ISLAMABAD: The government faced an embarrassing situation in the National Assembly on Thursday when the opposition cleverly blocked the passage of an important money bill in the middle of the process. It was after facing a 67-32 vote defeat on the motion tabled by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to present the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2024 for its passage that …
ISLAMABAD: In a major policy shift, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved a comprehensive five-year tariff reform plan to be announced in the federal budget 2025-26, aiming to drastically reduce customs duties, additional customs duties, regulatory duties on raw materials and semi-finished goods, and a phased reduction in overall tariff protections for select industries. The first phase of the reform, …
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that Pakistan’s armed forces had shattered the ‘false hegemony’ of India and made the whole world realise that all states in the region are equal. The premier again asked India to sit at the table to resolve contentious issues, including Kashmir, through dialogue, without which there will be no guarantee of permanent …
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and others in response to applications seeking suspension of sentences awarded to PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the £190 million corruption case. An IHC division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif directed the …
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Thursday that the militaries of India and Pakistan have agreed to extend last week’s ceasefire until Sunday, May 18. Addressing the Senate on Thursday, he said the extension paves the way for renewed political dialogue. “Now it [ceasefire] has been extended till [May] 18, so obviously, now ultimately, things will go to …
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has proposed a zero-tariff bilateral trade agreement with the United States aimed at expanding trade relations in multiple sectors, has learnt on the authority of credible sources. The development came after the US president expressed interest in enhancing trade with Pakistan, the sources said, adding that the Pakistani government has proposed a bilateral agreement based on mutual interests, …
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the agriculture sector was being developed on modern lines to achieve self-reliance and directed the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework for the sector. During the second quarter of FY25, the agriculture sector experienced a significantly declined growth rate of 1.10pc compared to 5.80pc the previous year. The prime minister has previously …
ISLAMABAD: A powerful explosion targeted the vehicle of local JUI-F leader Maulana Noorullah on Thursday near a seminary in the lower South Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said. The explosion hit Maulana Noorullah’s car near Shahzad Madrassah, adjacent to a police station in the district’s Azam Warsak market. According to a police statement, the bomb attack was carried out …
ISLAMABAD: Days after heightened tensions brought Pakistan and India — two nuclear-armed rivals — to the brink of a full-blown war, a PPP lawmaker on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire but said it should not be the conclusion but the beginning of a long overdue reckoning in the region. “It should be a reckoning where truth triumphs over propaganda, dialogue triumphs …
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday invited India to a comprehensive dialogue to address all contentious issues, including the Kashmir dispute and the water distribution, between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The prime minister floated this offer during his visit to the frontline area of Pasrur Cantonment in Sialkot, where he lauded the armed forces for giving an exemplary response …