KARACHI: The Chief Minister Sindh on Saturday during his budget speech announced ongoing flagship projects under ADP 2023-24. English Medium Schools: Under the Rs 11,777.401 million project 50 state-of-the-art resilient schools are being constructed on prefabricated mild steel structures. The project is implemented under three separate schemes: the establishment of 25 English medium schools; one in each district, the establishment …

ISLAMABAD: The Australian High Commissioner Neil Hawkins has visited IRSA headquarters and discussed issues related to water sector and provision of technical training to IRSA officials. Chairman IRSA, Asjad Imtiaz Ali, along with Members IRSA Balochistan and Sindh, Abdul Hammed Mengel and Zahid Hussain Junejo and Secretary IRSA, Muhammad Khalid Rana welcomed the High Commissioner Hawkins. Chairman IRSA informed that …

LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday here expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in rains in different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PM sympathised and condoled with the bereaved families, said PM’s media wing. He directed National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to ensure steps for relief and rehabilitation in the affected areas. He also ordered for …

At least three terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in the general Miran Shah area in North Waziristan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday. The military’s media wing said that three soldiers were also martyred in the intense exchange of fire that took place on the night between June 9 and 10. …

KARACHI: Provincial development budget set at Rs410bn; salaries increased by 30-35%; minimum wage set at Rs35,500 Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has presented the budget for the upcoming financial year 2023-24. The budget amounts to Rs2.244 trillion. The chief minister emphasized the commitment of the provincial government to revive Sindh’s economy. Furthermore, Rs25 billion will be allocated to irrigation …

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab caretaker government and the Islamabad administration have both decided to return the services of the army. The Punjab Home Department and the Islamabad authorities have written separate letters to the Interior Ministry, asking it to withdraw the services of the army from the province and the capital city. The letter written by the Punjab Home Department reportedly …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kazakhstan have agreed to further expand bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, agriculture, Information Technology and textiles. The understanding came during a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, on Saturday. The prime minister underscored that Pakistan deeply valued its bilateral relations with Kazakhstan.  First Pakistan-Kazakhstan direct flight from July …

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has summoned a report from the Punjab government on a petition by the wife of PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhry as the Camp Jail superintendent said providing better class in the jail was the domain of the additional chief secretary. A law officer submitted a report on behalf of the jail superintendent saying the PTI leader …

ISLAMABAD: The federal government had earmarked a total of Rs1,400 million for 10 ongoing and three new schemes of the Ministry of Law and Justice in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the fiscal year 2023-24. As per the budgetary documents released on Friday, the government had allocated Rs160 million for the ongoing scheme of automation of federal courts/tribunals …

The cyclonic storm Biparjoy over the Arabian Sea was maintaining its intensity and lay 910 kilometres south of Karachi, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned on Saturday. Maximum sustained surface winds were 120-130km/hour while gusts of 150km/hour were around the system centre, the department said. “The favourable environmental conditions (sea surface temperature of 30-32°C, low vertical wind shear and upper-level …

ISLAMABAD: Addressing a post-budget briefing on Saturday, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar said the government intends to address all concerns of stakeholders, stressing that “we have been able to halt economic downfall, now we want to take the economy towards growth.” For starters, with effect from Monday two committees will be set up in the Federal Board …

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of Euro 3.5 million from the Government of France in support of the ongoing flood response for women and children affected by life-threatening malnutrition in Pakistan. The funding will help WFP reach thousands of children under-five and pregnant and breast-feeding women and girls suffering from acute malnutrition with lifesaving …

LAHORE: The caretaker Provincial Health Minister Dr Javed Akram, while distributing laptops among students belonging to Kashmir in Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC) said that Pakistani people’s hearts beat with Kashmiris. “We stand with Kashmiri brothers and sisters; now, laptops will be distributed to Kashmiri children every year. A hall is being built in Fatima Jinnah Medical University to pay …

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar Friday presented a Rs14.46 trillion budget for the next fiscal year, avoiding rolling out new taxes and targeting economic growth of 3.5% as the cash-strapped nation seeks to unlock the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) bailout money. Pakistan has shared the budget numbers with the IMF, and the finance minister believes there’s no …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Hammad Azhar and Asad Umar have slammed the Pakistan. Azhar lashed out at Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for presenting the pre-budget Pakistan Economic Survey 2022-23 Stating that he should have resigned along with the survey. Condemning the PDM coalition government on Twitter, the former finance minister said: “The economic destruction that PDM has wrought in …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed to immediately release Rs34 billion for Balochistan. The order was issued after a meeting of the leaders of Balochistan Awami Party with the prime minister. The PM said the BAP is a strong coalition partner in the Centre, adding the prosperity of Balochistan is the government’s foremost priority. He further vowed to address …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Accountability Court has sent four references, including one about mega money laundering, against former president Asif Ali Zardari back to the National Accountability Bureau. The court was hearing a fake accounts case against Asif Zardari and other suspects. The court sent four references back to the NAB. Judge Muhammad Bashir pronounced his decision after hearing the arguments of all …

LAHORE: One tonne of Sindhri variety was transported by YTO Express via a newly opened cargo flight between Lahore and Nanning The second batch of Pakistani mangoes arrived in Nanning, the capital of China’s southwest autonomous region of Guangxi, Adnan Hafeez, Director of Imperial Ventures (Pvt) Ltd said. The shipment comprising one tonne of Sindhri variety was transported by YTO …

The Supreme Court’s Justice Sardar Tariq Masood observed on Friday that establishing offshore companies is “no crime”, while hearing a Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) plea seeking action against all 436 Pakistanis named in the 2016 Panama Papers. On Nov 3, 2017, the JI had, through an application, reminded the court of its pending petition filed by party emir Sirajul Haq in August …

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office on Thursday said that economic diplomacy is a key pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy and the country’s missions abroad are under clear instructions for making efforts to promote economic ties and to find opportunities for boosting exports and bringing foreign investment in the country. Speaking at her weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said …

LAHORE: A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday directed the federal government to submit complete record of the Toshakhana and adjourned the proceedings in an appeal of government against a single bench with the direction to public the record of Toshakhana. The government in its appeal contended that the single bench passed the orders without proper …

HYDERABAD: Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Karachi S M Mahbubul Alam said that Pakistan and Bangladesh have brotherly relations and it is a great opportunity for him to address the business community of Hyderabad. He said there are more than 20 trade, cultural, social, civil aviation and other agreements signed between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the eighth largest population …

Auction house Sotheby’s reported the sale of The Eternal Pink diamond and The Estrela de FURA ruby for $34.8 million, which set a new world record for a coloured gemstone at an auction on Thursday. The 55.22-carat Estrela de FURA from Mozambique – the largest ruby to have been sold at a public auction – achieved the record price after …

SWAT: Two police constables and a bank’s security guard were martyred on Thursday when gunmen opened indiscriminate fire near the Sabzi Mandi area of Swat’s Mingora city, an official said. According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Moin Fayaz, the policemen were on routine duty near the Sabzi Mandi area in Mingora when a few unidentified assailants …

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said there were vast opportunities for cooperation between Pakistan and the Middle Eastern countries in diverse areas. Addressing a conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, he said Pakistan could modernise its agriculture sector by attracting a sizeable investment from Middle Eastern countries. He said “we have to create a Green Revolution …

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is likely to allocate Rs160.8 billion for the National Highways Authority (NHA) under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2023-24. Official documents revealed that Rs106.27 billion has been proposed for 66 ongoing projects, Rs10 billion for three VGF for BOT schemes and Rs44.5 billion for 44 new projects for 2023-24. The total proposed allocations included Rs147.7 …

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi has accused the ruling PPP of forcing its political allies out of the city’s mayorship election scheduled for June 15, 2023, vowing to outplay the rival party with a surprise. “The JI will foil the PPP’s conspiracy to keep its allies out of polls for the city mayor,” JI Karachi Chief, Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman told …

QUETTA: Balochistan’s planning minister has lost his job while the chief secretary was expected to suffer the same fate as a consequence of attending the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday. The council, chaired by the prime minister, includes the federal finance minister and chief ministers of all four provinces. However, this year, Balochistan CM Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo …

RAWALPINDI: An eight-member security team from Saudi Arabia’s General Aviation Civil Aviation (GACA) has arrived in Pakistan for a three-week visit. The objective of the visit is to evaluate the security measures taken for direct flights from Pakistani airports to Saudi Arabia. A spokesman for the CAA said that the high level Saudi delegation visited the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority …

PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, on Wednesday responded to a notice issued to her by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case and said that she did not have information about the settlement between the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and property tycoon Malik Riaz. The accountability watchdog had directed Bushra Bibi and the PTI …

KARACHI: There is no authentic data available on the massive quantity of solid waste including plastic trash generated in Karachi daily; owing to which it is very difficult to devise an effective plan to deal with this hazardous issue of the city. This was stated by the speakers including environmentalists who spoke at a seminar on plastic pollution organized by …

LAHORE: In a joint operation, Lahore Police and the Punjab Safe Cities Authority have successfully apprehended an individual involved in illegal arms Carriers. According to details, through live monitoring and vigilant checking of the safe city cameras and social media monitoring a suspicious armed person was captured. Upon identification by the Safe Cities surveillance, the police arrested Abdullah, who was …

LAHORE: In an operation against encroachment of parking spaces, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) removed impediments from Doctors Hospital to Khoker Chowk at Johar Town on Tuesday. As per the details shared by the LDA, more than 35 shop sheds, boards and outside floors were demolished and more than 20 properties were sealed. During the operation, sheds, boards and other …

LAHORE: Punjab Anti-Corruption registered a case against Farhat Shahzadi alias Farah Gogi and former chief minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar and former first lady Bushra Bibi’s son Ibrahim Maneka in the alleged transfer posting case. A few names from bureaucracy including Tahir Khurshid aka TK (former chief secretary of Punjab), Ahmed Aziz Tarar (DMG officer), Saleha Saeed (former deputy commissioner …

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) granted bail application of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Ali Muhammad arrested, who was detained under 3-MPO, against Rs0.1 million surety bonds. During the hearing, Peshawar High Court (PHC) judge Justice Ijaz Anwar remarked that those who had not hold a press conference were arrested, while on the other hand, those who hold a press conference …

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has ordered the Civil Hospital administration to begin treatment of transgender patients today. The court was hearing a case related to the alleged refusal of the Civil Hospital to treat transgender persons suffering from HIV-AIDS. The court ruled that there should be no discrimination against the transgender persons. Transgender activists and the additional superintendent of …

LAHORE: A case has been registered against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in Shaheed Jameel Kakar Police Station, in Quetta over murder of drive-by shooting of Abdul Razzaq Shar. Police included clauses of the murder including the provisions of act of murder and terrorism. The FIR was lodged on the application of the son of the slain advocate of …

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday asked if the government had utilised its resources to trace those behind recording and leaking audios of conversations. He passed these remarks as a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court (SC) resumed hearing pleas challenging the formation of a judicial commission led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa to probe …

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday alleged before the Lahore High Court (LHC) that a son and two daughters-in-law of former chief minister Parvez Elahi committed money laundering through a low cadre employee of the Punjab Assembly. A report submitted by the FIA revealed that Rasikh Elahi, the son of the former chief minister, his wife Zara Elahi …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Monday, questioned the authority of the electoral body to initiate contempt proceedings against party Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, party leader Asad Umar and former party leader Fawad Chaudhry—as the poll body reserved its verdict in the case—to be announced on this month’s 20th. In the hearing of the case, defence lawyer and former …