ISLAMABAD: The finance ministry on Tuesday dismissed concerns over a nearly Rs9 trillion surge in public debt, asserting that the country’s debt trajectory is “more sustainable today than suggested by headline rupee figures.”
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PM Sharif to meet Trump at UN in New York: reports
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 25, a move seen as a significant step in strengthening ties between Islamabad and Washington, local media reported on Tuesday.
US lawmakers table bill to sanction Pakistan officials for rights abuses
ISLAMABAD: US lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill on Monday, targeting Pakistani officials with sanctions for human rights violations and actions undermining democracy, signaling a push to hold accountable those accused of suppressing freedoms in the South Asian nation.
Punjab, Sindh clash over flood data as swollen rivers rush towards Guddu Barrage
KARACHI: A dispute over conflicting floodwater data has erupted between Punjab and Sindh authorities as swollen eastern rivers roar towards Guddu Barrage, heightening fears in the downstream south of a looming deluge that has already displaced millions by devastating floods, Dawn newspaper reported on Tuesday.
UN mapping flood-hit farmland in Pakistan with satellite data to guide recovery
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization is mapping the toll of Pakistan’s monsoon floods on its vital farmlands, using high-resolution satellite imagery and localized crop datasets to pinpoint losses with unprecedented precision.
Five soldiers martyred in Balochistan bombing near Iranian border
QUETTA: A remote-controlled roadside bomb ripped through a military convoy in the restive southwestern Balochistan province on Monday, claiming the lives of five soldiers, including a captain, as they conducted a routine patrol near the Iranian border, the military said.
Govt hikes diesel price by Rs2.78/liter, holds petrol steady
ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday increased high-speed diesel prices by Rs2.78 a liter to Rs272.77 for the next fortnight, a move likely to stoke inflationary pressures across transport and food costs.
Gunmen abduct three polio workers in KP as virus cases climb to 26
PESHAWAR: Armed assailants kidnapped three anti-polio vaccinators in a restive district of northwestern Pakistan on Monday, the latest violent blow to the country’s beleaguered efforts to eradicate the paralyzing disease, even as officials reported two new cases that pushed the national total for the year to 26.
Zardari looks to revive ties with Shanghai Electric after abandoned K-Electric takeover
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari sought to revive ties with Shanghai Electric Power Co. after the Chinese company scrapped its long-stalled $1.77 billion bid for a controlling stake in K-Electric Ltd., assuring executives that any lingering issues would be addressed as he invited fresh investment in the nation’s power grid.
SBP holds rates steady at 11 percent as floods threaten crop harvest, food inflation
KARACHI: The central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 11% for a third consecutive meeting, opting for caution as floods ravage the nation’s agricultural heartland and threaten to stoke food inflation just as the economy shows signs of stabilization.