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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Budget FY26: Pakistan targets 4.2pc growth, slashes overall spending

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday unveiled Pakistan’s annual federal budget in a charged National Assembly session, outlining ambitious proposals to drive 4.2 per cent economic growth in the coming fiscal year while cutting back on overall spending and tightening tax measures.As the session — chaired by NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq — commenced, opposition…

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PTI rejects ‘IMF-dictated’ budgetary proposals

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Teh­reek-i-Insaf (PTI) has rejected the budgetary proposals, alleging that the proposed budget for the upcoming financial year has been prepared by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The party arrived at this conclusion after discussing the budgetary proposals for financial year 2025-26 at a meeting of the parliamentary party, which was attended by PTI chairman…

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We asked two ex-finance ministers what the 2025-26 budget should look like. Here are their thoughts

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is expected to present the Finance Bill 2025-26 in the National Assembly tomorrow (Tuesday). Much has been said in the lead-up to the big day; the finance minister has pledged to introduce “bold measures” to steer the national economy in a strategic direction, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stressed the need for tight…

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Aurangzeb stresses tariff reforms key to export-led economy

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday stressed that planned tariff reforms that would reduce import duties were the key to an export-led economy in Pakistan. He made the remarks during a post-budget press conference where he expanded upon the federal budget proposed yesterday for the upcoming fiscal year. Maintaining an aggressive stance on fiscal consolidation, as required…

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New taxes to make online shopping costlier

KARACHI: The government has introduced new taxes on local and foreign e-commerce marketplaces, making online shopping costlier for Pakistani customers. Moreover, the Finance Bill has proposed a tax on social media advertising in Pakistan by foreign e-commerce platforms. The bill has proposed amendments to the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 to add the definitions of e-commerce…

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