Province
National · Page 7
Stories that belong to the whole country rather than to one province.
SBP chief says Pakistan paid $16bn loan interest in four years
Jameel Ahmed told a post-monetary policy briefing that external debt now stands near $107 billion and reserves have risen to about $21.5 billion.
Diesel up Rs1.91 a litre, petrol held for October 24-26
Profit by Pakistan Today reports the increase while petrol stays unchanged, but neither outlet's published material gives the new retail price per litre.
Senate rejects bill to curb diplomatic passports for advisers
The private member's move by PTI Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman and two colleagues sought to end diplomatic passports for ministers of state, advisers and senior officials.
Cabinet committee approves four directors for digital wallet company
The CCoSOEs also cleared two independent members for Pakistan State Oil's board and deferred a proposal to set up a pharma export promotion council.
Government moves to merge Privatisation Commission with P3A
Profit reported the merger as a proposal, while a Dawn headline said a bill to combine the two institutions had been introduced; neither carried the bill's text.
Stock market investor accounts climb 48% to 583,052 in a year
SECP figures cited by Independent Urdu show 190,277 new accounts in FY2025-26, with 45 per cent opened by people aged 18 to 30 between January and June.
Journalists, civil society form committee to protect free expression
A Lahore roundtable chaired by Nasir Zaidi agreed to document violations and draft a charter of demands after wider consultations.
Pakistan Railways declares three-month emergency, plans repairs to 172 locomotives
Two reports on the decision give different emphasis, one on the emergency declaration and the other on the repair programme, without cost, routes or a start date
Asim Munir meets Iran's Pezeshkian as four-nation talks held in Tehran
The field marshal joined Saudi and Turkish delegations in the first high-level contact between Iran and the three Makkah defence pact members.
HEC opens US PhD scholarships at top 100 universities
Two funding tiers cover tuition, stipend and health insurance, with deadlines in October 2026 and March 2027 for the 2027 intakes.
PIA clears Boeing 787 for operations, first flight on October 31
A CAA team led by Director General Nader Shafi Dar inspected the first of three 787s at Oslo Airport; PK-786 will fly from London to Islamabad, ARY News reports.
Shehbaz launches scheme to give 500,000 Chromebooks on merit
The two-year federal programme will hand devices to students across the country, with the prime minister promising no discrimination by income or institution.
PTI parliamentary party to choose talks or protest on Tuesday
Senator Ali Zafar says the meeting will also take up access to the party founder, the release of women and medical treatment.
Pesco and Lesco announce planned outages across two provinces
Peshawar's utility will cut supply from 9am to 2:30pm on Tuesday, while Lahore's company has begun five-to-eight-hour daily shutdowns for winter upgrades.
Minister directs DRAP to clear pending drug pricing cases
Ahad Cheema, chairing a review meeting in Islamabad, said the pricing formula must be people-centred and must not block importers or pharmaceutical firms.
LPG sells at up to Rs650 a kg, far above OGRA's notified rate
Consumers in Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta and the twin cities are paying 550 to 650 rupees a kilogram against an October reference price of 280, with cylinders above Rs6,000.
India retain Asian Games cricket gold, hold off Pakistan in final
Cricbuzz credits Abhishek, Tilak and Dube with steering India past Pakistan, but the full match report was not available to verify the margin or the scorecard.
Auto parts makers seek review of five-year auto policy
The demand centres on whether duty and tax treatment can be forecast for the life of an investment, not on the size of concessions, according to two reports.
PCB reportedly seeks $25,000 a player for Nepal league NOCs
Several Pakistani cricketers are already in Kathmandu as the eight-team tournament opens, while Sahibzada Farhan has been recalled to the ODI squad.
President and PM congratulate Pakistan team after one-wicket win over England
Shehbaz Sharif singled out Shadab Khan's century and his last-wicket stand with Haris Rauf, while Balochistan's chief minister also sent congratulations.
Pakistan's first-quarter remittances reported at $10.9 billion
A second report puts one period's inflow at $2.85 billion, up 38 per cent, and the two published figures cannot both describe the same three months.
Saim Ayub released from ODI squad at his own request
Sahibzada Farhan replaces the opener for the rest of the tri-nation series, with Pakistan already through to the final in Lahore.
Climate minister seeks joint global research on glaciers
Addressing a pre-COP31 dialogue in Islamabad, Dr Musadik Malik said mountain regions could give early warning of risks other countries will face.
Minister seeks BISP devolution to provinces, action on corruption claims
Kheal Das Kohistani says provincial governments could run the Rs800 billion programme better, after the National Assembly was told 2.25 million beneficiaries were removed.
Senate panel approves cosmetics bill with jail terms, fines
The draft law sets up a regulator for cosmetic products and provides up to seven years in prison and a Rs5 million fine for substandard manufacture or imports.
Pakistan Railways bars officials from air travel in austerity drive
A notification also stops air travel allowance payments and government vehicle use, while a safety emergency keeps field officers on duty until December 31, 2026.
GPS spoofing shows two Pakistan-bound flights landing in India
Both Qatar Airways aircraft landed safely at Karachi and Islamabad on schedule, and the paper attributed the errors to corrupted positioning data rather than any diversion.
State Bank raises policy rate to 12pc on Middle East oil shock
Governor Jameel Ahmed says crude above $100 a barrel pushed the Monetary Policy Committee to lift the rate by 50 basis points, with nine of ten members in favour.
Pakistan, China hold third spokespersons' dialogue in Islamabad
The Foreign Office says talks covered media engagement, strategic communication and public diplomacy, and that Mao Ning also called on Ishaq Dar.
Jamaat-e-Islami threatens mid-November Islamabad march over petroleum levy
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman says ministers have reopened contacts with the party, but relief announced after earlier protests is not enough.