ISLAMABAD: The Embassy of Japan in Pakistan, in collaboration with The Japan Foundation, hosted a successful screening of the 2022 Japanese (sub-titled in English) comedy/science fiction film ‘Mondays: See You ‘This’ Week!’ at the Embassy premises. The film follows employees at a small advertising agency trapped in a repeating work week, delivering clever wit and a relatable take on breaking free from life’s “daily loop.”
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Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s mineral exports could reach between $6 billion and $8 billion annually within this decade if the country focuses on value addition rather than raw extraction. Addressing the Pak-China Mineral Cooperation Forum in Islamabad, Iqbal said Pakistan aims to move “decisively beyond extraction” by developing mineral processing plants, smelters and refining facilities. He said the country also wants to establish mineral-based industrial clusters linked with Special Economic Zones, according to Radio Pakistan. The minister said transforming Pakistan’s mineral economy…
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ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has given the first big relief to the federal government by upholding Section 4(b) and 4(c) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 which is estimated to add Rs310 billion in public revenue. A three-member FCC bench led by Chief Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan has issued a short order after 17 hearings in the super tax case. Earlier, the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench led by Justice Khan had conducted more than 50 hearings. Later the matter was transferred to the FSC after the new court was…
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ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar has remarked that civil servants are not bound to follow illegal orders even if they come from the prime minister. Justice Kakar made this remark on Tuesday while heading a three-member bench hearing the review petition filed by former minister for petroleum and natural resources Anwar Saifullah Khan in the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) illegal recruitments case. Anwar was convicted by a trial court, an order that the Lahore High Court (LHC) set aside in 2002. However, the SC…
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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the government was pursuing a comprehensive strategy, backed by an effective team, to eradicate polio from the country at the earliest. He made the remarks during a meeting with Dr Chris Elias, president for global development at the Gates Foundation, who called on him at the Prime Minister’s House along with a delegation. “Pakistan would continue its efforts, with the support of trusted partners such as the Gates Foundation, until the disease is completely eradicated from the country,” the prime minister said.…
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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Saturday evening transformed its auditorium into a sanctuary of sound, spirituality and scholarship as it hosted “Liqa-e-Ishq – Mystical Musical Colours of Karakoram,” an evocative cultural programme celebrating Pakistan’s rich spiritual and musical heritage. Jointly organised by the Burushaski Research Academy (BRA) and Shan-e-Tajalli, with the patronage of PNCA, the event offered an intellectually engaging and aesthetically immersive exploration of indigenous, folk and Sufi musical traditions. Rooted in the mystical and poetic legacy of renowned Sufi scholar, poet and researcher…
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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) workers have expressed a complete lack of confidence in the newly-formed city organisation and announced strong protests against it. All PPP groups and social media platforms have launched a campaign opposing the new setup. Senior PPP city worker Ayaz Khan Pappu said the newly appointed city president is a “parachuted” leader with no connection to Rawalpindi. He questioned why the party high command could not find even a single jiyala from Rawalpindi’s 46 union councils to appoint as city president. He said the new president…
Read MoreISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari landed in the United Arab Emirates on Monday for a four-day official visit from January 26 to 29. The presidency said in a post on X he was received by UAE Minister of Justice Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi in Abu Dhabhi and was accompanied by First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. They held a meeting later with the UAE minister. During the visit, the president is scheduled to hold meetings with the UAE leadership to review bilateral relations,…
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ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary panel has proposed that each MNA be allowed to nominate ten people for Hajj every year. It has also suggested sending a ten-member delegation to Madinah on an official visit every year to offer salutations at the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) mosque. A meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs was held on Monday under the chairpersonship of MNA Shagufta Jamani. During the meeting, the committee recommended that a 10-member parliamentary delegation be sent at government expense to present salutations at Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH). The official…
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ISLAMABAD: IInterior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports on Monday, where he formally inaugurated Secure Hybrid Intelligence for Knowledge-Based Response Analytics (Shukra). The state-of-the-art monitoring system has been designed to track passport applications, printing, and departmental performance in real time. As part of the upgrade, a 24/7 Monitoring Room and a Call Centre have been made operational at the DG Immigration and Passports. On the minister’s directives, the system for issuing Emergency Travel Documents has also been fully digitized. The officials briefed the interior minister…
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