ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday pushed back against media reports identifying a man arrested in Delaware last week with a cache of weapons and plans for an attack as being of Pakistani origin, insisting instead that he was Afghan and had spent only a few years in Pakistan as a refugee before moving to the United States.
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Pakistan eases border restrictions to allow humanitarian aid into Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: After nearly two months of a near-total halt in cross-border cargo movement, Pakistan has begun clearing humanitarian consignments destined for Afghanistan, officials said, marking the first controlled reopening of transit trade since routine operations were suspended in October.
Pakistan plans live broadcast of PIA privatisation bidding on Dec. 23
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will hold bidding for the privatisation of the national airline on Dec. 23, with the process to be broadcast live on media outlets, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, marking the government’s most aggressive push in decades to offload the debt-laden carrier.
Punjab lifts 18-year ban on kite flying, reviving Basant under tight new rules
LAHORE: After an 18-year prohibition that stemmed from deadly accidents involving razor-sharp kite strings, the Punjab government on Tuesday lifted its ban on kite flying, paving the way for the revival of the ancient Basant festival under a stringent new regulatory framework.
Lawmakers slam govt after IMF flags deep governance flaws
ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers sharply rebuked the government on Wednesday for what they described as systemic failures in combating corruption, citing a scathing new assessment from the International Monetary Fund that laid bare weaknesses across state institutions, from the judiciary to tax authorities.
Oil industry rebuffs regulator’s tight deadline for costly Rs60 billion digital mandate
ISLAMABAD: The oil companies are pushing back against a government mandate to digitally integrate more than 32,000 fuel storage tanks, depots and petrol pumps within six to 12 months, citing prohibitive costs of as much as Rs60 billion and a lack of any plan to recover the expense.
Pakistan business confidence jumps to multi-year high despite tax, inflation risks
KARACHI: Pakistan’s business sentiment has surged to its highest level in years, with confidence jumping 11 percentage points to 22%, even as executives flagged persistent hurdles like taxation, inflation and corruption that threaten to derail growth.
Imran Khan dissolves PTI political committee amid internal rifts
ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan, the imprisoned founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the country’s former prime minister, has dissolved the party’s sprawling political committee amid simmering internal disputes, marking his first significant intervention in party affairs after weeks of isolation.
Pakistan starts new NFC round with wide gulf between federal, provincial priorities
ISLAMABAD: The government has convened the inaugural meeting of the 11th National Finance Commission on Thursday, kicking off what are expected to be contentious negotiations over the division of federal tax revenues between the central government and the provinces amid mounting fiscal pressures.
Parliament passes minority rights bill amid furor over Ahmadi protections
ISLAMABAD: In a raucous joint session of Parliament on Tuesday, lawmakers approved a long-delayed bill to create a national commission dedicated to protecting the rights of religious minorities, but only after excising a clause that had ignited fierce opposition over its potential implications for the Ahmadi community, a group long subjected to persecution by extremist elements in Pakistan.