By Staff Reporter
A surge in smuggled and tax-evaded cigarettes is draining Pakistan’s national exchequer of an estimated Rs324 billion annually, according to a new survey, exposing critical gaps in enforcement and unintended consequences of aggressive tax hikes on legitimate tobacco products.
By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: The overseas workers sent home a record $4.1 billion in March 2025, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad said Monday, driving the central bank to raise its full-year remittance and foreign reserve targets amid improving economic stability.
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has granted Pakistan a four-month extension to finalise a transparency measure requiring senior bureaucrats to publicly disclose their assets, after the government warned that exposing officials’ financial details could heighten security and harassment risks.
By Staff Reporter
JACOBABAD: The Quetta-bound Bolan Mail train was halted at Jacobabad railway station on Sunday due to security concerns, affecting approximately 150 passengers who were later transported to their destinations by bus under tight security, officials said.
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will not retaliate against tariffs proposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Monday, even as analysts warn the delayed levies threaten to destabilise the South Asian nation’s fragile export economy.
By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Noor Zaman staged a dramatic comeback from two games down to defeat Egypt’s Karim El Torkey in a thrilling five-game final and claim the men’s U23 World Squash Championship title on Tuesday, electrifying a packed home crowd that included squash legends, foreign dignitaries, and a tearful reunion with his mentor and grandfather, former world champion Qamar Zaman.
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said on Thursday it is seeking details from its US missions after reports emerged of Pakistani students having their visas canceled, pledging full support to those affected through its embassy.
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prominent Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani on Thursday urged Pakistanis to boycott Israeli-linked goods peacefully, condemning a spate of violent attacks on international fast-food outlets that prompted police to invoke anti-terrorism laws and detain dozens of suspects this week.
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The government will seek fresh expressions of interest for the sale of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) later this month, a move spurred by the national carrier’s first annual profit in over two decades, signaling a potential turning point in the country’s long-stalled privatization efforts.
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) greenlit a government proposal on Thursday to slash electricity tariffs by Rs1.71 per unit for three months, from April to June 2024, tapping funds from the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) to ease consumer costs and spur demand.
