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ISLMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued notification of successful candidates in recent tribal elections for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the merged tribal districts. According to the notification issued by Pakistan’s prime electoral body, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Anwar Zaib Khan has been declared as the winner from PK-100 Bajaur –I. PTI’s Aimal Khan secured the seat of PK-101 Bajaur. On PK-102 Bajaur-III, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) candidate Sirajuddin was declared successful with 19,088 votes. According to the notification ANP candidate, Nisar Ahmed was declared a winner from PK-103 Mohmand-I. Independent candidate Malik Abbas-ur-Rehman was declared the winner on PK-104 Mohmand-II. Citing the notificationof PK-105 Khyber-I constituency, the independent candidate Shafiq Afridi has been declared successful. Bilawal Afridi, another independent candidate won PK-106 seat Khyber-2. Independent candidate Muhammad Shafiq won the PK-107 Khyber 3. JU

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry taking to the social media today (Thursday) lamented the no-confidence motion against chairman senate Sadiq Sanjrani, ARY News reported. Writing on the micro-blogging website Twitter, the minister said that all of this exercise was to save the ill-gotten wealth of the political leaders, this is all a part of “ Abu Bachao Muhim ” said Chaudhry. Chaudhry’s tweet further read that the initiative would prove useless and the government and the Prime Minister of Pakistan were unphased by the efforts of the opposition. The Minister also claimed that the only difference Chairman Senate’s removal would make would be on the Senate itself, he said that Sanjrani was the man who was responsible for maintaining balance in a tough environment. Read More: Sadiq Sanjrani confident of getting through Senate showdown He continued that whatever the fate of this no-confidence motion may be, the balance of senate has been meddled wi

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ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will present former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi before an accountability court as his 13-day physical remand expired on Thursday (today) in liquefied petroleum gas (LNG) scandal. Khaqan Abbasi was taken under custody by NAB team while en-route on Thokar Niaz Baig road on July 18, over liquefied petroleum gas (LNG) scandal. The former premier will be presented before the court of Judge Muhammad Bashir, where the extension in his physical remand will be sought. Read more:  NAB explains why ex-PM Abbasi was arrested The former prime minister is facing charges of corruption and awarding a LNG import contract at exorbitant rates in 2015, which caused big loss to the national exchequer. Sources said that he had granted a tender worth Rs220 bn to a firm in which he himself was a shareholder. NAB sources said that Abbasi, in 2013, had awarded a LNG import and distribution contract to the Elengy Terminal in violation of the Publi

For the first time in its history, the Miss Venezuela contest will not publish the 24 contestants’ waist, bust and hip measurements, organizers said — as Pageants face criticism for their primary focus on physical appearance. The event, which will take place in Caracas on Thursday, has been running since 1952 and has an enviable record on the international stage, having produced seven Miss Universe winners and six in Miss World. Traditionally, the contestants’ vital statistics have been publicized — with a 90-centimeter (36- inch) bust, 60-centiment waist and 90-centimeter hips long considered the ideal. This year, contestants will still parade on stage in swimsuits and evening gowns, but organizers say they want to fight stereotypes about what an ideal woman looks like and hence will not reveal their measurements. “A woman’s beauty isn’t 90, 60, 90 … It is measured by each one’s talent,” said Gabriela Isler, the pageant’s spokeswoman and Venezuela’s last Miss Universe winner in

ISLAMABAD: The global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for rejecting the very question of media curbs in the country. During a recent visit to the United States, PM Khan had said that talking about curbs on press freedom in Pakistan was a “joke”. Read: Relations with Pakistan much better today than before, says President Trump in meeting with PM Imran “It is clear that either you are very poorly informed, in which case you should urgently replace the people around you, or you are knowingly concealing the facts, which is very serious, given your responsibilities,” wrote RSF secretary general Christophe Deloire. The RSF alleged that it was an “obscenity” for Mr Khan to say that press freedom was thriving in Pakistan. Given a recent surge in press freedom violations, which RSF enumerated in a statement, “you will appreciate that to talk of ‘one of the freest presses in the world’ is clearly tantamount to an obscenity,” M

The United States believes that Hamza bin Laden, a son of slain Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and himself a notable figure in the militant group, is dead, a US official said on Wednesday. The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, provided no further details, including when Hamza died or where. President Donald Trump earlier on Wednesday declined to comment after NBC News first reported the US assessment. Asked if he had intelligence that bin Laden's son had been killed, Trump told reporters: "I don't want to comment on it." Separately, the White House declined to comment on whether any announcement was imminent. Hamza, believed to be about 30 years old, was at his father's side in Afghanistan before the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and spent time with him in Pakistan after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan pushed much of Al Qaeda's senior leadership there, according to the Brookings Institution. Osama bin Laden was kill

In a stunning photo, a wildlife photographer has captured a sea lion falling into the mouth of a humpback whale in what he calls a “once-in-a-lifetime” moment. Chase Dekker, who is also a marine biologist, took the spectacular shot during a whale-watching boat trip off the coast of Monterey Bay, in California, last week. “I get to see a lot of crazy stuff but never this,” said the 27-year-old who has been taking pictures of wildlife for nearly a decade. He said he was on a whale-watching boat trip on July 22 when he noticed a group of humpback whales on a feeding frenzy. As the animals were munching on anchovies, an unlucky sea lion failed to get out of the way in time and ended up inside the whale’s mouth, Dekker recounted in interviews and an Instagram post. He said he quickly grabbed his camera and began snapping pictures of the incredible moment. “I was ecstatic because I captured a moment I may never see again,” he said. But rest assured, Dekker said, the whale never close

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Diet is already a key part of managing diseases like diabetes and hypertension, but new research adds to a growing body of evidence that it could help cancer treatment too. The study, published Thursday in the journal Nature, found restricting intake of an amino acid found in red meat and eggs significantly enhanced cancer treatment in mice, slowing tumour growth. “These are very strong effects, and they are effects that are as strong as we would see with drugs that work,” said lead researcher Jason Locasale, an associate professor at Duke University’s School of Medicine. “What this study is showing is that there are many situations where a drug by itself doesn’t work, but if you combine the drug with the diet, it works. Or the radiation therapy doesn’t work well, but if you combine… with the diet, it works well,” he told AFP. The study focused on restricting intake of the amino acid methionine, which is key to a process called one-carbon metabolism that helps cancer cells grow.

ISLAMABAD: US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad is scheduled to visit Pakistan on Thursday (today), ARY News reported. According to diplomatic sources, Zalmay will hold meetings with the civil and military leadership during his visit to Islamabad. Mr. Khalilzad will meet Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Foreign Office in today’s after, after which he will depart for Qatar in the evening ahead of talks with the Taliban. The US envoy’s visit to Pakistan is being considered very important, as he will later proceed to Qatar to hold talks with the Taliban and try to remove differences over certain complicated issues including differences over a timeframe for the withdrawal of foreign forces. They had started negotiations in October last year to find out a political solution to the American longest war. Both sides had last briefly met on July 9 and later decided to take a break in the seventh round to consult leaders for a final decision.

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KARACHI: Four persons were killed as two motorcycles they were riding on hit a car in Sea View area of Karachi, ARY News reported on Thursday. According to rescue resources, the youngsters were heading towards the seaside, when their motorcycles were hit by a car, killing two of them on the spot and injuring two others. The bodies and injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, where the injured succumbed to their injuries, increasing the number to four. Among four dead, a body was identified as of Samiullah, 18. The deceased were residents of Korangi. Earlier in the month of April, two students of grade 10th passed away in a road mishap while they were returning home on a bike after appearing in matric exams. The incident took place near Memon Goth area. Two other young boys got badly injured in the accident. Police said the motorcycle slipped owing to overspeeding. Read More:  Road accidents kill eight in Dadu, Karak The dead included Haroon and Kashif, both of them 16-year-ol

MIRAMSHAH: The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has warned people against playing loud music, polio vaccination and women going out without being accompanied by a man, saying people defying the warning will face consequences. The one-page message in Urdu seen by people in Miramshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan tribal district, on Wednesday cautioned the people: “We remind you [residents] that similar statements issued by Taliban several times in the past had fallen on deaf ears, but this time we are going to take to task those who violate the Taliban order.” The message further said: “There will be no use of DJs, neither inside the house nor in open fields and those ignoring the warning will be responsible for consequences,” . Polio workers have been asked to do finger-marking of children during the vaccination campaign, but told not to administer polio drops to children or be ready to face dire consequences for defying the instruction. The pamphlet prohibited playi

ISLAMABAD: As Karachiites continue to suffer after recent rains leading to loss of precious human lives and public property, K-Electric on Wednesday started the process of declaring force majeure — a legal term used for inability to meet performance standards and contractual obligations because of circumstances beyond its control. This has come following a notice issued by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to the Karachi-based power utility over extended “power outages and loss of human lives due to electrocution”. Read: Karachi remains submerged in darkness hours after last showers A day earlier, the regulator had expressed its disturbance that “KE complaint centers were not responding to telephonic calls of consumers” and directed the company to submit a report about failure of its pre-emptive measures as the rain was expected. In response, the KE told the regulator about its intentions “to declare Force Majeure under Rule 10 of the Nepra Performance Standa

ISLAMABAD: The global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for rejecting the very question of media curbs in the country. During a recent visit to the United States, PM Khan had said that talking about curbs on press freedom in Pakistan was a “joke”. Read: Relations with Pakistan much better today than before, says President Trump in meeting with PM Imran “It is clear that either you are very poorly informed, in which case you should urgently replace the people around you, or you are knowingly concealing the facts, which is very serious, given your responsibilities,” wrote RSF secretary general Christophe Deloire. The RSF alleged that it was an “obscenity” for Mr Khan to say that press freedom was thriving in Pakistan. Given a recent surge in press freedom violations, which RSF enumerated in a statement, “you will appreciate that to talk of ‘one of the freest presses in the world’ is clearly tantamount to an obscenity,” M

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Wednesday sought details of income of doctors and surgeons associated with Karachi’s major hospitals and health institutes who are “having thriving practice but are not paying taxes on their income”, leaving many practitioners in a quandary about objective behind the move. A notification issued by the FBR addressing the commissioner inland revenue in Karachi showed a list of 30 private and public hospitals operating in the city to collect data of all health practitioners working in these facilities so their provided details would be “cross-matched” with the claims they made while filing withholding statements. Talking to Dawn , FBR chairman Shabbar Zaidi said that notices were issued to document all professions and sectors. “We have started from Karachi in the first phase,” he said, adding that under the Income Tax Ordinance people having taxable income would have to file their returns. “We will send notices to all hospitals across the c

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda on Wednesday hinted at reviving the Kalabagh dam project besides correcting ‘by hook or by crook’ the imbalances purportedly caused by devolution. Speaking at a hurriedly called press conference to raise allegations of conflict of interest against PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif unrelated to his ministry, Mr Vawda said that the previous governments had shel­ved the Kalabagh dam project due to the “influence of enemies of Pakistan”, who always made water storage projects controversial. The minister said he had ordered the project to be reviewed. In reply to a question, he said: “Kalabagh was declared dead in ICU (intensive care unit), now I am the new doctor in-charge and have ordered preparations to re-examine it. I will not let the project be buried”. He said that the country was in dire need of new water reservoirs and these should have been constructed earlier. However, it was unfortunate that attempts were made to make se

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri said the government saved Rs5 billlion in the expenses of hotel and transport during the Hajj operations of this year. Speaking at a ceremony in Lahore, he said the government is returning the money to pilgrims which was saved in the expenses of hotels and transport. “Owing to increase in expenses of Hajj, it was expected that the number of applications would be less, however, banks received record Hajj applictions,” he said. The minister said from the next year, the facility of Road to Makkah project will be extended to Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and other airports. The number of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan is the highest in comparison to the entire world. Two days earlier, the spokesman of Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony said in a statement, 129,000 pilgrims including 93,000 of government and 36,000 of the private scheme have so far reached the holy land to perform the sacred religiou

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The body of a billionaire Indian coffee magnate who went missing amid financial troubles was found by a river in southern India, police said on Wednesday. V.G. Siddhartha, founder of the Cafe Coffee Day chain that beat Starbucks at its own game in India, was last seen Monday next to the Nethravathi river near Mangaluru and reported missing soon after by his chauffeur. Authorities launched a major search operation, and a fisherman found the body on the bank of the river. “Siddhartha's body was found early this morning,” Sasikanth Senthil, deputy commissioner of South Karnataka police, told AFP “We have sent his body for post mortem analysis now and are awaiting results.” The body will be handed over to the tycoon's family after legal formalities are completed, said Sandeep Patil, Mangaluru police commissioner. Patil said an investigation was underway to determine whether Siddhartha took his own life. Siddhartha — whose family have been in the coffee business for 130 years

KARACHI: Owing to monsoon rains, the Lath Dam near Super Highway has overflown and the floodwater has entered K-Electric’s KDA Grid station, located at Gulzar-e-Hijri Scheme 33, causing a massive breakdown in the megapolis.  In a series of tweets, the Karachi’s sole power supply company said, the monsoon downpour in the city on Monday and Tuesday caused the Lath Dam near Super Highway to overflow. “The floodwater entered K-Electric’s KDA Grid station, located at Gulzar-e-Hijri Scheme 33, one of the most critical grids of KE’s 220kV grid and an interconnection point between KE and NTDC,” K-Electric tweeted. Overflow of Lath Dam creates critical situation at KDA Grid (1) Monsoon downpour has caused Lath Dam near Super Highway to overflow. The floodwater has entered K-Electric’s KDA Grid station, located at Gulzar-e-Hijri Scheme 33, one of the most critical grids of KE’s 220kV grid.. — KE (@KElectricPk) July 30, 2019 As an emergency safety measure, K-Electric was forced to suspen

Dozens of passengers, mainly women and children, were killed in western Afghanistan early Wednesday when the bus they were travelling in hit a roadside bomb, officials said. The attack, which came one day after the United Nations said civilians are being killed and wounded at a “shocking” level in Afghanistan's war, occurred around 6:00 am (0130 GMT), authorities said. “A passenger bus travelling on the Kandahar-Herat highway hit a Taliban roadside bomb. So far at least 28 killed, 10 wounded,” said Muhibullah Muhib, the spokesman for Farah province. All were civilians, mostly women and children, he said. Farooq Barakzai, a spokesman for Farah's governor, confirmed the toll but warned it may rise higher. There was no immediate confirmation from the Taliban that it was behind the blast. The group, which has resurged since its regime was toppled by the US invasion in 2001, made a vague pledge this month to reduce civilian casualties. Civilians have long paid a disproportiona

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ISLAMABAD: The number of taxpayers in Pakistan has increased by 700,000 over a year’s period, according to statistics shared by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). As per the FBR’s stats, the total number of people who filed their tax returns rose by 700,000 to a total of 2.154 million. Of these, some 700,000 are salaried people. The FBR further said proposals to impose fixed taxes were being mulled to bring the small and big business owners into the tax net. Read More:  FBR notifies revised duties on imported, local vehicles Hailing the rise in numbers of people filing tax returns, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry tweeted on Sunday that so far 2.1 million people had filed their tax returns, which was the highest in the FBR’s history. “FBR has projected a target to enhance these returns numbers to 4 million for the tax year 2019,” he wrote. Earlier on July 14, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Shabbar Zaidi had said the last date for filing tax returns for the

KARACHI: The weather system which brought first monsoon rainfall of the season in Karachi and other parts of Sindh has weakened, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in a statement. The weather is partly cloudy in parts of the port city with chances of drizzle in the next 24 hours, according to the weather forecast. The maximum temperature in the city will remain between 31-33 degree Celsius while humidity will be 75-85 pct in the morning and 60-70 pct in the evening today, met office said. Another rainy system According to PMD another weather system will bring monsoon rains with wind-thunderstorm in upper and central parts of Pakistan from Wednesday (Today) evening to Friday. Strong monsoon currents from Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are likely to penetrate upper parts of the country from today. A westerly wave is also likely to interact with monsoon currents on Thursday and Friday, which bring widespread rains and wind-thunderstorm with isolated heavy to very heavy fal

PM Imran Khan has taken notice of the situation from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2yrss5s

The body of a billionaire Indian coffee magnate who went missing amid financial troubles was found by a river in southern India, police said Wednesday. V.G. Siddhartha, founder of the Cafe Coffee Day chain that beat Starbucks at its own game in India, was last seen Monday next to the Nethravathi river near Mangaluru and reported missing soon after by his chauffeur. Authorities launced a major search operation, and a fisherman found the body on the bank of the river. “Siddhartha’s body was found early this morning,” Sasikanth Senthil, deputy commissioner of South Karnataka police, told AFP “We have sent his body for post mortem analysis now and are awaiting results.” The body will be handed over to the tycoon’s family after legal formalities are completed, said Sandeep Patil, Mangaluru police commissioner. Patil said an investigation was underway to determine whether Siddhartha took his own life. Siddhartha — whose family have been in the coffee business for 130 years — opened

NEW DELHI: Indian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill to end the Muslim practice of instant divorce two years after the Supreme Court ruled that it violated the constitutional rights of Muslim women. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the bill’s approval by the upper house of Parliament reflects the empowerment of women and India’s changing profile. The more powerful lower house approved the bill last week. It will become law after India’s president approves it, which is a formality. Most of the 170 million Muslims in India are Sunnis governed by the Muslim Personal Law for family matters. The law has included allowing Muslim men to divorce their wives by saying “Talaq”, the Arabic word for divorce, three times and not necessarily consecutively, but at any time, and by any medium, including telephone, text message or social media post. More than 20 countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, have banned the practice. The 99-84 approval on Tuesday was a victory for Prime Mini

WASHINGTON: The United States and Pakistan can further enhance bilateral trade if strategic ties between the two countries continue to improve, said a White House factsheet released on Tuesday. The factsheet “Working toward Peace and Stability: Building Economic Prosperity” notes that the United States and Pakistan enjoy a strong economic partnership that benefits both countries. The official document points out that Pakistan and the US traded $6.6 billion worth of goods last year, setting a new record of bilateral trade. While the document recognises Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process, US officials recently also urged Islamabad to encourage transit trade between India and Afghanistan, noting that it would benefit all by enhancing trade between South and Central Asian regions. President Donald Trump also expressed his desire to increase trade with Pakistan when asked at his July 22 news briefing what his administration was willing to do to help boost the Pakistani economy.

BEIJING: Chinese officials on Tuesday said “most” individuals held in re-education camps in its northwest Xinjiang region have left the centres and found jobs — though they did not provide any figures. In Xinjiang, experts and human rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are held in a network of camps where they endure political indoctrination. But Alken Tuniaz, vice chairman of Xinjiang, told reporters at a press briefing that “most personnel who have received educational training have already returned to society and have returned home.” “Right now, most have already completed their studies and obtained employment,” he said. After initially denying their existence, Beijing has gone on a public relations blitz to defend what it calls “vocational education centres” as a necessary measure to counter religious extremism and boost employment. At a press conference in Beijing, officials from Xinjiang called the centres “effective.” “After thes

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Tuesday said that tax evasion via offshore accounts will be deemed as a punishable crime and those found guilty will either have to pay hefty fines or face jail time of up to three years. As per amendments introduced through Finance Act 2019, a circular issued said these amendments will tighten the noose around offshore tax evaders. The modifications are in line with the Financial Action Task Force recommendations. The amendments introduce various changes to the legal framework governing tax evaders, absconders, abettors, officials and individuals involved in malpractices and real estate transactions. The government has set a penalty of Rs100,000 or an amount equal to 200 per cent of the tax evaded involving an undeclared offshore asset. FBR restricts purchase of immovable property valued above Rs5m or asset more than Rs1m through crossed cheque, demand draft, or pay order or any other instrument Additionally, any person who fail

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday exempted top leadership of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), including President Dr Arif Alvi, from personal appearance in the cases registered against them in connection with violence during the party’s 2014 sit-in . Besides President Alvi, PTI’s counsel Mohammad Ali Bukhari also sought exemption for Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai, PTI’s Punjab president Ijaz Chaudhry, Jahangir Khan Tareen, Asad Umar and others. Prime Minister Imran Khan has already sought permanent exemption in these cases. After Dr Alvi took the oath as president of the country, his counsel advised him to avail presidential immunity. ATC puts off hearing till Sept 10 in cases registered in connection with violence during 2014 sit-in Article 248 (2) of the Constitution states: “No criminal proceeding whatsoever shall

ISLAMABAD: The main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has alleged that the government is putting pressure on various institutions to arrest party president and opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif. Speaking at a news conference at the National Press Club here on Tuesday, senior PML-N leader and former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq, information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb and joint secretary Attaullah Tarrar challenged the government and head of the Prime Minister’s Assets Recovery Unity (ARU) Shahzad Akbar to present proofs of corruption against the party leaders before courts and become a party to the defamation suit that had been filed by Mr Sharif against British newspaper Daily Mail for publishing a damaging and “false” report against him. “Shahzad Akbar at the behest of (Prime Minister) Imran Khan is pressurising NAB (National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) to arrest Shahbaz Sharif,” said Ms Aurangzeb. The PML-N’s informati

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has deposited Rs500 million into the national exchequer after recovering the amount from seized bank accounts of former finance minister Ishaq Dar, a source said on Tuesday. The anti-graft watchdog also initiated a money laundering investigation against the former minister, who is absconding. According to an official, the amount has been recovered from three different accounts of Mr Dar. “On Tuesday the amount (Rs500m) was deposited into the exchequer,” the official told Dawn . He said the bureau had opened a formal probe against Mr Dar on money laundering allegations. “NAB has received credible evidence against the former finance minister of the PML-N government for laundering money,” he said. NAB teams search Gulberg and Cavalry Ground offices of PML-N president, his sons On Saturday, a team of the Lahore city district government took control of a five-kanal house (7-H Hajvery House, Gulberg III) belonging to Mr Dar who is facin

ISLAMABAD: Amid record fiscal deficit and declining government revenues, names of as many as 3.26 million power consumers have been found to be missing from the sales tax and income tax records. The alarmingly poor compliance with tax laws is at the heart of the country’s widening fiscal deficit. Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Shabbar Zaidi has warned that from July onwards the board will take strict action against tax defaulters, including by cutting off their supply of electricity. Read: Shabbar Zaidi warns tax defaulters of utility disconnections FBR has already requested the industrial and commercial consumers to avail the “last” assets declaration scheme to avoid penalties and other action required under the tax laws. As part of the drive aimed to widen the tax base, FBR has requested the power ministry to provide details of the consumers not registered with the tax department. In response, the power distribution companies have compiled a list of consumers tha

ISLAMABAD: Amid slight reduction in international crude price, the government is likely to approve a substantial increase in the prices of all petroleum products for next month. A senior government official told Dawn that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Tuesday moved a summary to the government containing calculations on petroleum prices on the basis of higher general sales tax and petroleum levy. Ogra has recommended an increase of about Rs5.15 per litre for petrol (motor spirit) and Rs5.65 for High Speed Diesel (HSD), Rs5.38 for kerosene and Rs8.9 for Light Diesel Oil (LDO). The official said the crude price had dropped by more than 12pc in the Arabian Gulf to $63 per barrel on July 30 from $72 on April 28, but the government had been gradually increasing tax rates. Based on the import parity price of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for purchases in July, Ogra has worked out the ex-depot rate of HSD at Rs132.47 per litre, instead of Rs126.82, with an increase of abou

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet decided on Tuesday to bring down prices of naan and roti to their previous rates throughout the country. “Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken a stern notice of increasing prices of naan and roti and decided to take immediate steps to revert them to their original rates,” said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan at a press conference after the cabinet meeting. She said besides the cabinet meeting the prime minister also presided over a meeting on gas tariff and rates of naan and roti. She said the prime minister also called a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Wednesday (today) aimed at reducing the gas tariff, especially for Tandoorwalas, and cutting the price of Atta (wheat flour) and duties on it. At present naan is selling at Rs12 to Rs15 in different cities of the country. However, before an increase in the gas tariff and rates of wheat flour, naan price ranged between Rs8

ISLAMABAD: Removing the confusion created by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Swati’s remarks about the procedure to be adopted for the upcoming Senate session, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) announced on Tuesday that the voting for the no-trust motion against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani would be held on August 1. Read: Voting on no-trust motion against Sanjrani unlikely on Aug 1 “The procedure spelt out in Rule 12 of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Senate will be strictly followed and voting will take place on August 1,” Leader of the House in the Senate Syed Shibli Faraz said. “The house has been summoned to meet on August 1, and then there will be seven days [for voting],” Mr Swati had told a press conference on Monday. He was trying to say that there was sufficient time available for contacts with the opposition to persuade them to support Mr Sanjrani. “I will even ask the opposition’s joint candidate Mir Hasil Bizenjo to vote in favour o