Author: i2wtc

ISLAMABAD: As tax shortfall widens to Rs428 billion in five months, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed concern over hiring a new management in the data arm of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and outsourcing its core functions without first developing a conflict of interest policy. The observations made by the IMF in its Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment about the Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL) confirmed a February story of The Express Tribune that had highlighted these lapses. “Although legally required, a code of conduct and conflict of interest policy have not been developed,” said the IMF…

People have meals at an AI-powered canteen in Wenhua community in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei Province, Nov. 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)XIONG’AN, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) — The Xiong’an New Area in north China’s Hebei Province, designed to relieve Beijing of its non-essential functions, has been leveraging smart and considerate public services to facilitate daily life of relocated residents.At Wenhua community in the startup section of Xiong’an New Area, an AI-powered canteen serves as a vivid example of how emerging consumption scenarios makes people feel better with their lives.At the canteen, automatic settlement system quickly verifies a customer’s identity through…

Illegal issuance of stamp papers, non-submission of stamp duty, court fee, foreign bills to national treasury exposed A scandal involving large-scale, systematic irregularities has been uncovered at the Federal Treasury Office in Islamabad. It has been revealed that stamp papers were illegally obtained from the Federal Treasury Office (FTO), and the stamp paper fee, court fee, and foreign bills were not deposited into the national treasury. Following the exposure of this mega corruption scandal, the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad has registered a case against senior auditor Adil Maqbool posted at the FTO, along with 71 officers, officials and stamp vendors.…

Both sides will review full range of bilateral relations, exchange views on regional, international developments At the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, undertakes a two-day official visit to Pakistan starting on Saturday (today). During the visit, the Egyptian Foreign Minister will hold meetings and delegation-level talks with the deputy prime minister. The two sides will review the full range of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international developments, including the situation in Gaza. The visit reflects the…

He cited abandonment $7.2 billion worth American military equipment during US withdrawalDirector General Inter-Services Public Relations Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry. Photo: File The Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has issued a warning that the Afghan regime is now a threat not just to Pakistan but to the entire region and the world, citing the abandonment of $7.2 billion worth of American military equipment during the US withdrawal. Earlier this week, speaking to senior journalists on matters of national security, the DG ISPR detailed extensive counter-terrorism operations and criticised the Afghan Taliban’s failure…

Police officers detain PTI supporters during a protest in Karachi. Photo: Jalal Qureshi/ Express ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: The Senate once again descended into protest on Friday as the beleaguered Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vociferously demanded a meeting with its incarcerated founding chairman Imran Khan, sounding alarms over his health as the “isolated” leader remains out of touch with the party. The party leaders disrupted proceedings with loud protests, chanting, “arrange a meeting with the founding chairman”. The uproar marked yet another day of agitation inside Parliament, with PTI senators alleging that authorities were deliberately preventing access to their leader and withholding information about…

United Nations human rights chief warned that lifetime immunity would erode accountability, weaken rule of lawUnited Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk attends a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland. PHOTO: REUTERS UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has cautioned that Pakistan’s hurried constitutional amendments “seriously undermine judicial independence, and raise grave concerns about accountability and respect for rule of law”. The United Nations human rights chief warned that lifetime immunity would erode accountability and weaken rule of law, he said in a statement issued on Friday and reported by BBC Urdu website. He said the latest…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday warned that the ceasefire with Afghanistan is effectively “not holding” as cross-border terrorist attacks continue to target Pakistani cities and civilians. At his weekly news briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi clarified that the so-called ceasefire between the two neighbours did not imply a traditional truce between belligerent states, but rather an understanding that the Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism against Pakistan. “Let me clarify that the ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan does not imply a traditional ceasefire implemented after two belligerent states in a war or conflict situation. It was about preventing…

Ishaq Dar speaking at an OIC High-Level Event on Peace and Tolerance on the margins of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister (DPM/FM) Ishaq Dar on Friday stressed the need for ECO member states to enhance cooperation in sustainable transport, transit trade, customs harmonization, and climate-resilient infrastructure. The DPM/FM was addressing the 29th Meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers (COM) held virtually, where he urged joint efforts by the member countries to combat terrorism, which threatens regional economic progress. In his address, the DPM congratulated Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Yermek…

Justice Mandokhail says illegal detention and torture violate constitutional guaranteesJustice Jamal Khan Mandokhail. PHOTO: FILE ISLAMABAD: Amid a hue and cry over the encounters being carried out by the newly created Crime Control Department (CCD) in Punjab, the Supreme Court has ruled that in order to stop torture and extrajudicial killings, an effective, dedicated, external oversight of the police force is the need of the hour. “Torture and other cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment, including outrages upon personal dignity, are not permitted in any circumstance, as they are against human dignity and the rule of law. “Sometimes, torture leads to…