Pakistan

Complainant accuses police of inaction, delaying children's recovery

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday stressed the importance of the country having “strong” security, as he spoke about the budget-making process. He made the remarks during a federal cabinet meeting that approved the budget, which is now expected to be tabled in the parliament. “Today, we are presenting the third budget of our government,” the premier noted. “There were definitely a lot of challenges while preparing this budget. I believe that no nation can handle its matters, let alone make progress, if its security is not strong and invincible,” the prime minister stressed. He added, “We have to build water reservoirs and dams [as well as] work with speed on indigenous energy resources, which include solar panels, wind, and batteries.” The prime minister mentioned that “measures for tax relief and economic progress” will be proposed in the budget. Noting that the government had “lengthy discussions” with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the budget-making process, PM Shehbaz said he had a 30 ...

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday lifted the austerity measures it had imposed on March 10, 2026, due to disruptions in petroleum supplies amid the ongoing Iran-US conflict. On March 10, the apex court announced that the country’s courts would observe four-day work weeks. It further stated that the monthly ceiling of Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL) allocated to judges and entitled officers should be reduced by 50 per cent. A notification issued with the approval of the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi stated that the notification, dated March 10, 2026, has been withdrawn. “Accordingly, all austerity measures adopted in the said notification shall cease to have effect from June 15, 2026,” it added. The government had announced unprecedented austerity measures on March 9 in the wake of the Middle East war to deal with the global energy crisis, which had arisen due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Following the government’s announcement, institutions including the Supreme Court, the...

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has withdrawn its earlier notification introducing a four-day working week in courts, bringing an end to the energy conservation measures that had been implemented across the judicial system since March 2026.

The federal budget for 2026–27 has brought the salaried class something it has rarely seen in recent years: a tax cut. In his budget speech, the finance minister has announced reduced income tax rates for salaried individuals earning between Rs2.2 million and Rs7 million a year, restructured the slabs from six to eight, and abolished the surcharge that currently applies to annual incomes above Rs10m. But what those changes mean for you depends entirely on where your salary falls. Most relief has been given to the middle and upper slabs. The rate on income between Rs2.2m and Rs3.2m a year has dropped from 23 per cent to 20pc (3pc), while the old top rate of 35pc, which previously applied to annual income above Rs4.1m, now applies only to income above Rs7m. There are new 25pc, 29pc and 32pc bands in between. Those earning up to roughly Rs183,000 a month, however, will see no change at all: the bottom three slabs, including the Rs600,000 tax-free threshold, have been kept unchanged. You can use Dawn’s income tax...

Former senator Taj Muhammad Afridi passed away on Friday after his vehicle was involved in a fatal accident near Karnal Sher Khan Interchange on the M-1 motorway, police said in a statement. According to a statement by the Motorway Police, the former senator was travelling from Islamabad to Peshawar. It further said that upon receiving reports of the accident, the Motorway Police immediately reached the scene, adding that a technical fault in the vehicle reportedly caused the crash. “Afridi’s car met with an accident near Karnal Sher Khan Interchange on the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway. He passed away on the spot while his driver sustained minor injuries,” said Swabi Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Saqib Shah. The casualties were shifted to Mardan Medical Complex, added the rescue official. The deceased was a member of the Senate from March 2015 to March 2021. He was also the provincial caretaker minister for relief and rehabilitation. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi ex...

A suspected suicide bombing attempt was thwarted near a mosque in Lakki Marwat on Friday after local residents intervened and stopped an alleged attacker from reaching worshippers gathered for Friday prayers.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Kaja Kallas on Friday to discuss recent developments surrounding the emerging understanding between the United States and Iran.

KARACHI: A delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Friday and discussed the budget for FY2026-27 and development projects for Sindh were discussed, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). A statement issued by the PMO said that the delegation was led by Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, convener of the MQM and federal minister for education and professional training. It also included Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal and Members of the National Assembly Farooq Sattar, Amin ul Haq, and Javed Hanif. The meeting was also attended by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and the prime minister’s advisor on political affairs, Rana Sanaullah. “The meeting discussed the federal budget for the fiscal year 2026-2027. Views were also exchanged on the overall political situation of the country,” the statement said. The premi...

Former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator Taj Muhammad Afridi was killed in a traffic accident on the Peshawar Motorway near Swabi on Friday, according to Motorway Police.

President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday approved the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) (Repeal) Bill, 2026, completing the remaining legal formalities required for the privatisation of the national flag carrier.

A team from the Pakistan Army, represented by the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), secured first position at the International Pacesticking Competition 2026 held at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom.

KARACHI: Several individuals have been arrested for participating in a rally in support of MQM founder Altaf Hussain on Karachi’s Arif Jiyeja Street, it emerged on Friday. The first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Dawn, was registered on Thursday and under Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). It nominated 11 people and said that police constable Deedar Ali, while on patrol duty, saw some people forming a group, chanting slogans in favour of Hussain and carrying flags with “jiye Altaf” and “48th foundation day APMSO” written on them. Hussain’s political career began during his student years at the University of Karachi (KU), when he and Azeem Ahmed Tariq founded the All-Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation (APMSO). As per the FIR, the constable said the slogans were causing “tensions and hostility” and inciting political parties in the area, indicating t...

Few business leaders have been as deeply embedded in popular culture as Elon Musk, the ambitious entrepreneur who has become a central figure in internet culture and amassed a fortune that has made him the world’s first trillionaire. At a time when concerns about inequality are high and public attitudes toward the ultra-wealthy have soured, Musk has managed to retain a loyal following despite his stratospheric net worth and without the folksy persona that endeared other tycoons such as Warren Buffett to the masses. While admirers view Musk’s no-filter style as part of his appeal, critics have accused him of wielding oligarch-like power, raised concerns about governance at his companies and objected to his increasingly partisan political interventions. Still, SpaceX, the sprawling rocket, satellite and AI company that, together with electric-car maker Tesla, forms the centre of Musk’s empire, raised a record $75 billion in its initial public offering (IPO) on Thursday, highlighting investor enthusiasm for his ...

The Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) parliamentary party in Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday reviewed the results of the recent regional elections and discussed its strategy for the formation of a new government.

Several security personnel were injured after unidentified individuals allegedly linked to the banned Joint Action Committee opened fire on law enforcement officials in Rawalakot, according to security sources.

• Economic Survey shows major targets missed as Aurangzeb claims resilience amid three major shocks • Says budget to offer incentives for agriculture, housing • Over Rs900bn to be diverted for Centre’s strategic needs • Centralised tax system, retailer model to be announced • Oil price impact to continue next year • Current account deficit falls to $252m; remittances may reach $41-42bn by year-end • Fiscal deficit falls to 0.7pc of GDP; debt-to-GDP ratio drops to 68.5pc • FBR recovers Rs94bn through digitisation, AI audits ISLAMABAD: The freeze on provincial development programmes, expected to generate more than Rs900 billion in additional resources for the Centre’s strategic needs, will continue for a specific period beyond one year, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday as he unveiled the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26, which showed missed targets across major economic sectors in the outgoing fiscal year. Reviewing the economic report card, the minister said the economy grew by 3.7 per cen...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday gave his assent to the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) (Repeal) Bill, 2026, fulfilling all necessary legal requirements for the national carrier’s privatisation. The original bill, which now stands repealed, was passed in January 2016, and sought to convert the national flag carrier into a public limited company. Confirming the development in a statement, the presidency said that following the approval, “all the necessary legal formalities and requirements for the completion of the privatisation process of Pakistan International Airlines Company Limited (PIACL) have been fulfilled”. It added that the bill was passed by the Senate on June 10 and subsequently received approval from the National Assembly on June 11, before being sent to the president for his assent. A consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation Limited had won the auction for 75 per cent shares of PIA in December last year, making a winning bid of Rs135 billion. The documents pertaining ...

The Pakistan Army team has clinched first position at an international military drill competition held in Britain, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday. “In a remarkable display of excellence, the Pakistan Army team, represented by the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), has clinched 1st Position at the prestigious International Pace Sticking Competition 2026 held at the Royal Military Academy (RMA) Sandhurst, United Kingdom,” the ISPR said in a statement. It added that the PMA team “made a clean sweep at the competition, securing all major honours, that is 1st Overall Team Trophy, Best Pace Sticker and Best Driver awards”. According to the ISPR, the nine-member contingent, led by Major Haider Gulzar, arrived in the UK on June 5. A total of 16 international teams from different armies participated in the fierce annual event. “The Pakistan Army team’s victory is reflective of the highest standards of professional training, excellence and dedication maintained by the Armed Forces of Pakistan,”...