Pakistan

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has issued a weather alert as pre-monsoon rains are set to begin across the province today, with significantly above-average rainfall expected in several districts.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level review meeting on the affairs of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), directing authorities to urgently expand the national shipping fleet by acquiring vessels on lease to reduce the country’s heavy reliance on foreign shipping services.

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) has restrained the authorities concerned from raising any structure apart from a jogging track on the premises of an amenity plot / park located in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA). The apex court also said that the people must not be deprived of the park’s utility, subject to a nominal entrance fee meant for its maintenance. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Salahuddin Panhwar was hearing a civil petition filed against an order of the Sindh High Court (SHC) at the SC’s Karachi Registry. It also allowed a request by the counsel for the respondents to transfer the matter to the principal seat at Islamabad after seeking the approval of the chief justice of Pakistan, as the lawyer submitted that, since the injunctive order had been passed, the interests of the respondents were at stake. Bench rules ordinary people should not be deprived of park’s utility Citing DHA, Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC), M/s Optimum Sports (Private) Limited and o...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to promoting regional peace, stability, and international cooperation during his official visit to the United States, according to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced plans to freeze the bank accounts of individuals and businesses that fail to register for sales tax in the fiscal year 2025–26.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar Khan, unveiled Pakistan’s National Electric Vehicle (NEV) Policy 2025–30, outlining a comprehensive strategy for transitioning to clean, affordable, and locally produced electric mobility.

CHITRAL: Shandur Polo Festival will start from Friday (today) in the highest polo ground of the world and it will continue for three days with matches between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) being the major event. The tourists will also enjoy cultural and musical evenings while fireworks and enthralling musical concerts will be arranged at night time. Arranged by the district administrations of Lower and Upper Chitral districts with the financial assistance of KP Culture and Tourism Authority, the event has been included in the calendar of events of the province. Tourists have started arriving here to proceed to the venue which is 156 kilometres from the city with travel time of five to six hours while a great number of vehicles is seen on Chitral-Booni Road leading to Shandur. The polo ground has been renovated and arrangements made for water and power supply, power generators, telephone, transport, media coverage,security and provision of other facilities. The players of both Chitral and GB h...

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ISLAMABAD - Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS), met with Ms Saima Saleem, part of Pakistan’s representative mission to the United Nations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar is set to visit Türkiye to attend the 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), taking place on June 21–22, 2025.

WASHINGTON: The prospect of a US strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Donald Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war. Some of Trump’s most prominent Republican allies, including top lieutenant Steve Bannon, have found themselves in the unusual position of being at odds with a president who largely shares their isolationist tendencies. Bannon, one of many influential voices from Trump’s “America First” coalition, on Wednesday urged caution about the US military joining Israel in trying to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme in the absence of a diplomatic deal. “We can’t do this again,” Bannon told reporters at an event sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington. “We’ll tear the country apart. We can’t have another Iraq.” Bannon continued to preach patience on his popular “War Room” podcast on Thursday, contending that Trump was being set up to be responsible for toppling the I...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed to finalize the industrial policy at the earliest to increase production and provide sustainable solutions to the challenges faced by industries.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday said that Iran has the right to self-defence under UN Charter amid Israeli aggression.

ISLAMABAD - The Constitution Bench of Supreme Court by majority of 3 to 2 Thursday disposed of the petitions of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) five judges regarding transfer of judges from various High Courts to the IHC saying that the transfer of the judges “is within the framework of the Constitution and cannot be declared.

ISLAMABAD: The government spending on education in Pakistan has fallen to a new low in the past year despite being declared a national emergency with 26 million children — or more than one in three — out of school, one of the highest percentages globally, Save the Children said in a statement on Thursday. Since the start of the current fiscal year in July 2024 to March 2025, education expenditure fell by 29 per cent. The percentage of GDP spent on education has fallen consisten­tly since 2018 when it was 2pc to 0.8pc, according to the latest Pakistan Economic Survey. The UN-backed Incheon Declaration recommends that governments allocate 4pc to 6pc of their GDP to education. The INGO says Pakistan needs urgent investment to get 26m children into school. In 2024, the government said it aimed to increase the education budget to 4pc of GDP by 2029. The government cannot break that promise to Pakistan’s children.“ Save the Children says more than one in three kids out of school “Children in the poorest areas of Pa...

• Senate, National Assembly panels oppose carbon levy, term it undue burden on public • Approve new taxes on high-value pensions, athletes • Govt asked to reveal terms of IMF’s resilience facility ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary committees on Thursday rejected the government’s proposal to impose a carbon levy on petroleum products, terming it an undue burden on the public, whereas the finance minister stressed that “the era of tax exemptions and amnesty schemes is over”. However, they approved new taxes on high-value pensions and the income of international athletes. The carbon levy became a focal point as the Senate and National Assembly Standing Committees on Finance and Revenue held simultaneous sessions at Parliament House for a clause-by-clause review of the Finance Bill 2025-26. Chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla and MNA Naveed Qamar, respectively, both panels proposed several amendments and struck down a number of measures. The Senate concluded its deliberations on the proposed tax provisions on Thursd...

ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday launched the National Electric Vehicle (NEV) Policy 2025-30, describing it as a transformative step in Pakistan’s journey towards industrial growth, environmental protection and energy efficiency. One of the key targets under the policy is to ensure that electric vehicles account for 30 per cent of all new vehicles sold in the country by 2030. This transition is projected to save 2.07 billion litres of fuel annually, resulting in nearly $1bn in foreign exchange savings. Additionally, the policy aims to reduce carbon emissions by 4.5 million tonnes and cut healthcare-related costs by $405m each year. Addressing a news conference, Special Assistant to the Prime Mi­­nister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan said the new EV policy is in line with the premier’s vision of promoting clean, sustainable and affordable transport while boosting local industry and protecting the environment. He emphasised that the transport sector is a major source of carbon emissions in...

ISLAMABAD - Leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday said that the job of the opposition is to highlight the government’s mistakes and guide it towards better policies.

ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast pre-monsoon rains across various regions of the country from June 20-23 with occasional gaps, subsiding the intense heat wave affecting several parts.

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye, to participate in the 51st Session of the Council of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation being held on 21 and 22 of this month, the Foreign Office said yesterday.