ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has made a commitment with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to increase FBR taxes by a massive Rs1.272 trillion (almost 2.8 per cent of GDP) in the coming budget and jack up electricity rates by almost Rs4.97 per unit in the remaining three months of the current fiscal year. According to documents released by the IMF after approval …

LAHORE: Pakistan’s readymade garments industry has called upon Prime Minister Imran Khan to order a forensic audit of yarn producers to break their cartel in line with the actions taken by his administration against the sugar cartel. In a letter addressed to the prime minister, the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (Prgmea) pointed out that the yarn producers …

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) on Thursday set production targets for major kharif crops (2021-22) including cotton at 10.5 million bales, rice 8.2 million tonnes and sugarcane at 74.84m tonnes. The FCA set wheat production target for this year at 26.04m tonnes – an anticipated increase of 1.7 per cent over last year. Cotton will be sown in …

ISLAMABAD: Despite a 10 per cent shortage in early part, the country’s water availability during the current kharif season has been estimated to be higher than last year and 10-year average. The overall (basin-wise) “shortage was approved as 10pc for early kharif and 4pc for late kharif 2021,” said Indus River System Authority (Irsa) after a meeting of its advisory …

American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez has been in high-profile relationships. Her former boyfriends paid tribute to her as the Let’s Get Loud singer is all set to grace an entertainment magazine. The 51-year-old’s exes Marc Anthony and Ben Affleck shared their views and behind-the-scenes reality of the pop star as she graced the cover of InStyle for May. Anthony …

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday stressed the need for automation for improving the ease of doing business and bringing down costs. “Automation is essential if we want to increase our ease of doing business and bring down costs,” he said, adding that there was a lot of resistance to this. Bribery is removed from the equation when automation is …

Gigi Hadid and her sister Bella Hadid enjoyed some family time in New York on Thursday as they appeared together with sweet baby  Khai. Gigi, who welcomed her first child in September, amazed people with her stunning look as she appeared pushing her little pride and joy along in a stroller. During her latest outing, the 25-year-old model showed off …

American actress Emily VanCamp said she was willing to perform her role as Sharon Carter in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier series as the character is tougher now and secondly, it has so compelling story that it requires no love interest. The 34-year-old actress said it is her reason to reprise her role as Sharon Carter or Agent 13 …

David Beckham and his wife Victoria Beckham enjoyed their family getaway  at Turks and Caicos during the Easter break. The celebrity couple flown their family, including Brooklyn Beckham’s fiancée Nicola Peltz, to their favorite island for having fun together. The famous family were all smiles as the spent quality time together at a beach. They have kept the trip low-key …

America’s legendary country singer Dolly Parton is known for her long career in music with over 3,000 songs. Recognising her achievements, Netflix threw a star-studded glitzy gathering as a tribute concert – Dolly Parton: A MusiCares Tribute – that streamed on April 7. The artists who expressed their love for a true country legend include Miley Cyrus, Willie Nelson, Brandi …