ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is pressing ahead with plans to sell its national airline, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), targeting final bids by October and a completed deal by year-end, the country’s privatization chief said, marking Islamabad’s most determined push yet to offload the loss-making carrier after decades of failed attempts and billions in taxpayer bailouts.
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Military raid in northwest kills 11 militants, 2 soldiers martyred
ISLAMABAD: At least 11 militants were killed and two soldiers, including an army major, were martyred in a fierce gun battle on Tuesday in the country’s restive northwest, the military said.
PM Sharif presses for Middle East calm as fragile truce holds
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched a flurry of diplomatic outreach on Tuesday, engaging with Iranian and Saudi leaders and meeting with key regional ambassadors to press for dialogue and de-escalation in the Middle East, where a tenuous US-brokered ceasefire has taken hold after weeks of spiraling violence.
Pakistan maps backup oil import plans if Hormuz closes, minister says
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is mapping out backup plans for its oil imports as the Iran-Israel conflict puts the Strait of Hormuz, a lifeline for global crude, at risk of closure.
SAB approves 500,000 tonnes of sugar imports to ease shortage
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has approved the import of 500,000 metric tonnes of sugar as part of a planned total of 750,000 metric tonnes to tackle a severe domestic shortage and record-high prices triggered by an aggressive export drive that depleted local stocks.
Pakistan extends airspace ban on Indian flights
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has extended its airspace restriction on Indian aircraft for another month, a move that underscores the persistent friction between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
PM Sharif sets up committees to push cashless economy
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed three committees to drive digital transactions and cut reliance on cash, aiming to boost transparency in an economy where informal cash dealings prevail.
Pakistan braces for heavy monsoon rains, flooding risks
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan meteorological department warned on Monday that heavy monsoon rains are expected to lash several regions starting June 25, raising the risk of flash floods and landslides in low-lying and hilly areas.
Bhutto-Zardari warns world silence on Israel’s Iran attack risks global conflict
ISLAMABAD, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, a key coalition partner in Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz-led government, warned on Monday that the world’s silence on Israel’s aggression against Iran risks plunging humanity into a global conflict, urging swift international action as tensions escalate in the Middle East and South Asia.
NSC condemns Israel, backs Iran but avoids criticising US in emergency meeting
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) on Monday strongly condemned Israel’s airstrikes on Iran and endorsed Tehran’s right to self-defense, but refrained from addressing the United States’ weekend strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, signaling a delicate diplomatic balancing act.