Islamabad, Feb 26: The Government of Pakistan is reinforcing its commitment to climate resilience with the launch of Phase-III of the Climate Advocacy and Coordination Resilience Action (CACRA) Project. Speaking at the event, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam. Emphasized the urgent need to integrate climate resilience into national policies. She highlighted the importance of empowering communities, mobilizing resources, and leveraging innovation to strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to combat climate challenges. Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the latest phase of CACRA aims to enhance disaster preparedness and resilience at…
Author: Iqra Khan
Islamabad, Feb 26: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced that it will remain closed for public dealing on the first working day of Ramadan-ul-Mubarak, 1446 A.H., which will be observed as a “Bank Holiday” for the deduction of Zakat. As per the directive, all banks, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), and Microfinance Banks (MFBs) will also remain closed to the public on this day. However, all employees of these institutions will report to work as usual and attend to their official assignments, except for public dealing. A formal notification from the central bank is expected to be issued within…
Islamabad, Feb 26: Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan, emphasized the importance of sustainable investments in shaping Pakistan’s social enterprise ecosystem for long-term change and innovation. He made these remarks while addressing the first international summit on building a thriving social enterprise ecosystem in Pakistan, organized by the Social Innovation Academy. Terming the event a historic milestone, Rana Mashood highlighted the participation of esteemed investors from Saudi Arabia and Thailand. He stated that the summit serves as a crucial platform connecting investors with Pakistan’s evolving social enterprise sector, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and…
Islamabad, Feb 26: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Zonal Office Rawalpindi, in coordination with the FIA Cyber Crime Wing, has successfully conducted a raid in Gulshan Ali Colony, Lahore Cantt, targeting an illegal operation involving the sale of pre-activated foreign SIM cards. During the operation, authorities recovered 68 UK-based SIM cards and arrested a key suspect linked to the illicit trade. Initial investigations suggest that the individual was acquiring foreign SIMs in bulk from multiple sources across Lahore, Karachi, and DG Khan. The FIA has now initiated a comprehensive inquiry to trace and dismantle the wider supply chain behind this…
Islamabad, Feb 26: PTCL Group, Pakistan’s leading ICT services provider, has announced the appointment of Tooran Asif as the new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of U Microfinance Bank Limited (UBank). With an extensive career in digital and retail banking spanning over three decades, Tooran Asif is set to lead UBank into a new era of innovation and expansion. Before joining UBank, Tooran Asif served as CEO of KT Bank Pakistan Limited, a digital bank under formation. His career includes senior leadership roles at prestigious global institutions such as Mashreq Bank UAE, Standard Chartered Bank, Citigroup, and ANZ Bank.…
Islamabad, Feb 26: Ethiopian Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula, met with Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan at the Governor House in Lahore to strengthen bilateral ties and explore new avenues for cooperation between the two nations. The meeting, as per a press release issued by the Ethiopian Embassy, focused on enhancing collaboration in trade, investment, education, health, science, technology, and climate change. During the discussion, Dr. Jemal emphasized Ethiopia’s strategic position as a gateway to Africa, reinforcing Pakistan’s “Look Africa and Engage Africa” policy. He highlighted the recent launch of Ethiopian Airlines in Karachi, with plans to…
Islamabad, Feb 26: Lenovo has unveiled the Legion Pro 34, its first-ever 240Hz OLED curved gaming monitor, designed to deliver a high-end gaming experience. This 34-inch display boasts a 3440×1440 resolution and an aggressive 800R curvature, enhancing immersion for gamers and content consumers alike. The combination of a 240Hz refresh rate and an ultra-fast 0.03ms response time ensures smooth motion handling, reducing blur and ghosting, particularly beneficial for competitive gaming. Equipped with an advanced OLED panel, the Legion Pro 34 offers deep blacks and vibrant colors, thanks to its 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio and extensive color coverage, reaching 99% of the…
Islamabad, Feb 26: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to consider granting a sales tax exemption on local sales of buns and rusks in the 2025 budget proposal. This recommendation follows repeated complaints regarding the ambiguity in the tax treatment of essential food items such as bread, buns, rusks, naan, and roti. In an issued order, the FTO criticized the FBR for failing to provide clarity on the taxability of these staple goods despite multiple requests. The order labeled this failure as “maladministration” under section 2(3)(ii) of the Federal Tax Ombudsman Ordinance. It…
Islamabad, Feb 26: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Junaid Akbar, reviewed the audit report of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for the fiscal year 2023-24, uncovering significant irregularities. The session exposed a non-transparent auction of 29 commercial plots and the absence of financial statements, raising serious concerns about the authority’s financial management. Audit officials revealed that the CDA Board had approved the auction of these plots for over Rs. 37 billion, but the process lacked transparency. Five plots were postponed, and one faced legal complications, prompting questions about why such issues were not addressed before approval. The committee…
Islamabad, Feb 26: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees are facing growing frustration as the airline’s staff ticketing portal, the “Hit-It” system, has remained offline for the past 10 days. The outage has been particularly disruptive for employees planning to travel for Umrah, leaving them unable to book tickets through the internal portal. A PIA spokesperson stated that the system is currently undergoing an upgrade to enhance its functionality. While assuring that the “Hit-It” portal will be restored “in a day or so,” no specific timeline has been provided, adding to the uncertainty for employees who depend on the system for…
