AGL 38.10 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-0.13%)
AIRLINK 129.15 Increased By ▲ 4.08 (3.26%)
BOP 7.85 Increased By ▲ 1.00 (14.6%)
CNERGY 4.68 Increased By ▲ 0.23 (5.17%)
DCL 8.51 Increased By ▲ 0.60 (7.59%)
DFML 39.04 Increased By ▲ 1.70 (4.55%)
DGKC 81.28 Increased By ▲ 3.51 (4.51%)
FCCL 32.77 Increased By ▲ 2.19 (7.16%)
FFBL 74.80 Increased By ▲ 5.94 (8.63%)
FFL 12.73 Increased By ▲ 0.87 (7.34%)
HUBC 109.29 Increased By ▲ 4.79 (4.58%)
HUMNL 13.90 Increased By ▲ 0.41 (3.04%)
KEL 5.10 Increased By ▲ 0.45 (9.68%)
KOSM 7.69 Increased By ▲ 0.52 (7.25%)
MLCF 38.65 Increased By ▲ 2.21 (6.06%)
NBP 72.38 Increased By ▲ 6.46 (9.8%)
OGDC 186.00 Increased By ▲ 6.47 (3.6%)
PAEL 25.30 Increased By ▲ 0.87 (3.56%)
PIBTL 7.40 Increased By ▲ 0.25 (3.5%)
PPL 151.75 Increased By ▲ 8.05 (5.6%)
PRL 25.39 Increased By ▲ 1.07 (4.4%)
PTC 17.30 Increased By ▲ 0.90 (5.49%)
SEARL 82.00 Increased By ▲ 3.43 (4.37%)
TELE 7.60 Increased By ▲ 0.38 (5.26%)
TOMCL 32.68 Increased By ▲ 0.71 (2.22%)
TPLP 8.43 Increased By ▲ 0.30 (3.69%)
TREET 16.75 Increased By ▲ 0.62 (3.84%)
TRG 55.80 Increased By ▲ 1.14 (2.09%)
UNITY 28.60 Increased By ▲ 1.10 (4%)
WTL 1.34 Increased By ▲ 0.05 (3.88%)
BR100 10,567 Increased By 477.8 (4.74%)
BR30 31,030 Increased By 1520.9 (5.15%)
KSE100 98,614 Increased By 4040.1 (4.27%)
KSE30 30,778 Increased By 1332.8 (4.53%)
Nov 27, 2024 اردو ► PRINT EDITION ► BR MARKETS ► Dollar to PKR ►
Print - 2005-06-17
Dollar weakens on soft US capital inflows

Dollar weakens on soft US capital inflows

The dollar weakened on Wednesday after data showed that surprisingly weak capital inflows into the US in April failed to cover the trade deficit for that month. This was the second consecutive month that net Treasury International Capital (TIC) inflows fa
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Bangladesh interbank forex, interest rates

Bangladesh interbank forex, interest rates

Interbank buy/sell rates for the taka against the dollar on Thursday. 63.71/63.73 (previous 63.71/63.73). Call Money Rates: 5.5-16.0 percent (previous 5.5-16.0 percent).
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Canadian dollar leaps to one-month high

Canadian dollar leaps to one-month high

The Canadian dollar posted its biggest one-day jump in three months to finish at its highest level since mid-May, cheered by hopes that domestic interest rates will soon rise and a broadly weaker greenback. Bonds seesawed throughout the session on the day
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Asian currencies ceding ground

Asian currencies ceding ground

Asian currencies turned early gains against the dollar into modest losses late on Thursday, led by the Indonesian rupiah after the country's central bank said it would tighten foreign exchange trading rules. The rupiah was down about a fifth of a percent
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Recent winners

Recent winners

Recent winners of the women's singles title at Wimbledon ahead of the 2005 Championships which gets underway at the All England Club on Monday:
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Cash serves up blast over Hewitt seeding

Cash serves up blast over Hewitt seeding

Pat Cash has hit out at Wimbledon organisers over their decision to make Lleyton Hewitt only the third seed for this year's championships, despite his world number two ranking. Unlike the other Grand Slams, Wimbledon takes players grass court form into ac
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Quest for US Open title begins

Quest for US Open title begins

World number one Tiger Woods enjoyed a cool morning start to his bid for a 10th major title here Thursday as play began in the 105th US Open at Pinehurst. As the sun peaked through the pine trees along the 7,214-yard par-70 layout, Masters champion Woods
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Ricky Ponting embarrassed

Ricky Ponting embarrassed

England fans know better than to get too excited about Australian slip-ups but consecutive defeats for the tourists have fuelled cautious optimism that the destination of the Ashes may not be a foregone conclusion. Australia followed their Twenty20 drubbi
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Draw gives Fed Express extra steam

Draw gives Fed Express extra steam

Roger Federer's bid for a third straight Wimbledon title will begin with a first round meeting with French Davis Cup player Paul-Henri Mathieu. The world number one will not be losing too much sleep about an encounter with an opponent who has managed only
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Penpics of women's favourites

Penpics of women's favourites

Penpics of the favourites for the women's singles title at Wimbledon which gets under way at the All England Club here on Monday (ATP world rankings in brackets):
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Queen Maria looking to retain Wimbledon crown

Queen Maria looking to retain Wimbledon crown

Maria Sharapova is set to resume her reign at Wimbledon but three former winners and two battling Belgians stand in the way. The Siberian slugger took the tennis world by storm last year when she won as an 18-year-old pulverising Serena Williams with her
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Top Putin aide slams policy in North Caucasus

Top Putin aide slams policy in North Caucasus

Russia's top man in the North Caucasus, that includes rebel Chechnya, has told President Vladimir Putin his policy of nominating rulers in the turbulent region could spawn the chaos it is meant to prevent. Dmitry Kozak, a Kremlin high-flier appointed Puti
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Al Jazeera English channel won't water down style

Al Jazeera English channel won't water down style

Arabic news channel Al Jazeera says its new English-language service will not water down its reporting style, despite US criticism of its coverage of the insurgency in Iraq. Washington has accused the satellite channel of giving free publicity to insurgen
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
China to draft counter-terrorism law

China to draft counter-terrorism law

China is to draft a counter-terrorism law, a senior security official said on Thursday, describing separatists in its Xinjiang region as the leading threat to the country. "The law will define what kind of activities are terrorist activities and measures
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
German parliament condemns 1915 killings of Armenians

German parliament condemns 1915 killings of Armenians

Germany's parliament condemned on Thursday the mass killing of Armenians by Turkey 90 years ago in a move likely to lead to tension between Ankara and Berlin, a key supporter of Turkey's bid for EU membership. In a vote shortly after Germany's government
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
India mine flooding kills 14

India mine flooding kills 14

Fourteen miners were feared dead when a wall collapse flooded a mine in eastern India, a government official said on Thursday. Rescue officials were trying to pump out the water from the mine in Pataratu town in the mineral-rich state of Jharkhand after t
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Indonesia kicks off election graft trial

Indonesia kicks off election graft trial

Indonesia indicted an election commission official on Thursday, the first in a series of graft trials of members of the body that is seen as signalling the new president's commitment to tackling rampant corruption. The high-profile case has caught public
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Police fear Africans sent to UK for sacrifice: BBC

Police fear Africans sent to UK for sacrifice: BBC

British police fear African children are being trafficked to the UK to be sacrificed in witchcraft rituals, the BBC reported on Thursday, citing an unpublished Scotland Yard study. The Metropolitan Police confirmed they had conducted research with London'
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Oil on his mind, Chinese Li heads to Middle East

Oil on his mind, Chinese Li heads to Middle East

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing flies on Friday to the Middle East, a region where China is keen to boost its influence as its appetite for oil grows. Li will visit Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Israel, where he will meet Israeli and Palestinian officia
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Mubarak to seek fifth term

Mubarak to seek fifth term

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will seek a fifth and last six-year term in September elections and will name a civilian vice-president if he wins, British newspapers said this week, quoting the presidential spokesman. The spokesman, Suleiman Awad, denie
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US seeks at least two new permanent UNSC seats

US seeks at least two new permanent UNSC seats

The United States announced Thursday it favoured adding at least two permanent members to the UN Security Council, including Japan, and said it would propose specific criteria for candidates. Washington also made clear its opposition to giving veto powers
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Paris court convicts three terrorists

Paris court convicts three terrorists

A top French court jailed three men for terrorist conspiracy on Thursday after finding them guilty of helping "shoebomber" Richard Reid, who narrowly failed to destroy a US airliner over the Atlantic. The court found they had helped Reid during his stay i
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Israel to strengthen strategic bases after Gaza pullout

Israel to strengthen strategic bases after Gaza pullout

Israel will use its imminent withdrawal from the Gaza Strip after a nearly 40-year occupation to strengthen control over strategic nerve centres such as Jerusalem, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday. The blueprint to "disengage" from Gaza and four
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Khalilzad says bin Laden not in Afghanistan

Khalilzad says bin Laden not in Afghanistan

The outgoing US ambassador to Afghanistan said on Thursday he did not believe fugitive al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden or Taleban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar were in the country. Zalmay Khalilzad was responding to comments by a senior Taleban commander who
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
British army probes royal security breach

British army probes royal security breach

Britain ordered an inquiry on Thursday into how a journalist carrying a dummy bomb breached security to enter the military academy where Queen Elizabeth's grandson Prince Harry is studying. The Sun newspaper said an undercover reporter posing as a student
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Netherlands orders three imams to leave

Netherlands orders three imams to leave

Three imams have been ordered to leave the Netherlands after the country's intelligence service said they represented a security threat, the Justice Ministry said on Thursday. The clerics from Eindhoven's Al Fourkaan mosque are the first to face expulsion
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
White House cozy with oil industry: Democrats

White House cozy with oil industry: Democrats

Democrats said on Wednesday that the resignation of a former official on the White House Council on Environmental Quality to join Exxon Mobil Corp was an example of coziness between the Bush administration and the oil industry, a charge denied by the Whit
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Tsang declared winner in Hong Kong leadership race

Tsang declared winner in Hong Kong leadership race

Hong Kong confirmed on Thursday that veteran civil servant Donald Tsang would be its next leader amid fresh criticism that the selection process was not democratic enough. Tsang won the race unopposed after securing an overwhelming number of nominations f
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Top Zarqawi aide nabbed: Sunni Arabs on board for Iraq constitution

Top Zarqawi aide nabbed: Sunni Arabs on board for Iraq constitution

A deal was reached Thursday for Sunni Arabs to participate in a panel to draft the new constitution, ending weeks of political wrangling and raising prospects that the largely Sunni-inspired insurgency might be undermined as a result. And the insurgency t
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
UN exempts Saudi Arabia from atomic inspections

UN exempts Saudi Arabia from atomic inspections

The governing board of the UN nuclear watchdog unanimously approved Saudi Arabia's request to sign an agreement that curtails the agency's ability to uncover any secret atomic activity. The Saudis signed the "small quantities protocol" (SQP), an accord wh
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Iran's presidential race ends with blast from Bush

Iran's presidential race ends with blast from Bush

The United States blasted Iran's electoral process on Thursday as a presidential campaign ended with moderate cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in front but unlikely to win in the first round of a vote. Friday's vote contested by seven hopefuls could determ
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Turkey's Kurd rebels not to lay down arms

Turkey's Kurd rebels not to lay down arms

A leading member of Turkey's banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) was quoted on Thursday as rejecting an appeal from leading Turkish intellectuals for the rebel organisation to lay down its arms. A group of 100 intellectuals including best-selling novelis
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US may consider other options on North Korea

US may consider other options on North Korea

The United States will examine other options than the stalled six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's atomic arms programme if Pyongyang fails to return to the negotiating table, a US official said on Thursday. The talks between North and South Kore
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Car bomb injures six in Sofia

Car bomb injures six in Sofia

A bomb exploded under a car in a suburb of Bulgaria's capital on Thursday injuring six people in what officials indicated was an apparent organised crime hit. A 76-year-old woman passer-by was among those hurt. "Six people were injured today in an explosi
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Bonds: sales dominate as spreads edge wider

Bonds: sales dominate as spreads edge wider

Bond sales were again the main event in the European corporate bond markets on Thursday, as investors set aside trading to focus on the expected 16 billion euros of new debt being sold this month. Secondary market spreads edged wider for a second day, sug
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Bonds: sales dominate as spreads edge wider

Bonds: sales dominate as spreads edge wider

Bond sales were again the main event in the European corporate bond markets on Thursday, as investors set aside trading to focus on the expected 16 billion euros of new debt being sold this month. Secondary market spreads edged wider for a second day, sug
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Indian shares edge off three-month high

Indian shares edge off three-month high

Indian shares ended on Thursday a touch lower than three-month peaks scaled the previous day as investors fretted about a weak start to the annual monsoon rains, while the rupee rebounded along with the euro. The 30-share Bombay index slipped for the firs
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US Stocks: Thursday's unofficial close

US Stocks: Thursday's unofficial close

US blue chip stocks inched higher on Thursday, as rising oil prices lifted energy shares like Exxon Mobil and helped offset a report showing an unexpected drop in factory activity in the mid-Atlantic states. Oil jumped more than a dollar, with US crude fu
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
FTSE closes up 0.5 percent as miners, oils thrive

FTSE closes up 0.5 percent as miners, oils thrive

Mining shares shot higher, boosted by strong Chinese industrial data and record copper prices, while oil shares bounced, powering Britain's FTSE 100 index to a sharply higher close on Thursday. Copper's surge to record highs above $3,340 a tonne lit a fir
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Indian rupee rebounds

Indian rupee rebounds

The rupee rebounded on Thursday, helped by foreign fund inflows into local shares and a distinct easing in importer demand for dollars, as the euro recovered some ground against the US currency overseas. The rupee closed at 43.5800/5850 per dollar, 0.17 p
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Sterling near ten-month high versus euro

Sterling near ten-month high versus euro

Sterling rose against the euro on Thursday close to a 10-month high on Thursday as investors focused on the euro's political concerns as European Union leaders met to broker a budget deal. Sterling traded steady versus the dollar after briefly ticking dow
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Dollar holds onto gains

Dollar holds onto gains

The dollar held near recent 9-month highs versus the euro on Thursday as European Union leaders gathered to broker a budget deal and salvage the EU constitution after rejection by French and Dutch voters. Weaker-than-expected US capital flows and inflatio
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
EU allows Czech grain to be stored in Belgium

EU allows Czech grain to be stored in Belgium

The European Union's grain management committee has authorised the Czech Republic to use Belgian intervention stores for 300,000 tonnes of cereals this season, the EU grain lobby Coceral said on Thursday. Last month the EU authorised the Czech Republic to
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
EU maize intervention offers show fall

EU maize intervention offers show fall

Net offers to sell maize into European Union's intervention stores have dropped 60,810 tonnes, with the new total at 3.26 million tonnes, official data showed on Thursday. Net offers include all offers to sell grain into public intervention stores, minus
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US SRW wheat export prices slip on poor demand

US SRW wheat export prices slip on poor demand

US soft red winter wheat export prices are under pressure from moribund sales amid the absence of "big buyers" like China and a largely disease-free crop this year, grain traders said on Thursday. Prices in the CIF barge market, which supplies the grain t
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Oil hits two-month high as gasoline rallies

Oil hits two-month high as gasoline rallies

Oil rose to a two-month high near $57 a barrel on Thursday, paced by a rally in gasoline as dealers focused on rising demand for transport fuels and a lack of new refineries to push up production. US crude futures settled up $1.01 to $56.58 a barrel after
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Oil hits two-month high as gasoline rallies

Oil hits two-month high as gasoline rallies

Oil rose to a two-month high near $57 a barrel on Thursday, paced by a rally in gasoline as dealers focused on rising demand for transport fuels and a lack of new refineries to push up production. US crude futures settled up $1.01 to $56.58 a barrel after
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Oil hits two-month high as gasoline rallies

Oil hits two-month high as gasoline rallies

Oil rose to a two-month high near $57 a barrel on Thursday, paced by a rally in gasoline as dealers focused on rising demand for transport fuels and a lack of new refineries to push up production. US crude futures settled up $1.01 to $56.58 a barrel after
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Turkish grain markets eye new season crop

Turkish grain markets eye new season crop

Prices of Turkish wheat and barley are expected to tumble in the coming weeks as the harvest of fresh crops has started in the main grain production regions, traders said on Thursday. Second-grade hard milling wheat sold for 35.17 kurus per kilo ($257.46
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
New York cotton settles mixed in two-way trade

New York cotton settles mixed in two-way trade

Cotton futures finished mixed Thursday as activity was dominated by switch trade, with better-than-expected US cotton sales giving the market a mild early boost, analysts said. The New York Board of Trade's July contract slipped 0.43 cent to end at 46.64
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
London sugar prices higher

London sugar prices higher

Liffe white sugar futures posted strong gains on Thursday, boosted by trade and fresh fund interest as participants talked of potential purchases by Iran and China, dealers said. Structural trade boosted volume, while gains in New York were also seen to u
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Copper at record peaks as funds back metals

Copper at record peaks as funds back metals

Copper prices touched record highs above $3,340 a tonne on Thursday as fund managers shifted back into metals markets dominated by tight supply. Analysts said supply worries and shortages of material on the London Metal Exchange (LME), the world's largest
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Gold hits six-week high in Europe

Gold hits six-week high in Europe

Gold held near six-week highs in Europe on Thursday as investment fund buying and offtake of bullion denominated in currencies other than the dollar lifted the market conclusively above $430.00. "It has been driven by the funds. There is money moving into
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US MIDDAY: cocoa down

US MIDDAY: cocoa down

US cocoa futures down $5 to $7 on Thursday, taking a cue from steady to softer prices in London, exchange floor sources said. "Cocoa has been busy for two days ... but I think we will go back to being slower now," said one floor broker, predicting prices
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US MIDDAY: sugar steady

US MIDDAY: sugar steady

Raw sugar futures steady to 0.05 cent higher on Thursday as trade buying helps the market bounce back from yesterday's sharp losses, floor sources said. The New York Board of Trade's July raw sugar contract slumped 0.16 cent to conclude Wednesday at 8.68
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US MIDDAY: copper higher

US MIDDAY: copper higher

US copper futures rallied to a new 16-year high on Thursday, as traders said concerns about tight supplies combined with short-cover buying to drive the metal through resistance. At the New York Mercantile Exchange's COMEX division, copper for July delive
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US MIDDAY: soybeans lower

US MIDDAY: soybeans lower

Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures turned lower past midday on Thursday amid easing worries that next week's weather may not be as hot as expected, traders said. New-crop November soy was down 3-3/4 cents per bushel at $7.17 by 12:17 pm CDT, after mak
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US MIDDAY: coffee down

US MIDDAY: coffee down

US nearby arabica coffee futures settled down almost 1.5 percent Thursday, pressured by light speculative selling in the face of contract switches ahead of a first notice day next week, traders said. The New York Board of Trade's active September contract
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US MIDDAY: wheat up

US MIDDAY: wheat up

Wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trader were mostly higher on Thursday, underpinned by spillover strength from CBOT soybeans and technical buying, traders said. Seasonal harvest pressure and bearish exports limited upward price momentum. July wheat w
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US MIDDAY: corn rises

US MIDDAY: corn rises

Corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade were firm and notched 2-1/2 week highs on Thursday amid weather jitters, traders said. CBOT corn was up 1-1/4 cents to down 1/4 cent per bushel. July was up 1 at $2.25-1/4 per bushel. Pit sources said ABN Amro bo
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
US MIDDAY: gold higher on speculative buying

US MIDDAY: gold higher on speculative buying

US gold futures powered to their highest level in more than six weeks on Thursday before easing back a bit, as speculative buying across the metals complex and a de-linking from the US dollar buoyed prices. "There's huge fund buying in gold, both short co
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Farooq elected PRL chief

Farooq elected PRL chief

Farooq Rahmatullah has been elected as Chairman of Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL). According to a press release issued here on Thursday, the meeting of PRL board of directors was held on June 14. Farooq Rahmatullah joined the Burmah Shell Oil Storage & C
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Japanese fair

Japanese fair

An exhibition of contemporary Japanese architecture will be held here from June 21 to 25. This was announced by the Japan Cultural Centre of the Consulate General of Japan on Thursday. The inaugural ceremony of the show would be performed on June 20 at fi
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Partly Facetious: unspoilt policies of two spoilt brats

Partly Facetious: unspoilt policies of two spoilt brats

"Salman Shah, the advisor to the Chosen One, says that he doesn't understand why the political parties opposed to Musharraf are against the privatisation of PTCL when they themselves promoted that policy when they were in power."
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Four injured, three cars torched after ST activists killing

Four injured, three cars torched after ST activists killing

At least four persons were injured and three vehicles torched in Karachi on Thursday after killing of three activists of Sunni Tehrik (ST), by unknown assailants on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. ST activists Faizul Hasan, 30, Muhammad Ashraf Qadri
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
ABAMCO index true reflector of share prices

ABAMCO index true reflector of share prices

ABAMCO-30 index to go live from September this year is aimed at true reflection of the share prices, whereas the present Karachi Stock Exchange benchmark index is tilted towards a few stocks, easily manoeuvred by market players. Najam Ali, chief executive
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Mobilink continues to grow despite increasing competition

Mobilink continues to grow despite increasing competition

2005 has ushered two new players - Al Warid and Telenor - into an already competitive Pakistani mobile market, which now boasts six mobile carriers who provide services over a variety of platforms - AMPS, TDMA, GSM, and GPRS/EDGE. Despite this sudden incr
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Karachi's ailments

Karachi's ailments

The month of June began with a spell of loadshedding for the citizens of Karachi. One would have thought that Karachi's populace should be used to such stretches of KESC's inefficiency after so many years of unwanted experience; but for them, each year, n
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Budget and senior citizens

Budget and senior citizens

It is most regrettable to see that no relief has been given to the common man in this budget which is only a business-oriented one for the benefit of the textile exporters and high government salaried personnel. The budget is to please the bureaucrats for
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Azerbaijan's 'Little Iran' a pocket of polls resistance

Azerbaijan's 'Little Iran' a pocket of polls resistance

Its population may be too small to turn the tide of a national election, but at least in this town known as Little Iran, for its strict adherence to Islamic law, the opposition can claim to have secured strong support in an approaching legislative poll. I
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Gaza Palestinians counting down to Israeli pullout

Gaza Palestinians counting down to Israeli pullout

Palestinian grandmother Sabha Mkhaimar sits outside her bullet-pocked house, counting the days until Jewish settlers on the other side of the barbed wire leave Gaza. "I will beat a drum, sing and dance. We will slaughter a sheep for a feast," Mkhaimar say
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Handling PTCL crisis

Handling PTCL crisis

With such huge fleet of consultants the PTCL top management failed to avert the strike. The negotiations were carried out by the government functionaries and the union representatives without the participation of the PTCL management this is going to have
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Agribusiness loan accord with ADB

Agribusiness loan accord with ADB

The $31 million loan agreement, which was signed between the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, and the Asian Development Bank, on June 14, should mark the beginning of implementation of the ambitious corporate farming plan, which had remained v
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Sindh budget dissonance

Sindh budget dissonance

The normal expectation is that any budget presented by a government will inevitably invite dissent from the opposition. What is unprecedented is that the budget should become a bone of contention between members of the cabinet even before it is presented
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
SRO 531 to be suspended till July 31

SRO 531 to be suspended till July 31

Chairman Central Board of Revenue (CBR), Abdullah Yousaf has assured that SRO 531 pertaining to vendor industry refund will be suspended till July 31. According to a Paapam press release issued here on Thursday, CBR chief gave this assurance while talking
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
SRO 531 to be suspended till July 31

SRO 531 to be suspended till July 31

Chairman Central Board of Revenue (CBR), Abdullah Yousaf has assured that SRO 531 pertaining to vendor industry refund will be suspended till July 31. According to a Paapam press release issued here on Thursday, CBR chief gave this assurance while talking
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Piaf rejects proposed power price hike

Piaf rejects proposed power price hike

Pakistan Industrial & Traders Associations Front (Piaf) has declared that any increase in electricity tariff would be considered as mini budget and further increase in utility bills would dilute positive impact of few incentives given to industry in the b
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
NWFP to auction tax defaulters' properties

NWFP to auction tax defaulters' properties

NWFP Food, Excise and Taxation Minister Fazal Rabbani has announced that properties of those who were not paying the outstanding dues of Excise and Taxation Department would be auctioned and names of influential personalities in this respect would be publ
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Rawalpindi traders to attend OIC Trade Forum

Rawalpindi traders to attend OIC Trade Forum

A seven-member trade delegation of Rawalpindi would take part in the two days OIC Trade Forum in Malaysian capital Putrajaya to introduce their industrial products in the Muslim world. The delegation would be led by Mian Muhammad Ateeq, renowned businessm
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Poplar wood export to Afghanistan threatens match industry

Poplar wood export to Afghanistan threatens match industry

The massive export of the poplar wood to Afghanistan has threatened the very existence of the profitable match industry in the NWFP and would very soon lead to closure of safety match industry. Pakistan Match Manufacturers Association's former Chairman Ad
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Non-formal education allocation raised

Non-formal education allocation raised

Punjab Minister for Literacy and Non-formal Education, Hussain Jahanian Gardezi has said that budgetary allocation for non-formal education has been enhanced by four percent to Rs 200 million in the budget 2005-06. While addressing a press conference, her
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
PIA orders probe into averted collision

PIA orders probe into averted collision

Pakistan International Airlines has ordered an inquiry into expected mid-air collision involving a Jumbo aircraft of the Pakistan International Airlines and the private airline company, AirBlue, which was averted in the airs of Rahimyar Khan district on T
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Import of daily use items from India allowed

Import of daily use items from India allowed

Provincial Minister for Agriculture Marketing Rana Qasim Noon said the government has allowed import of daily use items through land route from India. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday Noon said private companies could also import daily use
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Lahore LTU becomes operational

Lahore LTU becomes operational

Punjab governor Lieutenant-General Khalid Maqbool (Retd) has commended efforts of the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) toward facilitating taxpayers in many ways and observed that the most remarkable part of reforms being undertaken by the CBR is positive c
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Steps taken to curb pesticides adulteration

Steps taken to curb pesticides adulteration

The agriculture department Punjab has adopted stringent measures to check adulteration in pesticides during the current cotton season. Secretary Agriculture, Punjab, Fayyaz Bashir said this, while presiding over second session of Cotton Crop Management Gr
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Nazim assures traders of solution to problems

Nazim assures traders of solution to problems

City District Government Lahore (CDGL) Nazim Lahore Mian Amer Mahmood has assured traders' community of addressing their problems relating to traffic, parking and encroachment in the Azam Cloth Market on priority basis. Presiding over a meeting of Azam Cl
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
'Corrupt Haj tour operators to face action'

'Corrupt Haj tour operators to face action'

Ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs neither blacklisted those tour operators who violated the rules and regulations and fleeced the Haj pilgrims nor compensated the victims who had to pay transport fare, cost of 'Qurbani' and other expenses. This was st
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
'Drought-resistant crops can be evolved'

'Drought-resistant crops can be evolved'

In the wake of one-forth of arable area of Pakistan hit by salinity and low rainfall in most parts, biotechnology has the potential to offer urgent and indigenous solutions in the form of evolving salinity-drought tolerant crops to attain national food se
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Government fails to provide relief to masses: RCCI

Government fails to provide relief to masses: RCCI

Government in spite of its tall claims has failed to give any relief to common people and simplify the tax procedures to facilitate business community and taxpayers, said Najam Rehan, President Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) here on Th
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Move against LHCBA chief

Move against LHCBA chief

Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) member Tayyaba Shahid has appealed to the bar members to pass a resolution moved by her against sitting President of the bar, Fakharunnisa Khokhar. In a letter to the bar members, Tayyaba said the bar president wa
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Sales tax system may increase corruption: QTI

Sales tax system may increase corruption: QTI

President Quami Tajir Ittehad (QTI) Shaikh Muhammad Mushtaq has said the federal budget 2005-06 has aggravated the traders and importers' problems, as sales tax system has been made more complicated, which would increase corruption manifold. In a statemen
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Utilisation of alternate energy resources stressed

Utilisation of alternate energy resources stressed

Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim was given a presentation by Alternate Energy Development Board at a high level meeting held at Chief Minister House here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion Dr Arbab emphasised upon full utilisation of alterna
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Ministers asked to apologise to NGOs

Ministers asked to apologise to NGOs

The Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) strongly denounced remarks of two ministers against NGOs and demanded of the government to censure them within 48 hours, direct them to apologise publicly to NGOs and expunge these remarks from the parliament's recor
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Call to waive Withholding Tax on cheques

Call to waive Withholding Tax on cheques

All Pakistan Organisation of Small Traders and Cottage Industries (APOSTCI) has appealed to the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for withdrawing the levy of 0.1 per cent Withholding Tax on transaction of bank cheques amounting to Rs 25,000 and above as propose
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Ashfaq named Pracs managing director

Ashfaq named Pracs managing director

The Divisional Superintendent Railway, Rawalpindi Division, Mohammed Ashfaq Khattak has been appointed as Managing Director, Pakistan Railway Advisory and Consultancy Services (Pracs), a government owned public limited company with immediate effect. He re
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Ibad orders initiation of Taisar Town work by July 1

Ibad orders initiation of Taisar Town work by July 1

Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan has directed that work on housing scheme in Taisar Town for low income people must start from July 1. He asked the Board of Revenue, City Government and other concerned authorities to speed up the work without indulgi
Published 17 Jun, 2005 12:00am
Previous Day