Government plans income tax cuts

IMF to review proposals as Pakistan seeks to reduce salaried, corporate rates and raise Rs50b ISLAMABAD: The government has shared its plan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reduce salaried and corporate income tax rates, as it also considers recovering an additional Rs50 billion in the next fiscal year by charging sales tax on…

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IHC orders action against campus drugs

Court had also instructed police, ANF to extend assistance in developing surveillance mechanism for universities ISLAMABAD: The hearing of a case pertaining to the use of drugs in educational institutions across the federal capital will be taken up on May 19 by a bench headed by Justice Raja Inam Amin Minhas of the Islamabad High…

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Fish exports cross $500m for first time

ISLAMABAD: The export of fish and fisheries products has surpassed $500 million during the current fiscal year, driven by reforms in the fisheries sector, with the government also announcing a major infrastructure plan to establish a 100?acre seafood processing and export zone at Korangi Fisheries Harbour Authority to promote the blue economy, Federal Minister for…

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K-P cabinet expanded to 31 members

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afrid. SCREENGRAB PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cabinet was expanded on Saturday with the induction of six new ministers, four new advisors and eight special assistants, taking the total strength of the provincial cabinet to 31 members. With the expansion, the number of ministers, including Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, has risen to 17,…

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Pakistan taps China’s agri model

LAHORE: Close to Gujranwala, the rice fields are glowing soft green in the May heat. But the crop growing is not the traditional Basmati rice that farmers have planted for centuries. It is Chinese hybrid rice, born in a laboratory in Hunan, carried across the Karakoram Highway and cross-bred to thrive in Punjab’s sunshine. This…

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WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Congo, Uganda an emergency of international concern

80 dead, 246 suspected cases in DRC; agency warns neighbouring countries to activate emergency mechanisms People at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in the Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 16, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS The World Health Organisation on Sunday declared an Ebola outbreak…

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Eid rush returns, inflation bites

With limited space for subsidies and a heavy reliance on indirect taxation, future budgetary measures could exert upward pressure on prices, particularly affecting urban consumers. Photo (file) LAHORE: The temporary relief given by Punjab, followed by the Sindh government, to keep markets open till late in the evening ahead of Eidul Azha has sparked hopes…

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