Page 3 - Pakistan Government

As Munir meets Trump, a look at the past legacy of Pak's military chiefs

As Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir meets US President Donald Trump, here's a look at the past army generals in Pakistan and how they consolidated military power

Pakistan's tax exemptions rise to $21 million, economic survey shows

Tax exemptions to various sectors cost Pakistan more than USD 21 billion this year, a higher amount than the USD 17 billion the country is required to repay against its maturing commercial and bilateral external debt, according to the latest economic survey. Unveiled by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday, the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2024-25 documents various economic developments and indicators in a fiscal year. According to the document, the cost of tax exemptions surged to a record Rs 5.8 trillion in the current fiscal year (2024-25), a rise of nearly Rs 2 trillion in the first year of the present government from the previous fiscal year's Rs 3.9 trillion. The Express Tribune newspaper reported that in dollar terms, the cost of tax losses was USD 21 billion, substantially higher than the USD 17 billion Pakistan is required to repay this year against its maturing commercial and bilateral external debt owed to China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and ...

Pakistan hikes assembly speaker, Senate chairman salaries to Rs 1.3 million

The Pakistani government has formally raised the monthly salaries of the National Assembly speaker and the Senate chairman to Rs 1.3 million, according to a media report on Saturday. The new salary marks a significant rise from their previous salary of Rs 205,000. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs issued the notification on May 29, but details surfaced on Friday, Samaa TV reported. The monthly salary for both officials has been fixed at Rs 1.3 million and they will also receive an additional 50 per cent as a temporary allowance on top of it, according to the notification. The revised salary structure will be effective retrospectively from January 1, 2025. Earlier on March 21, it was reported that the salaries and allowances of federal cabinet members had been significantly increased, with federal ministers, ministers of state and advisers receiving hikes of up to 188 per cent. Sources had said that the federal ministers approved a summary of the salary increments for themselv

Pak's Bilawal Bhutto called out by journalist at UN over Kashmir remark

Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was called out here by a journalist on his comments about alleged demonisation of Muslims in India. The former Pakistan foreign minister, who is leading a team of experts to inform the world about the recent conflict with India, was briefing the media about their perspective on Tuesday. During the question-answer session, Egyptian-American journalist Ahmad Fathi, UN correspondent of American Television News (ATN), asked Bilawal about his comments on India's treatment of Muslims and reminded him that it was an Indian Muslim military officer who was briefing the media during the conflict. Let me start with a statement you made today, saying that the recent terrorist attack in Kashmir is being used as a political tool to demonise Muslims in India. Sir, I have watched the briefings on both sides, and as far as I recall, there were Muslim Indian military officers who were conducting the briefing on the Indian side, Fathi said. He

Pak passes law to curb child marriages, sets minimum marriage age to 18

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed into law a bill fixing the minimum age for marriage at 18 years to curb child marriages despite opposition from right-wing clerics. The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, seeking to protect the rights of children and eventually eradicate marriages of children under the age of 18, was sent to the president's approval on May 27 after sailing through both houses of Parliament. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman shared on X a presidential notification related to the approval of the legislation. The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 is assented to, as passed by the Parliament, the notification read. Pakistan has reached a milestone in the enactment of important legislation against child marriages, she said. Zardari accented to the bill despite strong opposition from religious groups and even the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a constitutional body tasked to off

Pakistan plans bitcoin reserve but govt says crypto still banned at home

Within a day of unveiling a state-backed bitcoin reserve plan in the US, Pakistani officials said cryptocurrency remains illegal under current regulations and no legal change has been made

Clerics in Pakistan urge President to reject bill against child marriage

Clerics in Pakistan have urged President Asif Ali Zardari not to sign a bill banning child marriage, calling it un-Islamic and a 'western conspiracy'

India-Pak truce talks lift Nifty, Sensex 2%: reasons for market rally today

The benchmark indices recorded their strongest intraday rally since November 22 of last year

Fact Check: Govt debunks Pak's claims of striking India's S-400 system

The Government of India issued a detailed report highlighting multiple instances of disinformation detected between May 8 and May 9

Pak shuts airspace for commercial flights at Lahore, Islamabad airports

In a late-night development Wednesday, the Pakistan government has closed its airspace for all commercial flights at Lahore and Islamabad airports. The country's airspace is closed for all commercial flights at Lahore and Islamabad airports, said the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) in a statement late Wednesday night. The Karachi airport is however operational. Pakistan earlier on Wednesday announced a 48-hour closure of its airspace for all air traffic after India carried out a military strike on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The PAA said that it has formally conveyed its concerns to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regarding the serious risks posed to civil aviation safety by India's reckless and provocative actions. Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor. It was launched in retaliation for the terror attack in Jammu

Pak security huddle reviews situation after strike; PM Sharif to speak

Pakistan's high-level security huddle on Wednesday discussed the situation arising out of the Indian missile attack. Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over the National Security Council (NSC) meeting, which was attended by cabinet ministers, chief ministers, all services chiefs and senior officers. The NSC meeting lasted for more than two hours and discussed the security situation at length. However, no decisions were announced as Sharif has summoned a cabinet meeting at 3:30 pm to further discuss the developments. Later, he would share the decisions regarding the ongoing tension with the nation through his address in the parliament, officials said. Earlier, the Pakistan army said that at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in the Indian strikes launched shortly after midnight on cities in the Punjab province and ...

Pak ready to 'wrap' tensions if India de-escalates: Defence Minister Asif

Pakistan is ready to "wrap up" tensions with India, if New Delhi de-escalates the situation, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday. His remarks came hours after India carried out a military strike on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Asif was reported as saying by Bloomberg Television that Pakistan will only respond if attacked. "We have been saying all along in the last fortnight that we'll never initiate anything hostile towards India. But if we're attacked, we'll respond. If India backs down, we will definitely wrap up this tension," he said. Regarding the possibility of talks, the minister said he was not aware of any such potential engagements. Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.

Do not travel to Pakistan: US government issues advisory to its citizens

This latest travel advisory for US citizens came after India launched strikes on nine terror sites in Pakistan on Wednesday

Pakistan losing Rs 3.4 trn due to misuse of Afghan Transit Trade facility

Pakistan is losing Rs 3.4 trillion, including a nearly 30 per cent loss because of misuse of the Afghan Transit Trade facility due to illicit trade, according to a report. The losses estimated by the Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (PRIME) in its report titled "Combatting Illicit Trade in Pakistan" are equal to 26 per cent of this fiscal year's annual tax target, reported The Express Tribune newspaper. The report estimates an annual tax revenue loss of Rs 3.4 trillion on account of an estimated USD 123 billion informal economy, according to the report released on Thursday. It underlined that the illicit trade has emerged as a critical challenge for Pakistan's economy, undermining formal businesses, eroding government revenues, and jeopardising consumer safety. From smuggled petroleum and counterfeit pharmaceuticals to non-tax-paid cigarettes and under-invoiced consumer goods, illicit trade has entrenched itself across key sectors, it added. The country's intelligence a

'Pakistan has a past' admits Bilawal Bhutto, marked by waves of extremism

His remarks came shortly after Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also admitted that the country had supported terror groups in the past

India asks IMF to review loans to Pakistan after Pahalgam terror attack

This request comes after a deadly attack on tourists in Phalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which has made tensions worse between the two countries.

Pakistan to allow stranded citizens in India to return via Wagah border

Pakistan on Friday announced that it would continue to allow the use of the Wagah border crossing for its citizens stranded in India, following New Delhi's decision to revoke visas in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror incident. The Attari-Wagah border, located near Amritsar in India and Lahore in Pakistan, was shut on Thursday after being kept open till April 30. As many as 70 Pakistani nationals were reportedly stranded at the border on Thursday, as the deadline for leaving India expired a day earlier. Responding to media queries, the spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) acknowledged reports of Pakistani nationals, including children, stranded at the Attari border on the Indian side. "We are aware of the media reports indicating that some Pakistani nationals are stranded at Attari. We are open to receiving our citizens in case the Indian authorities allow them to cross the border from their side, the MoFA spokesperson said. The Wagah border would rema

Pakistan appoints ISI chief Lt Gen Malik as new National Security Adviser

Pakistan has appointed spy chief Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik as the new National Security Adviser (NSA) amidst raging tension with India. Malik was appointed as the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in October 2024. According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Tuesday, General Malik was formally given the task of the NSA. Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI (M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect, the notification stated. He is the country's tenth NSA, but it is for the first time that a serving ISI chief was given the task to serve concurrently in the two key positions. The posting comes amid heightened tensions with India following the recent Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people were killed. The NSA position had remained vacant since April 2022, when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government was ousted. Dr Moeed Yusuf was serving as the NSA at that time.

How Indian airlines are losing crores after Pakistan closed its airspace

Bypassing Pakistani airspace is forcing Indian airlines to take longer routes and consume more fuel, pushing the estimated extra monthly cost beyond ₹307 crore

Two killed, 56 injured after leaking oil tanker explodes in Pakistan

A leaking oil tanker caught fire and exploded along a dusty road in southwestern Pakistan, killing two people and injuring 56 others, officials said Tuesday. The explosion happened as firefighters were trying to put out the fire Monday in the Naushki district of Balochistan province, local police officer Atta Ullah said. Firefighters and people in a crowd that had gathered at the scene were among the injured. The tanker driver and a bystander were killed. Nearly a dozen of the injured were in critical condition and some were being airlifted to the southern city of Karachi, where better medical care is available, said Waseem Baig, a spokesman for Civil Hospital in Quetta. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti visited the Civil Hospital in Quetta, the capital of the province, and directed doctors to provide the best possible care to the victims. Deadly incidents involving oil tankers are not uncommon in Pakistan. In 2017, more than 200 people were killed in Ahmadpur East in Punj