New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) In fresh trouble for financially-starving Pakistan, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has added 11 new conditions to the ongoing $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme, according to a new report.A report in Business Recorder says that one condition is the enactment of an amendment to the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act and the Special Technology Zones Authority Act to phase out existing fiscal incentives and shift from profit-based to cost-based incenti…
Latest Dawn News & Updates
Islamabad, April 28 (IANS) Residents in Karachi held a protest against prolonged, unannounced power outages lasting up to 16 hours daily, resulting in severe traffic congestion in the city’s business district for hours, local media reported on Tuesday. The protests on Monday impacted vehicular movement on the I.I. Chundrigar Road, Ziauddin Ahmed Road and nearby areas for over two hours, with roads in nearby areas, including Saddar and Pakistan Chowk, clogged and commuters facing difficulty und…
Quetta, April 27 (IANS) A police head constable was killed after armed assailants targetted a checkpost in Huramzai area of Pishin district in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Monday, local media reported. Police said armed assailants opened fire on a police checkpost using automatic weapons, following which police retaliated, Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn reported. According to the police official who wanted to remain anonymous, the exchange of fire, which continued for some time, claimed the…
Islamabad, April 27 (IANS) Islamabad police have arrested a man for reportedly sharing a post on social media, comparing the capital’s Tarnol Railway Crossing to the still-besieged Strait of Hormuz and charged him with not following an official order, trying “wrongful restraint” and “attempting a crime punishable with life imprisonment or less”, local media reported. Perhaps frustrated over the traffic hold-up due to a passing train, the man reportedly posted: “Tarnol Railway Crossing is no less…
Islamabad, April 26 (IANS) As many as 71 children, including 40 in Sindh, have died due to measles in the first four months of 2026, local media reported on Sunday. Among the 71 children who have died due to measles in Pakistan, Sindh topped the list with 40 deaths followed by 12 each in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and four in Balochistan in the first four months of 2026, according to the official statistics, Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn reported. As many as 4,541 measles cases have been repo…
Islamabad, April 24 (IANS) A new alternate report submitted to the UN Committee against Torture by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) showcases gaps in Pakistan’s legal protections, local media reported. The report, submitted ahead of the review of Pakistan’s compliance with its obligations under the Convention against Torture, exposes incidents of custodial abuse and inadequacy in the country’s enforcement of the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act, 2022. “T…
Islamabad, April 23 (IANS) Learning crisis deepens and existing gaps further widen when children in Pakistan, who struggle with basic literacy, keep on missing schools. In March, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced closure of schools and a shift to online classes for all higher education institutions for two weeks to manage the increasing price of fuel caused by the conflict in West Asia. However, this is not the only time when Pakistan government decided to shut down schools. “If o…
Islamabad, April 23 (IANS) Persecution of minorities, misuse of blasphemy laws, violence against women and the forced return of Afghan refugees demonstrate Pakistan’s failure to protect vulnerable groups, local media has highlighted. An editorial in Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn cited Amnesty International’s latest report that has criticised the state of civil liberties in Pakistan. Amendments to Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and anti-terror laws have increased censorship and detent…
Islamabad, April 23 (IANS) Suspension of goods transport has triggered a shortage of edibles and fuel in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi and Islamabad and traders and good transporters have urged the district administration to reopen the roads, local media reported on Thursday. Oil Tanker Contractors’ Association spokesperson Noman Ali Butt said that supply had been impacted due to no oil tanker movement.”The ban on the entry of goods transport vehicles is severely hampering the supply of petroleum produc…
Islamabad, April 22 (IANS) A 15-member Afghan family, including minor children, were detained by law enforcement agencies in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi as authorities continued their crackdown against illegal Afghan nationals, local media reported on Wednesday. Sources said more than 5,673 illegal Afghans have been repatriated to Afghanistan since the deadline for voluntary return has ended. The law enforcement agencies have been asked to maintain accurate, comprehensive and consolidated data of all …