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Federal Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb held significant meetings on the opening day of the IMF and World Bank spring meetings in Washington. In his meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, the Finance Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to continuing reforms. He also extended an invitation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his to visit Pakistan. During his visit, Mohammad Aurangzeb also met with the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and World Bank officials. Additionally, he attended a luncheon hosted by the U.S.-Pakistan Business Council, where he engaged with American business leaders. Finance Minister began his Washington…

Federal government has decided to invite Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) starting April 24. According to the Privatisation Commission, stricter pre-qualification criteria have been set to ensure that only serious investors participate in the process. Both local and international investors will be given at least one month to submit their EOIs. The government plans to sell between 51% to 100% of PIA’s shares, with the assurance that employee protection and service structures will be maintained post-privatisation. A thorough assessment of PIA’s assets and financial standing is expected to be completed by July 2025.…

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday expressed openness to direct negotiations with Ukraine, in what observers see as a potentially significant development in efforts to end the two-year-old war, though scepticism remains on both sides. Speaking to Russian state television, President Putin said he had a “positive attitude towards any peace initiatives,” and added that he hoped Kyiv would “feel the same way.” His remarks came following Ukraine’s proposal for a 30-day halt in strikes on civilian infrastructure, a move welcomed cautiously in Moscow. The Kremlin, through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, clarified that the president’s remarks were indeed an overture towards…

The repatriation of illegal residents and Afghan Citizen Card holders continues at a rapid pace following the expiration of Pakistan’s deadline for them to leave the country. On April 21 alone, more than 3,956 undocumented Afghan residents were sent back to their homeland. The total number of illegal Afghan residents who have now left Pakistan has reached 983,442. Pakistani authorities are implementing strict legal measures against illegal foreign nationals and Afghan Citizen Card holders who remain in the country past the deadline. The government of Pakistan has emphasized that it is ensuring the dignified return of illegal residents, foreign nationals,…

The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region has recorded its lowest snow persistence in 23 years, marking the third consecutive year of below-normal snowfall, according to ICIMOD’s 2025 Snow Update Report. The alarming 23.6% decline in snow persistence—the fraction of time snow remains after falling—threatens water security for nearly two billion people dependent on 12 major rivers originating from the region. Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD, called for urgent, science-based policies and cross-border cooperation: “Carbon emissions have already locked in an irreversible course of recurrent snow anomalies. We must adopt forward-looking strategies and regional collaboration to manage water resources and…

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in connection with a violent protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on October 5 in Lahore. The warrants were issued on the request of the police, who informed the court that Gandapur and other PTI leaders failed to join the investigation. Warrants were also issued for PTI leaders Hammad Azhar, Saeed Sandhu, and Shehbaz Ahmed. The ATC’s administrative judge, Manzar Ali Gul, issued the warrants in a case registered at the Masti Gate police station.

Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday heard the Punjab government’s appeal against the acquittal of Sanam Javed in the May 9 riots case. During the proceedings, the court remarked that if injustice is being done, the High Court cannot simply turn a blind eye. The Punjab government’s counsel argued that Sanam Javed had filed a petition against her remand in the Lahore High Court, which allegedly exceeded its authority by acquitting her from the case altogether. Justice Hashim Kakar noted that the court had already issued instructions in such cases to be decided within four months, questioning why the trial…

Gulf issuers, including Saudi Arabia’s $925 billion sovereign wealth fund, are working on a round of bond offerings, according to sources, braving debt markets despite recent turmoil ignited by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. Markets have been volatile since Trump announced sweeping tariffs on April 2, even after he rolled most of them back, as investors struggle to gauge where his policies are headed. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is seeking to raise between $1.5 billion and $2 billion with a sukuk, or Islamic bond, in coming weeks, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.…

The Balochistan Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BBISE) has announced the postponement of intermediate examinations by three weeks, just one day before the exams were set to begin. According to an official notification issued on Monday, the Intermediate (FA/FSc) examinations, which were scheduled to commence on Monday, April 22, will now be rescheduled. New dates for the exams will be announced soon. Board officials stated that the decision was made due to unforeseen administrative reasons, although no further details were provided.

The upward trend in cement prices continued across Pakistan last week, with notable regional variations according to the latest figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). For the week ending April 17, 2025, northern Pakistan recorded an average cement price of Rs 1,425 per bag, representing a 0.95% increase from the previous week’s rate of Rs 1,411. Meanwhile, southern regions bucked the trend with a marginal decrease of 0.20%, bringing prices down to Rs 1,384 from Rs 1,387. The city-specific breakdown reveals Lahore commanding the highest cement prices nationwide at Rs 1,497 per bag. Bahawalpur follows closely at…