Author: Admin

SEC’s new unit will also focus on market manipulation schemes, hacking and intrusions into retail brokerage accounts. PHOTO: FOTOLIA LAHORE: Speakers at a seminar said that the reversal of the 16% tax on rental properties in Punjab has provided major relief to the country’s retail community and reflected the success of collective efforts by trade bodies. They emphasised that such reforms have helped stabilise retail operations and created breathing space for organised businesses struggling under economic pressure. They were addressing the 5th Pakistan Future of Retail Business Summit & Expo 2025 on Thursday, where leading figures from Pakistan’s retail, e-commerce,…

Revenue steps will be taken if FBR misses Dec target or expenses rise above limits ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has assured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that it will take Rs200 billion worth of additional tax measures in January to compensate any slippages in the budget surplus by increasing the income tax rates on landline and mobile phones and cash withdrawals from banks. The measures will only be triggered following lower-than-targeted revenues and higher-than-agreed expenses in July-December of the current fiscal year, according to the Pakistani authorities. Government sources told The Express Tribune that other measures, which were part of the contingency…

.Students stitch clothes in a class at Punjab Vocational Training Council. PHOTO COURTESY: TVET RSP BEIJING: Chinese and Pakistani institutions have signed a batch of agreements for cooperation in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) at the China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education. Eight Chinese vocational colleges from provinces including Jiangxi, Sichuan, Gansu, Anhui and Xinjiang reached cooperation deals with Pakistani partners. The agreements aim to boost TVET collaboration across industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, trade, etc. Three bases were unveiled to provide training to Pakistani students in Chinese language and vocational skills. A China-Pakistan Industry-Education…

(Clockwise from top left) PTI backed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s MPAs Meena Khan Afridi, Faisal Turkai, Aftab Alam and Syed Fakhar Jehan. — KP Assembly/FilePESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s 13-member cabinet, including 10 ministers, two advisers and a special assistant, will be sworn in at 3pm on Friday.KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has signed the summary of ministerial appointments moved by CM Afridi.   The cabinet includes Mina Khan, Fazal Shakoor, Faisal Turkai, Aaqibullah, Arshad Ayub Khan, Aftab Alam, Dr Amjad, Khaliq-ur-Rehman, Riaz Khan, and Syed Fakhar Jehan.Mazmil Aslam and Taj Muhammad Tarand will take the oath as advisers to the…

KARACHI: Pakistan’s textile exports surged to a three-year high of $1.6 billion in September 2025, marking a strong rebound driven by robust demand for value-added categories and renewed global orders, according to provisional data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Brokerage house Topline Securities reported that knitted apparel exports alone touched an all-time high of $485 million, underscoring the strength of Pakistan’s value-added segment. The textile sector accounted for nearly 60% of the country’s total goods exports during the month, which reaffirmed its role as the backbone of Pakistan’s export economy. The latest surge comes amid a gradual…

KARACHI: The Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association (PVMA) has urged the government to ensure the immediate payment of Rs6.5 billion owed by the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) to ghee and cooking oil manufacturers. According to the association, the dues have been pending for over a year despite repeated reminders, causing financial strain for the industry. In a statement, PVMA Chairman Sheikh Umer Rehan said that ghee and cooking oil mills across the country had already supplied products worth Rs6.5 billion to USC, but the non-payment of dues created a serious liquidity crisis for the manufacturers. “Industrialists are facing capital shortages in…

Delay in loans will not adversely affect Pakistan’s external sector position in the short term due to $16 billion in gross foreign exchange reserves. PHOTO: FILE KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) foreign exchange reserves increased by $16 million during the week ended October 24, 2025, reaching $14.471 billion, the central bank reported on Thursday. According to the SBP, the country’s total liquid foreign reserves stood at $19.687 billion, of which commercial banks held $5.216 billion in net reserves. Gold prices in Pakistan fell on Thursday, diverging from the international market, where the yellow metal gained nearly 2%, supported…

Diddy’s party days end with prison dinner on HalloweenSean “Diddy” Combs, once known for throwing the most glamorous parties in Hollywood, spent this Halloween behind bars with a simple meal of baked fish, spinach, and coleslaw.The 55-year-old music mogul is serving his sentence at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a far cry from the luxury he was used to. Diddy’s day began with a basic breakfast of fruit, cereal, a pastry, and skim milk, followed by lunch that included baked fish or black beans with rice pilaf.Dinner was served after the 4 p.m. headcount, featuring turkey roast with mashed…

The commerce minister directed industry stakeholders to submit comprehensive proposals for a long-term automotive policy aligned with national industrial goals. Photo: file ISLAMABAD: A high-level meeting at the Ministry of Commerce, co-chaired by Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries Haroon Akhtar Khan, reviewed policy measures for the automotive sector, regulation of used car imports, and facilitation for local manufacturers and genuine overseas Pakistanis. According to an official statement issued on Thursday, delegations from the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) and the Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts & Accessories Manufacturers…

RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Thursday announced a 13-member provincial cabinet, comprising 10 ministers, two advisers, and one special assistant. According to Express News, the cabinet members include Meena Afridi, Arshad Ayub Khan, Amjad Ali, Aftab Alam Khan, Fazal Shakoor Khan, Khaliqur Rehman, Riaz Khan, Syed Fakhar Jehan, and Aqibullah Khan. Muzzammil Aslam and Taj Muhammad have been appointed as advisers to the chief minister, while Shafi Jan will serve as the special assistant to the chief minister. The summary of the new cabinet members has been received by the Governor’s House, where Governor Faisal Karim Kundi signed…