Schools enrolment under the scanner

LAHORE: The Punjab government has initiated a review of government schools with critically low enrolment. The move comes after the latest Class 9 examination results exposed weaknesses in the education system with more than 753,000 students failing. On the other hand, it is estimated that millions of children in the province are out of schools….

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Encroachments worsen traffic on Misrial Road

A view of a traffic jam in Peshawar. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD IQBAL/EXPRESS RAWALPINDI: Residents have expressed serious concern over widespread encroachments on Misrial Road and around Niazi Town Chowk, saying persistent traffic problems have made daily life increasingly difficult. They demanded the authorities concerned take immediate notice of the situation and ensure enforcement of the law….

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Jab valley gets eco-tourism push

TAXILA: A delegation of WWF-Pakistan and other relevant officials recently conducted a detailed visit to the scenic tourist areas of Jab Valley and Hazara Waterfalls in Khanpur tehsil. Board members of WWF-Pakistan, WWF-Pakistan Director General Hamad Naqi, Senior Director Rab Nawaz, WWF Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Manager Naik Alam, other officials and the Hazara Region team inspected various…

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Consensus call grows over new provinces

Gohar warns rushed move could weaken federation Asif proposes Islamabad as first new province Sana suggests disc ISLAMABAD: The debate over the creation of new provinces intensified on Monday as opposition and government figures called for consensus on the sensitive issue, after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi continued to press his case, despite a categorical rejection…

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SC upholds Bait-ul-Mal support for Hindu girls

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has upheld the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) decision directing the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) to provide financial assistance to two minor Hindu girls, while also laying down guidelines for courts dealing with cases involving welfare assistance in the future. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi held that…

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PSX drops 1,693 points on geopolitical worries

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) succumbed to significant selling pressure on Monday as the benchmark KSE-100 index dropped 1,692.74 points, or 0.97%, over rising crude oil prices and escalating tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, which weighed on investor sentiment. The index opened the week on a fragile note, falling 429.59 points, or 0.25%, at…

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Competitive power market gets nod

Nepra agreed that the key principle should be equal treatment: open-access consumers should pay the same UoSC as similarly placed consumers of suppliers of last resort ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has approved a uniform structure of Use of System Charges (UoSC) for power bulk consumers of distribution companies (Discos) and K-Electric…

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GSP+ tasks

As the GSP-Plus renewal is due, Pakistan has to brace itself to meet the EU's trade regulation benchmarks. Islamabad has no choice but to ensure compliance with high standards to seek inclusion in the successor regime, which carries more stringent regulations. Islamabad has also made significant progress in upholding, legislating and implementing competition criteria and…

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Power tariff raised by Rs0.52 per unit

The positive quarterly adjustment will be recovered over three months—September, October and November 2026—at a uniform rate of Rs0.5194 per kWh. PHOTO: PIXABAY ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday approved an increase of Rs0.5194 per unit in electricity tariffs, placing an additional burden of approximately Rs12.6 billion on power consumers. The increase will apply to all…

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