ISLAMABAD: Amid a downward revision in federal development spending, which may fall further by the end of this month, the Ministry of Finance told a parliamentary panel on Thursday that armed forces officers had been granted a special relief allowance at 50 per cent of their basic salary, while junior commissioned officers and soldiers would get 20pc allowance in the …
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday proposed shifting the “regressive” population-based formula for distributing divisible pool resources under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award to criteria based on climate adaptation and other performance indicators. Speaking at a news briefing, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the current NFC criteria were regressive as population, being the overwhelming consideration, had been made an …
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday thanked the leadership of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for its “constructive role” in helping defuse tensions during the recent conflict between Pakistan and India. During a meeting with UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, PM Shehbaz appreciated the Gulf state’s consistent efforts in promoting peace, …
ISLAMABAD: The PTI has criticised the government for “destroying” the agriculture sector and called upon farmers to prepare for a “decisive” protest movement for their rights. These remarks were made by PTI leaders at a farmers’ convention held on Wednesday, a day after the federal budget was announced. The government announced several measures in the budget to support the farming …
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday restrained the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from “harassing” former senator and prominent human rights defender Farhatullah Babar. FIA Anti-Corruption Circle (ACC) opened an inquiry against Babar in March over alleged “corruption, tax evasion and illicit asset accumulation”. Babar appeared before the FIA in Islamabad on March 28 to respond to the notice over …
ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) is expected to meet next week to consider an extension in the term of the constitutional benches of the Supreme Court. The meeting on June 19 will be chaired by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi. Under the 26th Amendment, a seven-judge constitutional bench was formed on November 5, 2024, for a period of 60 …
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb confirmed that the federal government had eliminated additional customs duties on 4,000 out of 7,000 tariff lines, while reducing duties on a further 2,700. In a post-budget press briefing on Wednesday, FinMin Aurangzeb outlined a comprehensive tariff reform plan, aimed at driving industrial growth and boosting exports in a bid to transition the country towards …
LONDON: Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday lambasted India for attempting to “sabotage President Donald Trump’s peace efforts” in South Asia, stressing that Pakistan was willing to solve all issues through dialogue. His statement came against the backdrop of Pakistan’s recent conflict with India triggered by a deadly April 22 attack on tourists in Occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. New Delhi, …
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to the United Arab Emirates tomorrow (Thursday) to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest during some high-level meetings. Over the last few months, UAE expressed the country’s commitment to strengthening its long-standing partnership with Pakistan and announced a $2 billion debt rollover soon after. In April, the …
WASHINGTON: United States Central Command (Centcom) commander Army General Michael Kurilla on Wednesday praised Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner in the world of counter-terrorism”, citing the nation’s struggle against terrorism in Balochistan and against terrorist groups like the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K). Pakistan and the US reaffirmed the continuation of counter-terrorism cooperation during a dialogue in Washington on May 10. The …