Category: Islamabad

Islamabad: Pakistan’s domestic aviation network received a significant boost on Wednesday as South Air commenced scheduled flight operations from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, introducing new routes aimed at improving regional connectivity and supporting tourism and economic activity across the country.

The airline launched scheduled services from Karachi to Quetta via Turbat and from Karachi to Islamabad via Bahawalpur, marking its entry into regular passenger operations from Pakistan’s busiest airport. The inaugural flights, Z8911 to Turbat and Z8942 to Bahawalpur, departed from Jinnah International Airport earlier in the day.

The new operations add fresh capacity to the country’s domestic aviation sector, offering passengers more travel options while improving access to key regional destinations. The move is expected to strengthen links between southern Pakistan and other parts of the country, particularly underserved areas where air travel plays an important role in mobility and commerce.

Under its initial schedule, South Air will operate one weekly flight on the Karachi-Turbat route and three weekly flights on the Karachi-Bahawalpur route. The airline has also announced plans to further expand its domestic network with future services connecting Karachi to Peshawar, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Gwadar.

Operating under the Tourism Promotion and Regional Integration (TPRI) Licence, South Air’s expansion is expected to contribute to the promotion of tourism, facilitate trade and business travel, and improve access to regional destinations through enhanced air connectivity.

The launch of the new services reflects continuing efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s domestic aviation infrastructure by expanding route networks and improving connectivity between major urban centres and emerging regional destinations. The addition of new operators and routes at Jinnah International Airport is also expected to provide greater convenience and flexibility for travellers while supporting broader economic and tourism development initiatives.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with a Chinese delegation to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in the livestock sector, with particular focus on enhancing Pakistan’s meat exports to China.

Welcoming the delegation, the Federal Minister emphasized that Pakistan possesses enormous potential in the livestock sector owing to its large animal population, strategic geographic location, and growing capacity to produce high-quality halal meat.

He noted that livestock remains a vital pillar of Pakistan’s agricultural economy, contributing significantly to agricultural value addition, rural livelihoods, and national GDP.

Rana Tanveer Hussain stated that China is one of the world’s largest consumers and importers of meat, presenting a tremendous opportunity for Pakistan to expand its export footprint.

He invited Chinese investors and companies to establish state-of-the-art slaughterhouses and modern meat processing facilities in Pakistan equipped with advanced technologies, international hygiene standards, cold-chain infrastructure, and traceability systems to ensure the production of premium-quality halal meat for export.

The minister said that the Government of Pakistan is committed to facilitating foreign investment in the agriculture and livestock sectors by providing a business-friendly environment, policy support, and close institutional coordination.

He stressed that investment in modern slaughtering and meat processing infrastructure would not only increase Pakistan’s exports but also generate employment, improve value addition, strengthen food safety standards, and enhance farmers’ incomes.

Chinese delegation appreciated Pakistan’s livestock potential and expressed keen interest in exploring opportunities for cooperation in meat processing, technology transfer, quality assurance, and export-oriented infrastructure.

Both sides agreed to enhance technical collaboration, facilitate business-to-business partnerships, and work closely to address regulatory and sanitary requirements for increasing meat exports to the Chinese market.

Concluding the meeting, Rana Tanveer Hussain reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transforming Pakistan’s livestock sector into a globally competitive industry.

He expressed confidence that stronger Pakistan-China cooperation in livestock and meat processing would contribute to food security, promote sustainable agricultural growth, and further strengthen the longstanding strategic partnership between the two countries.

Islamabad: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has declined a review petition against its earlier findings in Complaint No. 02924/LHR/ST/2026 after holding that no error apparent on the face of the record existed to justify review.

At the same time, the Ombudsman has directed the Inland Revenue authorities to undertake a comprehensive examination of a separate issue of alleged maladministration relating to the taxpayer’s payments that surfaced during the review proceedings.

According to the order, the original findings correctly reflected the factual record available when they were rendered and, therefore, could not be reopened merely because additional material had surfaced subsequently.

During the review proceedings, however, production of the complete official record disclosed a distinct administrative issue relating to the accounting and treatment of payments admittedly received from the taxpayer during investigation proceedings and their subsequent treatment while implementing the order of the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) and processing the taxpayer’s claim.

The Ombudsman observed that although legal issues arising from the underlying tax dispute are pending before the Lahore High Court, such pendency did not relieve the tax administration of its continuing obligation to correctly account for taxpayers’ payments, faithfully implement appellate orders and ensure that no maladministration occurs in the discharge of its statutory functions.

To address the issue, the FTO directed the Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue concerned to conduct, through an officer not below the rank of Commissioner Inland Revenue, a comprehensive examination of all payments received from the complainant.

The designated officer has been directed to verify the legal character of the payments from the official record, determine whether due effect has been given to each payment and pass a reasoned speaking order after providing the taxpayer a full opportunity of hearing.

The order further stated that where any omission, computational error or other instance of maladministration is found, corrective action should be taken in accordance with law.

The Ombudsman directed that the exercise be completed within 60 days, while compliance was to be reported to the FTO Secretariat within 15 days thereafter.

The order also reiterates that while parties appearing before statutory adjudicatory forums are entitled to advance competing legal arguments, factual assertions must remain accurate, complete and capable of verification from official records. It further observes that professional decorum and measured advocacy strengthen the administration of justice, whereas personalised or intemperate allegations serve no useful purpose.

The FTO clarified that its recommendations neither reopen the earlier findings nor express any opinion on issues pending before the Lahore High Court. It said the directions were confined to examining and resolving the surviving issue of alleged maladministration strictly within the jurisdiction conferred upon the Federal Tax Ombudsman under the law.

Islamabad: The 34th National Men’s Chess Championship and the 10th National Women’s Chess Championship concluded at the Pakistan Sports Complex, with Zaman Sohail and Fariha Siddiq emerging as the national champions after impressive performances.

The championships, organized by the Chess Federation of Pakistan, featured around 250 male and female players from across the country competing in various categories.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry attended the closing ceremony as chief guest and distributed trophies, medals, certificates and cash prizes among the winners.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said Pakistan’s international standing was steadily improving and its diplomatic stature had strengthened globally. He highlighted the government’s commitment to promoting sports, identifying young talent and providing greater opportunities for athletes.

Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also praised Chess Federation of Pakistan President Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi for his contributions to sports, expressing confidence that the federation would continue to promote chess and enhance Pakistan’s presence in international competitions.

In the men’s championship, Higher Education Commission (HEC) player Zaman Sohail secured the national title with five points. Punjab’s M. Zarwaiz Shabkhaiz finished second with 4.5 points, while HEC’s A.R. Akhtar claimed third place on the basis of a tie-break after also scoring 4.5 points.

In the women’s championship, Punjab’s Fariha Siddiq remained unbeaten throughout the event to win the national title with 10.5 points. Zainobia Wasif finished runner-up with nine points, while Javeria secured third position with eight points.

Federal Secretary for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani congratulated the Chess Federation of Pakistan on successfully organizing the championships and assured continued government support for the promotion of chess.

Member of the National Assembly and Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar announced a cash award of Rs100,000 for special athlete Saeeba Shah and Rs25,000 for the oldest participant of the championship.

Senator Nuzhat Sadiq and MNA Farah Naz Akbar also appreciated the federation’s efforts in promoting chess and encouraging young talent.

The ceremony concluded with the distribution of awards to the winning players, while Chess Federation of Pakistan President Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi thanked the distinguished guests, participants, officials and media representatives for contributing to the successful staging of the national championships.

Islamabad: Vice Chancellor of Ziauddin University, Karachi, Professor Dr. Muhammad Ali Shaikh visited the office of Freedom Gate Prosperity (FGP) and held detailed discussions on strengthening collaboration in research, climate action, entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

The meeting focused on the importance of forging stronger partnerships between academia and development organizations to equip Pakistan’s youth with future-ready skills, promote women’s economic empowerment, and develop practical solutions to climate change-related challenges.

Dr. Shaikh met with FGP Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Anwar, Board Director Urooj Raza Sayyami, Strategic Policy Advisor Shafqat Aziz, and Head of Economy Dr. Shahbaz Tariq to explore cooperation in higher education, research, policy advocacy, youth entrepreneurship, climate resilience and capacity building.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shaikh said universities must move beyond their traditional academic role and become active partners in driving innovation. He said stronger collaboration between higher education institutions and the development sector would equip young people with practical skills, promote leadership and innovation, and create greater economic opportunities for youth and women.

Welcoming the visiting vice chancellor, Muhammad Anwar highlighted that FGP is committed to building partnerships that bring together academia, policymakers, civil society and the private sector to generate evidence-based solutions and translate ideas into meaningful community impact.

Urooj Raza Sayyami emphasized the need to strengthen collaboration between universities and development organizations to promote public awareness, climate literacy, research and informed policy dialogue.

Shafqat Aziz said such partnerships are vital for preparing future leaders capable of addressing the issues.

Dr. Shahbaz Tariq underscored the importance of empowering youth and women through entrepreneurship, research, innovation and skills development. He said academia has a pivotal role in preparing graduates not only for employment but also for enterprise creation and sustainable economic growth.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to pursue institutional collaboration in research, policy dialogue, climate action, youth leadership, entrepreneurship and capacity-building initiatives, reaffirming the importance of academia-development partnerships in advancing inclusive and sustainable development agenda.

Islamabad: A man and a woman were killed after a speeding trailer truck struck their motorcycle near Mandra on the GT Road, the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) said on Thursday.

According to an NHMP spokesperson, Motorway Police rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital, where a man and a woman succumbed to their injuries.

The spokesperson said legal proceedings had been initiated against the trailer driver on charges of negligent and reckless driving.