No extra smog holidays for Punjab schools, education minister says
Rana Sikandar Hayat says schools will run as normal and parents should ignore viral messages about closures, as smog keeps Lahore among the world’s most polluted cities.
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Indus treaty cannot be ended by one side, Tarar tells Margalla Dialogue
The law minister said India’s suspension of the World Bank-brokered accord breaks its spirit and international law, and urged dialogue over force.
Power shortfall widens to 1,500MW after Tarbela incident
Lahore has seen up to four hours of evening outages. The grid operator says Mangla and Jamshoro are back, and distribution companies must publish their schedules.
LPG prices to be set by PSO and SSGC, not OGRA, under new plan
Only authorised outlets will sell LPG at notified rates, and buyers will swap empty cylinders for filled ones under a plan to curb overcharging and cylinder blasts.
Overcharged medical students win refunds as court backs fee cap
The Lahore High Court upheld PMDC’s power to limit private college fees. Two colleges owe each student more than Rs740,000, and students who are victimised can seek contempt action.
Govt to seek World Bank, ADB loans for smart meters on transformers
Meters will go on transformers run by every distribution company to curb power theft and overbilling. No loan amount or timeline was announced.
Saudi investors eye Balochistan minerals, offer jobs for skilled youth
A Saudi business delegation was briefed on fertiliser, ferrochrome, and mining projects. No deals or figures were announced.
Saudi Hajj ministry honours Pakistan’s Hajj mission, one of four countries
Pakistan, Türkiye, Malaysia, and Iraq were the only missions recognised on stage as the 6th Hajj Conference and Expo closed in Jeddah, with about 150 countries attending.
Auto policy sets $6bn export goal, makes local parts compulsory
Parts makers carry 55% of the 2026-31 target, the government expects $17.7bn in foreign exchange savings, and carmakers that miss targets face fines.
Two fuel cuts in two days: what you now save per fill-up
Petrol is Rs11 a litre cheaper and diesel Rs14 than on November 10. Here is what that means for a motorbike, a car, a household, and a transporter.
How to check your filer status on FBR’s Active Taxpayer List
One SMS to 9966 or a quick check online. What the list is, when it changes, and what to do if your name is missing.
Mastery of small arms must stay core of training, says Field Marshal Munir
The army chief closed the 46th PARA Central Meet in Jhelum, where more than 1,500 shooters competed. Havildar Fazal Rehman won the Doli Cup.
Karachi to lose 130m gallons of water on Nov 13 as Dhabeji shuts
A 14-hour power shutdown will idle nine of 21 pumps. Landhi, Korangi, Malir, and Shah Faisal face a further 22 hours of partial supply.
Yesterday
Sugar mills seek to export 400,000 tonnes, warn of late crushing season
Mill owners say about 1.1 million tonnes of surplus sugar is still in stock even after a 200,000-tonne export approval, and crushing cannot start before December.
Govt spends just 10% of Rs1tn development budget in four months
Rs103.88bn was used from July to October against Rs412bn cleared for release. The highways authority spent under 6% of its allocation.
Petrol cut by another Rs3 to Rs335, diesel by Rs7 to Rs364
OGRA’s new rates take effect from November 12, a day after the previous reduction. Petrol is now Rs11 cheaper and diesel Rs14 cheaper than two days ago.
PTA finds 12 of 28 local broadband networks missed quality targets
Every operator met speed and latency standards, but overloaded networks and patchy uptime showed up in cities from Abbottabad to Quetta.
Sindh to pay Rs17bn wheat subsidy to 550,000 farmers from November 20
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will open the payouts, made through the Benazir Hari Card, at the Chief Minister’s House in Karachi, the agriculture minister says.
Imran Khan’s blood pressure swinging, Khosa says after Adiala meeting
Latif Khosa and Salman Safdar spent about four hours with the jailed former prime minister a day after an IHC order. Khosa says Khan is ‘completely active’.
Salik tells Maryam not to play ‘woman card’, stands by graft claims
The federal minister says Punjab withdrew his Elite Force security after the row, and his reply to her Rs5bn defamation notice is ready.
Transporters cut fares by up to Rs100 after fuel price drop
Lahore operators put revised fare lists up at bus terminals, Sargodha cut fares on all routes by 12%, and freight charges fell by up to 3%.
Russia says more than 10 Pakistan deals ready for Moscow talks
Sergei Tsivilev reviewed plans for the November 25 commission he co-chairs with Awais Leghari. Hydropower, the Karachi steel mills, and Pakistan-made insulin were also discussed.
Court reissues arrest warrants for Sohail Afridi over Radio Pakistan attack
The suspended KP chief minister is accused with three former ministers over the May 2023 arson at the broadcaster’s Peshawar station. The hearing resumes on November 17.
Shehbaz tells COP31 Pakistan needs $138bn for clean power by 2035
The prime minister said rooftop solar had added nearly 22GW in two years, but the shift would stall without cheap finance and technology.
PIMS to get a CEO and more autonomy after fire that killed 14 babies
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal told lawmakers all 34 inquiry recommendations had been met. The hospital’s own chief said about 17 had been implemented.
JI calls Minar-e-Pakistan rally for Nov 29 as fuel levy talks drag on
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the government is considering a phased cut in the levy after about ten rounds of talks, but protests and negotiations will run side by side.
Gold falls Rs3,400 to Rs427,436 per tola as world prices slip
Ten grams fell Rs2,915 to Rs366,457, the Sarafa association said, as gold lost $34 an ounce internationally.
Rupee edges up to 276.62 against the dollar in interbank trade
The currency gained 3 paisa on Wednesday while the dollar held near a two-week high abroad on bets of another US rate rise.
Supreme Court disposes of Imaan Mazari, Chattha appeals as infructuous
A three-member bench said the Islamabad High Court will rule on the maintainability of the lawyer couple’s petitions in the security breach case.
Pakistan, Kuwait hail ratified defence pact as Shehbaz meets Kuwaiti PM
Meeting at COP31 in Antalya, the two prime ministers also agreed to deepen trade, investment and energy cooperation, the PM Office said.
Shehbaz meets Pezeshkian, Syria’s al-Sharaa and World Bank chief at COP31
On the summit sidelines in Antalya, the prime minister discussed the regional situation with Iran’s president and pledged solidarity to the Palestinian prime minister.
Kohat ambush: DSP among 12 policemen injured, toll unclear
Police say terrorists and criminals ambushed a police party during a raid on illegal gold mining. Earlier reports of at least 10 martyred have not been confirmed by the latest police statement.
Remittances rise 14% to $3.9bn in October, Saudi Arabia leads
Inflows for July to October reached $14.8 billion. The State Bank now expects a record $45 billion this fiscal year.
Ex-Afghan army soldier held in Tirah over suicide-bomber plot, police say
Police say Hikmatullah, alias Hamza, trained a suicide bomber at a madrasa near Jalalabad and tried to attack a security post. A second suspect is still being tracked.
Erdogan and Guterres welcome Shehbaz to COP31 leaders’ summit
The prime minister is in Antalya to press for climate finance that is “predictable, adequate and accessible” for countries like Pakistan, which produces under 1% of emissions.
OGDCL strikes gas in Khairpur as PPL plans 6,000m well at Sui
The Bitrisim Northwest-1 well tested at 12.8 million cubic feet of gas a day. PPL will drill deep at Sui in 2027-28, targeting about 2 trillion cubic feet.
ADB approves $500m disaster financing for Pakistan
The contingent facility is released as budget support soon after an eligible disaster. Pakistan loses about $2 billion a year to floods, earthquakes and other disasters, the bank says.
Imran Khan taken to PIMS overnight for sixth eye injection
The PTI founder was back in Adiala jail within an hour. His party says a Supreme Court order to move him to Shifa International Hospital has gone unimplemented for nearly three months.
Gulf fintech body opens Pakistan chapter, citing World Bank’s MENA shift
The UAE-based MENA Fintech Association links Pakistan’s banks, start-ups and regulators to its 22-market network, after the World Bank grouped Pakistan with the Middle East.
Petrol cut by Rs8 to Rs338 a litre as oil slides to two-month low
Diesel falls Rs7 to Rs371 from Wednesday, the second cut in a week, but petrol is still about Rs72 a litre dearer than before the Gulf war.
