HYDERABAD - President of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) Adeel Siddiqui has said the tax exemptions extended to Federal and Provincial Tribal Administered Areas are causing financial losses to the industries of steel, edible oil and ghee in the country’s 4 provinces. In a statement issued here on Saturday he pointed out that receivables in steel, edible oil and ghee industries amounted to hundreds of billions of rupees. He believed that the tax exemptions were being availed in an unjustified way and demanded an impartial audit of those exemptions. On behalf of the business community, he called for putting an end to the discrimination being made with the steel, edible oil and ghee industries of the 4 provinces. Due to the higher cost of production in the country’s urban areas’ industrial zones, the industrialists are also paying higher taxes, he said and warned that if the discrimination was continued, the local steel, edible oil and ghee industries would be destroyed.

KARACHI - A Toronto-bound Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight was diverted to Karachi after a “technical fault” it encountered during the take-off, says in media reports. According to PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan, PIA flight, PK-781, departed from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad late Friday,The technical fault with the aircraft was “minor,” but the captain preferred to return instead of continuing the long flight over the Atlantic Ocean. “The decision to bring the plane to Karachi was made due to better arrangements at the engineering base and availability of spare parts,” Khan said in a statement. The airlines made the arrangements for the return of the flight to Karachi as well as food, transportation and accommodation of passengers, according to the PIA spokesperson. After resolving technical fault, the flight left for Toronto at 1pm today (Saturday) from Karachi.

PTI founding chairman and former premier Imran Khan on Friday said he would write a letter to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir not for his personal gains but for the sake of the country. Read Bushra retracts ‘no-confidence’ on judge during £190 million case hearingThe PTI founding chairman claimed that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governor, who was a beneficiary of Form-47, was launching personal attacks at the province’s chief minister. On talks with the government, Imran said there was no point in negotiating with those who had no power. When asked about his wife Bushra Bibi's medical test, the PTI founding chairman said he did not trust the PIMS hospital's reports. “The medical staff refused, so she didn't give the samples.”Reiterating his plan to write to the army chief, Imran said inform him about what was happening in Azad Jammu Kashmir and they must think about the country’s direction.

In a significant achievement, Pakistan secured victory over Turkmenistan in the final of the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Nation’s Volleyball League held at the Liaquat Gymnasium in Islamabad. Pakistan emerged triumphant with a 3-1 win, showcasing both offensive and defensive prowess. Despite Turkmenistan’s comeback in the third set, Pakistan ultimately clinched the match with a decisive win in the fourth set. Earlier, Kyrgyzstan secured third place by defeating Sri Lanka 3-1. Pakistan remained undefeated throughout the competition, showcasing dominance in each match, including wins against Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Turkmenistan.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan defeated Turkmenistan in the final of the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Nation’s Volleyball League at the Liaquat Gymnasium in Islamabad, Pakistan on Friday. Pakistan claimed a 3-1 win with the set scores of 25-21, 25-19, 20-25, and 25-14. However, Pakistan regained control in the fourth set, decisively winning 25-14 to clinch the match. Furthermore, Kyrgyzstan had the fourth set by a margin of 25-23. Their second win in the tournament came against Sri Lanka as the team defeated their opponents 3-0 on May 12, Sunday.

The energy crisis is certainly a serious issue challenging Pakistan. In order to deal with the power crisis, the government has decided to increase the electricity price. According to reports, on some days there are fewer megawatts of power shortage, which is then bleached out through load shedding. Some of the factories in different areas experience many hours of load shedding a day. Any decrease in the price of electricity production will reduce the cost of megawatt-based production as well.

It appears that the leaked Dubai real estate data that was covered by international media outlets earlier this week created quite a stir. But Mr. Naqvi needs to be aware that, as a public official, his business dealings and those of other politicians will often be scrutinized by the public. Furthermore encouraging is the fact that Mr. Naqvi is endorsing requests for an investigation into the compromised data in order to ascertain whether any of the properties that have been identified were obtained illegally. They can now analyze the data and compare it with their own records since it is now available. As Mr. Naqvi has noted, the investigation’s only goal should be to ascertain whether tax compliance regulations were followed and to apprehend offenders wherever they may be.

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, CanadaZip Code

Role Of ‘John’s’ Of Kerala Media In Settling The Massive Solar Scam Starts To Roll. The solar scam case pertains to a live-in couple — Saritha and Radhakrishnan — who cheated numerous people by taking money without supplying promised solar panels. Premachandran spoke to CPI-M veteran Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and the protest was called off after Chandy announced a judicial probe,” writes Mundakayam. “Brittas has agreed that Radhakrishnan spoke and that’s the second part of what happened. My book was written to portray that Chandy was named in a scam where he did not do any wrong,” Mundakayam told mediapersons from Singapore.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has been appointed interim president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), stated that his elder brother and former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif was unjustly removed from the party's presidency through a conspiracy. Shehbaz was formally elected PML-N president in March 2018, months after the disqualification of his elder brother Nawaz Sharif by the Supreme Court. Attendees included Prime Minister Shehbaz, party leader Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and leaders Rana Sanaullah, Ahsan Iqbal, Ishaq Dar, among others. He confirmed that PM Shehbaz has been appointed interim president, with re-election to be conducted by the general council, reinstating Nawaz Sharif as president. Prime Minister Shehbaz, addressing the meeting, expressed his honour in returning the PML-N presidency to Nawaz Sharif, stating that Nawaz was wrongfully removed through a conspiracy.

The IMF raised the issue of exchange rate devaluation during a meeting with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), said the sources. They stated that the IMF also questioned the incorrect electricity consumption assumptions used for the current fiscal year’s annual power tariff adjustments. The higher consumption estimates, subsequently proven wrong, resulted in a hefty increase in electricity bills due to monthly and quarterly tariff adjustments. Pakistan has informed the IMF that electricity prices may skyrocket in July due to simultaneous adjustments on account of monthly, quarterly, and annual increases in tariffs. The IMF was also inquisitive about a lag in passing on the impact of the increase in electricity prices due to quarterly adjustments.

ISLAMABAD: A senior Pakistani diplomat at the United Nations urged technology-producing nations on Friday to remove restrictions on the equitable spread of scientific knowledge and equipment, saying it would help advance developing countries. Access to emerging technologies in the Global South is often influenced by geopolitical concerns, as international relations and trade policies can dictate the availability and distribution of these resources. This geopolitical gatekeeping not only restricts technological advancement in less developed nations but also perpetuates global inequities in access to cutting-edge tools and innovations. In case of Pakistan, US export controls limit access to high-end technologies, particularly those with dual-use capabilities that might be diverted for military purposes. Ambassador Jadoon mentioned Pakistan’s concerns about the unregulated military applications of emerging technologies and supported calls for establishing legally-binding norms to regulate their use, ensuring regional and global stability.

NEW YORK: Disturbing surveillance video published on Friday shows Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, corroborating allegations she made in a now-settled lawsuit late last year. Combs is the target of several civil lawsuits that characterize him as a violent sexual predator who used alcohol and drugs to subdue his victims. In the video, Ventura leaves a hotel room, after which Combs, appearing to wear only a towel, chases her, throws her to the ground, and assaults her. “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Ventura sued Combs in federal court last fall.

ISLAMABAD, May 17 (DNA): Member of parliaments have called the tobacco consumption as a menace for the youth and the nation and stressed for the joint efforts to reduce the consumption in the country by increasing taxes on tobacco products. She also said the entire nation and all stakeholders have to show responsibility to discourage tobacco consumption in the society. Shehla Raza emphasized the importance of effective tobacco control measures in safeguarding public health and promoting societal well-being. Mr. Azeem emphasized the pressing need for comprehensive measures to address tobacco consumption and its detrimental effects on public health and the economy. The findings underscore the effectiveness of high tobacco taxation as a vital measure in combating tobacco consumption, as is advocated by WHO.

This wasn’t an ordinary state visit, it was a declaration by both nations of the “end of US hegemony”, and the beginning of a “democratic, multi­polar world”. Such strong, prophetic language is by choice, as the world sleepwalks into mushrooming global conflicts, with the US-led Western alliance at the heart of each disparate conflict, the Russian-Chinese al­liance is demonstrating that it is willing to fight this status quo till the end. In the Middle East, Israel’s brutal genocide has exposed the rhetoric of the “rules-based order” and the narrative of “democracy” and “human rights” used to enforce that order. In reaction, popular protests against imperialism are sweeping the world, with the younger generations overwhelmingly opposing US foreign policy. At this crucial moment in history, two of world’s greatest powers affirming a “no limits” alliance, backed by military, economic, tech­nological, and cultural, exchange, in opposition to the US-led world order will send seismic shocks across the globe.