GWADAR: President Asif Ali Zardari has called for enhancing the capacity of the law enforcement agencies (LEAs), posting competent officers in Balochistan, and improving the prosecution mechanism to effectively counter terrorist elements in the province. The president expressed these views while chairing a meeting on the security and law and order situation in Balochistan on Thursday. Interior Minister Moh­sin Naqvi, Chief Minister …

ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Zubair Tiwana drew flak for an increase in taxes and punitive measures for non-filers, as the Senate Standing Committee on Finance deliberated on the Finance Bill 2024 on Thursday. In addition to a proposed raise in taxes on imported electric vehicles, reservations about hikes in other sectors, such as cement, telecom and beverages, were also discussed, and senators observed that abrupt …

ISLAMABAD: The education ministry and Google announced a “strategic collaboration” to improve access to education and support the development of a digital ecosystem for learning, wa ith the agreement also aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children across the country. This was announced by Google for Education and the Ministry of Federal Education on Thursday during an event, according …

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday fixed for hearing a petition by pop singer Muhammad Ashraf, also known as Malkoo, challenging his placement on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL). The PNIL is a controversial substitute for the Exit Control List, better known as the ECL. It is pertinent to mention that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been maintaining the …

D.I. KHAN/PESHAWAR: A row between the Centre and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on loadshedding that had ostensibly settled last month resurrected on Wednesday after KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur issued an­­other ultimatum, telling the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) to reduce outages on all grids to 12 hours a day. Pesco is among those distribution companies whose power losses are as high …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has said India has no right to object to the references made to Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan-China joint statement issued in Beijing after talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang on June 8, and reiterated it is an established fact that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally-recognised disputed territory. “It is an …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that government departments and institutions incurring billions in losses to the nation and the exchequer would be shut down once a committee finished its review of the matter. In an address to the nation today, the prime minister said it was the first duty of the government to reduce lavish expenses and …

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday slashed the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) for the next fortnight by Rs10.2 and Rs2.33, respectively. In a notification, the finance ministry said the prices of petroleum products had seen a mixed trend in the international market in the last fortnight. It said Ogra had worked out the consumer prices based on the …

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday challenged PTI founder Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s acquittals in the cipher case before the Supreme Court. The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) charge sheet alleges was never returned by then-PM Imran, who long held that the document contained a threat from the US to topple his government. A special …

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday presented his first federal budget with a total outlay of Rs18.9 trillion, which analysts say is broadly “in line with IMF guidelines”. Pakistan’s budget for the upcoming year aims for a modest 3.6 per cent GDP growth, and sets an ambitious Rs13tr tax collection target, raising taxes on salaried classes and removing tax …