The government has agreed to the need for a mini-budget if revenues fall short of expectations by end-December 2025, according to the IMF. Photo: file ISLAMABAD: The budget discussions between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have remained inconclusive, though both sides covered significant ground except for convergence over the cost of tax relief…
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in NATO foreign ministers format in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday there had been “some slight progress” regarding the situation involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. “There’s…
Marwat argues that process leading to change of CM was initiated by Imran Khan, who is convicted, disqualified ISLAMABAD: Shair Afzal Marwat, who himself acknowledged that he was elected as a Member of the National Assembly on the platform of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has approached the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) seeking the restoration of Ali…
Taameer Group expresses interest in expanding investments in hospitality, hotel, real estate, and construction sectors Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets a Qatar-based investment delegation led by Taameer Group founder Muhammad Hussein Al Ali. GOVT OF PAKISTAN Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held talks with a delegation from Qatar-based Taameer Group, led by the group’s…
Eight madrasa teams compete in football, cricket as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Sports organizes youth event PESHAWAR: The Inter-Madaris Sports Festival, organized by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Sports, officially commenced in Peshawar on Friday. The festival features eight teams from various madaris, with four teams each competing in football and cricket. Football matches are being played…
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain on Thursday blamed post-devolution coordination failures between the federation and provinces for worsening problems in the wheat sector. He told a Senate committee that provincial governments were not cooperating on procurement targets despite mounting challenges facing Pakistan’s agricultural economy. The remarks came during…
KARACHI: Pakistan has tapped into China’s vast and growing financial system through its inaugural Panda Bond, opening a new low-cost funding channel with fewer political strings attached that policymakers and analysts believe could help diversify the country’s external financing sources beyond traditional dollar- and euro-denominated borrowing. The RMB1.75 billion ($250 million) sovereign bond, issued in…
. ISTANBUL: A Turkish journalist with Deutsche Welle (DW) went on trial in Ankara on Thursday for allegedly “insulting the president”, with the court granting him conditional release, the German broadcaster said. Alican Uludag was arrested at his home in Ankara on February 19 over allegations of “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and “disseminating false…
ISLAMABAD: The reported deportation of Pakistani nationals from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) triggered a heated debate in the Senate on Thursday as the opposition warned of severe economic consequences of the development. However, the government disputed the scale of the figures and promised that a verified date would be presented in the parliament. Minister…
KARACHI: Pakistan’s foreign exchange buffers strengthened sharply during the week ended May 15, 2026, as the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) reserves increased $1.214 billion to $17.081 billion, driven primarily by multilateral inflows and recent market-based external borrowing. According to official data, the jump in reserves was largely attributed to receipts from the International Monetary…