KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday set the timeline of June 30, 2022 for exchange companies (ECs) to ensure that the integrated Biometric Verification System (BVS) is implemented. “All ECs/ECs-B categories are required to continue their coordination with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to ensure that the integrated system is implemented within the stipulated timeline …

KARACHI: Pakistan’s total liquid foreign reserves have reached $23.925 billion. According to a press release issued on Thursday, foreign reserves of the State Bank of Pakistan increased by $53 million to $17.199 billion during the week ended on October 29. The reserves held by commercial banks stood at $6.726bn.

ISLAMABAD: Finance Adviser Shaukat Tarin assured traders of resolving their genuine issues and constituted a six-member committee on Thursday to improve liaison between the business community and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Mr Tarin extended this assurance during a meeting with a delegation of the All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran, led by its president Mohammad Kashif Chaudhry. The government has recently, …

Australia on Friday postponed its first-ever cricket Test against Afghanistan, after the country’s ruling Taliban regime effectively banned women from playing the sport. Australia’s cricketing authorities said that after consultation with “relevant stakeholders”, they decided the men’s Test, to be played in Hobart this month, would not go ahead as planned. After the Taliban ousted Afghanistan’s elected government in August, senior leaders …

ISLAMABAD: While the government has set a target of fully vaccinating 70 million people against Covid-19 by the end of this year, the national average of vaccination has reached 48 per cent with Punjab becoming the first province where more than half the population has received at least one dose. According to an official statement, a session of the National …

WASHINGTON: The FBI released hundreds of pages of newly declassified documents on Wednesday about its long effort to explore connections between the Saudi government and the Sept 11 attacks, revealing the scope of a strenuous but ultimately fruitless investigation whose outcome many question to this day. Agents for years investigated support given to several of the hijackers upon their arrival …

Yorkshire chairman Roger Hutton has resigned in the fallout from former player Azeem Rafiqs racism allegations against the English cricket club, citing an unwillingness by the club to accept the claims and a refusal to apologise. “Today I announce my resignation as chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, with immediate effect,” Hutton said on Friday. “There has been a constant unwillingness from …

GLASGOW: In the fight to curb climate change, several major coal-using nations announced steps on Thursday to wean themselves at times slowly off the heavily polluting fossil fuel. The pledges to phase out coal came on top of other promises made at the UN climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, that the head of an international energy organisation said trimmed a …

The opposition slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan and the PTI government on Friday for increasing the prices of petroleum products two days after the premier’s announcement of the “biggest welfare package in Pakistan’s history”, saying the government could only give misery to the people. In a notification issued late on Thursday night, the government raised petroleum prices by up to Rs8.14 per litre with …

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar on Thursday said this week’s joint session of Parliament will approve the Rent Control Act for Islamabad, fulfilling a long-standing demand of Islamabad businessmen. While speaking at a reception organised by PTI Traders Wing, the minister said after approval of Rent Control Act a long-standing demand of traders of Islamabad will …