The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance on Thursday approved a series of recommendations for the proposed Finance Bill 2026-27, including the imposition of a 5% withholding income tax earned through social media platforms. Other recommendations included the abolition of a 1% advance tax on exporters and changes to the taxation of inherited properties. The […]
Israel FM says severing contact with EU top diplomat over ‘apartheid’ remarks
Israel’s foreign minister said on Thursday that he was severing all contact with the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, over reported remarks in which she allegedly compared Israel to the apartheid regime that once ruled South Africa. Diplomatic relations between Israel and the EU have come under heavy strain since the Gaza conflict erupted […]
Five jailed PTI leaders urge Opposition to ‘engage’ with PM on ‘Charter of Pakistan’
Five senior PTI leaders, incarcerated in Kot Lakhpat Jail, have urged opposition leaders to “engage constructively” with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on a “Charter of Pakistan” – a move they deem will address the root cause of instability in the country. They made the appeal in a joint letter to National Assembly Opposition Leader MehmPTI […]
JI to hold nationwide protests against inflation, fuel levy today
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Thursday demanded an immediate reduction in petroleum prices and announced nationwide protests against inflation and the petroleum levy on June 19, warning that sit-ins would be staged across all four provinces if the government’s demands were not met. Addressing a press conference at Mansoorah in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem welcomed […]
IHC refers Afridi’s plea for Imran meeting on budget to CJ
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has referred to the chief justice a petition filed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Finance Adviser Muzammil Aslam seeking permission to meet incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan for consultations on the upcoming provincial budget, it emerged on Thursday. Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro passed the order after being […]
Gold prices dip by Rs 200 per tola
The prices of gold witnessed a slight decline in the local market on Wednesday, with 24 karat gold per tola decreasing by Rs 200 to settle at Rs 455,236, according to rates issued by the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association. Similarly, the price of 10 grams of 24 karat gold fell by Rs […]
Rupee gains three paisa against dollar
The Rupee on Wednesday appreciated by 03 paisa against the US Dollar in interbank trading and closed at Rs 278.27 compared to the previous day’s closing of Rs 278.30. According to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of the dollar in the open market were recorded at Rs 279.00 and […]
PSX stays bullish, gains 118 points
The benchmark KSE-100 Index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained bullish on Wednesday, gaining 118.05 points, a positive change of 0.07 percent, closing at 180,511.02 points against 180,392.98 points on the last trading day. During the session, the ready market recorded a trading volume of 1.230 billion shares with a traded value of Rs […]
Current account posts $255 million surplus in 11 months of FY26: SBP
Pakistan’s External Current Account recorded a surplus of US$ 252 million during July-May fiscal year 2025-26 compared to a surplus of $ 1,618 million in the first eleven months of previous fiscal year. The State Bank of Pakistan, in the monthly summary of Balance of Payments issued here on Wednesday, reported that Current Account Balance […]
Pakistan facilitating repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals, says Dar
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan was “pleased to facilitate the repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals”. In a post on the social media platform X, he said that this number included “eight Iranian fishermen rescued at sea by the British vessel MMA Valour after their boat ran aground, […]