LAHORE: The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) has approved 19 development schemes worth Rs 126.668 billion in various sectors, including healthcare, education, infrastructure, traffic management and industrial development.
The 13th meeting of the PDWP was held under the chairmanship of Dr Naeem Rauf, Chairman Planning and Development Board (P&D Board), Punjab here on Friday. The approved schemes include the construction of MPA Hostel Lahore Phase-II (revised) at a cost of Rs 6.881 billion and the establishment of a Provincial Traffic Management and Command Centre (PTM&CC) at Qurban Police Lines, Lahore, costing Rs3.246 billion.
The PDWP also approved the revised scheme for establishing a 50-bed hospital in Bhurban, Murree, at a cost of Rs1.507 billion and the establishment of a Children Hospital in Rawalpindi (revised) at Rs10.143 billion.
A major allocation of Rs18.862 billion was approved for providing infrastructure, academic and operational facilities to the Punjab University of Technology, Rasul, Mandi Bahauddin.
The establishment of Aquaculture Malls in Punjab (revised) was also approved at a cost of Rs3.979 billion, while Rs2 billion was allocated for the Cutlery Sector Technology Upgradation Programme.
A significant portion of the approved development portfolio relates to the Punjab Development Programme, covering improvements in sewerage systems, stormwater drainage, street pavements and allied infrastructure in various cities.
These schemes include Mailsi, District Vehari, at a cost of Rs7.885 billion; Abdul Hakim City, District Khanewal, Rs5.026 billion; Ferozewala, District Sheikhupura, Rs11.492 billion; Daska, Mandrainwal and Jamkey Cheema, District Sialkot, Rs11.342 billion; and Kamoke, District Gujranwala, Rs6.711 billion.
Other approved schemes under the programme include Kot Abdul Malik, District Sheikhupura, at Rs7.573 billion; Muridke, District Sheikhupura, Rs5.633 billion; MC Ali Pur Chatha, District Wazirabad, Rs4.353 billion; Hazro, District Attock, Rs3.680 billion; Renala Khurd, District Okara, Rs5.135 billion; and Mian Channu City, District Khanewal, Rs7.157 billion.
The PDWP further approved the revised scheme for remodeling Jhika Gali Chowk at a cost of Rs4.063 billion. Secretary P&D Board Rafaqat Ali, Chief Economist Dr Farrukh Naveed, members of the P&D Board and other senior officers from concerned departments attended the meeting.
KARACHI: Minister of State for Finance, Bilal Azhar Kayani, visited the Pakistan Banks Association (PBA) head office in Karachi to meet the presidents, chief executive officers and chief digital officers of banks regarding the Prime Minister’s Cashless Pakistan Initiative. Officials of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the CEO of Raast and officials of Karandaaz also attended the meeting.
The Minister briefed the banking executives on the progress achieved under the initiative, including increased adoption of digital payments and the digitisation of government payments. He outlined the targets set for fiscal year 2026 and highlighted the significant progress made towards achieving them.
He encouraged banks to play a more active role in advancing the Prime Minister’s Cashless Pakistan Initiative and promoting wider adoption of digital payments. He also outlined the steps taken by the government to support this effort, including the Raast QR subsidy to subsidise merchant discount rate (MDR) charges. He informed the forum that the Prime Minister had decided to continue the subsidy to maintain momentum in digital payments adoption.
The Minister further informed participants that the Prime Minister’s Cashless Committee was working to sharpen its focus and refine its targets, including through the adoption of new indicators and the setting of new targets, to accelerate the digitisation of payments. He invited the banking executives to share their views and suggestions on achieving better outcomes in Pakistan’s cashless journey.
The Minister directed the State Bank of Pakistan to hold detailed consultations with banks’ chief digital officers, together with the CEO of Raast and Karandaaz, to develop concrete recommendations for the Prime Minister’s Cashless Committee. The consultations will focus on improving the user experience across digital payment methods, including QR payments, and finalising practical suggestions to support wider adoption.
The Minister of State for Finance also appreciated the role played by Karandaaz in supporting the Prime Minister’s Cashless Pakistan Initiative.
The Minister thanked PBA for hosting this important discussion and said he looked forward to holding further discussions with banks at PBA in the coming months on the Cashless Pakistan Initiative.
The Pakistan Banks Association thanked the Minister for visiting its head office in Karachi and holding the session. PBA appreciated the Prime Minister’s and the government’s focus on the Cashless Pakistan Initiative and affirmed the banking sector’s commitment to playing its role in achieving this national objective.
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that the payments received by Attock Refinery Limited for decanting and desalting crude oil, supplied by oil and gas exploration companies, do not constitute taxable supplies or taxable activities liable to sales tax under Section 3 of the Sales Tax Act, 1990
A three-member bench, headed by Justice Munib Akhtar and comprising Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan and Justice SalahuddinPanhwar, set aside the Islamabad High Court’s judgment and the decision of the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue, Islamabad.
The matter arises out of the Act. The case of the department (respondent Commissioners) was that certain transactions, in respect of which the petitioner (Attock Refinery) received payments from third parties, were liable to tax under Section 3 of the Act.
The sales tax not having been charged, proceedings were initiated against the petitioner, whose case was that the said transactions did not come within the scope of the Act. The appeal by the petitioner before the Appellate Tribunal was dismissed and the tax reference filed in the High Court met the same fate.
Senior counsel Sirdar Ahmed Jamal Sukhera, representing the Attock Refinery, argued that the dispute originated from the department’s (respondent Commissioners) contention that the amounts received by Attock Refinery from crude oil suppliers, including Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), for decanting and desalting crude oil were consideration for taxable services and, consequently, liable to sales tax.
The department maintained that these activities fell within the definition of “taxable activity” under Section 2(35) of the Sales Tax Act, 1990. The controversy arose because, under the contractual arrangements between the refinery and its crude oil suppliers, the responsibility for decanting and desalting rested with the suppliers. However, the refinery undertook these processes at its own premises and received payments from the suppliers in this regard. The tax authorities treated these payments as consideration for taxable services, a position upheld by the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue and subsequently by the Islamabad High Court.
The Supreme Court, after an extensive examination of the relevant statutory provisions and the legislative amendments introduced through the Finance Acts of 1996, 1998 and 2008, rejected the Department’s interpretation.
The Court observed that Section 3(1) of the Sales Tax Act, 1990, being the charging provision, requires the existence of three essential elements: a taxable supply, made by a registered person, in the course or furtherance of a taxable activity. These elements must not only independently exist but must also have the necessary legal connection with one another for the charging provision to apply.
The judgment found that the crude oil remained the same identifiable product before and after the processes of decanting and desalting. No separate or distinct product came into existence as a result of these processes. It noted that the department failed to establish the existence of such a product, which was essential for bringing the transactions within the applicable statutory definition of supply.
The Court further held that the processes undertaken by Attock Refinery did not amount to the rendering or provision of services to the crude oil suppliers. Since the suppliers were contractually responsible for decanting and desalting the crude oil, the payments received by the refinery were, in commercial terms, an adjustment or correction of the price payable for the crude oil rather than consideration for services rendered to the suppliers.
The Supreme Court also clarified an important principle of tax jurisprudence: the existence of a taxable activity, by itself, does not constitute a taxable event. There must additionally be a taxable supply made in the course or furtherance of that activity. Both requirements must be independently established before sales tax can lawfully be imposed.
The Court emphasized that the burden of establishing all the essential ingredients of a taxing event rests upon the State and not upon the taxpayer. In the absence of proof of the statutory requirements, no tax liability can be imposed merely based on the department’s interpretation of a commercial transaction.Consequently, the Supreme Court answered the question of law in favour of Attock Refinery Limited and against the department.
ISLAMABAD: Security Forces have killed 74 Indian-sponsored terrorists in major Intelligence-Based Operations (IBOs) across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, inflicting a significant blow to terrorist networks in Mir Ali, Orakzai and Kurram.
The operations also led to the recovery of a huge cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives, as the nationwide counterterrorism campaign under Azm-e-Istehkam continues, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in two separate statements issued on Friday.
According to the ISPR, security forces are conducting a series of Intelligence-Based Operations in a determined effort to eliminate terrorist threats and dismantle the khwarij networks in KP.
The statement added that these operations have been expanded to the areas of Mir Ali and Orakzai.
Over the last 48 hours, the military’s media wing said that, during the conduct of this series of IBOs, the troops effectively engaged khwarij in different locations.
Following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, thirty-five (35) khwarij belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij have been neutralised in Mir Ali, and eight khwarij were sent to hell in Orakzai, thereby inflicting a significant blow to the khwarij networks operating in these areas.
A huge cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives, including homemade explosives and improvised explosive devices, was also recovered during sanitization, thwarting Khwarij’s nefarious designs to use these materials in terrorist activities.
The ISPR revealed that sanitization operations continue to eliminate holed-up Khwarij from these areas, as a relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under the vision “Azm-e-Istehkam” (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
Meanwhile, in another statement, the ISPR said that, continuing the counter-terrorism campaign, from 3 November onwards, the Security Forces conducted a comprehensive intelligence-based sanitisation operation in the Kurram area of District Quetta against Indian backed Fitna Al Khawarij & Fitna Al Hindustan in Balochistan.
During the conduct of these IBOs, multiple terrorist hideouts were effectively engaged, and as a result, 31 Indian-sponsored khwarij were sent to hell. Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from the terrorist hideouts.
WASHINGTON: The US Federal Aviation Administration grounded all departing flights nationwide on Friday after a communications failure hit air traffic control centers across the country, disrupting thousands of flights.
The announcement means planes in the air may land, but those on the ground cannot take off. Flight tracking service FlightAware said nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or cancelled due to the nationwide ground stop.
“The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all US airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.
The disruption is the latest sign of strain on the US air traffic control system, which has been beset by equipment failures, communications problems and shortages of controllers while the FAA tries to replace aging infrastructure. Congress approved $12.5 billion for the overhaul last year, and the FAA and White House asked lawmakers on Friday for another $30.1 billion.
Shortly before the announcement, the FAA halted traffic in Chicago due to air traffic control communications issues. The agency said, “All departing traffic should remain groundstopped until further notice.” The FAA said it would manage international flights on a case-by-case basis.
Friday’s halt was the second nationwide ground stop of all departures since the September 11, 2001, attacks. The other happened in January 2023, when the FAA paused all domestic departures for less than two hours.
Nvidia’s board has approached British chipmaker Arm Holdings CEO Rene Haas in its search for a potential successor to Jensen Huang, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Huang stepped down on Thursday after revelations of extramarital affairs, including one involving a suspected Chinese spy, plunging the chipmaker into crisis and sending shockwaves across an AI industry he helped bankroll.
Haas’ name has been making the rounds among analysts since Huang’s exit. He spent seven formative years at Nvidia, rising to vice president and general manager of its computing products business, before joining Arm in 2013.
He is among several candidates being considered and there is no guarantee he will be offered the job or accept it, the FT reported. Nvidia’s finance chief Colette Kress is the interim CEO.
Arm declined to comment, while Nvidia did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reuters could not independently verify the report.
Haas became Arm CEO in 2022, overseeing the company’s Nasdaq listing in 2023. Arm designs processor architectures and licenses them to other companies that develop chip designs. Historically its strength has been in mobile phones and it is expanding into computers.
Arm’s US-listed shares pared losses after the report and were down more than 5%. Nvidia’s shares were down over 3%.
ISTANBUL: Turkey and Qatar signed a mutual defence agreement on Friday, the office of President Tayyip Erdogan said, as the Turkish leader met the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Istanbul.
“President Erdogan stated that we would continue working together to prevent the resurgence of war in the Gulf region and establish a basis for dialogue and achieve peace,” the presidency said in a statement on X, which did not provide details on the defence accord.
The statement cited him as saying that Turkey and Qatar were working to develop and diversify their energy partnership, and that their cooperation in the defence industry would continue to grow.
“President Erdogan stated that the Mutual Defence Agreement signed today by Turkey and Qatar would add another dimension to our brotherhood,” it added.
In August, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca, bringing together the Sunni Muslim US allies at a time of conflict across the region.
Turkey’s parliament ratified the so-called Mecca Joint Defence Agreement last week, clearing the way for Ankara to send military support to Saudi Arabia, which has been struggling to fend off attacks by Yemen’s Houthi.
Under the agreement, signed by the three regional powers in August, an attack on one party constitutes an attack on all.
The government on Friday reduced the price of petrol by Rs2 per litre, marking its ninth consecutive decrease, while the high-speed diesel rate was unchanged at Rs360 per litre.
Following the revision, petrol will retail at Rs330 per litre from Nov 14 (Saturday) to Nov 16 (Monday), according to a notification by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra).
The government continues to levy Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel.
Under an arrangement announced on Nov 2, for 30 days, oil refineries will contribute to the petroleum levy by bearing a cumulative impact of Rs15 billion, according to the government. This allows a Rs14.71 reduction in the petrol price at the consumer end.
On Sept 17, the government rolled out the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme across the country to ease the public’s burden amid rising fuel prices due to the Middle East situation.
The subsidy scheme applies to owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and vehicles of up to 800cc.
Rise in fuel prices
The price of HSD has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on Feb 28.
Meanwhile, the government has reintroduced a raft of austerity measures in response to rising fuel prices amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Under these measures, markets are required to close by 9pm, and fuel allocations for official vehicles have been cut by 50pc for three months.
Since July 17, the government has been revising fuel prices on a near-daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US.
The petroleum minister stated that the cabinet and the prime minister had decided to give Ogra the responsibility of deciding fuel prices on a daily basis based on international market trends.
Prior to this, the government had been announcing weekly revisions to fuel prices since early March, alongside measures for the conservation of fuel amid possible oil supply disruptions due to the conflict. The federal government had also announced targeted relief measures in April to provide subsidised fuel.
Petrol is mainly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers, and changes in its price affect the middle and lower-middle classes.
Similarly, changes in diesel prices also impact the public at large, as it is mainly used in the heavy transport sector, power plants and large generators.
Petrol and HSD are the major revenue earners, with monthly sales of about 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes, compared to just 10,000 tonnes of monthly demand for kerosene.
Pakistan government on Friday decreased the price of petrol by Rs2 to Rs330 per litre, while keeping the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) unchanged at Rs360 per litre, effective from Saturday, November 14, 2026.
In its press release, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) said the prices were worked out under the petroleum products pricing mechanism approved by the federal government.
The new prices will remain effective till Monday, November 16, 2026.
On Thursday, the government reduced the price of petrol by Rs3 to Rs332 per litre and HSD by Rs4 to Rs360 per litre.
On a weekly basis, the petrol price witnessed a decrease of 4.6% or Rs16 from Rs346 per litre rate announced last Friday. Similarly, diesel price saw a decline of 4.8% or Rs18 from Rs378 per litre.
Oil prices were mixed on Friday and headed for a second weekly decline as the US focus on its blockade of Iran and other economic pressure eased fears of renewed direct conflict, though shipping attacks remained a supply risk.
Brent futures rose 39 cents, or 0.4%, to $96.21 a barrel at 1200 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were down 12 cents, or 0.1%, to $88.62 a barrel.
Pakistan will host a major International Hockey Federation (FIH) event after a gap of 24 years, with the fifth edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup scheduled to be held in Lahore from February 19 to 28, 2027.
FIH President Tayyab Ikram and interim Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani announced the decision at a ceremony in Islamabad on Friday, where they also formally signed an agreement for the hosting of the 10-team tournament.
The ceremony was attended by Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah Khan, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, State Minister for Education Wajiha Qamar, lawmakers, former hockey players and ambassadors of various countries.
The fifth edition of the competition will mark the first expansion from an eight-team to a 10-team format, reflecting the growing competitiveness of international men’s hockey and providing more nations with exposure to high-level competition. Besides hosts Pakistan, Egypt, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea and the United States will feature in the tournament.
Pakistan, who finished runners-up in the 2024-25 edition, will be looking to capitalise on home advantage and secure promotion to the 2027-28 FIH Hockey Pro League. The Nations Cup champions will earn a place in the top-tier competition, which brings together the world’s leading hockey nations.
Addressing the ceremony, Ikram described the Nations Cup as a major international hockey event and termed its return to Pakistan a significant moment for the country and the sport.
He said Pakistan had no shortage of hockey talent and assured the country of the FIH’s full support for the promotion and revival of the game. He also praised the national team’s performance at the recently concluded Asian Games.
In a significant development, Ikram announced that Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium had been approved as an official FIH High Performance Centre to support the development of players.
However, he stressed the need for structural and financial reforms to put Pakistan hockey back on track. He recommended the establishment of an independent sports ministry and called for improvements in the country’s financial model for sports, particularly hockey, saying adequate investment could help Pakistan make considerable progress.
In a statement issued after the announcement, Ikram said Pakistan held a cherished and foundational place in the heritage of hockey, backed by an extraordinary passion among its fans and a rich legacy of champions.
He said bringing a major FIH event back to the country reflected the international body’s commitment to expanding hockey’s global footprint and supporting national associations seeking opportunities to compete on the world stage. He expressed confidence that the PHF and local authorities would deliver a world-class tournament that would inspire the next generation of players.
Rana Sanaullah said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the government were taking steps to revive hockey, which had long remained a source of national identity and pride.
Regretting the decline in Pakistan’s standing in international hockey, he said it was disappointing to see lower-ranked teams defeat the national side by substantial margins. However, he assured the gathering that the government would extend all possible support for the revival of the national game.
The minister said the issue of the PHF’s interim arrangements would also be resolved and urged former hockey players and legends to support the federation in its efforts to restore the country’s lost standing. He praised Wani’s performance and called on former players to work with him for the betterment of the game.
Wani, meanwhile, outlined the federation’s recent initiatives, including participation in international competitions and the hiring of foreign coaches. Acknowledging that Pakistan hockey had suffered a decline over the past two decades, he said efforts were now under way to improve the situation.
He described the award of the Nations Cup hosting rights as a strong expression of international confidence in Pakistan’s ability and capacity to stage major sporting events.
“Pakistan will be wonderful hosts, and hockey fans will have the opportunity to witness world-class, highly competitive international hockey on home soil,” he said, terming the tournament a new chapter in the revival of the national game.
Launched in 2022, the Nations Cup provides high-level competitive opportunities to emerging hockey nations and offers a merit-based pathway to the Pro League. Previous editions were held in South Africa, Poland and Malaysia. South Africa won the inaugural tournament in Potchefstroom in 2022, while New Zealand have claimed the title twice and will return to Lahore seeking another triumph.
France, the reigning 2025-26 champions, have secured promotion to the Pro League and will not feature in the next edition.
The 10-day competition will bring together teams from five continents, offering Pakistan an opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to host major international sporting events while giving the national side a chance to return to the elite level of international hockey.
