ISLAMABAD – The Government of Pakistan has approved its national wheat policy for 2025-2026, setting a procurement price of 3,500 rupees per maund in a significant move aimed at balancing the nation’s food security needs with the economic hardships faced by its farmers. The policy was greenlit during a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, which included the chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan, alongside other key stakeholders, signaling a broad national consensus. Addressing the participants, the Prime Minister underscored the crop’s vital role. “Pakistan is an agricultural economy, and the wheat crop is of…
Author: Web Desk
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has introduced significant amendments to its barter trade framework for three key regional players—Iran, Afghanistan, and Russia—in a decisive move to address severe difficulties that had previously stalled the mechanism. The Ministry of Commerce has issued a notification relaxing several conditions that had rendered the previous framework, implemented in June 2023, impractical and slow. Business groups and stakeholders had consistently highlighted the hurdles that created significant operational difficulties. The most critical barrier was the mandatory condition of “import before export,” which created major liquidity and logistical problems for the business community. Furthermore, a short 90-day transaction settlement…
LAHORE – Pakistan’s ruling coalition is facing a severe internal crisis in the politically crucial Punjab province, prompting President Asif Ali Zardari to personally intervene and agree to escalate the matter with the nation’s “relevant circles.” The decision followed a tempestuous meeting of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), where, according to sources, a majority of attendees expressed deep displeasure and frustration with the conduct of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz of the PML-N. The sense of disillusionment within the meeting was palpable. Multiple senior provincial and central leaders, citing the “negative politics” of the PML-N, strongly proposed that the PPP…
ISLAMABAD – In an era defined by digital footprints, Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has turned the lens on individuals flaunting extravagant lifestyles on social media while allegedly concealing their true wealth from the state. The FBR’s Lifestyle Monitoring Cell has identified more than twenty cases, revealing a jarring disconnect between curated online personas enjoying vast wealth—including crores in assets, luxury vehicles, and frequent international travel—and the minimal income declared in their tax returns. These findings highlight a profound disparity, painting a picture of audacity against a backdrop of national economic challenges. The investigation has brought forward several…
Astronomers have detected a mysterious gamma-ray glow emanating from the center of our Milky Way galaxy, traveling toward Earth — a phenomenon that could hold the key to one of the greatest mysteries in modern physics: Dark Matter. For years, this diffuse light puzzled researchers. But new findings suggest the glow may be caused either by colliding dark matter particles or by rapidly spinning neutron stars, both of which emit high-energy radiation. 🌌 The Invisible Force That Holds Galaxies Together Dr. Joseph Silk, astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University, explained: “Dark matter dominates the universe and holds galaxies in place. The…
In a medical breakthrough hailed as a potential revolution in organ transplantation, researchers from Canada and China have developed the world’s first “universal kidney” — an organ that can be transplanted into any patient, regardless of blood type. The discovery, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, offers renewed hope to thousands of patients worldwide who spend years waiting for a compatible donor kidney. 🔬 How the Science Works Scientists at the University of British Columbia used specialized enzymes to convert a donor kidney from blood type A to type O — the so-called universal donor group.This means the converted kidney can…
In yet another sign of Pakistan’s worsening inflation, tomatoes — a kitchen essential — have now become more expensive than chicken in Karachi’s retail markets. According to market sources, the price of tomatoes has exceeded PKR 500 per kilogram, while chicken meat sells for around PKR 450 per kilogram. In several neighbourhoods, tomatoes are being sold between PKR 450 and 550 per kg, forcing many residents to rethink their daily meals. 🍅 Supply Chain Disruptions and Import Reliance Traders say the surge in prices is mainly due to the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and limited supply from Punjab, leading…
The closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border amid recent tensions has paralyzed cross-border trade and sparked a sharp price hike in fruit markets across northwestern Pakistan. Market sources reported that fruit prices have nearly doubled since the closure of the Torkham crossing, one of the main trade gateways between the two countries.The price of grapes has soared from PKR 400 to 800 per kilogram, pomegranates from PKR 300 to 600, and apples from PKR 200 to 400. 🚛 Supply Chain Disruption Dozens of trucks and containers carrying Afghan produce — including grapes, apples, and pomegranates — remain stranded along the border,…
Pakistan is poised to enter a new chapter in its space exploration journey, with the launch of its first hyperspectral remote sensing satellite (HS-1) from China on October 19, according to the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). The HS-1 satellite — equipped with cutting-edge data calibration and hyperspectral imaging systems — will enable Pakistan to observe the Earth’s surface in unprecedented detail, marking a major leap in the nation’s pursuit of space-based self-reliance under Vision 2047. 🌍 Transformative Applications SUPARCO officials said the satellite would revolutionize agriculture, environmental monitoring, and disaster management.Through precision agriculture, HS-1 can help farmers…
Internet users across Pakistan are facing persistent slow speeds and connectivity issues, turning what was once a temporary inconvenience into a national frustration. Over the past few weeks, complaints have poured in from major cities — including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar — about sluggish internet performance and frequent network outages. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), however, maintains that no widespread fault has been reported and insists that “services are functioning normally.” But speed test data and user experiences suggest otherwise. Telecom experts attribute the slowdown to limited radio frequency spectrum availability, coupled with underinvestment in network infrastructure. Pakistan’s 4G…
