Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The country’s top tax machinery is confronted with a big dilemma of nil-filers, which has reached an alarming level of nearly 39 per cent of total income tax returns in the tax year 2025, Dawn has learned from official sources. This presents a big challenge for the government in identifying individuals not paying their taxes, with 2.262 million out of 5.912 million filed up to Oct 31, potentially concealing their taxable income. This means that only 3.650m taxpayers declared incomes in their returns for tax year 2025 (TY25). The pattern of nil-filers are across the three main categories — individuals, associations of persons (AoPs) and the corporate sector. The nil returns are submitted for one-time financial transactions or to take advantage of lower tax rates for placement on the Active Taxpayers List (ATL). Concerns are mounting within the FBR that Pakistan’s income tax system is failing to capture the true wealth of its citizens, as approximately half of taxpayers continue to declare nil income...

Police in Rhode Island were searching for a suspect late on Saturday after a shooting at Brown University in Providence left two students dead and eight others critically wounded at the Ivy League school, officials said. A ninth person was hurt by bullet fragments, the mayor said. Streets around campus remained blocked and packed with emergency vehicles hours after the shooting and law enforcement officials heightened security around the city as police continued their manhunt. “The individual responsible is still at large,” Mayor Brett Smiley told reporters at a 9:30pm (7:30am PKT) press conference. Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara said the suspect had not been identified. Officials said they are looking for a male dressed in black and were releasing a video of the suspect, who O’Hara said may have been wearing a mask. He said officials had retrieved shell casings from the scene of the shooting, but that police were not prepared to release details. Officials said the gunman escaped after shooting students i...

PESHAWAR: The Pesh­awar High Court has temporarily restrai­n­­ed the admission committee for public-sector medical colleges from excluding an Afghan female student from the ongoing admissions process over her inability to produce an Afghan passport and visa. A bench comprising Ju­­stice Ijaz Anwar and Jus­tice Wiqar Ahmad issued notices to the responden­ts, including the vice chancellor of Khyber Medical Uni­versity and the cha­­ir­­man of the admission committee, seeking their replies to a petition filed by the student, Ruby, an Afg­h­­an refugee holding a Proof of Registration card. The petitioner has asked the court to declare the requirement to submit a passport and visa before admission as contrary to the admissions policy, illegal and discriminatory. She has also sought court directives for the respondents to call her for an interview after the final merit list is displayed and, if she secures a place on merit, to grant her admission to the relevant MBBS or BDS programme. She has also requested the cour...

• Says paternity challenges cause humiliation, stigma and harm to family honour • Warns against judicial intrusion into sanctity of family life and women’s reputation ISLAMABAD: Overturning a lower court order for a DNA test to ascertain the parentage of a petitioner, the Supreme Court has ruled that the right to privacy — recognised as an entitlement to personal sanctuary — requires protecting individuals from undue intrusion into their private lives. “The unnecessary public challenge to the paternity of a person inherently res­ults in societal embarrassment, humiliation, and severe psychological stigma,” observed Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar while accepting an appeal filed by petitioner Khalid Hameed. On Nov 3, 2022, a special judge of the Anti-Corruption Court, Pakpattan, had ordered the respective circle officer to conduct DNA tests of the petitioner and one Mohammad Haneef, holding that the real dispute in an inheritance matter centred on the petitioner’s paternity. The directive was challenged thr...

ISLAMABAD: Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri is likely to appear as a defendant before the Isla­mabad High Court (IHC) to face accusations that surfaced in a petition that challenged his appointment over a controversy related to his law degree. A division bench comprising Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan will take up the matter for further proceedings on Monday (tomorrow). In a detailed written order issued on Dec 9, the IHC held that the question regarding the validity of Justice Jahangiri’s law degree fell squarely within the scope of a writ of quo warranto — his right to hold public office. The two-member bench ruled that the petition was maintainable and set aside the office objection earlier raised by the registrar. The bench had also gra­nted Justice Jahangiri thr­ee days to respond to the facts unearthed till date. The registrar’s office served the notice at the judge’s chamber due to time constraints. Sources said court staff of Justice Jaha...

BANNU/LOWER SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Three young boys were martyred and another injured after a quadcopter crashed in a residential area of Mamand Khel in Bannu on Saturday, residents said. Also, the Sheikh Landik police post in Bannu came under attack, where terrorists carried out assaults using quadcopters and sniper fire on Friday, according to police. They said terrorists dropped two quadcopter bombs, while sniper firing was also carried out from another direction. Both quadcopter bombs exploded after landing near the police post building. However, no loss of life was reported. On Saturday, however, locals said the quadcopter crashed in the Pattona Mamand Khel area of Bannu, killing Faisal, 16, Abrar, 20, and Muhammad, 12, and injuring nine-year-old Muhammad Aiman. Afghan girl killed in Lower South Waziristan IED blast Soon after the crash, rescue and security personnel reached the site as locals reached the spot. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation to ascertain the nature and ori...

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) have claimed to have “recovered” and “vacated” the Karachi Cotton Exchange Building situated on I.I. Chundrigar Road in a “joint operation” declaring it a federal trust property. In a joint statement, the FIA and ETPB said that the Karachi Cotton Exchange Building is a trust property as per federal government’s gazette notification and hence the title of this property is vested in the federal government. During the operation, the statement said, it was found that the Karachi Cotton Association had been illegally occupying the premises, keeping multiple tenants inside the building and charging them rent without any lawful authority. The two agencies said the premises were secured in the presence of FIA and ETPB officials and representatives of the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA). “All occupants and tenants were afforded an opportunity to safely retrieve their personal belongings before the premises were sealed under th...

Army focused on hostile hybrid campaigns: CDF

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Independent's victory seen as a shot in the arm for nascent FCC

Minister says ex-ISI chief ran the state from shadows

Judge likely to appear before IHC

ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan on Saturday chaired the 56th meeting of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, reiterating the judiciary’s commitment to strengthening institutional capacity, expediting access to justice and ensuring effective justice delivery.

Defence Minister says more legal action to be taken against Faiz Hameed Info minister hits out at PTI Attaullah Tarar says political opposition should never be turned into enmity.

Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir visits Gujranwala, Sialkot Garrisons, witnesses field training exercise Says modern warfare demands agility, precision, swift decision-making Army crowned champions as Field Marshal Asim Munir closes 35th National Games in Karachi Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says Pakistan’s.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that due to untiring efforts of the incumbent government and its economic team, Pakistan is economically out of woods as its mega indicators were wonderful.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik Saturday said that the government’s relentless efforts have effectively contained the circular debt in the energy sector while making all possible attempts to recover past losses in the system.

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Party leaders say criticism of CM Maryam Nawaz now off the table