, with the airport highway, main terminal building and other facilities in the foreground. At one point in the video, flames were visible rising from behind what appeared to be fuel tanks. Aircraft tracking website FlightRadar24 reported major issues at the Saudi capital’s Riyadh King Khalid International Airport, including cancellations and delays. The airport was listed under the site’s maximum disruption index of 5.0, meaning the airport was seeing “major problems with long delays and several cancelled flights”. There was no immediate comment from the Saudi government’s media office in response to Reuters’ questions about the smoke and the overnight alerts. Saudi civil defence sent the alerts by phone overnight for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, before issuing an all-clear on Saturday morning. “The area is under a hostile aerial threat,” said a message received just before 3:00am by Riyadh residents, urging them to stay indoors. AFP journalists then heard two explosions, before the Saudi civil defence agency lifted the alert half an hour later. A Reuters journalist in Riyadh’s Olaya area also heard booms before the all-clear was sent. “I heard the alarm, then my windows shook,” a Riyadh resident, 27, living in the city’s north, told AFP . “It was definitely scary. I was not expecting this.” Another resident described the attack as “terrifying”. “I was extremely anxious — espe
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T12:25:03+00:00
For years, the race to build ever-more powerful artificial intelligence (AI) followed a well-worn Silicon Valley principle: move fast and break things. But in a series of cascading events over a 10-day stretch, the largest AI labs found themselves reeling as their own creations threatened to break humanity itself. An Anthropic researcher quit the firm, warning that the pace of AI development poses an existential threat, possibly within a decade. Another researcher at the firm said the odds of human extinction exceeded 10 per cent. Reports emerged of swarms of AI agents colluding, breaching computer systems and evading safeguards. In a rare show of unity, the CEOs of rivals Anthropic, OpenAI, Google’s DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI called to slow the development of increasingly capable AI systems. Not since the invention of the nuclear bomb more than 80 years ago has humanity grappled so seriously with its own demise, according to some AI safety advocates and researchers. At a New York luncheon in December 2025, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was asked if, as leader of a powerful AI company, he felt like physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, who led US development of the atomic bomb. Reflecting on the parallels, he said AI’s impact is going to transform the trajectory of human history over a long period of time. But, he said, he felt the weight of responsibility. At the center of the debate under way is the conviction that these machines can, and even must, build more capable versions of themselves, with no human intervention, to reach a lofty goal known as artificial general intelligence, or AGI. Researchers earlier this month warned that AGI was far more imminent than previously believed and could come in as few as three years, launching a wave of concern from politicians and tech leaders about AI systems. There is no way to oversee them at the scale at which we’re training them, said Anthropic researcher Joe Benton in an interview after recently quitting . If companies continue the
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T11:29:16+00:00
PESHAWAR: Police said on Saturday that an overnight clearance operation following the deadly two-pronged assault near a mosque in Kohat district’s old Police Lines had been completed, saying that a total of eight terrorists were killed. After detonating an explosives-laden vehicle near a mosque in old Police Lines during Friday prayers, terrorists stormed the compound and attacked police facilities, martyring at least 21 and injuring over 100. The death toll rose to 23 on Saturday, including 17 policemen and six civilians, police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials confirmed. In an official handout, KP police said on Saturday that eight terrorists were killed in retaliatory action by police and security forces. It said that the operation had concluded, adding that Elite Force commandos, CTD teams, and security forces had cleared key parts of the buildings. According to the statement, KP Inspector General (IG) Zulfiqar Hameed was present at the scene. It added that the operation was led by the CTD additional IG, the Kohat regional police officer and the Kohat district police officer. It said that the Kohat general officer commanding was also present. “Law enforcement agencies achieved success following an overnight operation,” it said. The statement said IG Hameed commended the officers who participated in the operation and announced rewards for them. “Police, CTD, and security forces fought valiantly; these brave personnel are the pride of the nation,” he said. “The terrorists’ nefarious designs have been thwarted, and we will ensure their complete elimination,” he said. Army personnel stand amid the rubble following an explosion inside the police headquarters at Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on September 18, 2026. — AFP A CTD statement earlier said that its additional IG was injured in a grenade attack by terrorists during the operation. According to the statement, the terrorists had entered the Special Branch building after the suicide attack o
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T11:06:05+00:00
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stressed the importance of “uninterrupted energy supplies” and the “safe and expeditious passage of ships” during a conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday, the Foreign Office (FO) said. In a post on X, FO said the deputy premier and the top Iranian diplomat discussed the latest regional developments. Dar “stressed the importance of uninterrupted energy supplies and the safe and expeditious passage of ships, particularly given their implications for developing countries and global supply chains”. He underscored that “dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable means to ensure peace and stability in the region”, the statement added. The two agreed to maintain close cooperation and meet in New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly next week , according to FO. The phone call came amid concerns over disruptions to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab , two key maritime routes for global trade and energy supplies. Iran’s stranglehold on the strategic Strait of Hormuz since the US launched its war on February 28 has already impacted oil exports from the Middle East. Fears of worsening disruption have intensified after the Houthis seized control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab strait a week ago, declaring a maritime blockade on Riyadh. While the current blockade is limited to Saudi ships, fears of a wider closure persist. On Friday, Pakistan condemned Houthi attacks on merchant shipping in Bab al-Mandab and called for their immediate cessation. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said that disruptions and attacks on merchant vessels could have implications far beyond the affected regions, including by affecting energy prices and global food security. Ambassador Asim also linked Pakistan’s position on maritime security to its diplomatic efforts following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T10:19:04+00:00
Denmark on Saturday hailed a “binding” deal announced by United States President Donald Trump to give Washington “permanent control” over Greenland’s security and bar Russian and Chinese bases from the Arctic territory. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly insisted that Washington needed to control Greenland for strategic reasons, alarming Nato ally Denmark and sparking fierce pushback from the alliance. Denmark and Greenland — an autonomous territory controlled by Copenhagen — both hailed the deal and said they would sign it on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next week. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Saturday that the potential signing meant “next week could be a good week”. “A long period of uncertainty will hopefully be replaced by a binding agreement that strengthens security in the Arctic and North Atlantic,” the foreign minister said in a social media post. He added that the deal, which he said respected Denmark’s “red lines”, was “important” in light of a changed security situation. But the terms of the deal are uncertain, and Denmark maintains its sovereignty remains intact. Permanent control In a statement, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the deal as “an agreement which at the same time recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination”. “I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has entered into an Agreement with The Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland, that gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland,” Trump said on his Truth Social network. “From now on, no US adversary can EVER have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval.” The 80-year-old said it was an “‘Infinite Life’ Agreement, there is no end!” and said Washington would
The Express Tribune · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T10:01:55+00:00
Actress says she still seeks challenging roles as San Sebastian gives her the Donostia Award
Dawn · Pakistan · 2026-09-19T09:42:49+00:00
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Saturday of double standards after it adopted a resolution criticising Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme. The IAEA’s “biased viewpoint and double standards” are “the fundamental factor causing the collapse of the international nuclear non-proliferation system”, Kim Yo Jong said in a statement in state media KCNA . She said the agency had turned a blind eye to the “blatant nuclear proliferation activities” of the United States and South Korea’s “ nuclear submarine introduction plan ”, while forcibly adopting a resolution against North Korea’s “self-defensive and legitimate nuclear activities”. In a separate KCNA statement, North Korea’s foreign ministry also dismissed the resolution, declaring that its status as a nuclear power is irreversible and backed by its nuclear deterrent. KCNA also said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un carried out a three-day inspection tour of major munitions factories this week. Kim said North Korea’s efforts to modernise all components of its defence capability are bringing about “a significant change” in the composition and means of its armed forces, KCNA said. Analysts say North Korea has been overhauling its military with Russian help since the two countries signed a mutual defence treaty in 2024. They say combat experience gained by Pyongyang’s troops deployed to the war in Ukraine has also aided the effort. Kim also gave a lecture to a propaganda workers’ training session in Pyongyang on Friday, KCNA reported, telling attendees that modern “ideological warfare” needed to be innovative, creative and aggressive rather than repeating old methods.
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