Pakistan

Developers to get state land free of cost, courts barred from taking up disputes

Experts say Saudi deposits will bolster forex holdings and help meet IMF-linked targets

Says Pakistan ready for inaugural Panda Bond alongside exploring other financing avenues

Automobile production surges 62% in eight months, sugar output up 29%

Minister announces infrastructure-first development, 60% port charges cut

Industry fears lack of transparency as govt finalises regime behind closed doors

Minister warns against hydrocarbon dependence as British envoy praises peace efforts

KSE-100 index gains 1,392 points on Saudi inflows, peace moves

President, PM may grant unlimited performance rewards as govt pursues austerity

AN HIV outbreak among children should have been a turning point for Taunsa’s main public hospital. Instead, an investigation by the BBC suggests that little has changed. Undercover footage from the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, filmed about eight months after the government’s crackdown in March 2025, shows syringes being reused, injections administered through clothing, and unqualified volunteers treating children with contaminated vials — each lapse a potential death sentence. HIV is not like any other infection. It is a lifelong, incurable virus that weakens the immune system, leaving children vulnerable to repeated illness and dependent on continuous treatment to survive. The scale of the crisis in Taunsa is staggering. At least 331 children tested positive for HIV between November 2024 and October 2025, with infections continuing even after official intervention. Fewer than one in 20 parents tested positive, pointing strongly towards transmission within healthcare settings. Some children have died; others...

ISLAMABAD: The capital administration on Thursday issued an amended notification regarding the closing time for markets, extending the restriction to bakeries and sports facilities. In a notification issued via the office of Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon, the previous April 6 order was slightly amended. Under “partial modification”, bakeries were told to close at 10pm, and sports facilities, including clubs and gymnasiums, to close by 8pm. According to the notification, effective April 16, “all shops, markets, and shopping malls shall be closed at 8pm throughout the week”. However, it added that pharmacies, medical supply stores, medical laboratories, hospitals, petrol pumps, CNG stations, and milk/dairy shops were exempt from the restrictions. “There shall be no restrictions on takeaway and home delivery services,” the notification read. Hotels, restaurants, food outlets, tandoors, grocery stores, kiryana stores, meat shops, vegetable vendors and bakeries will close by 10pm. Meanwhile, the ...

100 electric vehicles for Punjab scheduled to arrive this month

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Section 144 imposed in Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur to improve security near roads

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The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) confirmed on Thursday that Pakistan has received $2 billion from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The central bank said the funds were received “in the value date of April 15, 2026”. The development comes amid Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia to push diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the Middle East. A day earlier, the kingdom pledged an additional $3bn in deposits for Pakistan and extended its existing $5bn facility for a further three years. On Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency also reported that Saudi Arabia had extended the $5bn deposit with the central bank and announced an “additional $3bn deposit”. “This assistance aims at supporting Pakistan’s economy and strengthening its resilience amidst evolving global economic challenges, and comes in accordance with the leadership’s directives to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood between the two countries, affirming the kingdom’s commitment to fostering the economic growth of Pakistan, which is expected to ...

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