Pakistan

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has withdrawn its earlier notification introducing a four-day working week in courts, bringing an end to the energy conservation measures that had been implemented across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

Bangladesh and India have agreed to deepen ​cooperation along their shared border with improved intelligence sharing and coordinated patrols, according ‌to a joint statement released on Friday, amid strained relations over alleged undocumented migration. Dhaka has accused Indian authorities of attempting to force migrants across the border without due process, complicating efforts to stabilise ties following the 2024 ousting of Sheikh ​Hasina and India’s broader effort to identify and deport undocumented migrants. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s ​Border Security Force (BSF) described the discussions as “cordial, positive and forward-looking”, according to the statement ⁠released at the end of a four-day meeting of top border officials in New Delhi. ​The regular talks also covered “illegal, inadvertent and forcible crossing at border areas,” an increasingly contentious issue in ​recent months. Bangladesh and India share a more than 4,000-kilometre border, one of the world’s longest. India’s ruling Bh...

ISLAMABAD: The literacy rate for individuals aged 10 and above in Pakistan rose from 61 to 63 per cent, while spending on education faced a decline, according to Economic Survey 2025-26. It stated that male literacy was 73pc and female at 54pc, reflecting a gradual progress and narrowing gender gap. Urban areas continued to have higher literacy rates with a total of 74 per cent (81 per cent for males and 68 per cent for females), while rural areas had a lower rate of 55 per cent (67 per cent for males and 44 per cent for females). Rural female literacy showed the most significant improvement. Punjab recorded the highest literacy rate at 68 per cent, followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, both at 58 per cent. Balochistan had the lowest rate at 49 per cent. The urban–rural divide persisted with urban Punjab at 78 per cent and rural Sindh at 39 per cent. Overall, the data highlighted steady but uneven progress with rural female literacy playing a key role in the observed improvements, despite continuing regio...

islamabad - Pakistan has taken a major step toward developing its first National Genomic Policy, with the Ministry of National Health Services and the Health Services Academy hosting a high-level consultation involving leading local and international experts.

BANNU: Two police constables lost their lives in separate incidents of targeted killings in Bannu district, officials said on Friday. Police authorities termed both incidents acts of terrorism and have launched search operations to trace and arrest the perpetrators. On Friday morning, Police Constable Mishqat Amir was returning home after attending a gathering at the Hamza Tablighi Centre when he came under attack on Bannu-Miranshah Road near Azad Mandi. According to initial reports, unidentified armed assailants opened fire on him while he was on his way home. As a result of the attack, the constable sustained critical injuries and died on the spot. In a separate incident that took place on Thursday night in Saidgi Baka Khel, Police Constable Muhammad Roshan, who belonged to the Wazeer sub-division police, was shot by unidentified gunmen outside his residence. Police said that Roshan was serving at the North Waziristan Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) Camp in Baka Khel and had returned home after complet...