Pakistan

FOR a quarter of a century, nearly everything that is supposed to bring women into the workforce has been moving in the right direction in Pakistan. Female university enrolment has grown roughly six-fold since 2000. Fertility has fallen, and families continue to move from villages to cities, where jobs are closer and more varied. In the standard economic playbook, these are the three important engines of women’s employment: education raises the wages a woman can earn, fewer children free her time, and urban labour markets put work within reach. And yet female labour force participation has barely moved. It has sat in the 22-25 per cent range for years, among the lowest in the world, while roughly four out of five working-age men are in the labour force. The engines are running but the vehicle is stationary. This is what makes Pakistan an exception, and a puzzle. In most countries that experienced comparable gains in women’s education and comparable declines in fertility, women’s employment rose. Bangladesh’s ...

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THE tentative ceasefire has effectively collapsed even before the US and Iran could begin technical-level talks. Renewed American strikes and Iranian retaliation now threaten the interim deal barely a month after it was signed. The two countries are sliding back towards war: Donald Trump has announced the resumption of the blockade, while Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz. The US president has also notified Congress that the conflict with Iran is on. Trump’s escalatory rhetoric — threatening to seize control of the strategic waterway and charge other countries for guarding it — may be dismissed as one of his usual bombastic flourishes, yet it has added to the tension. America’s escalation, coming a day after the delayed funeral of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war on Feb 28, has stoked public anger in Iran. Many are calling for revenge. Although a return to full-fledged war may not be imminent, the latest developments have made it far harder to reach a n...

ISLAMABAD: Confi­r­ming that they are ready to hold talks with the government, an opposition leader claimed on Tuesday the alliance had sought a ‘neutral venue’ for the proposed dialogue. Speaking to DawnNewsTV, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, chief of the PTI-allied Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), confirmed that the government had invited opposition leaders for talks at the PM’s Office. However, he maintained that they have sought to hold the meeting in Parliament House. When asked by host Nadir Guramani about rec­e­nt statements made by min­­­isters — such as Tariq Fazal Chaudhry — about an offer for talks extended to the PTI-led opposition, Abbas said that while they were willing to sit with the prime minister and any other ministers, they did not want to attend any meetings held at the PM’s Office or the National Assembly speaker’s chambers. However, he said, they were ready to sit with the prime minister and any other government representatives in the Constitution Room of Parliament House, adding that they wer...

• Committee asks Privatisation Commission to approach railways to issue NOC to purchaser; officials say matter is ‘subject to litigation’ • Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad airports to be outsourced to improve efficiency, body told • Officials say 33 PIA properties transferred to holding company, 11 to remain with airline ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Tuesday expressed serious displeasure that Karachi’s landmark Hyatt Regency Hotel building could not be transferred to the purchaser in more than two decades and ordered settlement of the issue at the earliest. A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Privatisation, presided over by Senator Afnanullah, was reviewing the matter relating to the abandoned building of the hotel. The Privatisation Division officials reported that the property was privatised in 2004 for Rs530 million, while a decision was taken in 2003 to convert the building into a National Commodity Exchange. “The committee was informed that despite full payment by the purchaser, the transfer o...

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The government has planned to bring 3.5 million small shopkeepers and traders with annual turnover of Rs200m into tax net during 2026-27.—PPI/file ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has proposed a simplified and voluntary income tax regime for small shopkeepers, offering exemption from routine audit, withholding tax obligations and mandatory digital invoicing in a fresh attempt to broaden the country’s narrow tax base. The draft Special Procedure for Small Shopkeepers, issued on Tuesday, will be finalised within one week after objections and suggestions from the public. Under the proposal, individual retailers with an annual turnover of up to Rs200 million will have the option of paying income tax equal to one per cent of their gross turnover instead of filing returns under the normal taxation regime. However, participating retailers will have to pay a minimum cash tax of Rs25,000 even if taxes already deducted at source exceed their liability. Any excess withholding tax will not be refundable. The...

• Poonch DC says two security personnel martyred in separate incidents • Seven protesters lose their lives • Home secy vows to remove all hurdles to free movement of people, supplies created by JAAC MUZAFFARABAD: As the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) vowed to clear all obstacles that were preventing the free movement of people and goods in the region, at least two law enforcers were martyred, while seven activists of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) lost their lives in separate clashes on Tuesday. The clashes took place in Poonch division, a day before the JAAC’s planned “long march” towards Muzaffarabad. Last week, the outfit had given the government until July 14 to address their demands, failing which, they had announced plans to march on the AJK capital today (Wednesday). The first clash occurred on Tuesday morning when law enforcement personnel raided Mutyalmera, on the outskirts of Rawalakot, following what officials described as intelligence about a large cache of weapons ...

• IT committee notes power outages affecting mobile towers, telecom services • PTA claims 92pc smartphones in Pakistan locally manufactured or assembled • Panel asks IT ministry to encourage Apple, other brands to assemble locally • Electronic Transactions amendment bill deferred ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the unsatisfactory state of internet services in the country, noting that poor connectivity was affecting not only remote areas but also major cities such as Karachi. Committee Chairman Syed Aminul Haque observed that users frequently experienced slow internet speeds and repeated call connection failures despite multiple attempts. PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman briefed the committee that the total available spectrum in the country previously stood at 274MHz but had increased to 754MHz after the 5G spectrum auction. He said telecom operators had launched 5G services in 22 cities. However, he said ...

• AGP argues both appeals and bails in pending NAB cases will now be heard by FCC • Imran, Bushra file chamber appeals seeking SC jurisdiction in Al-Qadir case ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dropped hints that it would thrash out in detail a jurisdictional controversy over whether it retains the authority to hear bail applications in pending National Accountability Bureau (NAB) appeals, or if such pleas must be transferred to the newly established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) under the Constitution (27th Amendment). Headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, a three-judge SC bench, also consisting of Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, is seized with the issue of whether pending appeals and bail applications in NAB cases fall within the category that must be shifted to the FCC for final determination. On Tuesday, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan argued that both appeals and bails in pending NAB cases will now be heard by the FCC. It is legally inappropriat...

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Spain stunned tournament favourites France 2-0 to reach the World Cup final on Tuesday, producing a tactical masterpiece to shatter Les Bleus’ dreams of winning the title for the third time. A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a 58th-minute Pedro Porro goal sealed an utterly clinical victory for the European champions at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Spain, World Cup winners in 2010, will now face either Argentina or England in Sunday’s final in New Jersey. France had entered the showdown as the overwhelming favourites for the tournament after a dazzling, goal-laden run to the semi-finals. But France’s vaunted front four of captain Kylian Mbappe, Ballon D’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise were snuffed out by a combination of Spanish poise and power. Spain, who had beaten France in their previous two competitive meetings, had vowed to go on the front foot in the pre-match build-up and they proved as good as their word. A commanding performance by Spain’s midfield le...

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