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Pakistan to return $3.5bn UAE debt before month end: official

ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan has decided to return $3.5 billion in debt to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before the end of this month, a senior Pakistani official said on Friday. The official described the move as a cost the country was willing to bear to uphold “national dignity,” even as it is set to significantly draw down foreign exch­ange reserves. The official disclosed that Abu Dhabi had sought the immediate return of the amount. “The amount will be returned as soon as possible,” the official said, adding that “national dignity could not be compromised for financial considerations”. These funds were part of external financing support extended by the UAE in 2019 to help stabilise Pakistan’s balance of payments. The official said the dec­i­sion had ended the uncertainty surrounding the deposits placed through the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, which had been rolled over multiple times since 2019. In recent months, the extensions had become as shorter as month long, reflecting Emi...
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‘Silence’ stonewalls Pakistan-led US-Iran talks initiative

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan-led initiative to facilitate US-Iran talks has been held up, with Tehran yet to formally respond to proposals for dialogue despite back channel exchanges in recent days, a senior official told Dawn on Friday. The official, who was speaking on background, said some ground had been covered, with messages relayed between Washington and Tehran, but the absence of a clear Iranian signal has slowed momentum at this critical stage. “It is surprising that despite the obliteration of significant naval, air force, and other military and civilian infrastructure, Iran has not responded positively to calls for negotiations,” the official, who is familiar with the discussions, said. He said both Pakistan and China had urged Iran to engage, but “Tehran has so far not conveyed its readiness to take part in the dialogue.” He added that Pakistani leaders, despite Tehran not giving a reply, have remained in contact with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister ...
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US fighter jet shot down over Iran, search under way for crew member, US officials say

A US fighter jet has been shot down over Iran and search-and-rescue efforts have so far recovered one of two crew members who ejected, a US official told Reuters , in the first known incident of its kind in the nearly five-week-old war. The Pentagon and US Central Command did not respond to requests for comment. The prospect of a US pilot being alive and on the run inside Iran raises the stakes for the United States in a conflict that, according to opinion polls, has struggled to win popular support among Americans. It also presents a challenge to the US military, which faces the twin goals of trying to save the life of an American behind enemy lines while safeguarding anyone involved in perilous rescue missions. Iranian officials called on civilians to be on the lookout for survivors and have flooded social media with images that purport to show wreckage from the aircraft. Two US officials said the aircraft was an F-15E fighter jet, which has two seats: one for a pilot and the se...
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Seven dead as rains, flash floods ravage Balochistan

• Embankment breach in Kachhi destroys over 100 houses; 400 acres of farmland submerged • Major roads, highways washed away; multiple internal roads blocked QUETTA / DERA MURAD JAMALI: Rains and flash floods have caused widespread devastation across Balochistan, leaving seven people dead, four injured, and hundr­e­­ds of homes, livestock, and crops destroyed, according to the Provincial Disa­ster Management Authority. The floods have severely affected districts, including Harnai, Kohlu, Turbat, Jaffarabad, Loralai, Kach­­hi, Nasirabad, Jhal Magsi, Dera Bugti, Sibi, and Bolan. The PDMA report indicated that an embankm­e­­nt breach in Balanari, Ka­­chhi, destroyed over 100 houses, killed more than 50 livestock, and submer­ged approximately 400 acres of agricultural land. In Harnai and Qila Abd­ullah, around 100 houses were damaged, while the Gandawah–Notal road in Jhal Magsi was blocked by flood surges. Lightning strikes claimed two lives in Loralai and Kachhi, while one person died...
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US blows up key Iranian bridge, steel plants

• Trump says more will follow after earlier threatening to bomb Iran back to ‘Stone Ages’, claims war nearly over • Tehran vows ‘crushing’ attacks on US after Trump threats • Iran launches missiles towards Israel; fire near Mashhad airport after projectile hits fuel tank • Dozens of countries discuss coalition to secure passage through Hormuz WASHINGTON / TEHRAN / BAGHDAD / PARIS: The US and Israel on Thursday stepped up attacks on Iran, targeting a century-old medical research centre in Tehran, a bridge near the capital and steel plants after President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran back to “the Stone Ages”. Hours later, Trump said the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed. He posted footage on social media of smoke rising from the B1 bridge in Karaj, around 35 kilometers southwest of Tehran and warned that there would be further destruction unless Iran comes to the table to end the five-week war. “The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again ...
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War Diary Day 34: Trump’s speech deepens escalation pushing war into prolonged phase

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The 34th day of the US-Israel war against Iran unfolded in the immediate aftermath of US President Donald Trump’s speech , which, rather than opening any pathway to de-escalation, appeared to have hardened positions across the conflict spectrum. The remarks triggered swift Iranian retaliation, and reinforced a trajectory of sustained attrition with an increasingly central focus on economic pressure and maritime control. In his speech, Trump declared that US and Israeli objectives were nearing completion, while committing to another two to three weeks of intensified strikes and warning that Iran could be pushed “back to the Stone Age” if it failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s formulation looked to be a combination of coercive diplomacy and continued military escalation, even as it left ambiguity over the precise end state being sought. The immediate Iranian response underscored the limited deterrent effect of the speech as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched o...
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Mohmand’s unregulated marble industry raises environmental, safety concerns

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MARBLE factories are discharging untreated waste directly into natural waterways, obstructing their flow, in Mohmand district.—Dawn • Untreated slurry, wastewater blocking streams, silting dams • Experts say flood risks rise as irrigation, water storage undermined MOHMAND: The rapid expansion of Mohmand district’s marble industry, a key source of jobs and income, is increasingly turning into an environmental and safety concern, as unregulated operations threaten waterways, farmland and public infrastructure, resi­­dents and experts warn. Located in Khyber Pa­­khtunkhwa, Mohmand is rich in natural resou­r­ces, including marble, chromite and nephrite, which have significantly contributed to local livelihoods and the national economy. Over the years, the ma­­rble sector has emerged as a major source of employment, with around 200 processing units operating across the district and providing jobs to thousands of workers. However, the largely un­­regulated growth of the industry has...
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