Author: Sajjad Ali

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has withdrawn the advance tax imposed on petroleum dealers after successful negotiations with their association. According to a notification, the 0.5 percent additional withholding tax on petrol pumps has been abolished. This tax was initially imposed in the 2024-25 budget, adding to the existing 12.5 percent withholding tax that petrol pumps were already paying on their margins. Earlier today, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) announced the end of their strike and the reopening of petrol pumps across the country. Association leader Abdul Sami Khan stated that they would go on strike again if their demands…

RAWALPINDI: The top leadership of the Pakistan Army reviewed a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s internal and external security landscape, focusing extensively on “Azm-e-Istehkam.” According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), General Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Army Chief, chaired the 265th Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) at the General Headquarters on Friday. The ISPR statement outlined that Operation Azm-e-Istehkam aims to coordinate national counter-terrorism efforts, aiming to dismantle terrorist networks and illegal activities to ensure lasting stability and economic growth. The conference expressed concern over unwarranted criticism and deliberate misrepresentation of national objectives for vested interests. Additionally, regional security dynamics,…

RAWALPINDI: Former Prime Minister and founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, announced on Friday that his party will participate in the upcoming all-parties conference (APC). The government is expected to brief political parties on Operation Azm-e-Istehkam during the conference. “My party will participate in the all-parties conference and hear what the government has to say,” Khan stated to reporters while attending a case at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where he is currently imprisoned. Khan expressed concerns over the new anti-terrorism initiative, stating that his party believes it will “only lead to further instability” in the country. It is pertinent to…

LONDON: Britain’s Labour Party has secured a decisive victory in the parliamentary elections, surpassing the 326-seat threshold required for a majority in the House of Commons, thereby ending the Conservatives’ 14-year rule. With 363 seats won out of the 527 constituencies that have declared results, Labour has also been projected by exit polls to potentially reach 410 seats out of total 650 constituencies, while the Conservatives are expected to hold around 131 seats. This election has also seen significant representation from candidates of Pakistani origin, with four securing seats in the British Parliament, highlighting the increasing diversity in UK politics.…

MARDAN: A blast in Mardan city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday resulted in the deaths of at least two people and injuries to eight others. The blast occurred near the Jalala bridge in Takht Bhai tehsil, affecting policemen, women, and children, who were subsequently taken to THQ hospital for treatment. Police have secured the area and are collecting evidence. This incident follows a recent remote-controlled bombing in Bajaur on Wednesday, which killed five people, including former senator Hidayatullah. The attack targeted Hidayatullah in Damadola, claiming the lives of Irfan and Nazar Deen among others. Hidayatullah, brother of former KP Governor…

The strike organized by the Petroleum Dealers Association has caused widespread disruptions across Pakistan, leading to the closure of petrol pumps in various cities and creating challenges for citizens trying to access fuel. The association is protesting against new taxes imposed by the federal government on petrol sales, demanding that these taxes be rolled back. However, in the capital cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, there are no signs of the strike being widely observed. Here’s how the situation unfolded in major cities: Lahore: In Lahore, the situation has stabilized compared to other cities. Despite initial closures early in the morning,…

ISLAMABAD: The federal government of Pakistan approved a substantial increase in fixed charges on electricity bills. Local media, citing sources close to the development, reported that the federal cabinet has decided to raise fixed charges by 184 percent for industrial consumers. For commercial consumers, fixed charges will rise by 150 percent, while those using electricity for agricultural tube wells will see a 100 percent increase in fixed charges. According to sources, the cabinet also approved measures to address power outages during the meeting. Following the recent hike, fixed electricity charges for industrial consumers will increase from Rs 440 to Rs…

NEW YORK: YouTube has introduced a new policy to address concerns about synthetic content mimicking individuals’ faces or voices, enabling affected parties to request removal based on privacy violations rather than concerns about deception or deepfakes. According to YouTube’s updated Help documentation, individuals can now request the removal of AI-generated content that infringes on their privacy. This policy specifically targets scenarios where synthetic or AI-generated representations of individuals appear without their consent. To initiate the process, complainants must submit first-party claims, with exceptions for cases involving minors, individuals without computer access, deceased persons, or other specified situations. However, submitting a…

Keir Starmer is set to become Britain’s next prime minister, with his centre-left Labour Party expected to secure a significant majority in the parliamentary election, ending 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative rule by decisively defeating Rishi Sunak’s party. Although many results are still pending from Thursday’s vote, Labour has already won more than 381 of the 650 seats in parliament, with exit polls suggesting they could capture around 410. In a humiliating turn for Sunak, the Conservatives have so far only secured 98 seats and are predicted to experience their worst performance in the party’s long history, as voters…

Japanese climber Onishi Hiroshi tragically passed away after falling into a crevasse on Spantik Peak, a 7,027-meter mountain in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Nagar region. Hiroshi, aged 64, was part of a four-member Japanese team accompanied by two porters. They successfully reached the summit on July 1 but encountered the incident during their descent on July 2. His body was recovered and brought back to the camp on July 3. This incident follows another tragedy last month when one of two Japanese climbers, Ryuseki Hiraoka or Atsushi Taguchi, was discovered deceased on Spantik Peak. They had attempted the ascent without porters and were…