ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Saturday approved a reinvigorated and re-energised national counter-terrorism campaign, Operation Azm-i-Istehkam, that symbolised the national resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country. The campaign was launched with the consensus of all stakeholders, including the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, during a meeting of the Central Apex Committee on the National Action …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said time-tested Pak-China friendship is indispensable for bilateral as well as regional peace and development, expressing great satisfaction over complete political consensus in both countries on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. He expressed these views while talking to Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) Liu Jianchao, who along with a …

ISLAMABAD: The ruling PML-N faced an unprecedented backlash in the National Assembly on Fri­day, with even lawmakers from the treasury benches joining their opposition counterparts as they lashed out at Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb for presenting a ‘tax-loaded and IMF-dictated budget’, while a key ally in the ruling coalition continuing its boycott of the general debate on the budget. The second …

ISLAMABAD: Rare political consensus was shown on Friday at the third meeting of the Pakistan-China Joint Consultative Mechanism (JCM) of Political Parties on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Islamabad as a visiting Chinese minister stressed that internal stability was essential for Pakistan’s development. The cross-party political unity was shown at the CPEC Pakistan-China Political Parties Forum co-chaired by Deputy …

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 …