Aurangzeb says lower govt spending in FY2025 ‘response to right pushback’ from taxpayers

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday said lower government expenditures in the outgoing fiscal year were a “response” to previous “right pushback” from tax-paying individuals. He made the remarks during a post-budget press conference where he expanded upon the federal budget proposed yesterday for the upcoming FY25-26. Maintaining an aggressive stance on fiscal consolidation, as required by…

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Fact check: Video of PTI’s Barrister Gohar calling for Washington protest against army chief is a deepfake

Posts from PTI supporters on multiple social media platforms on Tuesday shared a clip of PTI’s interim Chairman Barrister Ali Gohar allegedly urging overseas Pakistanis to participate in a protest on June 14 against the army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir. However, the video is a deepfake and he has not issued any such message….

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India wants to ‘sabotage President Trump’s peace efforts’: Bilawal

Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday lambasted India for attempting to “sabotage President Donald Trump’s peace efforts” in South Asia, stressing that Pakistan was willing to solve all issues through dialogue. His statement came against the backdrop of Pakistan’s recent conflict with India triggered by a deadly April 22 attack on tourists in Occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam….

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US Centcom chief lauds ‘phenomenal partner’ Pakistan in counter-terrorism efforts

United States Central Command (Centcom) commander Army General Michael Kurilla on Wednesday praised Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner in the world of counter-terrorism”, citing the nation’s struggle against terrorism in Balochistan and against terrorist groups like the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K). Pakistan and the US reaffirmed the continuation of counter-terrorism cooperation during a dialogue in Washington on May…

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PM Shehbaz set to embark on UAE visit tomorrow, discuss global issues: FO

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to the United Arab Emirates tomorrow (Thursday) to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest during some high-level meetings. Over the last few months, UAE expressed the country’s commitment to strengthening its long-standing partnership with Pakistan and announced a $2 billion debt rollover soon after. In…

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Road to stardom

FOR an icon of women’s cricket — in fact, women’s sports — in Pakistan, Sana Mir’s induction into the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame is a testament to her unwavering spirit and relentless drive to pursue excellence. Sana is Pakistan’s first female cricketer to find a place in ICC’s esteemed Hall of Fame, being inducted alongside…

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Trump willing to work on Kashmir issue, confirms US State Dept

US Department of State on Wednesday reiterated US President Donald Trump’s resolve to work on the Kashmir dispute, saying each step that he takes “is made to solve generational differences between countries”. Donald Trump had offered to work on the Kashmir issue after he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the two nations’ most intense military confrontation in decades….

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After expanding the net, new budget will focus on increasing tax rates

• Many goods, services will now be taxed at higher rates• Lower rates for digital payments versus cash transactions set to replace distinction between filers, non-filers• Some relief expected for salaried persons earning around Rs100,000 per month ISLAMABAD: Facing limited room for fresh tax measures, the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government has resorted to rebranding taxation…

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