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Brewing catastrophe

THE Middle East may be hurtling towards a catastrophic war not seen in decades, sparked by Israel’s unprovoked attack against Iran last week. While the Israelis struck with great ferocity initially, Iran has fought back, causing major damage to Israeli cities. Yet despite the intense exchange of fire across hundreds of kilometres, neither side is ready to back down, and no off-ramps are visible for de-escalation. In fact, the threat of regional war has grown with signs that the US may get involved in attacking more Iranian nuclear facilities at Tel Aviv’s behest. More American military hardware has been moved to the region while President Donald Trump has said he may or may not get involved militarily. He has demanded “ unconditional surrender ” from Iran, suggesting that the Iranian supreme leader could be targeted. In response, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Iran will reject “an imposed war” and “an imposed peace”, and that his nation “ will not surrender ”. ...
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Rampant disinformation

WITH the arrival and proliferation of digital media, the creation of information is now a decentralised function, with anyone with an internet-connected device able to take part in narrative warfare. This means propaganda and disinformation campaigns are now infinitely more chaotic, and it is much more difficult to track malign actors who make it difficult for the public to discern truth from fiction. We saw this recently during the brief skirmish between Pakistan and India, where narrative subterfuge was used by both sides, particularly India, to make it difficult for ordinary people to discern exactly what was happening on the ground. We are now seeing it again in the Iran-Israel conflict , as various stakeholders aligned with each party’s interests are pushing narratives that suit their aims. A concerning sub-theme in this narrative war is the rumour-mongering about the involvement of Pakistan’s armed forces and its nuclear weapons in the conflict, which prompted officials here ...
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PTI’s Gohar suggests tax exemption for salaried class earning upto Rs2.2m annually

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PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan on Tuesday suggested increasing the minimum taxable income to Rs2.2 million per annum from the current Rs0.6m to provide relief to the salaried class . The government has proposed a new income tax structure in the federal budget . The revised rates offer tax cuts of up to 80 per cent for low-income salaried individuals, while limiting relief for higher earners to just 3pc. The tax exemption limit has remained unc­h­anged at Rs50,000 per month. Speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday during ongoing budget discussions, Gohar proposed that employees earning up to Rs2.2m annually should be exempted from income tax. “In the income tax slabs, there is no tax on earnings up to Rs600,000 per year. This should be increased to Rs 2.2m or it will be an injustice,” the PTI leader asserted. Taxpayers earning between Rs600,000 to Rs1.2m annually will now face a 1pc tax rate, down from 5pc, offering up to 80pc tax reduction. For annual incomes between Rs...
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GB fines hotel 1.5m for allegedly dumping sewage into Attabad Lake

The Gilgit-Baltistan administration on Tuesday imposed a fine of Rs1.5 million on a hotel for allegedly dumping sewage waste into Hunza’s Attabad Lake. The development came a day after a foreign tourist and vlogger named George Buckley posted a video on his Instagram page, claiming that sewage water was being pumped out by the hotel into the Attabad Lake In the video, Buckley could be seen standing next to the lake with a friend and saying: “We found out some information through a local that the sewage is actually being pumped into the water.” The tourist also showed muddy water being mixed into the lake. The post gained significant traction on social media, prompting a response from the hotel. View this post on Instagram The hotel dismissed the claims in a social media post today, saying, “This lake has been home for us for the last six years.” “… To dump sewage water into the lake would be like desecrating our own house. We h...
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BUDGET 2025-26: Power, defence divisions top govt spending charts

• 39 departments ‘exceed’ their allocations for FY25; three dozen divisions ‘save’ around Rs2tr • Massive chunk of money spent on debt servicing and related payments ISLAMABAD: At least 39 government departments – notably the power and defence divisions – spent more money than they were allocated for the outgoing fiscal year, while around three dozen departments’ funds remained ‘under-utilised’ for various reasons. Much like last year, the power and defence sectors remained among the biggest spenders, as the former overshot its allocations by Rs129.5bn and the latter by over Rs61bn, under multiple heads. The defence ministry’s Defence Services Division overspent by nearly Rs59.5bn and the Defence Division spent Rs1.8bn more than the amount set aside for it in the previous budget. According to budget documents, specifically the voluminous ‘Details of Demands for Grants and Appropriations 2025-26 (Current Expenditure)’ the Defence Division exceeded its allocation under the ‘operatin...
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In pictures: Death, destruction, debris in Iran and Israel amid war

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Israel and Iran have been trading missile strikes since the former launched an air offensive on Friday, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop Tehran from building an atomic weapon. The ongoing conflict has caused widespread destruction in both nations. Smoke billows from an explosion in southwest Tehran on June 16. — AFP Smoke billows from an explosion at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) building in Tehran after being attacked on June 16. — AFP Mourners carry the coffins of people killed in Israeli attacks during their funeral in Hamedan, western Iran on June 16. — AFP Smoke billows for the second day from the Shahran oil depot, northwest of Tehran, Iran on June 16. — AFP A man carrying a wounded girl following the Israeli strikes on Tehran, Iran on June 15. — Reuters Smoke billows from a site in the city of Haifa, Israel on June 16, following a barrage of Iranian missiles. — AFP Firefighters work...
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One-time sellers, home-based business exempt from online registration: FBR

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman has clarified that one-time sellers and women selling goods from their homes would be exempt from mandatory registration for online businesses. According to an official statement, the clarification by FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial was given during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, which discussed the federal budget presented last week. The committee approved the proposal to impose sales tax on e-commerce items. The FBR chairman said online businesses already collect tax from consumers but don’t deposit it with the FBR. He further elaborated that courier services will now be designated as collection agents, since they possess the seller’s invoice. However, sales tax will not apply to services provided locally. The government, in an attempt to tax digital businesses, has proposed mandatory registration of all digital vendors, including foreign e-commerce companies, if they sell goods ...
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