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 …
ISLAMABAD: In an apparent U-turn from its earlier assertions that the former ruling party would only talk to ‘empowered’ stakeholders and not the ‘toothless ruling’ coalition, PTI founder Imran Khan on Tuesday ordered the party’s top brass to reach out to the government for a dialogue to end the political impasse. The change of heart came in light of remarks …
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s economy failed to meet most of its targets set in the previous budget due to challenging conditions, but the agriculture sector achieved unprecedented growth, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced on Tuesday while unveiling the Pakistan Economic Survey (PES) 2023-24. The strong 6.25pc expansion in the agriculture sector — said by the report to be the highest in 19 years — drove Pakistan’s …
ISLAMABAD: In a rare display of harmony between the government and opposition, all 42 Senate standing committees have been notified within the stipulated period. This was unlike in the National Assembly — which held its first session 40 days before the upper house — where the process of notifying standing committees has been stalled. On Monday, notifications regarding all 42 …