ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has hailed the Rs1.2 trillion bank loan secured to settle Pakistan’s circular debt as the “largest financing and largest restructuring transaction” in the country’s history. On Wednesday, the government signed loan facilities worth approximately Rs1.225tr with 18 banks to settle the outstanding dues of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) parked in circular debt. These dues will …

ISLAMABAD: The Nati­onal Assembly’s Comm­ittee on Cabinet Secretariat has denounced the rampant unannounced loadshedding by electricity distribution companies (Dis­c­os) and termed it the violation of policies and dir­e­c­­tions set by National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra). The committee chairman, Malik Ibrar Ahmad, decided to call officials of the power division at the next meeting to discuss the matter. The committee …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will hold a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday, in what officials describe as part of a renewed push to reset Pakistan-US ties. According to diplomatic sources, the prime minister will briefly travel to Washington from New York, where he is attending the session of the UN General Assembly, for …

PESHAWAR: Security forces on Wednesday killed 13 terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, the military’s media wing said in a statement. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces conducted the operation in the Daraban area, upon the reported presence of terrorists “belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Khwarij”. The …

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday stated that Pakistan was steadily meeting its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme commitments, but urged the lender to take into account the recent flood damage in its upcoming review for the country. The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting with Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the IMF, on the sidelines …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has held that only the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) can investigate allegations of misconduct against judges of the apex court and high courts, it emerged on Wednesday. The observation was made in a detailed verdict, issued on Tuesday, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, in a case pertaining to the contempt proceedings against …

ISLAMABAD: Diamond sets and a drone light show at a near-million-dollar wedding have become evidence for tax authorities under a new “Lifestyle Monitoring Cell” tasked with scanning social media for lavish spenders, officials said. A team of 40 investigators from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has started scouring , TikTok and YouTube posts this week, to match influencers, celebrities, …

KARACHI: PPP’s Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the first lady and a member of the National Assembly, on Wednesday asserted that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was the “most effective way” to distribute aid to flood-affected people, adding that it would be “irresponsible to not utilise it”. Her statement comes a day after Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said that the provincial …

PESHAWAR: The Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Information for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs Ikhtiar Wali Khan has said that terrorists are being “facilitated and given refuge to” in the tribal areas of the province, because of which security forces are compelled to carry out operations. The remarks come days after alleged aerial strikes in KP’s Tirah valley killed at least …

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on Wednesday that it has received Third Country Operator (TCO) approval for flight operations in the United Kingdom and is expected to return to British skies next month, according to a statement. In July, the UK removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, allowing Pakistani airlines to now apply to operate flights in Britain. …