Pakistan

Oman issued a royal decree to become the first country in the Gulf to impose a personal income tax, its tax authority said on Sunday, as the small oil producer works to diversify its revenue stream. Oman, among the smaller Gulf economies, launched a medium-term fiscal programme in 2020 to reduce public debt, diversify revenue sources and spur economic growth, which has improved public finances. The sultanate, which still remains largely reliant on oil revenue, will impose a five per cent tax on taxable income for individuals earning over 42,000 Omani rials ($109,091) per year starting from 2028, according to the decree. “The law also includes deductions and exemptions that take into account the social situation in the Sultanate of Oman, such as education, healthcare, inheritance, zakat, donations, primary housing,” the country’s tax authority said in a statement. According to the state-run Oman News Agency (ONA), the plan also contributes to the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 by diversifying income sources an...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast monsoon rain across the country from Wednesday, June 25, the weather agency said in a statement. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. They are also vital for agriculture, and therefore the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security for South Asia’s nearly two billion people. According to the Met Office, “moist currents are penetrating upper and central parts of the country and likely to become intensified in next couple of days.” “A westerly wave is expected to approach upper parts on June 25 and likely to become significant on June 26,” it said. Under the influence of these meteorological conditions, Punjab is expected to receive rainfall and thundershowers with scattered heavy rains in Islamabad,Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sial...

The United States President Donald Trump launched direct airstrikes targeting Iran’s main nuclear sites on Saturday, joining Israel’s war with Tehran in a flashpoint moment for the Middle East. This marked the first time since the Iranian revolution in 1979 that the US has deployed assets to target major facilities in the country. Iran denounced the US attacks as “lawless and criminal”, warning of “everlasting consequences” for which it said the US would be held fully responsible. In retaliation, Iran’s parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas supply passes. Global attention has now turned to Iran, with observers questioning whether it will escalate the conflict by targeting US interests, or heed President Trump’s call to negotiate — an offer which in practice means giving up all nuclear enrichment plans in Iran. Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Reza Amiri Moghadam has warned that Tehran could retaliate by striking ...

An emergency meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Monday reaffirmed Iran’s right to self-defence following the airstrikes by the United States on three nuclear facilities. After months of attacking Gaza — flattening homes, targeting hospitals, and starving a besieged population — Israel expanded its assault by launching wide-scale air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, military sites and private residences on June 13, killing top commanders, scientists and civilians. A day earlier, President Donald Trump said US air strikes “totally obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites, as Washington joined Israel’s war with Tehran in a flashpoint moment for the Middle East. The strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which came four days after Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s meeting with Trump and a day after the government said it decided to formally recommend Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his role during the recent conflict with India, were condemned by Pakistan. A meet...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the formation of three specialized committees: the Digital Payments Innovation and Adoption Committee, the Digital Public Infrastructure Committee, and the Government Payments Committee to promote cashless economy across the country.

Former National Assembly Speaker and senior PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Monday criticized the opposition for disrupting Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s speech, saying such actions damage the dignity of Parliament and distract from important budget discussions.

Pakistan has urged the United Nations Security Council to unequivocally reject and condemn the attacks against Iran since 13th of this month, which are in clear contravention of international law and the UN Charter.

Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has announced a comprehensive code of conduct in consultation with Ulema and religious scholars of all schools of thought for maintaining peace and religious harmony during Muharram ul Haram.

The National Assembly descended into chaos on Monday as a physical altercation broke out between government and opposition lawmakers during a heated session.

Charges will be formally framed on the next hearing date against PTI workers involved in the November 26 protest, as per cases filed under anti-terrorism laws.

The Karachi Police ordered an investigation on Monday of alleged threats being made to boxer Aliya Soomro. Earlier this year, Soomro became the first Pakistani woman to win a world boxing title. She knocked out her opponent from Thailand in just 45 seconds in Bangkok to claim victory in the WBA Asia 105-pound category. A day ago, Soomro issued a video statement on her Instagram account, saying that she and her family were being harassed by an alleged facilitator of the Lyari gang war who was impersonating a media worker. “Don’t drag me into political and ethnic disputes and conflict between boxing institutions. Why is the entire machinery being used against me? My family and I are facing life threats,” she said. Soomro alleged that certain elements were “spreading unfounded information” against her, expressing fear that she could be physically harmed. She appealed to the Sindh police chief and other officials for protection and legal assistance. View this post on Instagram A statement issued today from the of...

In a historic moment for Pakistan, the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Prof.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Minister for Climate Change Dr.

The Lahore High Court has reserved its judgment on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s bail pleas in eight cases linked to the May 9 unrest.

Iran said on Monday that the US attack on its nuclear sites expanded the range of legitimate targets for its armed forces and called US President Donald Trump a “gambler” for joining Israel’s military campaign against the Islamic Republic. Since Trump joined Israel’s campaign by dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday morning, Tehran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate. But while it has continued to fire missiles at Israel, it has yet to take action against the United States itself, either by firing at US bases or by targeting the 20 per cent of global oil shipments that pass near its coast at the mouth of the Gulf. “Mr Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it,” Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters, said on Monday in English at the end of a recorded video statement. Iran and Israel traded another wave of air and missile strikes on Monday as the world braced for Tehran’s response. Trump’...

Asia is currently warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, fueling more extreme weather and wreaking a heavy toll on the region’s economies, ecosystems and societies, according to a report published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on the ‘State of the Climate in Asia 2024’ published on Monday. The State of the Climate reports, which provide policy-relevant information for national and regional decision-making, have previously reported in 2024 that the impact of heatwaves in Asia was becoming more severe, with melting glaciers threatening the region’s future water security. The new report says that 2024 was the warmest or second-warmest year on record depending on the dataset, with widespread and prolonged heatwaves. The warming trend between 1991–2024 was almost double that of the 1961–1990 period. Asia is the continent with the largest land mass extending to the Arctic, and is warming more than twice as fast as the global average because the temperature increase over land is larger ...

President Asif Ali Zardari has called for urgent dialogue and diplomatic engagement to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East, expressing deep concern over the rising tensions in the region.

Former foreign minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has issued a strong warning over the global silence surrounding Israel’s aggression toward Iran, urging Pakistan and the international community to speak out before the conflict engulfs the entire region.

Former foreign minister and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday said India has the option to either share water fairly or “we will deliver water to us from all six (Indus river system) rivers”. Delhi unilaterally suspended its participation in the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which governs the usage of the Indus river system, on April 23, shortly after 26 civilians were killed in India-held Kashmir. Delhi, without evidence, blamed Islamabad for the attack. The latter has denied the allegations and called for a neutral probe. The accord remains dormant despite a ceasefire agreed upon by the two nuclear-armed neighbours last month following their worst fighting in decades. The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday had slammed Indian Home Minister Amit Shah’s “brazen disregard” for international agreements after the latter said New Delhi would never restore the IWT with Pakistan. View this post on Instagram Speaking in the National Assembly during a session on the federal budget, Bilawal said, “India has ...

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has strongly criticized the government’s reported recommendation of the Nobel Peace Prize for former U.