Pakistan

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for measures to broaden the tax net, directing the authorities to take strict action against individuals and sectors involved in tax evasion. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) missed its collection target by nearly Rs831 billion in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, mainly due to a decline in import volume and lower-than-expected inflation, which hit sales tax collections. The tax body collected Rs 2.299 trillion in July-April FY25 against the budgetary target of Rs 10.130tr. On monthly terms, it collected Rs846bn in April against the target of Rs963bn, which indicates a gap of Rs117bn. The prime minister, chairing a review meeting on broadening the tax base and increasing tax revenue, said that the individuals and sectors capable of paying taxes must be brought into the tax net. He also instructed the stringent accountability of officers and personnel assisting the tax evaders, according to a statement by the PM Office. The meeting was informed th...

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court postponed the hearing of the review petition in the reserved seats case until May 19.

A dignified ceremony was held in Islamabad on Tuesday to mark the launch of the book “Dr.

PTI MNA Junaid Akbar on Tuesday said he had handed over his resignation as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to the party. The development came after it emerged that PTI founding chairman Imran Khan had directed Akbar to resign from the position and focus on provincial matters. In a video statement issued today, Akbar confirmed that he had handed over his resignation to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, saying that he readily accepted the decision of the party and Imran. “Whatever the decision of the party and the decision of Imran Khan, I will not think for a moment and will readily accept it,” he said. Akbar said the position was a responsibility given by the party and he would accept any decision by the PTI founder, including handing over the party presidency or resignation from the assembly. PTI’s central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, had confirmed to Dawn, that Akbar would step down as PAC chairman. He said Imran had conveyed the message through his sister Aleema Khan d...

Pakistan has strongly dismissed recent remarks by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling them provocative and baseless.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has attributed the recent ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India to intensive behind-the-scenes diplomacy led by several key international players.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Senator Sherry Rehman emphasized the vital role of media in today’s society, and said that it plays a crucial part in keeping the public well informed, shaping perspectives, and potentially guiding both public opinion and policy decisions.

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur on Tuesday vowed that the provincial government will make education a “top priority” in the upcoming budget and allocate more resources towards the sector, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. The chief minister’s concerns follow in the wake of the unexpected textbook shortage in the province which has disrupted classes, high dropout rates, and Pakistan’s “low” ranking in the District Education Performance Index Report 2020-23. “Presiding over a meeting in Peshawar, he directed measures to enhance teachers’ capacity, ensure 100 per cent merit in new recruitments, and establish schools in rented buildings in areas where they are urgently needed,” the report said. During the meeting, it was decided that comprehensive and multi-faceted measures would be taken to increase student enrollment in schools. In this regard, schemes would be included in the upcoming budget to support various activities. “Gandapur expressed concern that in some districts, the rate of out-...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved a wheat support subsidy of Rs5,000 per acre for 600,000 farmers under the ‘Kissan Card’ initiative, in a significant move aimed at strengthening the province’s agricultural sector.

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) organized a grand “Pakistan Zindabad Rally,” on Tuesday which began at Gate No.

Pakistani all-rounder Shoaib Malik announced his resignation from the role of Domestic Cricket Mentor today through a social media post on X. He submitted his formal resignation to the Pakistan Cricket Board two weeks ago, saying he believed it was “time to move on” to ensure fairness and pay attention to multiple personal and professional responsibilities in his life. “This was not an easy choice, but after reflecting on my commitments, I realised that juggling multiple responsibilities would prevent me from giving my best — both to Pakistan cricket and to my other professional and personal priorities,” he wrote in his post. The former skipper added he would continue to serve the role according to his contractual obligations, giving PCB enough time to appoint a new mentor for the next season. Malik also expressed immense gratitude to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB executive team, his former teammate and director of Champions Events Wahab Riaz, the coaching staff at Stallion, and the players who “entruste...

Bulls maintained a hold of the trading floor at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday as shares gained over 1,000 points, continuing their upward momentum following de-escalation between India and Pakistan. The KSE-100 index opened with a gain of 2,769 points to stand at 120,067.12 points from the previous close of 117,297.73 at 9:30am. By 3pm, the index stood at 118,605.98 points, up 1.12 per cent. Bullish momentum witnessed at the Pakistan Stock Exchange — PSX data portal Finally, the index closed at 118,575.88 points, up 1.09pc or 1278.15 points compared to yesterday. A day earlier, the PSX gained a record 9pc, with the market mirroring the restored calm in the region after the Pakistan-India ceasefire. The development, announced by US President Donald Trump on Saturday, followed four days of tit-for-tat strikes between the nuclear-armed neighbours, as well as diplomacy and pressure from Washington. Commenting on today’s surge, Awais Ashraf, director of research at AKD Securities said: “Investor sen...

Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Junaid Akbar has officially stepped down as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), submitting his written resignation to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the former New Zealand cricketer Mike Hesson as the new white-ball (ODIs and T20 Internationals) head coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, according to a press release issued by PCB. The role was left vacant by Gary Kirsten, who resigned just seven months into the job on October 29 following differences with the PCB. Last year, Aaqib Javed was temporarily handed the responsibility as Pakis­tan’s white-ball head coach until next year’s ICC Champions Trophy. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi took to X to welcome the new coach, saying “After evaluation of numerous applications received against the vacancy, I’m pleased to announce that former New Zealand cricketer and renowned coach, Mike Hesson, will join us as the new White-ball Head Coach for the Pakistan National Team,” adding that he will join from May 26. “We look forward to his expertise and guidance in shaping the future of Pakistani cricket,” added Naqvi. Mike Hesson, who is the current head coach of Islamabad ...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the election for the vacant general seat from Punjab in Senate on May 29. The seat fell vacant following the demise of Senator Professor Sajid Mir on May 3, 2025, Associated Press of Pakistan reported. According to a notification by the provincial election commissioner, the nomination papers may be filed on May 14 and 15 for the election that will be held at the Punjab Assembly. The names of the nominated candidates will be published on May 16. The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on May 17 while appeals against their acceptance or rejection will be filed on May 20. The appeals will be disposed of on May 22. The revised list of candidates will be published on May 23, while the candidature may be withdrawn by May 24. The polling will be held at the Punjab Assembly chambers between 9am to 4pm. The nomination papers may be received from the Punjab ECP office on 10-Court Street in Lahore during the office hours. Notable religious and political ...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday condemned India’s unprovoked aggression, stating that it had only served to further unite and strengthen the resolve of the Pakistani nation.

The Punjab Home Department has announced the release of Rs500 million from the Internal Security Fund to strengthen and modernize the province’s Civil Defence infrastructure, marking a significant move to enhance national security preparedness.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level review meeting on Monday to assess the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) performance in expanding the tax base and increasing national revenue.

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing of Zahir Jaffer’s appeal against his death sentence in the Noor Mukadam murder case to May 19, following mutual agreement between the legal teams.