ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan have banned all new hotel construction and expansion near three iconic lakes in Hunza and across ecologically fragile zones in the Baltistan division, a step announced on Monday to shield the region’s delicate ecosystems from rampant development.
Latest
Finance Minister Aurangzeb defends FBR powers, calls on banks to drive growth
KARACHI: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday defended the Federal Bureau of Revenue’s (FBR) expanded powers to combat sales tax fraud, dismissing criticism that they overreach into income tax matters.
Former aide to Imran Khan to testify on political repression before US commission
ISLAMABAD: A former aide to imprisoned ex-prime minister Imran Khan will testify on Tuesday before a US congressional commission about what he calls widespread political repression in Pakistan.
PTI launches 90-day protest movement to challenge coalition government
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the opposition party led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, launched a 90-day “do-or-die” protest movement to challenge the government.
Frontier Constabulary soldiers drill on the parade ground at Shabqadar Fort. Their traditions date back to the 1920s, when the British founded this force to patrol what was then part of India.
Pakistan bolsters federal authority with new security force ordinance
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has signed an ordinance transforming the Frontier Constabulary, a border security unit, into the Federal Constabulary, granting the federal government broader powers to tackle national security threats.
PTI expels five MNAs for defying party line on constitutional amendment
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has expelled five National Assembly members for defying party orders and backing the controversial 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill last August, a disciplinary action that carries more symbolic weight than legal consequence, as all five lawmakers contested the 2024 elections as independents and are unlikely to lose their seats under defection rules.
IMF praises Pakistan’s ‘strong’ performance under $7 billion loan program
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s efforts to stabilize its economy under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund loan program have won praise from the IMF’s country representative, Mahir Binici, who called the nation’s performance “strong so far,” a statement from the Islamabad-based Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) said.
SJC dismisses 19 complaints against judges but shields details from public view
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) dismissed 19 of 24 complaints against superior court judges on Saturday, labeling them baseless, but opted to shield the details from public view despite Chief Justice Yahya Afridi’s plea for openness.
Stranded on K2: Climate chaos throws climbing season into disarray
ISLAMABAD: The jagged peaks of the Karakoram Range, home to some of the world’s most formidable mountains, have long beckoned the bravest of climbers. This year, however, the dream of scaling K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, and Gasherbrum II is fading fast.
PTI leaders enter Lahore to plan protests for Imran Khan’s release
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party founded by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, kicked off a nationwide anti-government campaign on Saturday, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur arriving in Lahore to rally supporters and strategise the movement’s next steps.