Sunday, May 5th, 2024
Escalating Tobacco Tax by 37% proposed by SPDC & WHO to save lives, boost revenue
ISLAMABAD, MAY 05 (DNA): An increase of 37% in Federal Excise Duty (FED) on tobacco products has been proposed by the Social Policy Development Centre (SPDC) to reinforce the gains already achieved and to advance further in enhancing public health outcomes and revenue collection. “Pakistan can save as many as 265,000 lives, generate an additional revenue of Rs 37.7 billion and push 757,000 people to quit smoking through increasing the FED by 37 percent,” said the SPDC policy paper name “Recovering Healthcare Costs and Saving Lives” that aligns recommendation ofRead More
Bilawal may return as FM
Insiders say PML-N and PPP were close to finalising a power-sharing deal Mehtab Pirzada ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is likely to return as the country’s foreign minister as the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP were close to finalising a power-sharing deal, according to people familiar with the development. If the insiders are to be believed, Bilawal would join the cabinet of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as foreign minister. They said that an understanding between the party bigwigs was reached recently during their talks.Read More
Paçacı appointed as Special envoy of SG-OIC on Islamophobia
As of 2022, he is serving as Turkey’s Ambassador to Pakistan DNA ANKARA: The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Ambassador Mehmet Paçacı was appointed as the Special Representative of the OIC Secretary General on Islamophobia at the 15th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Banjul on 4-5 May. The statement stated that it has full faith that Paçacı will carry out this task successfully and said, “On this occasion, we remind that the international community should take a common stance and act determinedly inRead More
High-level Saudi delegation lands in Pakistan for investment talks
ISLAMABAD: A trade delegation comprising various Saudi investors touched down in Islamabad on Sunday, with an aim to explore investment opportunities in various sectors in Pakistan. The 50-member delegation, comprising representatives of about 30 companies, was received by Federal Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik and Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal in the federal capital. The delegation is visiting Pakistan on special directives of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. It will also hold discussions regarding various sectors for the promotion of Pak-Saudi trade and strengthening business ties with local entrepreneurs.Read More
Pakistan Women’s Cricket Team arrives in London for T20, ODI series against England
LONDON, May 5 (APP/DNA): The Pakistan Women’s Cricket Team on Sunday arrived in London for their upcoming T20 and ODI series against England. The team was warmly received by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Muhammad Faisal, at London Heathrow Airport. Led by captain Nida Dar, the 17-member team, during their tour, will play three T20 and three One-Day International matches with England. Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner Dr. Muhammad Faisal expressed his pride in the national women’s cricket team, saying that they are a source of inspirationRead More
Education ministry to establish 16 latest IT labs
ISLAMABAD, MAY 05 (DNA) —Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has decided to establish 16 state-of-the-art IT labs in the federal capital to provide the youth with the latest skills and increase employment opportunities for them. According to an announcement by the Education Ministry, these IT labs will be built in 16 federal government degree colleges located in different areas of Islamabad. As per details, in these IT laboratories, students will be offered six-month courses in blockchain, data science, AI and game development. In the first phase, about 1000 studentsRead More