Climate Change
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change has urged the center to support national and provincial disaster management authorities to cope with worsening climate threats, stressing provincial and district authorities lack the resources to act on the NDMA’s warnings. A federal response framework can help alleviate this gap, they have claimed.
U-Turn
Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan has reversed her previous allegations of the PTI seeking to “minus” her brother from politics by claiming she meant the government was trying to isolate him. She has also claimed Khan is still unwilling to engage with his political opposition and only desires dialogue with the security establishment.
Punjab Assembly
Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has filed a disqualification reference with the Election Commission of Pakistan against 26 PTI-backed opposition MPAs, accusing them of failing to uphold the Constitution. The 26 MPAs were suspended from attending the provincial assembly’s proceedings last week, with 10 others fined for acts of vandalism during the budget session.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly
Following the implementation of the Supreme Court Constitutional Bench’s reserved seats verdict, the opposition’s strength in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has reached 53, just 20 seats shy of a simple majority required to form government. The ruling PTI, however, remains in the majority with 92 seats, making the potential of any ouster unlikely.
More Taxes
Under the government’s new tax regime, tax filers are charged 0.3% tax on withdrawals exceeding Rs. 50,000/day, while non-filers are charged 0.6%. As of July 1, 2025, banks have also increased their charges for ATM cards, SMS alerts, and fees for using other banks’ ATMs. The measures point to the government’s inconsistent policies regarding encouraging the use ofofficial banking channels.
May 9 Riots
The Lahore High Court has justified its decision to deny bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots by ruling evidence suggested he had issued instructions to target military installations in case of his arrest. The order also notes Khan’s unwillingness to cooperate with investigators, stating this suggests an attempt at evasion.
Overstocked
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik has claimed Pakistan has an oversupply of LNG, blaming the country’s second long-term deal with Qatar. He also justified a recent hike to fixed charges for natural gas, saying a Rs. 150 billion subsidy to protected gas consumers and Rs. 250 billion RLNG diversion from power to domestic consumers had prompted this decision.
Cashless Economy
P.M. Shehbaz Sharif has directed a doubling of national targets for digital payments, currently set at Rs. 12 billion, stressing these are crucial for enhancing economic transparency. According to relevant officials, the State Bank of Pakistan is devising a strategy to simplify digital payments for traders, including plans to roll out a user-friendly package to attract small businesses.
Unity Government
Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai, whose party has a sole seat in the National Assembly, has said he is willing to talk with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the formation of a unity government. He has claimed such unity is necessary to “save” the country from “constitutional crisis, institutional corruption, and political victimization.”
Russian Support
Moscow has officially become the first country to recognize the Taliban government of Afghanistan, maintaining it wants to strengthen ties with Kabul, especially in security, trade and counter-terrorism. The Russian Foreign Ministry has said it believes the move will bolster efforts to achieve productive bilateral cooperation between the two countries.