Commission given August 20 deadline to probe tunnel collapse, $74 million in kickbacks, and Rs167 billion burden on power consumers amid investor pullout Islamabad, July 11, 2025 — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rolled out a high-level judicial commission, led by retired Justice Tariq Abbasi, to dig into the delays, …
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Swat River Mining Boom Tears through Ecology and Livelihoods
River diversion, land erosion, and deadly sand mounds expose the human cost of a billion-rupee industry Mining Boom Tears through Ecology and Livelihoods Farmers lose land, fish vanish, and tourists perish as Swat’s riverbed is carved away SAIDU SHARIF, July 10 – Once the beating heart of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s scenic …
Read More »Pakistan Gears Up for Digital Currency Pilot
Digital rupee to integrate with PRISM+ amid new crypto oversight law ISLAMABAD, July 10 — Pakistan is moving ahead with a central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot program as part of efforts to modernize its financial system and keep pace with the global shift toward digital finance. According to well-placed …
Read More »IMF Push Spurs Austerity, Reforms Lag Behind
Fiscal tightening helps balance the books, but deeper economic flaws are left unresolved ISLAMABAD, July 8– In a bid to rein in public spending and bring the economy back on track, Pakistan’s Finance Division has rolled out a new round of austerity measures for the fiscal year 2025-26. The policy, …
Read More »Monsoon Escalates Flood Threat in Pakistan’s Irrigated Heartland
Canal colonies in floodplains brace for disaster as NDMA flags extends rain spell; 64 dead from earlier downpours ISLAMABAD, July 4 – The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a nationwide alert forecasting heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and flash floods across Pakistan from July 6 to 10, 2025, warning of …
Read More »Tarbela Water Scheme Back from Bureaucratic Limbo
New Potohar Water Board proposed as CDA struggles with sector expansion, falling investor confidence, and a staggering supply shortfall ISLAMABAD, July 4: After more than a decade in bureaucratic freeze, the Tarbela Water Scheme—originally proposed in 2008—is being revived by the federal government in an urgent bid to address the …
Read More »Furnace Oil Levies Threaten Industrial Backbone
Cement, textiles, shipping, and power sectors face shutdown risks as furnace oil prices surge over 80% under new fiscal regime ISLAMABAD, July 3 — A sweeping hike in furnace oil prices—driven by newly imposed petroleum and climate support levies effective July 1—has triggered alarm across Pakistan’s industrial and energy sectors. …
Read More »Duty Cuts Favour Importers, Retail Giants, and the Well-Off
From breeding animals to imported cheese and used cars, tax relief lands in elite hands as the public watches from the sidelines ISLAMABAD, July 3 — The federal government has slashed import duties on over 7,000 items in the new fiscal year, with the declared aim of supporting industry, food …
Read More »Pakistan Charts New Course to Transform Energy Sector
Energy Ministry sets sights on 60% renewable power and 30% electric vehicles by 2030 under ambitious energy overhaul ISLAMABAD July 2 – Pakistan’s Ministry of Energy has outlined a bold strategy to overhaul the country’s energy landscape, aiming to reduce inefficiencies, attract foreign investment, and transition towards cleaner, smarter energy …
Read More »Twin Cities on High Alert After Heavy Downpour
WASA declares rain emergency in Rawalpindi as water levels surge in Nullah Lai; urban flooding feared amid continued monsoon spellIslamabad/Rawalpindi, July 1:Following a heavy downpour on Monday, authorities in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are on high alert, with WASA Rawalpindi declaring a rain emergency amid rising water …
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