G-B presents Rs148.63b budget for FY2025-26

PM Shehbaz hails arbitration court ruling over IWT

Express Tribune

8 hours ago

Express Tribune

PM Shehbaz hails arbitration court ruling over IWT

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a review meeting on Hajj arrangements for the upcoming year in Islamabad on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Photo courtesy: Radio Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday welcomed the Permanent Court of Arbitration's Supplemental Award concerning the Indus Waters Treaty, calling the decision a major endorsement of Pakistan's position. In a statement released by the PM Office Media Wing, PM said the ruling confirmed that India could not unilaterally suspend the agreement, which governs water sharing between the two countries. 'We are working upon water resources as the water is the lifeline for the people of the country,' the prime minister was quoted as saying. He also praised Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Attorney General Mansoor Awan for their legal contributions to the case. Yesterday, the Court of Arbitration constituted in accordance with the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960, ruled that India's decision of holding the treaty in abeyance did not deprive it of its competence to adjudicate Pakistan's complaints against its neighbour. Read: Pak IWT stance vindicated by arbitration court The court issued the "Supplemental Award" on the proceedings instituted by Pakistan against India. "Accordingly, the text of the Treaty, read in light of its object and purpose, does not to allow either party, acting unilaterally, to hold in abeyance or suspend an ongoing dispute settlement process," the order read. The Supplemental Award said that "the text ... does not provide for the unilateral "abeyance" or "suspension" of the Treaty. Rather, the Treaty provides for its continuation in force until terminated by mutual consent by India and Pakistan". "Such text definitively indicates an intent by the drafters not to allow for unilateral action to alter the rights, obligations, and procedures established by the Treaty, including the treaty's dispute settlement procedures. The award, made public on the website of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, was welcomed by Pakistan, saying that it affirmed the court or the neutral expert's competence despite India's unilateral action.

PTI says budget will enrich elite at the cost of masses in Pakistan

Business Recorder

14 hours ago

Business Recorder

PTI says budget will enrich elite at the cost of masses in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday launched a scathing attack on the recently passed Federal Budget for 2025-26, denouncing it as a 'banker's blueprint' crafted to enrich the elite at the expense of the masses. Speaking at a presser, the opposition leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub, flanked by Asad Qaiser, Gohar Ali Khan, and other senior party leaders, condemned the budget as a 'giveaway written by a banker, for his banker buddies'. 'This is not a people's budget; it's a banker's business plan,' Ayub said. 'The hybrid regime plans to borrow another Rs6,300 billion from local banks, allowing four or five bank owners to graduate from billionaires to trillionaires. Meanwhile, the nation sinks deeper into debt.' Ayub accused the government of both fiscal cruelty and political repression, warning that the prices of essential commodities such as flour, sugar, and lentils would soar under the new fiscal measures. 'They couldn't even face the opposition in Parliament. Both the finance minister and the prime minister evaded accountability.' Moreover, Ayub claimed that former MNA Ijaz Chaudhry was abducted in the dead of night, while former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi remain in jail as hostages of political vendetta. He said several senior PTI leaders including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Omar Cheema, Hassaan Niazi, and Yasmin Rashid and others were imprisoned without bail. However, Asad Qaiser accused the government of reducing Parliament to a rubber stamp. MNA Sanaullah Mastikhel criticising the powerful energy lobbies, alleged that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were 'untouchable profiteers' who have plundered the nation for decades under successive governments. 'These IPPs have become a cartel, bleeding the country dry through inflated capacity payments and ironclad contracts. They get paid whether they produce electricity or not while the average Pakistani is left in the dark, both literally and financially.' Masti accused the government of shielding these corporate giants while the public suffers from rolling blackouts and sky-high electricity bills. 'Every time the people tighten their belts, these energy barons loosen theirs. And now, with this budget, the same crooks are getting even more incentives. It is daylight robbery, institutionalised.' He demanded an open audit of all IPP contracts and called for a complete overhaul of the power sector. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025

Business Recorder

19 hours ago

Business Recorder

PTI says budget will enrich elite at the cost of masses

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday launched a scathing attack on the recently passed Federal Budget for 2025-26, denouncing it as a 'banker's blueprint' crafted to enrich the elite at the expense of the masses. Speaking at a presser, the opposition leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub, flanked by Asad Qaiser, Gohar Ali Khan, and other senior party leaders, condemned the budget as a 'giveaway written by a banker, for his banker buddies'. 'This is not a people's budget; it's a banker's business plan,' Ayub said. 'The hybrid regime plans to borrow another Rs6,300 billion from local banks, allowing four or five bank owners to graduate from billionaires to trillionaires. Meanwhile, the nation sinks deeper into debt.' Ayub accused the government of both fiscal cruelty and political repression, warning that the prices of essential commodities such as flour, sugar, and lentils would soar under the new fiscal measures. 'They couldn't even face the opposition in Parliament. Both the finance minister and the prime minister evaded accountability.' Moreover, Ayub claimed that former MNA Ijaz Chaudhry was abducted in the dead of night, while former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi remain in jail as hostages of political vendetta. He said several senior PTI leaders including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Omar Cheema, Hassaan Niazi, and Yasmin Rashid and others were imprisoned without bail. However, Asad Qaiser accused the government of reducing Parliament to a rubber stamp. MNA Sanaullah Mastikhel criticising the powerful energy lobbies, alleged that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were 'untouchable profiteers' who have plundered the nation for decades under successive governments. 'These IPPs have become a cartel, bleeding the country dry through inflated capacity payments and ironclad contracts. They get paid whether they produce electricity or not while the average Pakistani is left in the dark, both literally and financially.' Masti accused the government of shielding these corporate giants while the public suffers from rolling blackouts and sky-high electricity bills. 'Every time the people tighten their belts, these energy barons loosen theirs. And now, with this budget, the same crooks are getting even more incentives. It is daylight robbery, institutionalised.' He demanded an open audit of all IPP contracts and called for a complete overhaul of the power sector. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025

G-B presents Rs148.63b budget for FY2025-26

Hashtags

Try Our AI Features

Comments

Related Articles

PM Shehbaz hails arbitration court ruling over IWT

PTI says budget will enrich elite at the cost of masses in Pakistan

PTI says budget will enrich elite at the cost of masses

G-B presents Rs148.63b budget for FY2025-26

Hashtags

Try Our AI Features

Comments

Related Articles

PM Shehbaz hails arbitration court ruling over IWT

PTI says budget will enrich elite at the cost of masses in Pakistan

PTI says budget will enrich elite at the cost of masses

Get Started Now: Download the App