Monday, May 18th, 2026
After provinces, Centre lifts austerity-driven business-hour curbs until May 31
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday approved the exemption of business closure timings across the country until May 31, effectively allowing commercial centres to operate without the previously imposed restrictions. According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, all shops, departmental stores, bazaars, markets and shopping malls will remain open on all days of the week without restriction on closing hours. The exemption also applies to bakeries, tandoors, restaurants and grocery stores, which have been allowed to continue operations beyond the earlier fixed timings. The decision comes afterRead More
FPCCI delegation meets finance minister on budget proposals
ISLAMABAD, MAY 18 /DNA/ – A delegation from the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), led by Mr. Atif Ikram Sheikh, President FPCCI, ECO CCI, Senior Vice President SAARC CCI and Vice President CACCI met with the Federal Minister for Finance Mr. Muhammad Orangzaib at Finance Division Islamabad. The delegation compreisd by Senior Vice President FPCCI Mr. Saqib Fayyaz Magoon, Vice Presidents Mr. Tariq Jadoon, Mr. Asif Sakhi, and Aman Paracha, Chairman FPCCI Policy Advisory Board Mian Zahid Hussain, Chairman PVMA Mr. Umer Rehan Sheikh, Former PresidentRead More
Iranians are ‘dying’ to sign a deal: Trump
WASHINGTON, MAY 18: US President Donald Trump said in a interview published on Monday that the Iranians were “dying” to sign a deal. “I can tell you one thing—they’re dying to sign [a deal],” Trump told Fortune magazine. Nevertheless, he also expressed frustration with the Iranian side. “But they make a deal, and then they send you a paper that has no relationship to the deal you made. I say, ‘Are you people crazy?’” A Pakistani source told Reuters on Monday that Pakistan has shared with the US a revisedRead More
Reimagining CSS III: Transparency and the Metrics of Merit
S Shujahat Ali While working as a consultant, I was once told about an educationist that “You get what you test for.” But in the case of CSS, a more troubling question emerges: do we even know what is being tested? Memory, perhaps? At present, the system operates with a level of opacity that would be unacceptable in most modern evaluation systems. Yes, examiner reports are published, but these are generic, post-hoc summaries that neither capture the diversity of 10,000 candidates nor provide actionable insight to an individual who hasRead More
Pakistan strongly condemns drone attack on UAE nuclear energy plant
ISLAMABAD, MAY 18: Pakistan has strongly condemned the drone attack on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that took place on Sunday, reiterating its full solidarity with the Emirati people and the government. “Any deliberate targeting of nuclear facilities constituted a grave violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, the United Nations Charter, and the fundamental principles of nuclear safety and security enshrined in the Statute and resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” the Foreign Office said in a statement on Monday.Read More
Bangladesh extend lead to 249 against Pakistan in second Test
SYLHET: Bangladesh reached 203-4 at lunch on day three of the second Test against Pakistan, extending their overall lead to 249 runs to remain firmly in control at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Monday. Resuming their innings at 110-3 in 26.4 overs, Bangladesh lost just one wicket during the opening session and reached 203-4 in 53 overs, taking a commanding lead of 249 runs. The Tigers lost skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto after pacer Khurram Shahzad trapped him lbw to claim his third wicket. Shanto scored 15 off 46 deliveries,Read More