By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has asked China to reprofile its debt, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday, as the country strives to secure a $7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of the month.
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Pakistan to whitelist VPNs, block others in regulation push
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to regulate virtual private networks (VPNs) by whitelisting some and blocking others, the country’s telecommunication authority said on Thursday, as it seeks to curb the surge in VPN usage since the ban on X, formerly Twitter.
Pakistan to observe national mourning for slain Hamas chief
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will observe a nationwide day of mourning on Friday to condemn Israeli actions in Palestine and express solidarity with the Palestinian people, following the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in a rocket attack in Tehran, the government said on Thursday.
Lahore sees record 360mm rainfall in three hours, killing two
By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: Lahore witnessed a record-breaking 360 mm of rainfall in just three hours on Thursday, shattering a 44-year-old record, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
July inflation slows to 11.1pc y/y, lowest since Nov 2021
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The headline inflation rate eased to 11.1 percent in July from 12.6 percent in June, the lowest level since November 2021, data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Wednesday.
Pakistan receives bids from Chinese firms for Panda bond issuance
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has received five bids from Chinese firms to help it raise funds through Panda bonds, as the country seeks to return to global capital markets after making progress in shoring up its finances, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
NA committee passes bill to restrict independent candidates joining parties
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday rushed through a contentious bill aimed at preventing the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party from becoming the single largest party in the National Assembly, sparking fierce protests from the opposition.
Petrol price cut by Rs6.17/litre, diesel down Rs10.86
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a surprise cut in fuel prices, trimming petrol by 2.3 percent and high-speed diesel by 3.8 percent for the next fortnight, as global market costs decline.
Government, BYC protesters reach breakthrough in Gwadar talks
By Staff Reporter
QUETTA: A breakthrough was announced in talks between the Pakistani government and protesters in the port city of Gwadar on Wednesday, potentially ending days of tensions and blockades.
PTCL resolves system fault, internet access restored
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The telecoms regulator said on Wednesday internet services had been fully restored after a nationwide outage earlier in the day, caused by a fault in the main state-owned provider’s system.