Author: i2wtc
A group of probationary officers pose outside the Supreme Court building with Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi. Photo: INP ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi has laid emphasis on the complementary roles of the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary in the state to ensure constitutional governance and to uphold the rule of law. According to an official statement, a delegation of 136 probationary officers undergoing the 53rd Common Training Programme (CTP) at Lahore’s Civil Services Academy (CSA) called on the CJP on Friday in the Supreme Court as part of mandatory exposure visits to state institutions. The delegation…
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Photo: File ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet in its meeting on Friday endorsed a series of key policy decisions, including steps to introduce a new local government system in the capital and the formal ratification of earlier committee rulings. Chairing the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underlined economic stabilisation and continued reform as the government’s central priorities. He emphasised that growth recorded in the first quarter of the current financial year was a sign of renewed confidence. The economy had moved from the edge of default towards a steadier footing, the prime minister said, while addressing the…
Fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026.Str | Afp | Getty ImagesU.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States conducted a large-scale strike in Venezuela that resulted in the capture and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.Maduro and his wife were captured and removed from the country following the operation, which was conducted in coordination with U.S. law enforcement authorities, Trump said in a statement on Truth Social. No further details were provided.A news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Mar-a-Lago.Explosions…
Pakistan, seven Muslim states warn of humanitarian collapse in battered enclave from Israel’s actionsPalestinians gather at a food distribution point in Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on 21 May 2025, as Israel allows a limited amount of aid into the enclave. PHOTO:REUTERS ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and seven key Muslim countries on Friday voiced deep concern over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, warning that harsh winter weather combined with Israel’s severe restrictions on aid access has pushed nearly two million displaced Palestinians to the brink of catastrophe. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt,…
A child looks at a set of lanterns at an ancient city scenic area in Huangyuan County of Xining, northwest China’s Qinghai Province on Jan. 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Qi Zhiyue)Tourists enjoy the lanterns at an ancient city scenic area in Huangyuan County of Xining, northwest China’s Qinghai Province on Jan. 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Qi Zhiyue)Tourists enjoy the lanterns at an ancient city scenic area in Huangyuan County of Xining, northwest China’s Qinghai Province on Jan. 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Qi Zhiyue)An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 2, 2026 shows a tourist enjoying paddle boarding at Minjiang River wetland in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian…
State Bank of Pakistan. Photo: File KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) injected Rs13 trillion through both conventional and Shariah-compliant Open Market Operations (OMOs) on Friday. In the conventional reverse repo purchase segment, the central bank accepted a total of Rs12.9 trillion in face value, translating into a realised value of Rs12.6 trillion. This comprised Rs750 billion in face value for the seven-day tenor at a uniform rate of 10.51% per annum, and the entire Rs12.24 trillion offered for the 14-day tenor, also at 10.51%. Bids for both tenors ranged between 10.56% and 10.51%, with strong participation reflected in…
Trade deficit. Design: Mohsin Alam ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has booked over $19 billion trade deficit during the first half of the current fiscal year as exports further plunged and imports increased faster than projections on the back of trade liberalisation, keeping the external sector stability under pressure. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday that the gap between imports and exports reached $19.2 billion during the July-December period. The deficit was nearly $5 billion, or 35%, higher than the same period of last fiscal year, according to the national data collecting agency. The half year’s deficit was also equal…
Court decision in Panama case should help country correct budget spending, revenue collection. PHOTO: REUTERS ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis spent two out of every three rupees on just two basic needs — food and electricity — as reliance on foreign remittances and financial assistance increased to meet growing expenditures, a new government survey showed. The expenditures increased at a faster pace than the incomes due to current economic pressure and rising cost of living, according to the Household Integrated Economic Survey 2024-25, released by the Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday. The findings of the survey, conducted after a gap of…
Court decision in Panama case should help country correct budget spending, revenue collection. PHOTO: REUTERS ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis spent two out of every three rupees on just two basic needs — food and electricity — as reliance on foreign remittances and financial assistance increased to meet growing expenditures, a new government survey showed. The expenditures increased at a faster pace than the incomes due to current economic pressure and rising cost of living, according to the Household Integrated Economic Survey 2024-25, released by the Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday. The findings of the survey, conducted after a gap of…
K-P’s ATC decision comes after Zahid Afridi’s lawyer argues that charges are politically motivatedMohammad Zahid Afridi, youth president of Jamaat-e-Islami and the spokesman of the Bara Tirah Political Alliance, was arrested by the police. Source: The Express Tribune A special Anti‑Terrorism Court in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has approved bail for Mohammad Zahid Afridi, a local political leader and head of the Bara Political Alliance and Jamaat‑e‑Islami Youth Wing Tirah, in a terrorism case, court officials said. Judge Fareed Khan Alizai of the Anti‑Terrorism Court (ATC) heard Afridi’s bail petition and ordered that he be released on bail after the arguments were…