Pakistan

HYDERABAD: While industrialists noted some positive budgetary proposals, leaders of the farming community complained that the agriculture sector was largely ignored. Sindh Chamber of Agriculture Senior Vice President Nabi Bux Sathio said Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb had not given adequate attention to the agriculture sector in his budget speech. “No incentive or noteworthy step is seen in the speech,” he added. He pointed out that Rs4.18 billion had been allocated for research, but without clarity on targeted areas. He said the agriculture sector was increasingly vulnerable to climate change and stressed the need for climate-resilient, high-yield seeds for major crops such as wheat, cotton, rice and sugarcane. He warned that reliance on hybrid seeds in crops like rice, onion and chilli could be unsustainable in the long run. Mr Sathio said even the Rs4.18bn research allocation was insufficient, as the sector required much greater funding. He also referred to Rs7.3bn allocated for cold storage facilitie...

Performance sparks wave of nostalgia as fans wonder if Mustehsan has permanently stepped away from music

Courtesy: FCCU LAHORE: The Forman Christian College University (FCCU), heritage conservationists and human rights activists have raised a voice against the alleged forcible takeover of the Ewing Hall, a historical building associated with the Forman Christian College, by the Punjab government. They urged the government to halt any move that would threaten the century-old structure and engage all stakeholders in a meaningful consultation. In a statement, FCC Rector Dr Jonathan Addleton said the university had witnessed with mounting concern the forcible takeover of Ewing Hall, located in the Anarkali area. He said the building had been a part of the institution’s historic campus for decades, with the initial lease signed in 1915 and subsequently renewed several times, most recently extending into the 2040s. According to Mr Addleton, the university officials were informed by telephone on Wednesday that the building would be taken over the following day. On Thursday, the university was allegedly given 24 hours t...

KARACHI: The grounds for an increase in the policy rate have largely disappeared ahead of the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) upcoming monetary policy announcement, as global oil prices have either remained stable or eased despite heightened tensions in the Gulf, market participants said. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is scheduled to meet on June 15 for what will be the final policy review of FY26. The only increase in the policy rate during the current fiscal year came in the previous review on April 27, when the SBP raised the benchmark rate by 100 basis points to 11.5 per cent. The increase was attributed to geopolitical tensions following the conflict in April, which pushed oil prices higher and disrupted global supply chains. However, analysts said developments over the past month have reduced concerns over a prolonged conflict. Prospects for a deal between the US and Iran have improved, while a ceasefire remains in place despite sporadic attacks by both sides. Iran also targeted US bases in several...

Some fans set off fireworks, fired smoke grenades after spilling out of packed bars, outdoor venues

Civil defence teams recovered his body after nearly 24-hour search and recovery operation

ISLAMABAD: The government has substantially increased penalties for late filing of income tax returns, restoration to the active taxpayers list, and deficiencies in document accessibility and formatting, apparently an effort to strengthen tax compliance. The increases, introduced through the Finance Bill FY27, apply across federal taxes, including income tax, sales tax and federal excise duty. In some cases, penalties have more than doubled and are widely seen as providing the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) with an additional tool for revenue mobilisation. Under the proposed changes, the cost of returning to the active taxpayers list (ATL) has been raised fivefold for companies to Rs100,000 from Rs20,000, while it will increase to Rs50,000 for associations of persons from Rs10,000 and Rs25,000 for individuals from Rs1,000. The substantial increase is intended to improve tax compliance, but it will be punitive for small taxpayers. Finance bill expands FBR’s enforcement powers; ATL restoration costs jump fivefo...

KARACHI: The grieving families of the Baldia Town factory fire victims walked into the Karachi Press Club on Saturday along with labour organisations, wanting to know who they should hold responsible for the death of their loved ones. Holding tightly to the framed photographs of their dear father, son, husband, brother, sister or daughter, the families wanted to know why they had been fed lies for the past 14 years. The recent decision of the three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has reopened old wounds as the bench acquitted two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists Abdul Rehman Bhola and Zubair alias Chariya of starting the fire in the factory on September 11, 2012. Both men were given the benefit of doubt by the court as out of approximately 400 witnesses, only one claimed to have seen one of the accused with a chemical bag, while none actually saw the fire being ignited. “It means that what the affected families and labour organisations have been saying from the very beginning, that the t...

• Shehbaz hopes deal will pave way for lasting peace, says Pakistan preparing for ‘electronic signing’ • Trump claims signing scheduled for today; threatens Iran; official says Washington to take part in de-mining • Iran states deal close but rules out signing today; negotiators not going to Islamabad, Geneva soon ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be a historic milestone for Middle East peace, Islamabad is preparing for an electronic signing by the US and Iran on a framework for a peace deal, to be followed by technical-level talks next week, albeit with varying dates for the remote signing as Trump insisted that it would be inked on Sunday while Iranian authorities denied it would be as early. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X on Saturday, announced that the agreement was expected to be “finalised in the next 24 hours”. The deal was “closer…than ever before”, he wrote, hoping that the deal would lay a “strong foundation for lasting peace”. Shortly afterwards, US President Donald Trump reposted PM She...

Shooting claimed lives of a father and his two sons, Investigation into incident underway

The framework encourages universities to move away from purely punitive responses, instead focus on rehabilitation

Says at a time when international attention is focused on Pakistan, unrest in AJK damaging Pakistan’s reputation

ISLAMABAD - Members of the National Assembly Abrar Shah, Samina Khalid, Shahida Rehman, Jamal Shah Kakar, Khurram Shahzad, Sardar Yaqub Khan Nasar, Major (R) Tahir Iqbal and Mian Khan Bugti held separate meetings with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif here on Saturday.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Saturday visited the residence of Pakistan Peoples Party member National Assembly Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani and condoled with him on the death of his son.

• Opening day dominated by political speeches in NA • Achakzai says freezing funds will hit provinces’ health, social sectors • PM defends govt’s approach, highlights Balochistan projects • Supports border fencing for national security; renews offer for talks with opposition • MQM calls for strong local govt system, approval of 28th Amendment ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Saturday formally began a general debate on the federal budget for the next financial year, with lawmakers delivering lengthy speeches and mostly raising political and local issues rather than discussing the budgetary proposals presented by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb amid noisy opposition protest on Friday. The highlight of the opening day of the budget debate was a more than hour-long speech by Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai and an immediate response from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who attended the sitting for a significant time. In his speech, Mr Achakzai criticised the government’s decision to freeze developmen...

ISLAMABAD - A high-level delegation of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA), led by its President Professor Dr.

• Netanyahu not coming to Trump’s bilateral meetings • One-on-one session with Zelensky not planned WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will meet Middle Eastern leaders and attend a working session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the G7 summit next week, senior US administration officials said on Saturday. The officials said Trump, who is scheduled to travel to Evian, France, for the G7 summit early on Monday, would meet separately with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, France and India, though no bilateral meeting with Zelensky is planned. A senior US administration official said that Israel’s Netanyahu is not coming to Trump’s bilateral meetings with Middle Eastern leaders at G7. Trump will participate in a working session on Tuesday with Zelensky and G7 leaders. The meeting comes at a time when Russian advances in Ukraine have slowed and Ukraine seeks more military funding from its allies. One of the senior US officials, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity ...

Discuss recent progress towards an understanding between United States, Iran

KARACHI: The Paki­stan Football team is set make its appearance in the FIFA ASEAN Cup as the country has been invited to participate in the tournament, according to media reports. According to reports, FIFA has extended an invitation to Pakistan for the newly launched competition, scheduled to be held in Indonesia from Sept 21 to Oct 6. The Pakistan Football Fed­eration (PFF) is also reported to have agreed to participate. The national team would rep­ortedly slot into Divi­s­ion 1, joining a highly competitive field that features Tha­iland, Malaysia, Sing­a­pore, the Philippines, India, and the Indonesian hosts. Local news outlets attributed the unexpected inclusion to ongoing, behind-the-scenes discussions between PFF Presi­dent Mohsen Gilani and FIFA leadership. However, an official confirmation was awaited till filing of this report. Such a development would mark a historic milestone for Pakistani football, representing the country’s first appearance in a FIFA-backed tournament outside of standard World Cu...

PPP's Hussain Tariq questions Rs6.9 trillion direct tax target, flags 54% rise in electricity inflation in a year