Federal Constitutional Court moves to Shariat Court building in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), set up under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, has formally shifted to the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) building in Islamabad, officials said on Monday. Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan inaugurated the new premises along with other judges. Three benches of the FCC have already started hearing cases at the FSC building, including a three-member bench headed by the chief justice that is taking up super tax cases. Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan also attended the inauguration. Renovation work at…

Read More

Rs300m call centre extortion case debated in Senate IT committee

Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology has reviewed allegations of embezzlement linked to money collected from illegal call centres during a meeting chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan. Officials told the committee the case relates to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and concerns an alleged monthly amount of Rs15 million taken from illegal call centres. Read: 34 arrested, including 15 foreigners, in Karachi cyber fraud crackdown Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) representatives said the matter is being handled as an Anti-Corruption Wing case. They stated that a first information report…

Read More

Pakistan watches Iran unrest warily, fears spillover from any instability

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad is closely following the situation in Iran and does not want an upheaval in the neighbouring country, as any major instability across the border would have far-reaching implications for Pakistan’s security, economy and regional standing. Islamabad understands that a section of the Iranian population is protesting against inflation, unemployment and the rising cost of living but there is also a clear concern within Pakistan’s security and diplomatic circles that Iranian dissidents based abroad are actively trying to amplify the unrest and push it in a particular political direction.…

Read More

President Zardari to visit Bahrain from Jan 13-16

President Asif Ali Zardari will embark on an official visit to Bahrain from January 13 to 16, accompanied by a high-level delegation. According to the Foreign Office post on X, the president is scheduled to hold talks with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The meetings will focus on strengthening bilateral relations, as well as discussing regional and international issues of mutual interest. The visit aims to deepen Pakistan’s longstanding partnership with Bahrain and explore new avenues of cooperation…

Read More

TTAP chief warns of deepening political crisis

LAHORE: Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai on Sunday warned that Pakistan risked further fragmentation if constitutional violations and political repression continued unchecked, saying some regions could be pushed toward declaring separation within months if the crisis deepened. Addressing a news conference and public interactions in Lahore, Achakzai said the country was facing an “existential moment” driven not by external threats but by internal injustices, erosion of democratic norms and repeated interference with the Constitution. He described the TTAP movement as a final alarm, likening it to an SOS call…

Read More

Pakistan watches Iran unrest warily, fears spillover from any instability

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad is closely following the situation in Iran and does not want an upheaval in the neighbouring country, as any major instability across the border would have far-reaching implications for Pakistan’s security, economy and regional standing. Islamabad understands that a section of the Iranian population is protesting against inflation, unemployment and the rising cost of living but there is also a clear concern within Pakistan’s security and diplomatic circles that Iranian dissidents based abroad are actively trying to amplify the unrest and push it in a particular political direction.…

Read More

Centre committed to K-P’s development: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that the timely completion of federally funded development projects in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the resolution of public issues were among the top priorities of the incumbent government. He said the federal government was “fully aware” of the problems faced by the people of K-P and was taking tangible steps within its jurisdiction to ensure sustainable solutions. The prime minister expressed these views in a meeting with K-P political representatives, the PM Office Media Wing said in a statement. During the meeting, a detailed…

Read More

Water filtration plants to be transferred to PSPC

RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has decided to transfer all existing water filtration plants in the Rawalpindi division to the Punjab Saaf Pani Company to ensure the provision of clean drinking water according to health standards. New filtration plants will also be installed in areas currently without such facilities. Consultation between the Rawalpindi administration and the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has been finalised. WASA will present a comprehensive report on existing and proposed filtration plants to the commissioner. At present, WASA Rawalpindi manages 127 water filtration plants within the city.…

Read More

OGRA moves to scrap fixed returns in gas pricing

ISLAMABAD: Following the government’s plan to restructure gas utilities, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has decided to review the existing gas pricing formula based on return on fixed assets, keeping in view current gas sector dynamics and market liberalisation. The government had tasked the OGRA with restructuring the two public gas utilities by doing away with the fixed asset-based return. According to officials, the regulator hired consultancy firm KPMG to review the formula, and it has submitted its report. The regulator has started consultations with stakeholders to change…

Read More

SME financing gaps highlighted at Lahore expo

LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday organised the SME Finance and Banking Expo to provide small and medium enterprises direct access to banking facilities, financing schemes and financial products. According to a statement, the day-long event saw participation from almost all major commercial banks, Islamic banks and financial institutions operating in the country. Banks set up dedicated stalls where a large number of LCCI members visited to obtain information on SME-focused financing products, refinance schemes, credit facilities, Islamic finance models and digital banking solutions. The expo…

Read More