Trump receives briefing on Iran options as new supreme leader wows to safeguard nuclear program amid surging oil prices and Hormuz standoff

ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump will receive a classified briefing on Thursday on US military options for the Strait of Hormuz and potential actions inside Iran, as the administration grapples with a punishing naval blockade that has driven energy prices to their highest levels in years and shown no sign of breaking an impasse with Tehran.

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Islamabad keeps lines open to Washington and Tehran, urges immediate reopening of vital oil chokepoint

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said Thursday that Islamabad remains deeply engaged with both Washington and Tehran in an effort to broker a resolution to their conflict, even as a second round of direct negotiations failed to materialize and the strategic Strait of Hormuz stayed closed for a second month.

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Pakistan unveils Rs3.2 trillion housing program to build 500,000 homes and revive construction-led growth

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally launched a five-year, Rs3.2 trillion housing initiative on Thursday, committing the government to finance the construction of 500,000 homes nationwide as part of a broader effort to stimulate economic activity and address a chronic shortage of affordable shelter.

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Pakistan flags external risks from Middle East conflict as inflation outlook ticks higher

ISLAMABAD: The finance ministry said on Thursday that the country’s external sector faces fresh risks from global uncertainties and supply disruptions tied to the Middle East conflict, even as a healthy primary fiscal balance and three straight months of current-account surpluses underpin domestic stability.

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Pakistan reassigns three Islamabad High Court judges amid sharp criticism over opaque process

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Law and Justice on Wednesday notified the transfer of three judges from the Islamabad High Court to other provincial high courts, a day after the Judicial Commission of Pakistan approved the moves in a decision that immediately drew sharp criticism from lawyers’ organizations for what they described as a lack of transparency and uniform standards.

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Pakistan’s $7 billion IMF program faces derailment risk as Iran conflict drives commodity shock, Oxford Economics says

ISLAMABAD: Commodity price shocks triggered by the US-Israel war against Iran are exposing Pakistan’s deep external vulnerabilities and threaten to delay or even derail the country’s $7 billion International Monetary Fund loan program, global economic advisory firm Oxford Economics warned in a recent report.

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Competition regulator approves complete sale of loss-making PIA to Arif Habib-Led Consortium

ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan has approved the acquisition of the remaining 25% stake in Pakistan International Airlines by a consortium led by Arif Habib Corp., completing the full privatization of the national carrier and handing control to private investors less than four months after they bought a 75% holding.

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