ISLAMABAD: General Shaikh Mohamed bin Isa bin Salman AI-Khalifa, commander of the National Guard of Bahrain, called on Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and discussed with him bilateral military cooperation and training exchanges between the two countries, the Pakistani military said on Saturday.
The meeting was held at the General Headquarters of Pakistan Army in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
Both leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, including regional security dynamics, counter-terrorism efforts and training exchanges.
“Pakistan values its traditionally strong defense, diplomatic and economic relations with Kingdom of Bahrain,” Gen Munir was quoted as saying by the ISPR.
He underscored Pakistan’s commitment to enhancing military ties with Bahrain and emphasized upon the importance of collaboration in addressing shared security challenges and promoting peace and stability in the region.
“The visiting dignitary commended Pakistan for its efforts in combating terrorism and extremism and acknowledged the professionalism and dedication of Pakistan Army,” the ISPR said.
“He reaffirmed Bahrain’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Pakistan in defense and security domains.”
Bahraini commander, Pakistan army chief discuss military cooperation, training exchanges
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Bahraini commander, Pakistan army chief discuss military cooperation, training exchanges
- Gen Asim Munir stresses the importance of collaboration in addressing shared security challenges, promoting regional peace
- The army chief says Pakistan values its traditionally strong defense, diplomatic and economic relations with Kingdom of Bahrain
Pakistan cuts sales tax on imported solar panels to 10% amid parliamentary pushback
- The government proposed 18% GST on imported solar panels during budget 2025-26
- Pakistan imported 17 gigawatts of solar panels in 2024, twice the previous year’s volume
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said the general sales tax (GST) on imported solar panels had been reduced from 18% to 10% for the current year, following concerns raised by a parliamentary finance body.
The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue had urged the government a day earlier to withdraw the proposed 18% GST on imported solar panels, noting that some stakeholders had begun stockpiling equipment ahead of the federal budget to avoid the new levy.
The country’s proposed federal budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year included an 18% GST on the import and local supply of solar panels and related equipment, prompting concern from industry stakeholders and clean energy advocates.
Pakistan imported 17 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels in 2024, twice the volume recorded the year before, to meet rising consumer demand, according to the Global Electricity Review 2025.
“The 18 percent on top of 46% was an additional burden,” Dar told the National Assembly.
“So, regarding this, after consultations and deliberations, we have decided that this year we will keep a 10% sales tax and not 18%.”
Dar highlighted how this was the most debated subject after the budget was announced.
He also explained that around 46% of components used in solar installations in Pakistan were imported while the remaining 54% including inverters and other equipment were locally sourced and already subject to standard taxation.
Solar energy has supplied 25% of Pakistan’s grid electricity so far this year, placing the country among fewer than 20 globally that generate at least a quarter of their monthly power from solar farms.
Industry stakeholders and clean energy activists had warned that the added cost in tax could slow the rapid adoption of rooftop solar systems by households and businesses, potentially undermining national targets for expanding the share of renewables in the country’s energy mix.
Pakistan increased its solar electricity generation at a rate more than three times the global average in 2025, driven by a surge in solar capacity imports that were over five times higher than in 2022, according to data from Ember, a UK-based energy think tank.
This rapid growth in both capacity and output has propelled solar energy from being the country’s fifth-largest power source in 2023 to the top spot in 2025.
Pakistan unveils draft tariff policy to drive export-led growth
- The policy plans to phase out Additional Customs Duties, rationalize the tariff structure
- It aims to reduce tariffs on raw materials, deliver $700 million in benefits to industries
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday unveiled a draft National Tariff Policy 2025-30 at a regulatory reforms conference, aiming to shift the country toward an export-led growth model by overhauling its trade tariff structure to boost industrial productivity, investment and competitiveness.
The event was organized by the Board of Investment (BoI), and attended by senior government officials, diplomats and private sector representatives.
The policy sets out sweeping reforms, including the phasing out of Additional Customs Duties (ACDs) within four years, elimination of Regulatory Duties (RDs) and the 5th Schedule within five years, and the creation of a simplified four-tier Customs Duty structure of 0 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent and 15 percent.
Key sectors expected to benefit include textiles, engineering, pharmaceuticals and information technology, with the policy designed to lower production costs and attract businesses.
“The National Tariff Policy 2025-30 is designed to create a predictable, transparent and investment-friendly tariff structure,” said Rana Ihsaan Afzal, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce, at the conference.
“By facilitating duty-free access to raw materials, phasing out ACDs and RDs and supporting nascent and green industries, this policy paves the way for innovation, employment generation and sustained economic growth.”
Afzal said implementation will begin with tariff reductions on approximately 7,000 tariff lines, mainly raw materials and intermediate goods, expected to deliver an estimated Rs200 billion ($700 million) in benefits to trade and industry.
“These reforms will enable Pakistan’s industries to scale, compete globally and shift toward higher value-added exports,” he added. “With these changes, we anticipate not just stronger GDP growth, but also increased employment, improved industrial productivity and enhanced investor confidence.”
According to an official statement issued by the BoI, the participants lauded the government’s efforts to streamline regulation and modernize trade facilitation, calling the draft policy a significant step toward Pakistan’s long-term economic transformation.
Pakistan calls for Iran-Israel ceasefire as deputy PM heads to OIC talks
- Meeting in Turkiye will focus on coordinated diplomacy to de-escalate Iran-Israel standoff, address aid crisis in Gaza
- For Pakistan, a direct neighbor of Iran, prolonged clash threatens border security, could aggravate sectarian tensions
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday urged global powers to broker a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, as Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar prepares to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The meeting in Turkiye from June 21-22 is expected to focus on coordinated diplomatic steps to de-escalate the Iran-Israel standoff and address the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Thousands of people were fleeing Tehran on Wednesday after Israeli warplanes bombed the city overnight and the air fight between the two Middle Eastern powers entered the sixth day amid media reports US President Donald Trump was considering options that include joining Israel in attacking Iranian nuclear sites.
“I feel that ... global countries should try hard for a ceasefire,” Sharif told a federal cabinet meeting, calling the escalation “regrettable” and condemning what he described as Israel’s aggression against Pakistan’s neighboring “brotherly” country of Iran.
Iran launched retaliatory strikes last week after Israeli forces attacked sites linked to Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure on June 13. Iranian officials say at least 224 people, mostly civilians, have been killed, while Israel has reported over 20 deaths.
The latest escalation follows months of hostilities between Israel and Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, which intensified after the war in Gaza was launched late in 2023. Regional powers fear a direct confrontation could spiral into a broader conflict involving major oil shipping lanes and global energy supplies.
For Pakistan, a close Iranian neighbor and a longtime opponent of Israel, a prolonged conflict risks disrupting border security, inflaming sectarian tensions at home, and possibly putting it in a tight spot with other Arab allies and the West.
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has historically aligned itself with the Palestinian cause of an independent state.
Pakistan’s PIA sale draws interest from leading firms, army company ahead of deadline
- Pakistan trying to offload state-owned companies to meet IMF demands
- Previous sales of airline have failed over PIA’s poor conditions, terms
ISLAMABAD: Two of Pakistan’s leading business groups and a company backed by the powerful military will bid for the country’s ailing national carrier, a divestment the government hopes will kickstart the privatizations of state-owned enterprises.
The sale of Pakistan International Airlines will be the first major privatization for around two decades, with the sale of loss-making state-owned enterprises a condition of last year’s $7 billion bailout by the International Monetary Fund.
The government tried unsuccessfully to last year offload a stake in PIA, which is a major burden on its budget, but the sale was aborted because of the poor state of the airline and the conditions attached to any purchase.
Expressions of interest are due by Thursday for an up to 100 percent stake in the airline, with industry insiders expecting more bidders to emerge. They say the deal has been sweetened with a tax incentive and bolstered by signs of a turnaround in PIA’s fortunes.
The Ministry of Privatization did not respond to a request for comment.
Among those planning bids are the Yunus Brothers Group, owners of the Lucky Cement and energy companies; and a consortium led by Arif Habib Limited that includes Fatima Fertilizer, Lake City, and The City School, sources within the companies said.
Fauji Fertilizer Company, which is part-owned by the military, said it will be making an expression of interest, in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Fertilizer production is a lucrative sector in Pakistan.
A group of PIA employees has also come forward to bid.
“The employees will use their provident fund and pension, in addition to finding an investor to place a bid. We’re doing this to save jobs and turn around the company,” said Hidayatullah Khan, president of the airline’s Senior Staff Association.
The airline was restructured last year, offloading approximately 80 percent of its legacy debt to the government to make it more attractive to investors. But bidders remain concerned about overstaffing and the ability to fire employees.
Last year’s sale effort failed when the sole bid of $36 million fell far short of a $305 million floor price.
Interested parties walked away before bidding, partly because the government was not willing to give up 100 percent of the company, with bidders saying they did not want the government to remain involved.
Since then, PIA has posted its first operating profit in 21 years, driven by cost-cutting reforms, after making cumulative losses of $2.5 billion.
This success of the current process will depend on whether the government is willing to give up a 100 percent stake, industry insiders said.
They added that a government decision this month to remove the requirement of paying sales tax upfront on the lease of new aircraft, which had been an impediment, will make the deal more attractive.
PIA resumed flights to Europe in January after the European Union lifted a four-year safety ban. The airline has also approached UK authorities for permission to resume services to London and Manchester.
The restoration of international routes is vital to future growth opportunities and successful bidders are likely to bring in foreign airlines as operators.
Hundreds evacuated from Iran via border crossing being sent to homes across Pakistan
- 545 pilgrims and 207 students reached Balochistan’s provincial capital of Quetta from the Taftan border crossing with Iran on Tuesday
- Pakistan closed border crossings with Iran at Panjgur in the southwestern province indefinitely due to escalating Mideast tensions
QUETTA: Pakistani officials say hundreds of students and pilgrims, who were evacuated after Israeli strikes on Iran, will be transported to their homes across Pakistan today, Wednesday, after they were brought a day earlier to Quetta, the capital of the southwestern Balochistan province, which borders Iran.
Commissioner of Quetta, Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat, said 545 pilgrims and 207 students reached Quetta from Pakistan’s Taftan border crossing with Iran and arrangements had been made to transport them to their hometowns.
“We are trying to make them stay in Quetta tonight. There are some restrictions on movement at night from Quetta,” Shafqaat told Reuters.
“There are law and order issues on roads at some places. We want to avoid any unfortunate or untoward incidents.”
Musharraf Abbas, who arrived from Tehran, said he was a student at the Iran University of Medical Sciences.
“Their [Iran’s] military residences and rooms were at about one-and-a-half-kilometer distance from our residence,” he told Reuters.
“They were attacked on late Friday night around 330pm in which their high level personnel, including scientists, revolutionary guards and military leaders were killed.”
Pakistan closed its border crossings with Iran at Panjgur in Balochistan province indefinitely due to escalating tensions, the district administration of Panjgur announced on Sunday, June 15. However, one of the busiest crossings at the Taftan border remains operational for repatriation and trade activity.
A group of 214 Pakistani students studying in medical and engineering institutions in Iran arrived at Pakistan’s Taftan border crossing from Tehran following Israeli airstrikes, officials said on Tuesday.
Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other on Wednesday as the air war between the two longtime enemies entered a sixth day despite a call from US President Donald Trump for Tehran’s unconditional surrender.
