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Dawn - 12:39 Jul 15, 2025
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has advised Pakistan to implement a uniform 5 per cent general sales tax (GST) for all digital transactions to encourage nationwide adoption of e-commerce platforms, reduce cash-related inefficiencies and document the economy. In its latest report on Pakistan’s Digital Ecosystem issued yesterday, the ADB cautioned that steep and inconsistent taxes on digital infrastructure in the country pose a serious risk to foreign investment, growth, and the expansion of digital services. “Pakistan’s digital infrastructure faces a major challenge from high taxation. Taxes on this sector, both federal and provincial, are some of the highest globally and regionally, and the tax policies tend not to be very consistent,” the report said. “The cost of service provision exacerbates the digital divide, especially for women and marginalised groups, who face asymmetric cost and cultural barriers to accessing the internet.” The report further added that the telecom sector in Pakistan “experienced a ... -
Dawn - 12:38 Jul 15, 2025
Five people — four from the same family — were killed in two separate road accidents in Karachi on Tuesday, according to police and rescue officials. The city has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including dumpers and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data. At least four people lost their lives and another six were injured — all from the same family — after their speeding car crashed into a wall next to a nullah on Hawkesbay Road in the city’s Mauripur area, according to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza. DIG Raza speculated that the family was most likely returning from the Hawke’s Bay beach. The incident took place at 9am on Tuesday, he added. “The accident most likely happened as a result of speeding,” said the DIG, adding that further investigation was underway. The deceased included a man and woman — identified as Yousuf and Khalida — along with two children, six-year-old Zaina... -
Dawn - 12:14 Jul 15, 2025
India’s opposition parties have called for the governor of occupied Kashmir to resign with an apology to the people of the territory after he admitted to a “security failure” in the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people. On April 22, 26 tourists were killed at a hill station in India-occupied Kashmir’s (IoK) Pahalgam. India has blamed Pakistan for the horrific attack, an accusation the latter denies. Islamabad has called for an international independent probe into the massacre. In an interview with the Times of India on Monday, IoK Lieutenant Governor and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manoj Sinha said, “I take full responsibility for the incident, which was undoubtedly a security failure.” In response to the admission, numerous Indian politicians slammed him for negligence and for his delay in taking accountability and called for his resignation. The Indian National Congress |(INC) suggested that Sinha intended to shield “unspecified officials” in the union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, The ... -
Dawn - 12:11 Jul 15, 2025
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) plunged over 500 points on Tuesday, failing to continue its upward trajectory despite crossing the 137,000 barrier in intra-day trading. The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 1,237.03 points, or 0.91 per cent, to stand at 137,739.56 points at 11:39am, from the previous close of 136,502.53 points. Finally, it closed at 135,939.87 points — dropping 562.66 points, or 0.41pc, from yesterday’s close. The market had opened on a positive note, rising by 1,205.1 points, or 0.88pc, to reach 137,707.63 points at 9:45am. It then dropped to 136,498.16 points at 10:15am before regaining its bullish momentum. Earlier today, Samiullah Tariq, head of Research and Development at Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company Ltd, had attributed the early gains to strengthened macroeconomic indicators. “Improvement in macroeconomic indicators and better result expectations, especially in commercial banks, is the primary reason for the increase in the [stock] market,” he told Dawn.com. Awais Ashraf, research... -
Dawn - 11:34 Jul 15, 2025
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that Beijing and New Delhi should work towards mutual trust and “win-win” cooperation, after talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, state news agency Xinhua reported. China and India should “adhere to the direction of good-neighbourliness and friendship” and “find a way for mutual respect and trust, peaceful coexistence, common development and win-win cooperation”, Wang said, according to Xinhua. The two foreign ministers met in Beijing on Monday as the two rivals seek to repair ties following a 2020 clash on their border. The world’s two most populous nations are intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia, and their 3,500-kilometre frontier has been a perennial source of tension. The 2020 clash between their troops led to a four-year military standoff, but they agreed in October on patrols in disputed areas. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping met for the first time in five years late... -
Dawn - 09:23 Jul 15, 2025
The United Kingdom’s government on Tuesday launched e-visas for Pakistani students and workers as part of an “enhanced” border and immigration system. The announcement came just a day after the two countries formally signed the Trade Dialogue Mechanism Agreement and decided to establish the UK-Pakistan Business Advisory Council to institutionalise bilateral economic cooperation. In a statement today, the British High Commission (BHC) in Islamabad said: “The UK Government is replacing physical immigration documents for most student and worker visas with a digital proof of immigration status, an e-visa.” British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said on X that the facility was for “most students and workers applying for more than 6 months”. An e-visa is an online record of a person’s immigration permission in the UK and will make the visa process easier and more secure, the BHC noted in its statement. “E-visas are tried and tested, with millions of people already using them on select immigration routes,” it highl... -
Dawn - 08:30 Jul 15, 2025
Tesla unveiled its first showroom in India on Tuesday, marking its entry into the world’s most populous country, as Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company seeks new customers amid sagging sales in the United States and Europe. The store opened its doors to select visitors after its inauguration by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in India’s financial capital Mumbai. Tesla has for years signalled its interest in India but held back due to the country’s steep tariffs on electric vehicles. Musk, who once described India as having “more promise than any large country”, has also criticised its import duties, calling them among the “highest in the world”. New Delhi has offered to cut import taxes on electric vehicles for global automakers only if they commit to investing hundreds of millions of dollars and make cars locally. Tesla has yet to announce plans to set up a plant in India. For now, local media reports say, the company will likely sell cars imported from China, with deliveries projected to start... -
Dawn - 06:07 Jul 15, 2025
A divided United States supreme court gave US President Donald Trump the green light on Monday to resume dismantling the Education Department. The conservative-dominated court, in an unsigned order, lifted a stay that had been placed by a federal district judge on mass layoffs at the department. The three liberal justices on the nine-member panel dissented. Trump pledged during his White House campaign to eliminate the Education Department, which was created by an act of Congress in 1979, and he moved in March to slash its workforce by nearly half. Trump instructed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “put herself out of a job”. Around 20 states joined teachers’ unions in challenging the move in court, arguing that the Republican president was violating the principle of separation of powers by encroaching on Congress’s prerogatives. In May, District Judge Myong Joun ordered the reinstatement of hundreds of fired Education Department employees. The supreme court lifted the judge’s order without explanation, ju... -
Dawn - 05:49 Jul 15, 2025
• Writes to KP governor, chief minister; says delay in oath taking would prevent it from holding Senate elections on schedule • Commission reserves verdict on plea seeking redistribution of reserved seats in provincial assembly ISLAMABAD: With Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) just a week away, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has written to the province’s governor and chief minister, asking that the provincial assembly be convened immediately so that new members can be sworn in on reserved seats. Also on Monday, the ECP reserved its verdict in a case related to reallocation of reserved seats in the KP Assembly. The letter, addressed to the KP governor’s principal secretary, stated that the commission was obligated to conduct Senate elections in the province, which had been set for July 21. “But the matter of administration of oath is still pending and delayed,” it said. The correspondence noted that the KP Assembly speaker was requested to administer the oath to the newly returned can... -
Dawn - 05:21 Jul 15, 2025
LAHORE: A sessions court on Monday sought a reply from Johar Town police on a habeas corpus petition seeking the recovery of a man allegedly arrested for using abusive language against Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Muhammad Umar filed the petition for the recovery of his father, Muhammad Sajid. Representing the petitioner, Advocate Sameer Khan Khattak alleged that Johar Town police had illegally detained his client’s father for the past two days. He claimed that Sajid had been arrested without any registered case and had not been produced before any court. The counsel also stated that the police had forced the petitioner’s father to record apology videos, which were later circulated on social media. He asked the court to order the recovery and release of the petitioner’s father. Additional District & Sessions Judge Ghulam Farid issued a notice to the Johar Town station house officer (SHO) and directed him to file a reply by July 15. A few days ago, a video of Sajid riding a motorcycle in the rain went viral on... -
Dawn - 05:02 Jul 15, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Privatisation Commission has granted access to the virtual data room of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) to four shortlisted parties for conducting buy-side due diligence ahead of the airline’s privatisation. The commission informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Privatisation on Monday that the pre-qualification committee had finalised four entities — a consortium comprising Lucky Cement Ltd, Hub Power Holdings Ltd, Kohat Cement Company Ltd and Metro Ventures Limited; a consortium comprising Arif Habib Corporation Ltd, Fatima Fertiliser Company Ltd, The City School Ltd, and Lake City Holdings Ltd; Fauji Fertiliser Company Ltd; and Air Blue. The virtual data room — an online repository used for document storage and sharing — facilitates due diligence processes typically associated with mergers and acquisitions, loan syndication, private equity and venture capital transactions. A meeting of the standing committee, chaired by Muhammad Farooq Sa... -
Dawn - 04:55 Jul 15, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The PTCL on Monday refused to share information with a parliamentary committee regarding the sale of a piece of land in Karachi, saying the state-owned company was not answerable to the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom. The issue at hand was a PTCL announcement in which the company said it would auction a property situated on I.I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi. Committee’s Chairman Syed Aminul Haq expressed displeasure, saying the PTCL was not providing the proof of powers that allowed it to sell properties. The chairman of the committee asked the PTCL team about the specific clauses of the sale and purchase agreement that allowed PTCL to sell its properties without seeking permission from the government. The company did not provide information to the panel, but in a response to the IT ministry it stated that the PTCL’s Memorandum of Association allowed the company to sell its properties. At this, the lawmakers asked if the company had such powers to sell land and wondered whe... -
Dawn - 04:50 Jul 15, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) are expected to increase by Rs5.25 and Rs6.50 per litre, respectively, for the upcoming fortnight starting July 16, owing to a rise in global oil prices and import premiums. According to informed sources, the ex-depot price of petrol is projected to rise by about 2pc to Rs272.04 per litre, while HSD is likely to see a 2.5pc increase to approximately Rs279.48 per litre. The final prices will be announced after government approval. Currently, petrol is priced at Rs266.79 per litre following a Rs8.36 per litre hike on June 30. Widely used in motorcycles, rickshaws, and private vehicles, petrol has a direct impact on the budgets of middle- and lower-income households. Diesel, which fuels heavy transport, agricultural machinery, and trains, stands at Rs272.98 per litre after a Rs10.39 hike earlier this month. Its price is considered highly inflationary, influencing the cost of food and other essential goods. Transporters have already begun adjusting fares in ... -
Dawn - 03:05 Jul 15, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi on Monday announced a new initiative for underprivileged litigants to engage legal representation, at state expense. The initiative, launched under the auspices of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), will be implemented across all levels of the judiciary, from magistrate courts to the Supreme Court. The counsels in such cases would be given up to Rs50,000 in remuneration, which would be provided to them through the District Legal Empowerment Committees, to ensure equitable access to justice for all citizens. The decision was taken during a meeting presided over by the chief justice at the Supreme Court Branch Registry in Quetta. The meeting reviewed institutional linkages between the bar associations of Balochistan and LJCP in strengthening justice delivery. During the meeting, the CJP shared insights from his visits to some remote districts, where he noticed a gap in coordination between bar associations and the LJCP. He said that des... -
Dawn - 02:44 Jul 15, 2025
• Urdu version to be available by July-end, Sindhi and Pashto versions will follow suit • New system will automatically pull data linked to filer’s CNIC, at-source deductions, bank details • PM seeks early release of income tax refunds for salaried individuals; wants Raast chairman, board to be appointed by September ISLAMABAD: In a move to simplify tax filing procedures for the salaried class, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced a new interactive return form, which will incorporate an auto-fill system that seamlessly integrates data about purchases, asset details and tax deductions at source etc. — ultimately generating a single-form return upon completion. The new return form is currently available in English, while the Urdu version is set to come out by the end of this month. During the first rollout phase, the form will also be available in two regional languages, Sindhi and Pashto. More versions in regional languages — Punjabi and Balochi — are expected to be rolled out subsequently. Under ... -
Dawn - 18:59 Jul 14, 2025
OpenAI, Alphabet’s Google, Anthropic and Elon Musk’s AI firm xAI have won contracts of up to $200 million each, aimed at scaling up adoption of advanced AI capabilities in the United States Department of Defence (DoD), the government agency said on Monday. The contracts will enable the DoD to develop agentic AI workflows and use them to address critical national security challenges, the department’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office said. “The adoption of AI is transforming the [DoD’s] ability to support our warfighters and maintain strategic advantage over our adversaries,” Chief Digital and AI Officer Doug Matty said. US government agencies have been expanding their use of AI, driven by a White House order in April promoting adoption. President Donald Trump has also moved to soften regulations on technology by revoking a 2023 Biden-era executive order, which sought to reduce AI risks through mandatory data disclosures. Separately on Monday, xAI announced a suite of its products called “Grok f... -
Dawn - 18:59 Jul 14, 2025
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday announced the dates for cricket’s return to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, stating that matches will be played on June 12, 2028. Cricket is returning to the Olympics for the first time since the Paris Games in 1900 with a proposed six-team Twenty20 format for men and women in Los Angeles. The IOC had said in October 2023 that cricket’s inclusion had the potential to activate and engage new audiences, with the sport’s worldwide fan base estimated at 2.5 billion people. A press release issued today said the sport’s highly anticipated return was revealed with the official competition schedule. Cricket “will play out starting July 12, with the 20th and 29th of the same month earmarked for the medal matches”, the press release read. “There are no cricket matches scheduled on July 14 and 21 at LA28,” it added. “Most of the matchdays will be double headers, with the games starting from 9am and 6:30pm as per local Los Angeles time. It’s the same for the medal mat... -
Dawn - 18:24 Jul 14, 2025
A man was killed and three others were injured when the roof of a shop collapsed in Hyderabad’s Timber Market area as heavy rain caused urban flooding and brought civic life to a halt in the city on Monday, according to officials. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. They are also vital for agriculture, and therefore the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security for South Asia’s nearly two billion people. Market Police Station House Officer Munir Abbasi told Dawn.com, “A person from Moro died and three others were injured when the roof of a shop collapsed in the Timber Market area.” A dust storm preceded rain in the city, Latifabad and Qasimabad. The Met Office recorded the speed of rainfall at 42 nautical miles per hour with 94 millimetres of rainfall in the city, while 56mm was recorded in Latifabad. However, the waterlogging situation remained equally bad in both areas, regardless of the... -
Dawn - 17:05 Jul 14, 2025
England beat India by 22 runs to win a thrilling third Test at Lord’s on Monday as they went 2-1 up in a five-match series. India were on the brink of defeat at 147-9, still needing a further 46 runs to reach a victory target of 193, when last man Mohammed Siraj joined Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. Nevertheless, the pair batted on until after tea on the final day to give India hope of an improbable win. But with India in sight of just their fourth win in 20 Tests at Lord’s, Siraj played on to off-spinner Shoaib Bashir — off the field for much of the match with a finger injury — with the ball just dislodging the leg bail to the batsman’s visible despair. Jadeja was left stranded on 61 not out — the all-rounder’s fourth consecutive fifty this series — after taking India to within sight of what would have been a stunning success before they were all out for 170. England captain Ben Stokes bowled two lengthy spells today on his way to an innings return of 3-48, with fast bowler Jofra Archer — in his first Test a... -
Dawn - 16:56 Jul 14, 2025
The Ministry of National Food Security and Research on Monday announced that the ex-mill price of sugar has been fixed at Rs165 per kilogramme, marking an increase of Rs25 from the fixed price last June. An official statement issued by the ministry said that the government and sugar industry had reached an agreement on the new ex-mill price of the commodity. “All provincial governments will ensure the availability of cheap sugar to the public in light of this decision,” the statement read. Last week, the federal government approved the import of half a million tonnes of sugar in a bid to maintain affordable prices of the commodity. “The committee approved the import of up to 500,000 metric tonnes of sugar to ensure a stable supply and maintain affordable prices nationwide,” said a statement posted on X. In March, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said that retail sugar prices should not exceed Rs164 after the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) warned sugar mills against price manipulation. Dar said that a...
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