Entertainment
Pakistan, IMF reach consensus to scrap tax-free car import schemes
- Two import car schemes scrapped under IMF-Pakistan agreement.
- Govt tightens Transfer of Residence scheme for used cars.
- Five-year-old used cars allowed under stricter import conditions.
Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have agreed to abolish two tax-free car import schemes and tighten regulations on the third scheme as part of efforts to curb misuse and improve transparency in the import regime.
The two sides reached a consensus to discontinue the baggage and gift schemes, while stricter controls will be imposed on the Transfer of Residence scheme, which allows overseas Pakistanis to import vehicles when returning to the country, The News reported.
While commercial import has been granted permission for five-year-old used cars, its conditions will be stringent, with tightened safety guards.
Pakistan and the IMF are scheduled to conclude review talks on Wednesday for the completion of the second review under the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first tranche of $400 million under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) of $1.4 billion.
The IMF has set a deadline for obtaining approval from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet for the abolition of two schemes and the tightening of the third one within the current month.
On the tariff rationalisation plan, both sides agreed that the two schemes under the baggage rules and the gift scheme for importing cars would be abolished. For the third scheme, the Transfer of Residence, vehicles will only be imported from a country where the individual has stayed for at least one year, and misuse of this scheme will be curtailed.
One official commented that all vehicles, whether from Japan or the UK, are imported to Dubai first and then brought into Pakistan, so the misuse of imported cars must be curtailed.
Pakistan and the IMF are still working to evolve a consensus on the release of GCD Assessment report, which remains a bone of contention between the two sides. According to insiders, the government established a task force to conduct a detailed review of the vague anti-corruption framework and shared it with the IMF. The task force recommended that the FBR notify draft rules about the “Declaration of Assets of Civil Servants serving in Basic Pay Scale 17-22 and their spouses.”
It also recommended making amendments in the Civil Servants Act, 1973, to allow for the publication of Assets and Liabilities of Civil Servants; making amendments in the Elections Act to mandate Non-Elected Advisors and Special Assistants to the Prime Minister to furnish their statement of assets and liabilities; and making necessary amendments in the NAB Ordinance and the FIA Act to ensure a clear mandate definition, prepare a joint offence list, and establish coordination mechanisms between the two agencies to work harmoniously on offences where both have jurisdiction.
Further recommendations include providing training on jurisdictional boundaries to officers of the NAB, FIA, and Provincial Anti-Corruption Establishments (ACEs); making arrangements for repatriating investigating officers of the FIA posted at airports for processing immigration and tasking that responsibility to another force; and investing in technology, capacity building, and training of the FIA, NAB, and provincial ACE investigators to bring them on par with their regional counterparts.
Additionally, the task force advised conducting awareness campaigns to instill a culture of integrity among officials and educate the public on their right to seek disclosure of public information under the Right to Information Act and on the regulatory framework for reporting corrupt practices; making provisions for the appointment of lawyers through open advertisement based on specific expertise to ensure quality prosecution and for the appointment of independent members of the legal fraternity in special courts on judicial assignments; and empowering Provincial Anti-Corruption Establishments to handle money laundering cases at the provincial level.
The recommendations also include establishing a central coordination forum for assistance in investigation, forensics, intelligence sharing, and addressing jurisdictional issues; ensuring that Chief Internal Auditors are appointed within Ministries and Divisions as required by the Public Finance Management Act; and ensuring strict compliance with the State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) Act, 2023, and that government entities are run in line with section 36 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2019.
- Pakistan, PLA commence joint Warrior-IX exercise: ISPR.
- Says exercise focuses on counterterrorism operations.
- Adds drill aims to enhance interoperability and skills.
The Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China have commenced the joint military exercise “Warrior-IX”, the ninth edition in the series of bilateral counterterrorism exercises conducted annually between the two iron-clad brothers, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement on Tuesday.
The military’s media wing said that the exercise began on December 1, focusing on counterterrorism operations, with the aim of enhancing interoperability, refining professional skills, and exchanging best practices in modern warfare.
Pakistan and China enjoy a longstanding, time-tested defence cooperation rooted in mutual trust and strategic partnership.
Exercise Warrior-IX stands as a testament to the robust military-to-military relations between the two countries and reaffirms their shared commitment to regional peace, stability, and security, the ISPR statement read.
“Mangla Corps Commander, Major General Bian Xiaoming, Deputy Chief of Staff, Western Theatre Command, PLA, and other senior military officials from both Pakistan and China attended the opening ceremony of the exercise that was held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Pabbi,” it added.
Entertainment
KP police warned against taking part in political activities as PTI plans to protest in Islamabad today
- DIG Security Division issues directives to KP police personnel.
- Police directed to avoid participating in political activity.
- Asked to remain in their legal and geographical jurisdictions.
PESHAWAR: Police officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been directed to perform their duties within their legal and geographical jurisdictions amid concerns expressed by the Centre over use of state machinery by the PTI-led provincial government for political demonstration.
In an official circular sent to senior officers across the province, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Security Division Shakir Hussain Dawar reminded police personnel that they are duty-bound to maintain neutrality and must not take part in any form of political activity.
The directive reinforces existing rules that prohibit members of the law-enforcement force from aligning with a political group or joining their demonstrations and rallies.
The instructions come amid concerns within the federal government that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) may attempt to use the provincial police force for political purposes, as the party plans to stage a protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) today.
PTI’s KP chapter spokesperson Adeel Iqbal said the party had decided to hold the demonstration on December 2 (today). Speaking to Geo News on Saturday, he claimed: “This time, there will be a well-defined strategy for meeting the PTI founder.”
He warned that the party would respond to “any unlawful actions taken against them”, adding that the days of “those violating the Constitution were numbered”.
Chief Minister KP Sohail Afridi has repeatedly been denied permission to meet the incarcerated PTI founder in Adiala Jail — the latest refusal being the eighth since he took office. After the most recent denial last week, he spent the night outside the Adiala jail.
He was later joined by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, head of the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Mishal Yousafzai, Senator Gurdeep Singh, Senator Rubina Naz, MNA Zulfiqar Ahmed and KP’s Information Minister Shafi Jan.
In view of today’s protest announcement, authorities in the capital have reiterated that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code remains in force in Islamabad, prohibiting protests, rallies or public gatherings. The district administration warned that action would be taken immediately against any unlawful activity.
“Police and other law-enforcement agencies have been put on high alert,” the statement said, adding that all security bodies would work together to maintain order. Citizens were advised to avoid activities declared unlawful under Section 144.
Meantime, Rawalpindi’s Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema also imposed Section 144 in the city from December 1 to 3.
Meanwhile, the sons of the imprisoned former prime minister have expressed fears that authorities may be concealing “something irreversible” about his condition after more than three weeks without any verifiable information regarding his well-being.
Kasim Khan told Reuters that despite a court-ordered right to weekly meetings, the family had not had direct contact with him, fuelling speculation about a possible transfer to some other undisclosed location or deterioration of his health.
The PTI founder has been in jail since August 2023, following his removal from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.
Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson made history at the 2025 Gotham Awards, and Jackman couldn’t resist taking a friendly swipe at his longtime pal Ryan Reynolds in the process.
The pair received the first-ever Gotham Musical Tribute on Monday, December 1, for their work in the upcoming musical film Song Sung Blue.
The ceremony took place at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, where the duo walked onstage to Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline. Hudson even belted out the iconic “So good!” as she kicked off her speech.
Hudson reflected on working alongside Jackman and director Craig Brewer, saying that performing with the two was “one of the great joys of my career.”
She also shared how deeply music has shaped her life, noting, “I don’t know where I’d be without it.”
Jackman accepted his portion of the honour with a playful nod to Reynolds, joking that the award was “something to make Ryan Reynolds insanely jealous.”
The two actors have famously kept a lighthearted rivalry going for years, and Jackman didn’t miss the moment to add one more jab.
He went on to highlight what makes Song Sung Blue meaningful for him, praising its message of “real people, real lives, real struggles, real love.”
He also made a bold prediction about his costar’s performance, saying Hudson is “not only one of the great stars of our business, she is a consummate actor,” and even predicted she’ll “win the Oscar” for the role.
Song Sung Blue is written and directed by Brewer and arrives in theaters on Christmas Day.
The film also features Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, Hudson Hensley, Fisher Stevens and Jim Belushi.
Gotham Film & Media Institute executive director Jeffrey Sharp previously praised the two leads, saying their performances in the film are “at once powerful, intimate, and deeply human.”
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