Pakistan

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has launched a major initiative to simplify and speed up the process of opening corporate bank accounts for startups and newly registered companies.

US President Donald Trump’s administration has revoked around 80,000 non-immigrant visas since its inauguration on January 20 for offences ranging from driving under the influence to assault and theft, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday. The extent of the revocations, first reported by the Washington Examiner, reflects a broad immigration crackdown initiated when Trump came into office, deporting an unprecedented number of migrants, including some who held valid visas. The administration has also adopted a stricter policy on granting visas, with tightened social media vetting and expanded screening. Around 16,000 of the visa revocations were tied to cases of driving under the influence, while about 12,000 were for assault and another 8,000 for theft. “These three crimes accounted for almost half of revocations this year,” said the senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. In August, a State Department spokesperson said Washington had revoked more than 6,000 st...

India’s Maharashtra state, home to the financial hub Mumbai, will be the first to roll out Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service in the world’s most populous country, the state’s chief minister said. The launch of Starlink, which provides high-speed internet to remote locations using low-orbit satellites, has sparked fierce debate in India over issues ranging from predatory pricing to spectrum allocation. India — projected to have more than 900 million internet users by year’s end — granted Starlink a licence in June. Maharashtra was “poised to become the first Indian state to formally collaborate with Starlink”, the state’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on the Musk-owned platform X late Wednesday. “This collaboration … will ensure the state leads India in satellite-enabled digital infrastructure.” In March, India’s biggest telecom service providers — Jio Platforms and its rival Bharti Airtel — announced deals with SpaceX to offer Starlink internet to their customers. Starlink’s business operations Vi...

Lahore woke up to a pleasant change in weather on Monday, as temperatures dipped and a refreshing chill settled over the city.

PTI's Gohar calls it an 'attack on parliament'; Fazl warns coercive changes will erode public trust

President seeks boost in defence ties with Qatar

NEPRA questions power firms over spending billions of rupees on AMI units

Gold prices slip Rs1,000 per tola despite global gains; rupee steady

Experts stress need for identifying exporters to push beef trade to $200m

Finance committee chief calls for end to 'colonial era legacy' as secrecy shrouds $12.7b deposits, $7b loans

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Leaders at TFS push for economic renewal through fairness, innovation, reform

Affordable spectrum urged as govt prepares 600MHz auction, MVNO framework nears approval

LCCI president highlights new opportunities, Egyptian envoy points to Suez Canal Zone for investment

Heavyweights drag KSE-100 index down as earnings season draws to a close

Li pledges high-standard opening up as 461 new products, services set for debut at Shanghai event

A couple of days after an inquiry report on alleged irregularities in awarding the Rs170 billion Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (Carec) Tranche-III project was submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Sherheryar Sultan was removed and directed to report to the Establishment Division. Member administration of NHA, Omar Saeed Chaudhri, has also been repatriated to his parent department, the Ministry of Defence. The Establishment Division issued two separate notifications regarding the removal of the NHA chairman and the repatriation of the member to the Ministry of Defence. When contacted, the NHA spokesman said no one in the NHA and the Ministry of Communication was aware of the reason behind the chairman’s sudden removal. “The chairman worked in the office today (Wednesday) till 6pm, and the decision came in the night that stunned all in the NHA,” he added. The removal of the chairman is believed to be the fall of the biggest wicket in the NHA amid the...

ISLAMABAD - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Pakistan, Mr.

Rawalpindi - National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi here on Wednesday directed the marketing companies to refrain from promoting the unapproved and illegal housing societies in the twin cities.

ISLAMABAD - The Centre for Strategic Perspectives (CSP) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) hosted a Roundtable discussion with Ms.