Govt | Pakistan

Govt rejects Taliban weapon claim

• President has yet to approve summary for JCP-recommended hirings • Govt reviewing possibility of issuing notifications under Article 48(1) • Presidency sources warn bypassing procedure may lead to complications • IHC reserves verdict on maintainability of plea challenging delay in notifying appointments ISLAMABAD: The federal government is considering notifying the appointment and confirmation of high court judges despite President Asif Ali Zardari not having formally accorded assent to the recommendations made by the Judicial Commission of Pakis­tan (JCP), sources told Dawn. The JCP, during its meetings held on July 20 and 21, recommended the appointment of 19 additional judges to the high courts, confirmed the services of four additional judges of the Peshawar High Court and one additional judge of the Lahore High Court, and extended the tenure of an additional judge of the Sindh High Court by six months. However, the appointments have yet to be notified by the Ministry of Law and Justice as the president...

• Move aimed at preserving at least three months of import cover • Petrol, diesel prices to be revised only on working days • Ogra to now publish working details on its website • Govt to retain control over levy, climate levy, customs duty, deemed duty, margins ISLAMABAD: The government may shift back to fuel conservation and austerity measures as early as this week or next, as renewed hostilities in the Middle East raise pressure on oil prices and foreign exchange reserves. At the same time, prices of the two major petroleum products — petrol and high-speed diesel — will be revised only on working days, even though the move has been portrayed as a step towards deregulation and daily pricing. Retail petroleum prices will be announced every working day, from Monday to Friday, and not on Saturdays and Sundays. The announcement will be made by the Petroleum Division late in the evening, as usual, but not on a weekly basis. Effectively, rates announced on Friday will remain in place for the next three days — Satu...

Govt cuts petrol, diesel prices by Rs1.97

Govt decides to end fuel subsidy after price cut

Govt withholds tax relief cost as Rs360b tag emerges

Govt trims petrol by Rs4, diesel Rs2/litre

Govt okays Rs4.3tr development plan

Govt defends price hikes in NA

Shehbaz Sharif reveals 14-point austerity plan Announces four-day work week to offset impact of Middle East war Schools will remain closed from end of this week for next two weeks Govt to reduce 20pc expenditure except salaries No cabinet members will draw salary for next two months: PM Punjab CM.

Govt rebukes CM Afridi for evidence remark

Arif Habib Consortium places highest bid of Rs135b; Govt gets only Rs10b, rest to be reinvested in airline

• Additional taxes, spending cuts planned to offset revenue shortfalls • Govt commits to raising federal excise duty on fertilisers, pesticides • FED to be introduced on sugary items; goods to be shifted to 18pc GST • Expenditure cuts pledged if National Tariff Policy leads to revenue losses ISLAMABAD: Having missed a total of 11 performance indicators under its IMF programme, the government has agreed to 11 new targets, including additional tax measures and expenditure cuts from early next month, to make up for rising revenue shortfalls and keep the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) on track. Commitment to the new or revised structural benchmarks, together with completion of two “prior actions”, enabled the conclusion of a staff-level agreement on the second review of the EFF and its approval by the IMF Executive Board for the disbursement of about $1.2bn, reveal fresh documents released by the Fund on Thursday. The government confirmed at the outset that it estimated a shortfall from the underperforma...

Govt opts for self-reliance in flood recovery

• Rs1m fines proposed for unregistered online vendors in new Finance Bill • Banks, couriers to deduct withholding tax under new plan • Fine for failing to submit withholding tax statements raised by 10 times • Govt to take over property valuation powers from FBR ISLAMABAD: The federal government has proposed sweeping reforms to tighten tax compliance, including significantly higher penalties for non-compliance and stronger enforcement measures to target under-taxed and digitally active sectors. The changes, proposed in the Finance Bill 2025, aim to deter non-compliance, discourage cash-based transactions and enh­ance documentation of the economy. Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial said enforcement was the only viable option to boost revenue collection, rather than relying on new taxes. One of the key amendments is a tenfold increase in the penalty for failure to submit withholding tax statements — from Rs5,000 to Rs50,000. Authorities believe this will compel withholding agents to...

The federal government has officially invited expressions of interest (EOIs) from potential investors for the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), marking a major development in its bid to offload a controlling stake in the national flag carrier. According to the Privatisation Commission, the decision has been made to sell between 51% and 100% of PIA shares, along with management control, to the prospective buyer. Interested parties have until June 3, 2025 to submit their EOIs. As part of the process, the government has announced a number of incentives for investors. These include relief from 18% general sales tax (GST) on the purchase or lease of new aircraft. Additionally, protection and coverage will be provided in certain tax and legal cases, the commission stated. The move also involves the transfer of specific liabilities listed on PIA’s balance sheet, aimed at making the offer more attractive to potential buyers. This privatisation effort is a central component of the government’s br...