Pakistan

• Business community warns of escalation as govt fails to meet tax reform demands • Islamabad, Rawalpindi and a few other cities remain normal KARACHI/LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Karachi and Lahore — Pakistan’s two largest commercial cities — witnessed a near-complete shutdown on Saturday as traders observed a strike against what they described as harsh and anti-business taxation measures introduced through the Finance Act 2025-26. The strike, called by the Karachi and Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industry, marked one of the most widespread protests by the business community in recent years. In Karachi, nearly 90 per cent of commercial activity remained suspended, including wholesale markets, retail shops, industries, and fruit and vegetable markets. KCCI President Jawed Bilwani told Dawn that this was the first time in the chamber’s history that the city’s entire business community had voluntarily shut down operations in protest. Mr Bilwani said industrial production had come to a halt in all seven industrial zones...

Hyderabad - Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori conducted a detailed visit to various parts of Hyderabad, including the Cloth Market and Electronics Market, to assess the damage caused by recent torrential rains that severely affected residents and traders.

ISLAMABAD - The political scenario is at the edge of a new seismic shift, just as the monsoon clouds bringing torrential rains, a political downpour is expected to drench the country in the coming weeks.

Peshawar - Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan, and SAFRON, Engr Amir Muqam, on Saturday reiterated Pakistan’s strong support for the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination and their historic decision to accede to Pakistan.

Chief executive officer (CEO) Andy Baron of American tech company Astronomer resigned on Saturday after a video of him embracing an alleged colleague at a Coldplay concert went viral and fueled relentless memes. “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,” New York-based Astronomer said in a statement shared on LinkedIn. “Andy Byron has tendered his resignation,” the firm said, after previously launching an investigation. The company added that Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy, who was assigned the role of interim CEO, will continue to serve in that position. During a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Wednesday, the jumbotron zoomed in on a man and a woman embracing in the stands. But the canoodling pair appeared shocked and horrified when they spotted themselves on the big screen, with the man ducking out of frame and the woman covering her face with her hands and spinning around. “Uh-oh, what? Either...

ISLAMABAD - Authorities are conducting relief operations in several areas across Pakistan after this week’s torrential rains appeared to largely subside, with the death toll from rain-related incidents nearing 200 since late June.

HANGU - District Police Officer (DPO) Khalid Khan was critically injured after sustaining four bullet wounds in a terrorist attack by unknown militants near Zargi Shanaori area here Sunday.

ISLAMABAD: The illi­cit cigarette trade in Pak­is­tan has emerged as a ser­ious economic and public health concern, driven by weak regulatory enforcement and a significant knowledge gap among retailers, according to a new study. The report, titled ‘Tax Stamps and Illicit Cigarette Sales in Pakistan: Understanding Retailers’ Knowledge Gap’, was released by Umeed-i-Sehar, a non-profit organisation focused on public health initiatives. Based on a survey of 2,000 retailers in seven major cities — including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad — the study paints a troubling picture of regulatory neglect and widespread retailer unawareness. An overwhelming 97pc of retailers said they had never been approached by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials for compliance guidance, while 86pc were unaware of the government-imposed penalties for selling illicit cigarettes. Only 27pc of retailers could differentiate bet­ween tax-paid and illicit cigarette packs. Meanwhile, 73pc did not understand the placement or purpose of tax ...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday that Pakistan has posted a 2.

ISLAMABAD - An avalanche struck Camp 1 on K2, the world’s second-highest peak on Friday (July 18) at approximately 2:30 PM, resulting in the tragic death of a local climber and minor injuries to a foreign mountaineer, the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said on Saturday.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar has said that any kind of negative propaganda against national integrity, dignity of national institutions and social harmony will not be tolerated at all.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan, and SAFRON, Engineer Amir Muqam, on Saturday said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were dissatisfied with the performance of the provincial government.

ISLAMABAD - The district and sessions court in Islamabad on Saturday issued an arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, demanding that he be detained and produced before the court by Monday.

Islamabad - In a landmark initiative aimed at revolutionizing Pakistan’s agriculture sector through international collaboration and knowledge exchange, a group of 100 young agricultural professionals is set to depart for China on Sunday (today) for training in Southwest University of Science and Technology as part of the.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Azerbaijan have expressed satisfaction on the joint efforts to further strengthen the close and fraternal ties.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Saturday congratulated the Pakistani team on winning the Asian Under-16 Volleyball Championship.

LAHORE - Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain has asserted that India neither has courage nor capability to block Pakistan’s water as the natural flow of rivers favors Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD - The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is fully committed to addressing the concerns of the business community and residents on a priority basis, in line with the vision of its Chairman, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Randhawa.

INDIA’S opposition Congress party has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi provide a clear explanation after US President Donald Trump claimed that five fighter jets were shot down during the recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led the charge on Saturday, calling on Modi to address the nation regarding the fate of the jets. “Modi ji, what is the truth about the five [jets]? The country has the right to know!” Mr Gandhi posted on X, as criticism from the opposition mounted over the government’s han­­dling of the brief but intense conflict. The controversy erupted after Trump, speaking at a White House dinner with Republican lawmakers on Friday, said, “In fact, planes were being shot out of the air. Five, five, four or five, but I think five jets were shot down actually,” referring to the hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Indian premier asked to ‘speak truth’ Trump did not specify which side’s aircraft were downed, nor did he provide furth...

• Disgruntled leaders say will contest Senate polls in line with Imran’s vision, allege ‘pro-establishment’ candidates being favoured • Insiders claim oath-taking slated for today may get delayed due to ‘quorum’ • PPP leader says opposition alliance intact, will secure five seats PESHAWAR: As the disgruntled PTI workers are adamant on contesting Senate polls despite an understanding between the KP’s ruling party and the opposition, the agreement on seat adjustment, however, seems to remain intact, with both sides now working on the panel of voters for their candidates. The oath-taking of the 25 MPAs-elect, which is scheduled for today (Sunday), has also assumed importance, as non-administration of oaths to them could lead to postponement of Senate polls. One of the ruling party MPAs told Dawn that there was a likelihood that oath-taking would not take place on Sunday, as the session might be adjourned at the outset due to “lack of quorum”. The treasury and the joint opposition alliance had agreed on a seat-sh...