Islamabad, Sep 27: Concerns have been expressed by Pakistan’s Auditor General regarding the failure of telecom providers to pay the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) the unpaid balance of Rs. 389.219 million. Despite explicit instructions in the telecom operators’ licensing conditions regarding the Universal Service Fund (USF), Research & Development (R&D) payments, Annual licensing Fees (ALF), and Annual Radio Frequency Spectrum Fees (ARSF), the dues are still underpaid, according to the Audit Report for FY 2022–2023. According to the audit report, telecom operators are required by license requirements to pay 0.5 percent of their annual gross revenue as ALF within 120…
Author: Iqra Khan
Islamabad, Sep 27: In October, ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan the next year, Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), will meet with Jay Shah, the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). According to sources, this important conference will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, coinciding with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final. To confirm its logistical plans, the PCB is presently seeking final confirmation of the Champions Trophy schedule. The PCB underlined the necessity of completing the schedule as soon as possible in order to guarantee smooth preparations for the…
Islamabad, Sep 27: The UK Government has launched its expansion of its Aawaz II programme to Sindh, helping to empower and protect the most vulnerable Pakistanis.This expansion follows Aawaz II’s success in Punjab, Islamabad and KPK where it has been running since 2018. It has established over 1000 community led village forums. These forums have empowered members to intervene in and take action against potential conflicts and tackle entrenched views on key issues like child marriage and domestic abuse. Aawaz’s text message and radio campaigns have reached over 35 million people. Over 44,000 volunteers have already been engaged on social…
Islamabad, Sep 27: A real estate specialist has requested that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) extend the time for understanding S.R.O. 1448(I)/2024, which concerns the modifications to the Active Taxpayers List Rules, by an additional seven days. Real estate analyst Muhammad Ahsan Malik informed FBR in a communication that the notice in the draft form relates to modifications made to the ATL rules that will impact taxpayers and the general public, but it lacks an explanation or a statement of the changes’ purpose and effect. Because it is merely a list of additions and deletions to the current rules,…
Islamabad, Sep 26: A video of a cashier from a well-known restaurant in Islamabad’s Blue Area insulting Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa went viral. The video, which went viral on social media, shows the cashier denying the Chief Justice service and using a term that, although not overtly profane, has a derogatory meaning similar to a curse or condemnation. Chief Justice Faez Isa and his family were visiting the establishment when the tragedy happened.Social media was flooded with responses after the video was released. While some people disapproved of the inappropriate behavior, others applauded the cashier for his actions, seeing…
Islamabad, Sep 26: In order to improve Pakistan’s higher education system, Chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), Luo Zhaohui, has decided to fortify cooperation with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan. According to a press release on Thursday, the Chairman CIDCA welcomed Chairman HEC Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, who visited the CPEC Headquarters in Beijing at his invitation on the sidelines of the HUAWEI Connect 2024 event. He also reaffirmed his support for all higher education projects carried out under the auspices of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The discussion was an extension of Zhaohui’s April 2024 visit…
Islamabad, Sep 26: The Centre for Strategic Perspective (CSP) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), convened a highly anticipated international conference today, titled “Navigating Pakistan’s Climate Action Path: Adaptation, Finance, and Technology.” The conference, organized ahead of the COP29 summit, brought together leading experts from Pakistan and abroad to deliberate on the country’s climate strategy, focusing on key areas like adaptation, climate finance, and technological advancements. At the Inaugural Session, Senator Sherry Rehman was the Chief Guest. H.E. Khazar Farhadov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan, emphasized the urgent need for…
Islamabad, Sep 26: At separate events hosted in Karachi and Lahore, easypaisa, the premier digital financial services platform in Pakistan, recently unveiled its groundbreaking easypaisakarobar ecosystem. Specifically created to meet the unmet financial needs of two million retail retailers nationwide, this cutting-edge platform is set to continue bringing about major change. The gathering, which took place in Karachi and Lahore, included important figures from top fintechs, FMCG businesses, and distribution firms. There was also the Telenor Bank/easypaisa senior executive team present. Jahanzeb Khan, the CEO and President of TMB/easypaisa, gave a speech to the Karachi audience to begin the event.…
Islamabad, Sep 26: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) revealed a rewards program for integrated tier-1 businesses’ patrons who report unconfirmed bills from large merchants. The FBR amended the Sales Tax Rules, 2006, and alerted customers about the plan by issuing SRO.1513(I)/2024. Customers of an integrated tier-1 retailer who report questionable invoices produced by the tier-l retailer are eligible to receive prizes for their purchases from the integrated tier-1 retailers, according to the updated procedure for the prize plan. If an invoice appears to be untrue, the client must report it via the app or, if applicable, a WhatsApp number,…
Islamabad, Sep 26: On the sidelines of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met with President Ursula Von Der Leyen of the European Commission on Thursday. The summit covered a wide range of themes, including bilateral relations and regional and global challenges. The prime minister praised Ms. Ursula’s steadfast dedication to furthering the goals of the European Union and congratulated her on her reelection as President of the European Commission. The prime minister stressed Pakistan’s commitment to fortifying its ties with the EU and stressed the significance of ongoing communication and collaboration in…
