Prioritizing Defense
Following recent clashes with India, the Government of Pakistan has decided to raise the defense budget in the upcoming fiscal year and also prioritize water-related projects to counter Delhi’s threats of denying Pakistan its rightful share of Indus River waters. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has vowed this shift in focus will not come at the expense of development projects intended to facilitate the public.
Tax Net
The federal government has decided to impose 18% sales tax on goods manufactured in the erstwhile tribal areas in the upcoming federal budget. If implemented, the withdrawal of sales tax exemption can raise an estimated Rs. 45 billion, with the value to rise further if concessions on income tax are also withdrawn. The government will unveil next year’s budget on June 10.
Elite Capture
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has alleged the “Afghan elite” are giving refuge to terrorists targeting Pakistan in exchange for funds from the Indian government. Describing Afghans as “brothers,” he has urged the neighboring state to not serve as a proxy state of India.
Strategic Ties
Pakistan and Turkiye have reiterated a resolve to “elevate the bilateral strategic partnership to greater heights” during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. The meeting, part of an ongoing tour of friendly countries, aims to acknowledge states that supported Pakistan during its recent conflict with India.
Resetting Ties
The interim government of Afghanistan has started acting on Pakistan’s concerns, cracking down on Afghans who have either joined the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or had voiced plans to do so. Following a meeting between officials of Pakistan and Afghanistan in March, Kabul has jailed TTP facilitators and pledged further action against them.
Excess Power
In a bid to avail its underutilized power generation capacity, Islamabad has allocated 2,000MW of electricity in the initial phase of a national plan to support Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence data centers. The initiative is part of a plan to position the country as a global digital innovation hub, create new jobs and attract foreign direct investment to the country.
Khuzdar Bombing
The death toll in the Khuzdar bombing rose to 10—comprising 8 students and two adults—after two more students succumbed to their injuries in hospital over the weekend. Pakistan’s civil and military leaderships have vowed to pursue all those involved in the heinous act, warning of zero tolerance for foreign-sponsored terrorism.
Ongoing IBOs
The military’s media wing has claimed security forces killed at least nine India-sponsored terrorists in three separate operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. According to the ISPR, security forces recovered weapons and ammunition from the slain terrorists, adding operations to root any remaining terrorists from the region are ongoing
Climate Change
Heavy rain, coupled with a dust storm that brought gusty winds, killed at least eight people and injured 45 others in various cities of Punjab over the weekend, highlighting the impact of climate change-induced natural disasters. The deaths were primarily caused by collapsing dilapidated structures or sheltering in unsafe locations.
Lahore Wins
The Lahore Qalandars have secured their third PSL win after achieving the highest-ever run chase in any T20 final against the Quetta Gladiators with just one ball to spare. The victory set additional records, marking the first time a team has ever successfully chased a target exceeding 200 runs in a T20 final. By contrast, the Quetta Gladiators became the first team to lose a T20 final after scoring 200 or more runs.