The federal government has announced revised operating hours for businesses across Pakistan under its ongoing austerity and fuel conservation measures, directing provincial governments to ensure implementation of the new schedule. Read More: Government revises market closing timings According to an official notification issued on Wednesday, shops, markets, shopping malls and general retail…
Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged the country on Monday to focus on fuel, fertiliser and foreign exchange and underlined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plea to conserve foreign exchange as “very important” amid the Gulf crisis.
Earlier this month, Modi called on Indians to conserve fuel and foreign exchange and avoid gold purchases, among other austerity measures, to better manage…
• Marriage halls increase rates or avoid long-term pricing commitments due to economic uncertainty
• Govt austerity measures have led to stricter enforcement of wedding regulations, including the 10pm curfew and one-dish policy
KARACHI: With temperatures climbing, wedding invitations seem to have mercifully dwindled to a stop for those who dread the sweat of suits, heels, and layers of makeup.…
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar was informed by the petroleum ministry on Monday that the country has sufficient reserves of POL products till the third week of June.
The information was conveyed to the deputy premier during a high-level meeting to review the country’s petroleum, oil, and lubricants stock position.
“The Petroleum Ministry briefed the committee on the prevailing supply…
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to allow spectators into the stadium for the final of the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Interior Minister and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday.
In a post on X, the PCB chairman said he had requested PM Shehbaz to allow spectators in the stadiums during the PSL 11 final.
“While he was also inclined to permit fans, he…
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday said the ongoing conflict sparked by the US-Israeli war on Iran has not adversely impacted Pakistan’s remittances from the Middle East.
“Some members spoke of remittances, which is true. [However,] thankfully, there has been no impact on remittances as of yet,” Aurangzeb said while speaking on the National Assembly floor.
“However, the…
ISLAMABAD: The government decided on Monday that markets and shopping malls in the country, barring those in Sindh, would close by 8pm as part of energy conservation measures.
The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, a statement by the PM’s Office said.
It added that markets in divisional headquarters in KP would be allowed to remain open…
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday advocated for the revision of market timings to cut down on oil usage by saving electricity, as the country faces rising import costs amid the global oil crisis.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Iqbal stressed the need to reduce energy spending to combat the economic difficulties arising from the ongoing war.
Pointing out that Pakistan generated…
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday said that the prices of petroleum products had increased due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, adding that the government “has nothing to do with it”.
His remarks come a day after an unprecedented increase of 43 per cent and 55pc in the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD), respectively, to cushion the impact of…
ISLAMABAD: Showing cautious optimism over Pakistan’s short-term economic outlook, the finance ministry on Tuesday warned that rising global oil prices due to the US-Israel war on Iran posed risks to the country’s import bill and macroeconomic conditions in the long-term.
“Rising global oil prices and potential supply chain disruptions may exert pressure on industrial input costs”, said the…
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called on President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the overall national security situation and key challenges facing the country, according to the President’s Secretariat.
The meeting comes a day after the quadrilateral ministerial moot in Islamabad, involving the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, discussing possible ways to…
LAHORE – Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat on Monday announced that all schools across Punjab will reopen from April 1, following a temporary closure imposed due to rising fuel costs linked to the Middle East crisis. Read More: Punjab ‘mulls’ over extending school holidays The provincial government had earlier ordered the shutdown of educational institutions from March […]
• Urges citizens to avoid travel, adopt teleconferencing at workplaces
• Asks provinces to digitise vehicle registration records
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said adequate reserves of petroleum products were available in the country to meet national requirements, urging citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and adopt teleconferencing at workplaces to conserve…
Latvia should not begin implementing austerity measures in response to the impact of the war involving Iran, as this would be a misguided step, Saeima MP Andris Šuvajevs (Progressives) said in an interview on Latvian Television’s programme Morning Panorama. He stressed that although there will be many calls for cost-cutting, the biggest mistake at this […]
The post “The biggest mistake would be…
LAHORE: The HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 is set to commence on March 26 amid unprecedented circumstances, with several overseas players having arrived in Lahore to join their franchises for the tournament.
The 11th edition, running until May 3, features eight teams competing in 44 matches, but the event has undergone significant revisions due to a severe fuel crisis triggered by the…
ISLAMABAD: In another step towards tightening austerity measures, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday imposed a complete ban on the use of high-octane fuel in government vehicles, shortly after the announcement of a Rs200 increase in the levy on high-octane fuel.
The decision comes amid government efforts to manage the economic impact of rising global oil prices following the US-Israel war…
RAWALPINDI: The Armed Forces of Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to defence, internal security and national sovereignty on the occasion of Pakistan Day, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Monday.
Pakistan Day — observed on March 23 every year — commemorates the passing of the Lahore Resolution on March 23, 1940, when the All-India Muslim League demanded a separate nation for…
• Govt expects to save Rs9bn per month; savings to be used for public relief
• Move aims to shift burden to higher-income groups
• Aurangzeb says focus is on ‘targeted relief’
• Measure won’t affect public transport, airfares
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday announced an increase in the levy on high-octane fuel, a premium-grade petroleum product with a higher octane rating,…
Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani directed on Tuesday the implementation of “wide-ranging austerity measures”, projecting a reduction of more than 50 per cent in the Senate Secretariat’s remaining budgetary utilisation for the current fiscal year, which is believed to translate into savings of around Rs700-750 million.
A statement issued by the Senate Secretariat said that Gilani presided over…
• Parliamentarians issued form to choose salary donation
• Say cuts acceptable for national causes, but not by ‘dictation’
ISLAMABAD: Some parliamentarians from both sides of the aisle are branding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent order regarding the forgoing of their two months’ salaries as “direct interference in constitutional matters”, creating a divide among lawmakers over the…
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued directives on Sunday for the formulation of a strategy for exporting surplus food items to Gulf countries while making sure that Pakistan’s nutritional needs were not affected.
The premier gave the instruction while chairing a meeting convened to review the “food situation” in the country and the export of commodities available in excess in view of the…
Prime Minister’s Spokesperson for Foreign Media Mosharraf Zaidi on Wednesday said that Pakistan would be there for Saudi Arabia “before it is needed”, adding “no matter what, no matter when”.
In an interview with _Bloomberg TV_ , Zaidi was asked about whether Pakistan would come to Saudi Arabia’s aid “militarily or otherwise” amid war triggered in the Middle East following US-Israeli strikes on…
Fabian Holt shows DSA’s growth and challenges as part of a global trend of “movement parties” rather than a unique US phenomenon.…