ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday directed the immediate removal of a proposed clause in a sweeping constitutional amendment that would have granted him immunity from prosecution, declaring that an elected leader must remain “fully accountable” to the law and the public.
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Parliament committees endorse revised draft of sweeping 27th constitutional amendment
ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary committees have approved a revised draft of a bill proposing sweeping changes to the Constitution on Sunday, setting the stage for a contentious vote in the Senate amid fierce opposition from critics who warned that the amendments could undermine judicial independence and democratic principles.
Pakistan says Afghan Taliban used Istanbul talks to prolong fragile border truce
ISLAMABAD The Foreign Office on Sunday said the Afghan Taliban had used recent negotiations only to extend a fragile border truce without taking verifiable steps against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, days after Turkey- and Qatar-mediated talks collapsed without resolution.
Pakistan seeks IMF sign-off on incentives in first National Industrial Policy
ISLAMABAD: The government has submitted its first National Industrial Policy to the federal cabinet for approval, laying out a series of obstacles to industrial expansion and offering reforms aimed at rejuvenating the manufacturing sector.
Nine killed in shootings, tribal clash across Balochistan
QUETTA: Nine people were killed in a series of shootings and one tribal clash across Balochistan Province on Saturday, and two others were abducted, as a surge in violence underscored the region’s persistent security challenges, officials said.
Coalition govt tables bill to set up constitutional court, reshape top military command
ISLAMABAD: The coalition government pressed forward Saturday with a controversial overhaul of the nation’s constitution, introducing legislation in the Senate to establish a specialised constitutional court, revamp judicial appointments and bolster military powers — moves that critics decried as an attempt to concentrate authority in the executive and armed forces while eroding provincial autonomy and judicial independence.
Cabinet clears 27th Constitutional Amendment, bill goes to Senate
ISLAMABAD: The government will present a bill for the 27th Constitutional Amendment in the Senate on Saturday, proposing the establishment of a federal constitutional court, new rules for judicial transfers, adjustments to provincial cabinet sizes and changes to military command structures, amid fierce criticism from opposition parties and lawyers who see the measures as a rollback of provincial powers granted in 2010.
Pakistan approves inclusion of local investor in PIA bid, pushes airport privatisation
ISLAMABAD: The Board of the Privatisation Commission on Friday approved the inclusion of a local investment firm in a bidding consortium for Pakistan International Airlines and recommended placing the management of the country’s three main international airports under private control, moving ahead with a long-stalled effort to shrink the state’s role in the economy.
Pakistan posts rare fiscal surplus in first quarter, aided by SBP profits
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded a fiscal surplus of 1.6% of gross domestic product in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, supported by record profits at the State Bank of Pakistan, a 30% jump in petroleum levy collections and robust provincial cash balances, the Ministry of Finance said Friday.