ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Thursday passed thefederal budgetfor the upcoming fiscal year, with an outlay of Rs17.57 trillion, despite opposition calls for the budgetary proposals to be made public and for the passage to be delayed until public input had been sought. The House passed the Finance Bill for 2025 with certain amendments, incorporating around half of the suggestions …
QUETTA: Balochistan Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani on Thursday described thebudget for 2025-26as a milestone in the province’s journey toward sustainable development and the public welfare. In his post-budget speech in the Balochistan Assembly, Mr Nosherwani said Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, the provincial cabinet and all assembly members deserved gratitude for their cooperation in preparing what he called a balanced …
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming on Thursday marked the International Day of Parliamentarism by unanimously passing a resolution reaffirming its commitment to gender equality and inclusive governance. Expressing deep concern over Pakistan’s placement at 148 out of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index Report 2025, the committee, chaired by MNA Dr Nafisa Shah, acknowledged …
ISLAMABAD: The Finance Bill, 2025, was approved by parliament on Thursday, meaning that the Rs17.57 trillion budget for the coming fiscal year has been greenlit. The PPP on Wednesday voiced strong reservations over a set of politically unpopular provisions in the federal budget for the next fiscal year, urging the government to amend “contentious” clauses ahead of its expected approval …
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday approved a search and selection committee for recommending the appointment of members of the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) under theDigital Nation Pakistan Act. Enactedin January this year, the act aimed to transform Pakistan into a “digital nation” by enabling a digital society, digital economy, and digital governance. The bill wasapprovedby the federal cabinet …
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior on Thursday announced that it planned to take strict action against elements spreading religious hate on social media as part of a security plan ahead of the month of Muharram. The government has ramped up security efforts in the past few weeks as the first month of the Islamic calendar inches closer. KP and the …
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed concerns over the “worst forms of torture” the people of Palestine and Indian-occupied Kashmir are being subjected to by foreign occupation powers, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Thursday. There have been widespread reports of systematictortureand human rights violations by Indian occupation forces in held Jammu and Kashmir since the region was unilaterally annexed …
RAWALPINDI: The pre-monsoon has finally set in across the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, with the first spell lashing the garrison city early Wednesday morning. The rainfall raised the water level in Leh Nullah and caused water accumulation in low-lying areas of the city. However, no loss of life or public property was reported, except for one incident in …
LAHORE: At least seven people were killed and 39 others were injured in multiple rain-related incidents as Punjab was battered by heavy monsoon showers on Thursday, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Rescue 1122. Monsoon rainsfallacross the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. They are …
GILGIT: NDMA’s National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) on Wednesday issued a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (Glof) alert for northern areas, including Gilgit-Baltistan, citing a dangerous combination of persistent high temperatures, intensified monsoon currents and a prevailing westerly wave. The alert comes as current heatwaves intensify glacier melting across the region, leading to increased water levels and flash floods creating disasters …