Author: admin

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised serious reservations over the government’s decision to grant tax exemptions on the import of sugar, warning that such policy deviations could undermine the ongoing $7 billion loan programme. According to sources familiar with the matter, IMF officials conveyed that exempting duties and taxes on sugar imports is inconsistent with the commitments made under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and may impact the disbursement of future tranches. The government had earlier justified the move by citing a national “food emergency,” under which it allowed duty-free import of 500,000 metric tons of sugar. However, the…

The Supreme Court has declared the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) practice of issuing recovery notices without allowing reasonable time as illegal. The top court on Tuesday issued a detailed 18-page verdict authored by Justice Ayesha A. Malik, which underscored that tax recovery must adhere to due process and should not compromise the constitutional rights of citizens and businesses. A three-member bench, headed by Justice Muneeb Akhtar and comprising Justice Ayesha Malik and another judge, dismissed the intra-court appeals filed by the FBR. The appeals had sought validation of tax recovery notices amounting to billions of rupees against private firms.…

Meta has announced new measures to curb the spread of “unoriginal” content on Facebook, targeting accounts that routinely repost others’ videos, photos, and text without significant changes or attribution. In a statement issued on Monday, the social media giant said it has already removed around 10 million accounts this year that were impersonating popular content creators. A further 500,000 accounts have faced punitive actions for engaging in spam-like behavior or generating fake engagement. “These accounts will face a reduction in content reach and be barred from accessing Facebook’s monetisation programmes,” Meta said, adding that repeat offenders may lose distribution privileges…

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar met Chinese President Xi Jinping during a joint engagement with the foreign ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Beijing. The high-level meeting, held under China’s presidency of the regional bloc, aimed to strengthen regional cooperation among member states. President Xi, in his address, welcomed the visiting delegates and underlined the importance of promoting multilateralism and security under the SCO framework, which comprises the world’s largest population bloc across the Eurasian region. Mr Dar is currently leading the Pakistani delegation at the SCO Council of Foreign…

Indian actor and singer Diljit Dosanjh made his first public appearance in India on Monday weeks after facing intense backlash over his cross-border film Sardaar Ji 3. The actor was spotted at Mumbai airport, where he was warmly welcomed by paparazzi despite the controversy surrounding his latest release. In a video that quickly went viral on social media platforms, particularly Instagram, Diljit can be seen exiting the airport dressed in a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and a red turban. He responded to paparazzi calls of “Paaji” with folded hands, a warm smile, and a friendly wave before stepping into his car—avoiding…

KARACHI : The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday continued its record-breaking spree due to positive investor sentiment and improving economic outlook. The KSE-100 benchmark index has surged by 1176.38 points to reach fresh high of 137,678.91, marking a positive change of 0.86 percent. The market’s upward movement early in the session sets a positive tone for the rest of the trading day. Experts have attributed the rise to an increase in workers’ remittances, improved foreign exchange reserves, higher auto sales and trust of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the economic policies of the government. A day earlier, the…

The federal government and representatives of the sugar industry have reached a consensus to fix the ex-mill price of sugar at Rs165 per kilogram amid skyrocketing retail prices across the country. The agreement was confirmed on Tuesday by the Ministry of National Food Security, which stated that provincial governments have been instructed to implement the decision and ensure the availability of sugar to consumers at the newly determined rates. The ministry said the development comes following a surge in sugar prices that pushed retail rates to as high as Rs200 per kg in several major cities, including Karachi, Islamabad, and…

Unreleased music by global pop icon Beyoncé was reported stolen from a vehicle in Atlanta, just days before her four-night performance series in the city as part of her ongoing Cowboy Carter stadium tour, police officials confirmed. According to Atlanta Police Department, hard drives containing unreleased and watermarked tracks, detailed choreography plans, past and upcoming show setlists, and other sensitive materials were taken from a rented vehicle used by Beyoncé’s choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue. The incident took place on July 8, two days before the singer’s first show in the city. The rented black Jeep Wagoneer was reportedly parked…

US President Donald Trump on Monday pledged to deliver “top-of-the-line weapons” to Ukraine through NATO allies, while threatening Russia with sweeping secondary tariffs if a peace agreement is not reached within 50 days. The announcement came after a meeting between President Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Washington, where both leaders signalled a significant escalation in Western support for Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion. “We want to make sure Ukraine can do what it wants to do,” Trump told reporters at the joint presser, with Rutte confirming that the United States had agreed to “massively supply Ukraine with what…

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has made bold claims regarding his government’s performance, stating that no federal or provincial administration in Pakistan’s history has collected as much revenue as his in such a short period. In an exclusive interview with Samaa TV on Monday, Gandapur revealed, “I challenge anyone to show me a government that has collected more revenue than mine. We’ve collected Rs2.5 billion, and that’s just the beginning.” He emphasized that he is not just competing with current administrations, but measuring his performance against the last four terms of past governments. “In one term, I have to outperform…