ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Saturday that residential electricity consumers in flood-hit areas would be exempt from paying their August bills, as the government moves to ease the financial burden on households reeling from deadly flash floods that have killed nearly 1,000 people.
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FM Aurangzeb says IMF understands flood strain ahead of loan review
LAHORE: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the government is in close contact with the International Monetary Fund, which has shown understanding of the economic strain from devastating floods, as the lender prepares to review a $1.4 billion loan program.
Sindh on alert as 700,000 cusecs of floodwater head toward Sukkur Barrage
KARACHI: A massive wall of floodwater, measuring between 650,000 and 700,000 cubic feet per second, is barreling toward the Sukkur Barrage on the Indus River, officials warned on Sunday, as Pakistan’s southern Sindh province hunkered down against the threat of further inundation.
Swabi elders move to expel transgender people, rights body condemns
ISLAMABAD: A council of community elders in a conservative district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has moved to drive out all transgender people, prompting a sharp rebuke from human rights watchdog as fears mount over escalating threats to a vulnerable minority.
President Zardari pledges deeper defence ties with China in landmark aerospace visit
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari pledged on Sunday to deepen defence ties with China, touring the headquarters of the country’s top aerospace firm in a landmark visit that highlighted their strategic alliance amid fragile peace with India.
Dar in Doha to lead delegation ahead of Arab-Islamic summit on Israeli strike
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar reached Doha on Sunday to head Pakistan’s delegation to a ministerial session ahead of an emergency Arab-Islamic summit, a pointed gesture of support for Qatar following Israeli airstrikes that killed at least six people in the Gulf nation’s capital this week.
Flood crisis tests IMF bailout discipline as PM Sharif halts August power bills in affected areas
ISLAMABAD: The government moved swiftly to shield flood-ravaged households from August electricity bills, a rare concession that underscores the tension between immediate disaster relief and the fiscal austerity demanded by a $7 billion International Monetary Fund bailout.
Pakistan invites global crypto exchanges to apply for licenses under new regulator
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is throwing open its doors to the global cryptocurrency industry, inviting major exchanges and virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to apply for licenses in a bid to formalise its burgeoning digital economy.
UPADTE-Military says 19 soldiers martyred, 45 militants killed in clashes near Afghan border
ISLAMABAD: Security forces clashed with militants in three fierce firefights along the rugged border with Afghanistan this week, leaving 19 soldiers martyred and 45 insurgents killed in the latest flare-up of violence in the country’s volatile northwest, the military said on Saturday.
Pakistan to launch $250 million Panda bond issue by year-end to fund infrastructure
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to issue its first-ever Panda bonds before December 2025, aiming to raise $250 million in yuan-denominated debt to finance critical infrastructure projects, according to media reports.