Province
National · Page 3
Stories that belong to the whole country rather than to one province.
SBP opens single digital portal for SME loan applications
From 1 November 2026 every SME financing request must be filed through SMEConnect, where applicants can track progress and see rejection reasons.
Pakistan told to cut blue passports to 25,000 for visa-free deals
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told a parliamentary committee that arrangements with 25 countries should be finalised within six months, but lawmakers disputed the figures.
PM, law minister congratulate Independent Group on SCBA victory
The two messages named the group's leaders but gave no seat count, turnout figure or margin, and named no rival panel.
PM says Pakistan, Turkiye to push diplomacy alongside defence build-up
Shehbaz Sharif told a Republic Day event in Islamabad that the Makkah Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, strengthens the two countries' collective deterrence.
FBR sets new payment rules for steel mills' own-power sales tax
Manufacturers running captive power plants must deposit additional sales tax on self-generated electricity through a special challan by the fifth of each month and report it in STR-7 return fields.
FBR rules out reversal of faceless customs assessment
The board says moving the Central Appraising Unit to Islamabad is the next phase of reform and reports average clearance time falling from 40.2 to 20.57 hours.
Tyre exporters set $150mn target for FY27 with ministry backing
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan's ministry has asked exporters to submit product details and HS codes so it can take up market-access complaints with Türkiye.
PSL 12 franchises meet today to settle auction and signing rules
The workshop comes with the direct-signing window open until November 23 and the player auction scheduled for January 23, 2027.
Gohar Khan delegation meets Fazlur Rehman, backs NA speech
The declaration issued after the meeting condemns what it calls character assassination of the JUI-F chief by government ministers and seeks access to Imran Khan's sisters in jail.
Pakistan begins issuing chip-based e-passport, immigration directorate says
The new booklet carries NFC technology, laser engraving and ICAO-standard encryption, and is meant to speed verification at automated e-gates.
England beat Sri Lanka by 55 runs as Duckett hits 167
Sri Lanka, already through to Saturday's final against Pakistan, were bowled out for 331 chasing 387 in Lahore.
US weapons left in Afghanistan boost militants attacking Pakistan, report says
The RealClearDefense study says $7 billion of equipment, including over 300,000 weapons, stayed behind in 2021 and some has reached the TTP.
PTI raises alarm over Imran Khan's sister's health in custody
Two Indian news sites carried the party's claim, but neither named the sister, described her condition nor quoted an official, doctor or jail authority.
Adviser tells Senate Imran Khan's sister Noreen is well after treatment
Noreen Niazi was shifted from Kot Lakhpat jail to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology for high blood pressure, her lawyer said a day earlier.
Hesson backs Pakistan to find best form in Saturday's final
The head coach says three straight wins came without the top order firing, and expects his senior batters to deliver against Sri Lanka in Lahore.
SBP governor expects current account deficit below 1% of GDP
Jameel Ahmad told ICMA Pakistan's annual convocation that growth recovered to 3.7% in FY26 and inflation should ease back toward target.
Ahsan Iqbal reports encouraging export, remittance growth in first quarter
The planning minister says exports and remittances held up despite global supply-chain disruption, but the statement carried no figures and named no comparison period.
PSX closes above 164,000 as buyers return after rate hike
Topline Securities says the benchmark gained 1,428.73 points, or 0.88 per cent, to settle at 164,467.20 despite the State Bank raising its policy rate by 50 basis points.
Pakistani lawyer couple sentenced to 10 years each in security-barrier case
The report by Arab News Pakistan did not name the couple, identify the court, or say where in the country the case was heard.
Bilawal presses opposition to engage with parliamentary committees
The PPP chairman also asked Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to brief the National Assembly and proposed a cross-party committee on electoral reforms.
PM approves Lahore and Karachi airport expansion under master plans
Islamabad meeting reviewed a foreign firm's survey of passenger facilities and ordered third-party validation of construction quality.
PKCERT warns government and banks of critical Node.js flaws
The national cyber response team says the vulnerabilities allow remote code execution and TLS certificate bypass in Node.js versions 22.x, 24.x and 26.x.
Cybercrime agency arrests schoolgirl's alleged blackmailer within 15 minutes
The NCCIA says it has recorded 351 arrests in social media harassment cases, while raids on four call centres in Lahore and Karachi produced 89 more.
Asif says Tehran meeting attendance not defence ministry's mandate
The defence minister's reply came after JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticised his absence from a Tehran gathering of Makkah Defence Alliance officials.
PTA fines telecom operators Rs3.41 billion over poor service quality
Figures given to Express News show 86 show-cause notices and 20 warning letters over four years, with operators told to clear coverage gaps by October 2026.
Supreme Court Bar Association polling opens in Lahore and Peshawar, delayed in Karachi
About 4,634 lawyers are registered to vote for president, secretary, additional secretary and finance secretary in the 2026-27 annual elections.
Aurangzeb presses banks to speed SME and farm loan disbursements
A finance ministry review shows Rs8.674bn approved under the Zarkhez-e farm loan scheme but only about Rs2.34bn actually disbursed to small farmers.
SBP opens bank lending to small firms and farmers through agents
Per-borrower caps are set at Rs1 million to Rs5 million for small enterprises and Rs500,000 to Rs2 million for farm borrowers, with microfinance banks and non-bank lenders originating the loans.
Qatar gives Iran new war-ending draft as Pakistan co-mediates
Tehran is expected to answer by the end of the week on a seven-day plan of daily confidence-building steps, though an Iranian official called the ideas unacceptable.
Health ministry scraps vaccine tender for pilgrims and overseas workers
A fresh tender for meningococcal and influenza jabs is due within a month, while seven firms have gone to the Islamabad High Court over the bidding.