Category: 1. Pakistan

• Deputy PM says PML-N won’t abandon PPP despite having better strength in parliament now
• Interior minister dismisses reports about president’s removal, says two parties, army ‘on same page’
• PPP leader claims party in no mood to join federal or Punjab cabinet

LAHORE: Two key federal ministers on Saturday dismissed speculations regarding the disintegration of the PML-N-PPP alliance, saying the two parties, and even the army were “on the same page”.

However, the enthusiasm regarding the coalition was a bit more diminished among PPP leaders who accepted having differences with the ruling party and also stressed the party has no desire to take ministries in the federal government.

While talking to the media in Lahore, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that the PML-N’s total seats in the National Assembly have increased after the distribution of reserved seats in light of the Supreme Court’s order but the party was in no mood to shun PPP.

“The Bilawal-led party stood by the government during difficult times and we have instructions from Nawaz Sharif that in the times of stability, we must not abandon those who had supported us in challenging times.”

He said the PPP was a key ally of the federal government and would remain so. “We have an ideal working relationship. We [the PML-N] had formed the government with the help of the PPP,” he said while talking to reporters.

He acknowledged the critical support by PPP, without which the ruling coalition wouldn’t have come to power after the 2024 general elections.

‘No change in top office’

Also, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during an interaction with the media in Sukkur said that there were no plans to remove President Asif Zardari and dismissed the reports about any such move.

He said the government, army, and the president were “fully aligned and on the same page”.

“Those who don’t want to see them united are spreading such rumours.”

Speculations about widening gap emerged as both parties, allies in the Centre, started jostling to strengthen their ranks by wooing disgruntled PTI leaders in Azad Jammu and Kashmir while the PTI leadership addressed pressers to declare that they would foil attempts to dislodge KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur amid political wrangling over reserved seats.

In AJK, the PML-N formally inducted a PTI defector into its parliamentary party, raising its strength in the 53-member Legislative Assembly to nine. Chaudhry Akmal Sargala, who was elected in 2021 from LA-37 (Jammu-IV), a Kashmiri refugees’ constituency in Punjab, announced his switch to PML-N on Friday.

Mr Sargala’s decision comes just days after the PPP pulled off a similar move, managing to break away four lawmakers elected on PTI tickets in 2021. These lawmakers included Ali Shan Soni, Shahida Sagheer, Chaudhry Rafique Nayyar and Javed Butt.

Following these inclusions, the strength of the PPP parliamentary party in AJK Assembly has risen to 17.

Earlier, speculations that the PPP might join the cabinet in Centre and Punjab started making rounds after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed, “There is a growing possibility of an arrangement between the PML-N and PPP that will allow both parties to jointly pursue a national agenda.”

When Deputy PM Dar was asked about the move, he told reporters in Lahore that the PPP had not demanded any ministries from the PML-N.

While PPP, over the past year, publicly shunned the idea of joining the federal and provincial cabinets, some of its leaders proposed taking the ministries as all the party has supported the PML-N on every other matter.

‘Take ministries or quit’

Senate chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, a PPP leader, also recently proposed to the party leadership that they either join the government or leave the coalition and go to the public.

Some party leaders believe that after 17 months of robust support for the PML-N in the Centre, the time has now arrived for the PPP to consider whether it should take ministries in both the federal and Punjab governments.

One issue where PPP leaders think the party went above and beyond its role as a “silent coalition partner” to support the government was in the aftermath of the conflict with India.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari travelled to different countries “playing the role of a foreign minister” to fight Pakistan’s case against India in the world, a PPP leader from Punjab told Dawn on Saturday.

The PPP called Foreign Minister Dar’s portfolio “ceremonious” and added that it would be better if his party joined the government and Mr Bhutto-Zardari became the foreign minister officially.

Amid this jostling, Mr Dar said the PML-N would work with all parties, including those in the opposition.

‘Wishful thinking’

However, he ruled out any meeting between PML-N president Nawaz Sharif and PTI patron-in-chief Imran Khan at Adiala Jail in the coming days, calling it “wishful thinking”.

“We don’t need to go to someone … However, [with regard to Imran Khan], the law will take its own course.

Meanwhile, PPP Secretary General Humayun Khan said his party had been offered ministries by the PML-N in the Centre and Punjab, but it was not interested in joining the cabinets.

“The PML-N has offered cabinet positions to us, but the party is not interested in joining the cabinet as it has reservations on some issues,” said Mr Khan

He said the two parties have “different ideologies and stances” on various issues.

Waseem Shamsi in Sukkur and Tariq Naqash in Muzaffarabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025

• New regime includes 18pc GST, additional levies for non-filers, mandatory buyer data reporting by banks and intermediaries
• Online sellers and courier services waiting for clarity over the future of their businesses

ISLAMABAD: Confusion and fear prevail not only among local and international e-commerce platforms regarding the imposition of new taxation regimes with the advent of the 2025-26 fiscal year, but also among sellers and courier services, who are waiting for clarity over the future of their businesses.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has compiled a list of eight key e-commerce platforms that provide tangible and intangible items, including music, movies, and software.

The largest selling platform was Facebook, with transactions worth more than Rs12.31bn. Others include Apple/Tunes, Google, AliExpress, Netflix, Temu, and Spotify, while the largest transactions are held under the category of others.

The total amount of transactions by these international and local online platforms, such as Daraz, OLX, Zameen, and PakWheels, exceeds Rs317.78bn.

The government has added a new chapter to the income tax regime, and taxes have been imposed on sales tax and other levies.

The overall situation has led to confusion among leading local and international platforms regarding the tax collection mechanism.

Incidentally, international e-commerce platforms have requested that their local partners clarify the tax collection mechanism in Pakistan, effective July 1.

“Our client has tasked us with looking into the outcome and talking to various courier companies to determine the impact on rates and tax filing mechanism,” said a senior executive of a PR company.

Due to a lack of clarity over the situation, neither he nor any executive of Pakistani e-commerce platforms was willing to disclose their identity; however, one executive pointed out that even the upgraded Income Tax law 2025 had not been uploaded to the FBR website.

One of the key stakeholders, the Pakistan E-commerce Association (PEA), has announced a protest against the new taxation regime.

Its Chairman Omer Mubeen warned that the new tax measures would shrink profit margins and put an additional burden on customers.

He added that there are growing concerns over harsh eCommerce taxation policies; the PEA, along with other relevant stakeholders, including the Chainstore Association of Pakistan (CAP), will continue to protest the move on social media and write letters to the concerned authorities.

While the new laws were facilitative for women businesspersons, confusion and a lack of knowledge have created panic among many.

The courier companies have also begun advising e-commerce businesses and individual sellers to complete their tax registrations to continue availing themselves of delivery services.

A local seller from Islamabad stated that e-commerce was still in its early stages in the country. Instead of supporting the industry, the government was making it difficult for entrepreneurs to do business.

Meanwhile, responding to the query, a senior official of the FBR said that the process would materialise after Ashura, which falls on Sunday, and most of the activities in this regard will commence from Monday.

He added that there were three main objectives of the new tax regime on e-commerce: registration of businesses, enhancement of tax collection, and streamlining the process for future regulations.

“There is a need for regulation of e-commerce too for the protection of buyers from frauds or deceptions by any unknown seller and that is not possible without registration of the businesses,” FBR official added.

Under the new regime, without proper registration, courier companies and online marketplaces will not be authorised to process or ship such orders.

Similar to physical retail outlets, an 18pc general sales tax (GST) has been imposed on all goods and services bought online, while additional taxes apply to non-filer purchasers and the platforms as well.

However, banks and online payment intermediaries will be required to maintain records of buyers for quarterly filing. The new tax regime also imposes penalties on intermediaries for failing to collect the due taxes or file the necessary documents with the FBR.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025

ISLAMABAD: PTI has denounced PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s remarks suggesting Pakistan could extradite citizens to India as a confidence-building measure (CBM), accusing him of undermining national security and appeasing a hostile neighbour.

According to reports, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said Pakistan had no objection to handing over “individuals of concern” to India, provided New Delhi showed a willingness to cooperate.

In a hard-hitting statement on Saturday, PTI CIS Sheikh Waqas Akram criticised the PPP chairman’s stance, calling him an “immature political child”. He said the proposal was ill-advised and detrimental to Pakistan’s national security narrative, adding that such statements humiliate the country on international platforms.

Mr Akram accused the “fraudulently imposed” government of bringing Pakistan to its knees.

Accuses PPP chairman of appeasing India, undermining national security

“We fail to understand why Bilawal is so keen on appeasing India,” he asked, alleging that the PPP chairman was proving time and again that he lacked political wisdom, vision and understanding of regional geopolitics.

“Instead of holding India accountable for its continued aggression, water terrorism and cross-border interference, Bilawal was proposing CBMs that compromise Pakistan’s sovereignty and integrity,” he said.

He emphasised that it was imperative to ask Mr Bhutto-Zardari on whose behalf he issued such a statement and what he intended to achieve by offering such concessions to a belligerent India by humiliating Pakistan on an international stage. Mr Akram also criticised the PPP chairman’s inconsistency.

“Bilawal has become a symbol of confusion and contradiction in Pakistan’s foreign policy discourse,” he said. “PPP was founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on the legacy of Kashmir, but today, Bilawal is betraying that legacy by pursuing political gains at the expense of Kashmiri blood.” Mr Akram went on to mock Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s political credentials, stating that leadership is earned, not built through media appearances and styling. “If PPP’s intelligentsia truly cares about Bilawal, they should let him contest local body elections first and appear on regional TV channels instead of being pushed on international media, where he only embarrasses Pakistan,” he stated.

He said the PPP chairman would lead the party to complete elimination, advising that if the party wanted to survive, he must step aside and hand over its leadership to Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, “who, at the very least, shows more promise and sense than him”.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s Meteorological Depart­ment on Saturday issued an alert for heavy rains in the upper parts of the country, including the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, for July 6 and 7.

The alert said that heavy to very heavy rainfall from Sunday to Monday may trigger flash floods in local streams of Murree, Galiyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan and Islamabad/Rawalpindi.

Flash flooding is also possible in the hill torrents of D.G. Khan, northeast Punjab, Kashmir and parts of Balochistan.

Officials warned that landslides and mudslides could cause road closures in vulnerable hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galiyat and Kashmir during the wet spell.

Chilas records its highest temperature since 1997, hitting 48.5 degrees Celsius

The department said heavy downpours may also cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera and Peshawar.

An official said moist currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are entering the country and are likely to strengthen. “A westerly wave is also expected to affect upper part from Sunday evening,” he said.

“Mainly hot and very humid weather in most parts of the country with rain-wind/thundershower is expected at isolated places in Kashmir, upper/central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, southeastern Sindh and north/southern Balochistan”

He added, “Heavy falls are also likely at few places in Kashmir, northeastern Punjab, Potohar region and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period.”

On Saturday, heavy rain fell in Rawalpindi and Islamabad in the early hours. The maximum rainfall of 75 millimetres was recorded in Saidpur.

Separately, the Met Office reported that Chilas in Gilgit-Baltistan recorded a temperature of 48.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday, its highest since 1997. The last record was set on July 17, 1997.

On the other hand, people in many parts of Balochistan braved a very hot day, as 48 degrees Celsius was recorded in Naukundi, 46 degrees in Dalbandin, and 45 degrees in Sibi.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025

ATTOCK:

Rescue authorities on Saturday safely evacuated 25 people, including women and children, who were stranded in the Indus River near Shadi Khan, Attock, after a sudden surge in water levels due to monsoon rains and the opening of Tarbela Dam’s spillways.

According to rescue officials, the group became trapped when the river’s flow intensified unexpectedly, leaving them isolated and unable to return to safety.

The operation, which lasted five hours, was carried out by emergency teams who acted swiftly to prevent any casualties. Livestock also stranded in the river was secured during the operation. Rescue sources stated that the rise in water level at the Shadi Khan point was triggered by the monsoon-fed release of water from Tarbela Dam’s spillways.

The prompt response ensured that all individuals were moved to a secure location without injury.

A day ago, amid relentless rainfall in the upper regions and the water level in Tarbela Dam surging, prompting authorities to open the dam’s spillways to manage the inflow. The authorities had warned that the spillway release was likely to result in flood-like conditions in the Indus River.

According to a spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the opening of the spillways could cause the flow of water to increase significantly, ranging between 260,000 to 270,000 cusecs. The authority strongly advised residents in adjacent regions to stay clear of riverbanks and water channels.

Tourists visiting scenic spots near the Indus River have also been urged to exercise caution and cooperate with local authorities to avoid any untoward incidents.

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government continued to prioritise inclusive rural development as a key pillar of national progress.

In a message on the occasion of World Day for Rural Development observed on July 6, he said, “In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, we are focusing on transforming rural livelihoods through targeted investments in agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and skills training.”

“We take this opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of our rural population and reaffirm our commitment to their well-being and development,” he remarked.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan and Poland have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation through high-level visits, parliamentary exchanges, and sustained dialogue, as the two countries seek to broaden engagement across multiple sectors.

The understanding was reached during the 9th Round of Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) held in Warsaw on July 4. Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe) Ambassador Muhammad Ayub led the Pakistani delegation, while Poland’s Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, headed the Polish side. The two sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to boosting collaboration in trade, investment, energy, defence, science and technology, agriculture, migration, and higher education.

Pakistani Ambassador to Poland Muhammad Sami-ur-Rehman and Polish Ambassador to Pakistan Maciej Pisarski also attended the talks.

Regional and global developments, including those in South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, were discussed in detail. Both delegations noted alignment on key issues and agreed to continue working closely at multilateral forums, including the United Nations.

It was agreed that the next round of consultations will be held in Islamabad in 2026.

ISLAMABAD:

In a major crackdown, the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Human Smuggling Cell has unearthed a high-profile visa scam involving the fraudulent issuance of Pakistani e-visas to Afghan nationals using fake sponsorships, with alleged complicity of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Information.

According to the FIA spokesperson, two Afghan nationals were arrested during a targeted raid in Islamabad’s G-8 sector, while a case has been registered against six individuals. Raids are ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspects.

The accused were reportedly operating out of car showrooms in the G-8 area, running a sophisticated racket that circumvented immigration procedures and compromised national security.

The FIA stated that the entire operation facilitated unverified Afghan nationals in obtaining Pakistani e-visas within 24 to 48 hours, using forged sponsorship documents and stolen identification data, all without notifying intelligence agencies.

The FIR, lodged by an FIA officer, claims that the scam was led by Samiullah Afridi, a lower-grade staffer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collusion with Malik Muneebur Rehman, a travel agent, Nadir Raheem Abbasi, an employee at the Press Information Department (PID) and several others.

Financial transactions were routed through the bank accounts of Afridi’s cousin, Abdul Aziz Afridi, who owns a car showroom in G-8 and is the brother of a Foreign Office official posted as the deputy head of mission in Kabul.

A private bank account linked to Samiullah Afridi reportedly received nearly Rs40 million in suspicious transactions related to the visa racket.

One of the arrested suspects, Atif Ahmadzai, an Afghan national from Nangarhar province, was found to be running an online travel agency that facilitated e-visa applications using fraudulent means, including forged sponsorships, bypassing formal financial channels and using hawala/hundi methods for fund transfers.

The gang provided urgent tourist visas within 24 to 48 hours for $750 (with 80% allegedly pocketed by Ministry of Information employees).

They also offered other visa categories such as 10-day tourist visas, medical visas, and business visas, each for $350.

The network reportedly met in areas surrounding Islamabad, including G-8, and had set up a streamlined process for Afghan nationals to acquire Pakistani documents without security vetting. Innocent sponsors were unknowingly implicated, while legitimate visa applicants were deprived of their rights.

The scheme, according to the FIA, not only violated immigration protocols but also posed a significant threat to national security by potentially allowing terrorist elements to gain entry into Pakistan unchecked.

Acting on credible intelligence, the FIA raided the showroom and caught Abdul Aziz Afridi and Atif Ahmadzai red-handed.

Ahmadzai was found to be illegally residing in Pakistan and lacked valid travel documentation. Both suspects recorded statements confirming that Samiullah Afridi, Malik Muneebur Rehman, Nadir Raheem Abbasi and another Afghan national named Ahmad Afghani were active members of the ring and had been issuing e-visas illegally in exchange for hefty sums.

LAHORE: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that inflation rate in the country has dropped while the country’s foreign reserves reached $14.5 billion.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is endeavouring to improve the country’s economy and Pakistan is now set to progress,” Ishaq Dar said while speaking to the media after performing ‘Ghusl’ ceremony at the shrine of great saint Hazrat Data Ganj Bakash Saturday.

He said the country’s image has improved in the comity of nations and Pakistan has signed $2 billion investment agreement with Azerbaijan.

Country ready for ‘digital revolution’, says Dar

When asked about media reports regarding expected meeting between the three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, the PML-N senior leader termed it as mere a ‘speculation and somebody’s desire’ but there was no truth in it. He made it clear that Nawaz Sharif did not require meeting anybody.

Responding to another question regarding joining the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to the cabinet, Dar said the PPP had not yet shown any desire to join the federal cabinet. “PPP is an ally of the PML-N in the Center and will remain so and they would give more respect to them,” he said, adding: “The ruling alliance now enjoys a two-third majority in the National Assembly (NA).”

Talking about Indian aggression, Dar said Pakistan inflicted a humiliating defeat upon India on the night between May 9 and 10. “Pakistan downed six planes of the Indian Air Force,” he said, adding, “The hostile neighbour will never forget the lesson Pakistan taught it.” However, there are always challenges in such a situation. Regarding Israeli aggression against Iran, he said that Pakistan strongly condemned it. Iran has now realized that Pakistan is its true friend. In the Iranian parliament, gratitude was expressed to Pakistan for its support during the war with Israel, he added.

Talking about expansion of Data Darbar, he said hopefully the project would be completed before the next years ‘Ghusl’ ceremony of the Mazar. He added that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has already accorded approval to the expansion/ renovation work.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025