The Punjab government on Friday announced that holidays will extend from April 21 to 25 on account of Eid ul Fitr.
On Thursday, the federal government had also announced a five-day holiday for Eid.
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is set to meet on April 20 for sighting of the Eid ul Fitr crescent moon, a statement from the religious affairs ministry said on Tuesday.
This year, the holy month of Ramazan started on March 23.
To ease the burden of inflation on the public, the federal government has decided to release salaries to employees of public sector departments before Eid-ul-Fitr. This decision was made after consultations between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
Pakistan is currently facing historic levels of inflation which resulted in many individuals being unable to afford basic necessities. In addition, the country is struggling to secure external financing, with the threat of default looming over it.
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has confirmed that the government will also be releasing monthly pensions before the festival. As a result of this decision, Finance Secretary Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh has been directed to make the necessary arrangements.
In a similar move, the Government of Sindh had previously announced the early release of salaries for Muslim government employees ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. According to a notification from the finance department, full pay and allowances will be paid in advance to all Muslim employees and pensioners of the Provincial Government of Sindh, including work-charged and contingent paid establishment.
The salaries and pensions will be released on April 17, instead of May 2, as Eid is expected to fall on either April 21 or April 22, according to Geo.
Petroleum product prices in Pakistan are expected to reduce from April 1st following a decline in international crude oil prices. The oil marketing companies (OMCs) estimated that the price of diesel could go down by Rs15-20 per litre, while the price of petrol is expected to decline by Rs4-5 per litre.
However, industry sources suggest that the Finance Division may keep the prices unchanged.
In its last fortnight review, the federal government had increased the price of petrol to Rs272 per litre, attributing the hike to the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar and an increase in the prices registered by Platts Singapore.
The government raised the price of MS (petrol) by Rs5 per litre and hi-speed diesel by Rs13 per litre. The price of kerosene oil saw an increase of Rs2.56 by reducing the government’s dues, while the price of light diesel oil remained constant by adjusting the government dues.
The new prices came into effect on March 16 and will remain in place until March 31. The Finance Division is expected to announce the new rates late on March 31, which will remain in place for the next 15 days.
The government of Pakistan has unveiled a Ramzan Relief Package worth Rs5 billion to aid the poor during the holy month of Ramzan. Syed Murtaza Mahmud, Minister for Industries and Production, announced the package during a press conference, stating that the federal government’s first priority is to alleviate hardship and inflation for citizens.
The package went into effect on March 21 and will run until the end of the holy month. In addition to the five basic food items already being provided at subsidized rates through the Utility Stores Corporation, the Prime Minister has expanded the relief package to include 19 subsidized items such as flour, sugar, ghee, cooking oil, tea, dates, besan, dal mash, dal mong, milk, drinks, and spices.
The USC official also outlined two types of subsidies: targeted and general. Targeted subsidy is exclusively for users registered under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), while general subsidy is accessible to the entire country.
For example, targeted subsidy flour is priced at Rs400 per 10 kg bag, sugar at Rs70 per kg and ghee at Rs300 per kg, while under general subsidy, a 10 kg bag of flour is available at Rs648, sugar at Rs91 per kg, and ghee at Rs490 per kg. The USC also provides a subsidy of Rs20 on white gram, super basmati rice, sella rice, and broken rice, Rs50 per kg on gram flour, and a 10% discount on spices. Tea, dates, milk, and beverages will also receive subsidies.
The Prime Minister has also launched a free flour package in collaboration with the distribution points and utility stores established in different areas of Islamabad. Each registered household under BISP will receive one bag of 10 kg as a gift for the first time, and the remaining two bags will be received after 7 days.
During the entire month of Ramzan, every registered household will receive three bags of flour (10 kg per bag) free of charge. To check eligibility, citizens can SMS their National Identity Card to 8171 or visit the BISP offices. It should be noted that apart from flour, sugar, and ghee, other subsidized items will be provided at the same rate for both general and targeted subsidy users.
The federal cabinet has approved the salary package, perquisites and benefits of Lt. General (R) Nazir Ahmad Butt as Chairman, National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
According to news reports, after obtaining the cabinet’s approval, Chairman NAB will get Rs17 lacs monthly as a salary, a government residence and two vehicles. At the same time, he will also get a plot of two kanals in the federal capital. NAB chairman will further get 2000 units of electricity per month and 600 litres of petrol each month.
The Ministry of Law and Justice, after obtaining approval and authorisation from the Minister of Law and Justice, solicited the approval of the federal cabinet through the circulation of the summary for determination of terms and conditions of the Chairman NAB as admissible to a judge of a Supreme Court of Pakistan.
It is pertinent to mention here that Lt. General (R) Nazir Ahmad was appointed as Chairman NAB by Ministry of Law and Justice on March 6 and had assumed charge on the same day.
The Federal Government of Pakistan has authorised the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to issue a commemorative coin of Rs50 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Senate of Pakistan in 2023.
The coin, which has a round shape milled with a dimension of 30.0 mm, weight of 13.5 grammes, and Cupro-Nickel metal contents (Copper 75 per cent & Nickel 25 per cent), shall be issued through the exchange counters of all field offices of SBP Banking Services Corporation starting from March 17, 2023.
The Senate of Pakistan, also known as Aiwan-e-Bala Pakistan and constitutionally referred to as the House of the Federation, is the upper legislative chamber of the bicameral parliament of Pakistan. As a permanent House with equal representatives from all provinces of the country, the Senate symbolizes continuity in national affairs.
The issuance of the commemorative coin is a fitting tribute to the Golden Jubilee of the Senate of Pakistan and underscores the significance of this occasion. It is expected to serve as a lasting reminder of the Senate’s contribution to Pakistan’s democratic process and its role in shaping the country’s political landscape.
Indus Motor Company (IMC) has increased the prices of all Toyota vehicles in Pakistan due to the recent hike in the General Sales Tax (GST) from 18 per cent to 25 per cent by the Federal Government. The models affected by the price hike include Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla Altis X, Toyota Hilux Revo (IMV III), and Toyota Fortuner (IMV IV).
According to a circular released by the company, the economic uncertainties and extreme volatile situation of Pakistani rupee against US dollar have adversely impacted the cost of manufacturing for IMC. The company has therefore been compelled to pass on some impact to the market.
The government of Pakistan has also enhanced the rate of Sales Tax to 25 per cent on all CKD vehicles with an engine capacity of 1400cc and above, except for IMV-I Single Cabin.
Toyota Pakistan has stated that the mentioned car prices are subject to change and the prevailing prices at the time of delivery shall be applicable on all orders. Any change in Government levies and taxes, tariff, fiscal policies, import policies, forex, etc. will be on account of the customer.
Here are the new prices of all Toyota cars after tax hike:
Toyota Corolla Altis X latest prices
| Model | Old price (Rs) | New price (Rs) | Hike (Rs) |
| Toyota Corolla 1.6 MT | 5,576,000 | 6,169,000 | 593,000 |
| Toyota Corolla 1.6 CVT | 6,111,000 | 6,769,000 | 658,000 |
| Toyota Corolla 1.6 Special Edition | 6,716,000 | 7,429,000 | 713,000 |
| Toyota Corolla 1.8 CVT | 6,423,000 | 7,119,000 | 696,000 |
| Toyota Corolla 1.8 CVT SR | 6,998,000 | 7,759,000 | 761,000 |
| Toyota Corolla 1.8 CVT SR BLK | 7,039,000 | 7,799,000 | 760,000 |
Toyota Yaris latest prices
| Model | Old price (Rs) | New price (Rs) | Hike (Rs) |
| Toyota Yaris 1.3 GLi MT | 4,316,000 | 4,499,000 | 183,000 |
| Toyota Yaris 1.3 GLi CVT | 4,588,000 | 4,789,000 | 201,000 |
| Toyota Yaris 1.3 ATIV MT | 4,558,000 | 4,759,000 | 201,000 |
| Toyota Yaris 1.3 ATIV CVT | 4,790,000 | 4,999,000 | 209,000 |
| Toyota Yaris 1.5 ATIV X MT | 4,911,000 | 5,429,000 | 518,000 |
| Toyota Yaris 1.5 ATIV X CVT | 5,213,000 | 5,769,000 | 556,000 |
Toyota Hilux Revo latest prices
| Model | Old price (Rs) | New price (Rs) | Difference (Rs) |
| Hilux Revo STD | 10,316,000 | 11,439,000 | 1,123,000 |
| Hilux Revo G MT | 11,184,000 | 12,409,000 | 1,225,000 |
| Hilux Revo G AT | 11,728,000 | 13,019,000 | 1,291,000 |
| Hilux Revo V | 12,969,000 | 14,389,000 | 1,420,000 |
| Hilux Revo V AT ROCCO | 13,675,000 | 15,179,000 | 1,504,000 |
Toyota Fortuner latest prices
| Model | Old Price (Rs) | New Price (Rs) | Hike (Rs) |
| Toyota Fortuner G 4x2L | 14,230,000 | 15,809,000 | 1,579,000 |
| Toyota Fortuner V 4×4 | 16,297,000 | 18,099,000 | 1,802,000 |
| Toyota Fortuner Sigma | 17,175,000 | 19,079,000 | 1,900,000 |
| Toyota Fortuner Legender | 18,112,000 | 20,129,000 | 2,017,000 |
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced that the federal government has allocated Rs10 billion to help Turkey’s earthquake relief efforts.
The premier said that Pakistan will never leave alone Turkey in these circumstances, urging the nation to pray for the victims of the earthquake in Friday prayers today.
“I believe that the people of Turkey and Syria will come out of this difficulty,” he said, adding that Pakistan assured Turkey of assistance on the very day the tragedy took place.
“A committee has been formed to send funds to Turkey. 1,486 tonnes of relief goods are being sent to Turkey and Syria,” he added.
The premier said that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will purchase relief items — such as tents, clothes, blankets and dry food — from the fund and dispatch them to Turkiye.
“Destruction of such magnitude is seldom seen, where parents have lost their children and infants have become orphans […] there are dreadful visuals everywhere,” he noted.
However, the prime minister asserted that under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the people of Turkiye would emerge out of the crisis. “And so will our brothers in Syria,” he said.
More than 21,000 people have died in Turkiye after an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck the region in the early hours of Monday morning. The hope of pulling out survivors from underneath the rubble diminishes as the days pass and freezing temperatures continue unabated.
The Federal government on Tuesday announced that it would file a review petition over Shahrukh Jatoi’s acquittal for the murder of Shahzeb Khan.
“This is despite the instant case having already been adjudicated to be one of constitutional importance by the Supreme Court, which mandates seeking the assistance of the Attorney-General – as has been sought previously in petitions pertaining to the same matter,” the statement issued by Attorney General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali read.
The letter further stated that the AGP’s Office had already declared that the case was related to terrorism after Jibran Nasir and other activists approached the SC against a Sindh High Court (SHC) ruling that overturned the death penalty for Jatoi and other defendants in the murder case, adding that the SHC’s decision was a “violation of the SC’s order.”
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday acquitted Shahrukh Jatoi and others in Shahzeb Khan’s murder case.
Shahzeb was murdered in Karachi in 2012.
An Anti-Terrorism Court handed Jatoi a death sentence in 2013. However, in 2017, the complainants had ‘pardoned’ Jatoi under the country’s Qisas and Diyat law.
Punjab is once again caught up in a controversy over the filing of cases against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders as the Lahore police chief has refused to relinquish his charge, saying he will not do so unless directed by the provincial government, reports The News.
The federal government, withdrawing the services of Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, directed him to report to the Establishment Division for further order.
However, Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, refusing to abide by the orders, said that the Centre had no power to order the transfer.
“Removing or transferring the CCPO is my authority,” said Elahi in a tweet.
Later, Elahi’s son, Moonis Elahi, took to Twitter and shared a video of a meeting between the CM and Dogar.
In the video, the CM can be heard saying, “We will not let you go anywhere.”
Speaking to Geo News, Ghulam Dogar said that he will not relinquish his charge until and unless asked by the Punjab government.
Speaking to Geo News, Ghulam Dogar said that he will not relinquish his charge until and unless asked by the Punjab government.
The development came after a case was filed against PML-N leaders Javed Latif and Marriyum Aurangzeb for allegedly “using religion to instil and spread hatred” against PTI chief and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.