ISLAMABAD: The ruling coalition showed fresh signs of strain on Wednesday as lawmakers from the Pakistan Peoples Party accused their allies in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of conspiring with the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to derail a parliamentary push to rename Islamabad’s international airport after slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
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ECP rejects bid to delay local polls in Quetta amid security concerns
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday turned down a request from the chief minister of Balochistan province to postpone local government elections in the restive capital of Quetta, dismissing the plea as “devoid of force” and ordering the vote to proceed as scheduled on Dec. 28 despite warnings about deteriorating security and harsh winter weather.
PTI plans national conference amid growing rift with government, military
ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced Wednesday that it would convene a “national conference” later this month to unveil a “national agenda” aimed at addressing the country’s deepening political and economic instability, a move that underscores the widening rift between the PTI and the ruling coalition amid accusations of anti-state rhetoric.
Top court to hear urgent plea from rights lawyer facing cybercrime trial
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan is set to hear an urgent plea on Thursday from human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, who is seeking to halt her ongoing trial in a high-profile case involving controversial social media posts that allegedly incited linguistic divisions and portrayed the armed forces as engaged in terrorism.
Govt weighs shifting Imran Khan to remote prison as political feud hits ‘point of no return’
ISLAMABAD: The authorities are weighing a transfer of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, possibly to an isolated facility in Balochistan, though not confirmed, as politicians traded sharp barbs on Wednesday over the fate of Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, with a top government official declaring that confrontations had reached a “point of no return”.
PML-N lawmakers in Punjab pass resolution to ban Imran Khan and PTI, calling them ‘tool of enemy state’
LAHORE: The provincial Punjab Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution calling for a ban on former prime minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, labeling them “anti-state” and accusing Khan of acting as a “tool of the enemy state” amid escalating tensions between the opposition and the ruling coalition.
Pakistan considers cutting smartphone import taxes to ease costs for consumers
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan may lower the steep import duties on smartphones that have driven up prices for millions of users, after a lawmaker said the Federal Board of Revenue wouldn’t object to a reduction if recommended by the finance ministry’s tax policy unit.
November remittances rise 9.4 percent to $3.2 billion, UAE and EU lead gains
KARACHI: Remittances from overseas workers climbed to $3.2 billion in November, up 9.4% from a year earlier, as inflows from the United Arab Emirates and European Union countries helped offset softer numbers from Saudi Arabia, data from the central bank showed.
ECC tightens vehicle import rules, raises oil dealer margins
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet approved changes to the vehicle import rules and raised margins for oil marketing companies and petroleum dealers, as officials grapple with energy costs, trade reforms and fiscal pressures.
Pakistan slashes electricity prices by Rs15 per unit for industry, agriculture
ISLAMABAD: The government slashed electricity rates for industries and agriculture by about Rs15 per unit on excess consumption, aiming to spur production and ease operating costs amid broader pressures on energy prices.