Apart from the affluent sheikhs of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, who lavished Pakistan’s dignitaries — including visiting bureaucrats — with expensive gifts, mainly wristwatches, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a traditional golden dagger during the first six months of 2025. The Toshakhana record, made public by the cabinet division for the period between January and June 2025, lists high-val
Barring foreign investors, local business leaders have expressed concern over the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) decision to keep the policy interest rate unchanged at 11 per cent, arguing that the move could stifle investment, raise production costs, and delay economic recovery. While foreign investors largely supported the decision, domestic business groups criticised it as overly cautious, p
The Public Accounts Committee of the Balochistan Assembly on Monday uncovered billions of rupees in financial irregularities, including unsurrendered savings and funds improperly held in private bank accounts by government officials, according to a review of recent audit reports. The commitee’s meeting, presided over by Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen, identified what it called serious lapses in f
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Monday imposed a Rs100 million fine on Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) for continuing excessive loadshedding on commercial grounds, violating laws and regulations. Nepra had earlier fined Hesco Rs50m in April 2024 for loadshedding based on aggregate technical and commercial (ATC) losses despite no shortfall in power generatio
The government has decided to establish a centralised customs assessment centre in Islamabad to process Goods Declarations (GDs) from across Pakistan under the faceless assessment framework. The move aims to reduce corruption and ensure fair treatment of genuine importers by replacing the current assessment unit based in Karachi. Member Customs Operations Shakeel Shah announced the plan duri