Govt has not contacted PPP over any constitutional amendment: Bilawal – Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, May 14: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday said that the government had not contacted him or his father, President Asif Ali Zardari, regarding a constitutional amendment. His remarks came amid media reports about the government’s intention to have the 28th constitutional amendment passed by parliament. “President Zardari and I remain in contact with […]
France, Netherlands say all hantavirus contact cases negative – World
France’s health minister said Thursday that 26 people in France identified as close contacts of hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship had tested negative for the illness. Dutch authorities also confirmed that all people who arrived in the Netherlands on evacuation flights from the ship this week have tested negative. Twenty-six people […]
Civil servants’ asset declarations to be made public in redacted form, says govt – Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday said that IMF-mandated asset declarations of civil servants would be made publicly accessible in a redacted form to ensure both transparency and personal privacy. The declaration of government officials’ assets is required under IMF governance and corruption-related benchmarks. Establishment Division Secretary Nabeel Awan testified before the Senate Standing Committee on […]
NASA’s probe nears Mars for gravity boost
. LOS ANGELES: NASA’s Psyche probe was headed for a close encounter with Mars on Friday and a planned gravity boost to set the spacecraft on its final course to the solar system’s largest known metallic asteroid, thought to be the remnant core of an ancient protoplanet. The Psyche probe, named for the asteroid it […]
PM reiterates responsible nuclear posture
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday called for concerted national efforts to transform Pakistan into an economic power, urging the same level of dedication and resilience that enabled the country to achieve its status as a responsible nuclear state. The prime minister, in his televised opening remarks at the meeting of the federal cabinet, […]
No hugs, ancient Greece and KFC: Five highlights from Trump-Xi talks – World
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump met in Beijing on Thursday for high-stakes talks. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump met in Beijing on Thursday for high-stakes talks, discussing the Iran war, Ukraine and economic cooperation. Away from the long list of complex agenda topics, here are […]
Pakistan-UAE ties unaffected by external engagements, says FO – World
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said Pakistan’s relations with the United Arab Emirates remained unaffected by any external engagements the Gulf state may have, expressing confidence in the strength of bilateral ties. It said the relationship was based on mutual trust, adding that this sentiment was also shared in Abu Dhabi. “Pakistan – UAE […]
Pakistan raises $250m equivalent in inaugural Panda bond issuance – Business
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan raised $250 million equivalent through its inaugural Panda bond issuance in the Chinese capital market at an interest rate of 2.5 per cent, with a three-year maturity, according to Advisor to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad. In a social media post on X on Thursday, Schehzad said: “Pakistan has successfully completed its inaugural […]
Investment-to-GDP ratio hits 14.4%
In the public sector, investment in manufacturing increased 97% because of the National Radio Telecommunication Corporation; in mining, it rose 25.9% because of OGDCL investment; and in electricity, gas and water supply, it increased 5.1% because of WAPDA investment. photo:file ISLAMABAD: The government has missed two more critical targets of increasing investment and savings as […]
FO sees voices in India calling for dialogue with Pakistan as a ‘positive development’ – World
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday that calls in India for dialogue with Pakistan were a positive development and expressed hope that “warmongering” and “belligerence” being witnessed in the neighbouring country for a long time would “fade away”. He made these remarks during a weekly FO briefing, where he was asked to share […]