Author: i2wtc

Warns excessive taxes, high rates hurt investment, calling for export-driven strategy insteadView of business offices and under construction residential apartments in Karachi, Pakistan September 23, 2025 Photo: Reuters ISLAMABAD: Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) National Coordinator Lt General Sarfraz Ahmad on Thursday laid out a roadmap to make the economy competitive by substantially reducing the corporate tax burden, cutting down interest rate and having a pragmatic exchange rate. In an address to Pakistan’s leading businesspersons, the SIFC coordinator said that the country’s “growth plan was missing”. He urged all stakeholders to agree on an export-led economic growth model that can…

Sign MoU for collaboration in cartel investigations, merger control and action against deceptive marketingCompetition Commission of Pakistan and Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service sign a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen regulatory coordination during the 10th Pakistan–Russia Intergovernmental Commission meeting Pakistan and Russia have formalised a major cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening market competition oversight. The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen regulatory coordination. The MoU, signed during the 10th Pakistan–Russia Intergovernmental Commission meeting, provides a comprehensive framework for collaboration on cartel investigations, abuse of dominance cases, merger control, and…

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., Nov. 26, 2025. Brendan McDermid | Reuters The U.S. stock market was closed Thursday stateside for Thanksgiving Day and will reopen on Friday until 1 p.m. ET. With approximately just 3 hours of trading left for the month, major U.S. indexes are looking to end November in the red, based on CNBC calculations.As of Wednesday’s close, the S&P 500 was down 0.4% month to date, the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.29% lower during the same period and the Nasdaq Composite retreating 2.15%, vastly…

This photo taken on Nov. 26, 2025 shows people visiting the Middle East Consumer Electronics Show (MECES 2025) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian)DUBAI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) — The Middle East Consumer Electronics Show (MECES 2025) kicked off on Wednesday at Dubai Festival Arena, spotlighting China’s growing technological footprint in a region eager for smart and sustainable development solutions.Co-organized by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Commercial Sub-Council, the exhibition is held under the theme AI for All and draws…

Lawmakers declare Singh’s comments ‘highly condemnable’, term it an assault on country’s sovereignty The National Assembly passed a resolution condemning recent remarks by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sindh, calling his statement an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty. The resolution, moved by Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Aslam Alam Niazi, during a session with Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in the chair, declared the Indian minister’s comments ‘highly condemnable’ and asserted that the statement constituted ‘an assault on Pakistan’s sovereignty’. The resolution further stated that ‘Sindh is an inseparable part of Pakistan’, reaffirming the province’s constitutional and historical status within the federation. Members…

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 21: U.S. President Donald Trump visits the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility on August 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump said on Thursday that a National Guard member had died after being shot in an ambush by an Afghan national near the White House, an attack that drew accusations from his administration of Biden-era immigration vetting failures and prompted a sweeping review of asylum cases.Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of her wounds and her fellow Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life,” Trump said, as investigators conducted what officials said was a terrorism…

U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L) welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, Oct 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong)The main sticking point is likely to remain territory, a key issue left unresolved in the revised plan.WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) — The U.S.-proposed 28-point “peace plan” was unveiled last week. Following its release, representatives from the United States, Ukraine and several European countries met in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the plan.Through discussions, the revised plan has been cut down to 19 points but not been made public, marking the latest shift in the…

Indian speakers withdrew without offering any substantive explanation, says the Pakistan High Commission in London The Indian delegation withdrew from a scheduled Oxford Union debate on India’s Pakistan policy, resulting in the Pakistani delegation uncontested and effectively receiving the points by default, the Pakistan High Commission in London confirmed. The High Commission noted that India attempted to replace its accredited speakers with lesser-known alternatives, which were not deemed sufficient to continue the debate under the agreed terms.  It also highlighted that several Indian media analysts, who frequently comment on Pakistan, were absent. The withdrawal continues a series of diplomatic and academic…

A terrorist attack on a police checkpost in Hangu on Wednesday night resulted in the martyrdom of three police officers and left two others injured. The crossfire erupted at the Qazi Talab checkpost on Shahu Road, police and local officials reported. According to the police, militants targeted the Qazi Talab post, prompting a strong response from the officers stationed there. District Police Officer (DPO) Khan Zeb Khan said the personnel fought bravely. The attackers opened heavy fire, leading to a prolonged crossfire. Additional police units later arrived at the scene, with the operation supervised directly by the DPO. Officials confirmed that…

Islamabad High Court. PHOTO: FILE The Islamabad High Court has summoned the Islamabad Director Inspector General of Investigation on December 9 over the alleged abduction of a woman and her minor daughters from Lahore and Bahawalpur, linked to a financial dispute involving former PIA Chief Executive Officer Musharraf Rasool. The court has directed the DIG to clarify whether statements from the Lahore police involved in the raid on the woman’s house have been recorded, and whether those who carried out the raid had valid search warrants. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani emphasised that any removal of individuals without a warrant constitutes…