Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly Secretariat on Thursday hosted the inaugural meeting of the Association of Secretaries of Legislatures of Pakistan, with the objective of fostering stronger inter-legislature connectivity, enhancing coordination, and reinforcing the parliamentary system.

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has said that taxpayers are free to declare the market value of their movable and immovable assets at their own discretion, in tax returns for the year 2025, without requiring formal valuation or supporting documents. But this flexibility does not apply to high-net-worth individuals, who remain subject to stricter reporting requirements under Section 7E of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. The clarification came in the wake of misinformation, circulating on social media, regarding amendments to the income tax return form. The FBR has so far received 2.7 million tax returns. Tax bar associations have meanwhile requested an extension of the filing deadline. According to an official statement, the income tax return form for 2025 — released on July 7 — exp­licitly requires taxpayers to declare the market value of their assets, as outlined on page 66 of the form. FBR says high-net-worth individuals subject to more strict reporting requirements; those who have submitted re...

• Two-judge bench declines Justice Jahangiri’s plea to join proceedings • Insists court will first hear and decide maintainability of petitions • Petitioners and their lawyers walk out of courtroom, stage protest KARACHI: Heated sce­nes were witnessed at the Sindh High Court on Thursday as a two-judge bench dec­lined to entertain the plea of Islamabad High Court Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri to become a party in proceedings on seven petitions, challenging the cancellation of his law degree. The two-judge constitutional bench (CB) comprising Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha and Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon, however, set aside the IHC judge’s application, insisting that it would first hear and decide the maintainability of the petitions before it. Justice Jahangiri, accompanied by IHC Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, pleaded for a right of hearing, saying he was the aggrieved party and Karachi University (KU) had not issued him a notice before canceling his degree. Lawyers for the petitioners, however, objected to...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Senator Azam Swati on Thursday filed a petition in the Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad against the blocking of his passport.

KARACHI - Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman, Pakistan Peoples Party has issued following statement on the National Newspapers Readership day.

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday dismissed an appeal filed by murder convict Rustam, who had challenged his life imprisonment sentence.

LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday granted the federal government additional time to frame legislation regarding the right of appeal against sentences handed down by military courts.

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday deferred the hearing of appeals seeking the suspension of sentences awarded to PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the £190 million case until October 16, owing to the absence of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor due to illness.

KARACHI: The Sindh government is considering a plan to introduce O and A Level programmes in public schools across the province, with at least one institution in each district to offer the courses. Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah met the Country Director of Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) in Pakistan Uzma Yousuf, who was accompanied by her delegation. Secretary School Education Zahid Ali Abbasi and other senior officials also attended the meeting. The discussions focused on strengthening Sindh’s education framework, particularly in the areas of curriculum development, teacher training, foundational learning and assessment reforms. Both sides agreed to establish a joint working group to devise actionable strategies and recommendations. Mr Shah said the Sindh government was committed to introducing Cambridge programmes in public schools. Under the initiative, at least one school in each district will offer O and A Level subjects, providing students from disadvantaged background...

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said on Thursday that terrorists were receiving “state patronage” in Afghanistan, from where they launched attacks on Pakistan. His comments come against the backdrop of a tumultuous security situation in Balochistan, which has worsened in recent months, as terrorists, long involved in a low-level insurgency, have stepped up the frequency and intensity of their attacks. The banned so-called Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces. Islamabad, for the last couple of years, has been insisting that terrorists use Afghan soil to lauch attacks across the country. Kabul, however, denies the allegations. Responding to a question during a press conference in Islamabad, CM Bugti reiterated the state’s narrative and said, “Terrorists were provided safe havens and places to run training camps in Afghanistan.” He highlighted that many among the recently killed terrorists wer...

US President Donald Trump hosted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir at the Oval Office in Washington, DC during the early hours of Friday morning. US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also present, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after the meeting said. It added that the meeting was held in a pleasant atmosphere. Photos released after the meeting showed both PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir exchanging views with Trump. Trump was also all smiles as he flashed his signature thumbs up sign during a group photo. The meeting, which was closed to the press, was originally slated to begin at 4:30pm Washington time (1:30am PST) but was delayed by approximately 30 minutes as the US president spoke to reporters after signing executive orders. The meeting itself lasted approximately one hour and 20 minutes. Photos from the White House press pool before it began showed PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir waiting pati...

Pakistan won by 11 runs after stumbling to 135-8 in the virtual semi-final against Bangladesh in their men’s Asia Cup Super Four fixture at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. With that win, the Green Shirts bookëd their final date with archrivals India for the first time in the 17th iteration of the Asia Cup on Sunday. Speaking at the post-match ceremony, player-of-the-match Shaheen Afridi said: “I attacked up-front as the team needed an early breakthrough — the three overs in the powerplay made all the difference.” He dedicated his award to his wife and son. The left-arm pacer scored a vital 19 of 13 balls and got 3-17 with the ball, striking in his signature manner in the very first over of the innings yet again. Skipper Salman Ali Agha said, “If we can win these kinds of games, then we must be a special team.” He commended Mohammad Haris’s crucial 31 runs down the order, terming him a “special player”. On a pitch that spun prodigiously, Pakistan were staring down the barrel at 49-5 in the 11t...

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United States President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine, as Erdogan sought a long-awaited deal to buy US stealth fighter jets. As Erdogan visited the White House for the first time since 2019 during Trump’s first term, Trump called on him to use his influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Moscow’s invasion. Trump said that he would discuss Ankara’s wish to buy high-tech F-35 aircraft and was ready to end sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of Russian air defence missiles. Nato ally Turkey was booted out of the flagship US stealth fighter programme during Trump’s first term after it defiantly bought Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system. “I’d like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues this rampage,” Trump told reporters alongside Erdogan in the Oval Office. Trump said Erdogan was “very respected” by both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and “could have ...