A 12-member Homeland Security team reached Islamabad Monday to finalise the matter of resuming direct flights from the United States to Pakistan and vice versa. American authorities green- lightened Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for the direct flight operations to the United States in May this year, which had shut its direct flight operations to US owing to financial losses.
Pakistan’s airspace has finally been reopened to civil aviation, providing relief to many after months of restriction that disrupted course of numerous flights. The Civil Aviation Authority announced on Tuesday, that airspace has been fully opened with immediate effect. Pakistan had fully closed its airspace following violation of its international boundary and airspace by Indian fighter jets on February 26.
During his recent visit to Pakistan, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani offered Prime Minister Imran Khan his country’s cooperation to transform five big airports of Pakistan. As per reports, Qatar will help replace outdated systems and infrastructure with modern technology and will provide financial support for the process to modify them on model of Qatar airport.
A day before Judge Arshad Malik is set to appear before Supreme Court in a case pertaining to investigation of the controversial secretly taped video of him, the judge has requested the law ministry to provide him ‘foolproof security’. Citing life threats to his family and him, Malik pleaded law ministry to not withdraw current security detail assigned to him.
Supreme Court’s order of removing service/maintenance charges on pre-paid mobile scratch cards has now been implemented. Users will now receive Rs88.9 on Rs100 mobile scratch card compared with Rs76.94 previously. Mobile phone service providers were told by the court that they could apply a 12.5 per cent withholding tax. However, they had to abolish 10pc administrative/service charges.
The International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) has announced a massive $5.976 billion (Rs944.21 billion) award against Pakistan in the Reko Diq case, which is one of biggest in ICSID history. ICSID awarded a $4.08 billion penalty and $1.87 billion in interest. However, Pakistan has decided to challenge the award “very soon” by filing a revision application.
A joint statement issued in Washington has revealed that United States, China and Russia have warmly welcomed Pakistan to a four-party consultation process aiming to bring peace to the war-torn region of Afghanistan after 18 years. The statement recognises Pakistan’s role in Afghan peace process and justifies Islamabad’s view that any development in Afghanistan also impacts Pakistan.
Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan (HACP) has decided to shut down its plant for 10 days as its inventories piled up to 2,000 units on plummeting car sales amid rising prices due to imposition of new, higher taxes in budget and steep currency devaluation in recent weeks. Extremely low car sales during first week of July has prompted the company’s decision.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal has laid to rest all reports of President Vladimir Putin’s invitation to PM Imran to the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). Calling the reports merely ‘speculative’, the spokesperson clarified in a Tweet that while both countries are in contact “at highest level”, any announcement about the meeting will be made formally at “an appropriate time”.
Veteran TV actor Zaheen Tahira passed away in Karachi at the age of 79. Tahira who had been ill since last one month, was admitted to a hospital in Karachi due to cardiac issues. She was put on a ventilator and was later shifted to the CCU. Celebrities used social media to request everyone to pray for her speedy recovery.