Govt extends austerity measures until June 30, eases operating hours

Revised business hours apply to standalone grocery, neighbourhood convenience stores Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar chairs a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Fuel Conservation and Additional Austerity Measures. PHOTO: X The government on Wednesday extended a series of austerity measures until June 30 and allowed standalone grocery and kiryana stores to…

Read More

K-P urged to prioritise industrialisation

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chairman Ashfaq Paracha has urged the provincial government to make industrial development a central pillar of the upcoming Budget 2026-27, saying sustainable growth, employment, exports and revenue depend on a strong industrial base. He noted that K-P presented a budget of over Rs2.1 trillion for FY2025-26, including an…

Read More

Diabetes affects 10m children in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Tuesday that nearly 10 million Pakistani children aged between five and 15 are living with diabetes, warning that the country continues to struggle with preventable diseases due to the lack of effective measures to curb the consumption of sugary drinks. Speaking at the inauguration of the School of…

Read More

UK, Pakistan seal £35m Green Compact

ISLAMABAD: British High Commissioner Jane Marriott called on Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik in Islamabad to discuss the implementation of the Green Compact, a £35 million bilateral climate cooperation framework aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s resilience against climate change, according to an official statement. Marriott presented the Action Plan for…

Read More

Pakistan urges all sides to give diplomacy ‘a little more chance’ at UNSC

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad addressing a UN Security Council briefing on non-proliferation. PHOTO: X Pakistan on Wednesday urged all sides to exercise restraint and give diplomacy “a little more chance” amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, warning that recent events have highlighted the risk of further escalation….

Read More

NEPRA slashes power tariff by Rs1.98

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has reduced electricity tariffs by up to Rs1.9857 per unit under the quarterly tariff adjustment mechanism, providing relief worth over Rs67 billion to consumers across the country. The regulator approved an overall negative adjustment of Rs67.173 billion and decided that the relief would also be extended to…

Read More

BISP’s Rs1 generates Rs2.34 in economic activity

Social safety nets create 1.66 million jobs, offset 24% of costs through tax revenues ISLAMABAD: The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) generates Rs2.34 in real income for every rupee transferred to vulnerable households, creating jobs and stimulating economic activity, according to new evidence presented at a policy dialogue in Islamabad. The event, jointly organised by…

Read More

US adds top Chinese tech firms to military list

WASHINGTON/BEIJING: The United States on Monday added Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, internet search provider Baidu, and automakers and NIO to a list of companies it believes are aiding Beijing’s military, in a move that could inflame tensions between the countries. The long-awaited update supersedes a list from early 2025, and comes less than a month…

Read More