Nation urged to take guidance from Imam Hussain (RA)
In a message on the occasion of Ashura 1447 AH, he said, "Ashura is a profound and instructive day in the history of Islam, which gives us the great lesson of patience, sacrifice and standing firm on principles. This day will continue to illuminate the conscience of humanity till the Day of Judgment."
"The battle that took place on the battlefield of Karbala on the 10th of Muharram Al-Haram is not an ordinary battle, but an eternal message for the entire world," he remarked.
He said, "The grandson of the Prophet, Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), along with his family and devoted companions, sacrificed their lives for the sake of truth, justice and religion, but did not bow down to falsehood."
"This great sacrifice of his reminds us that protecting principles and standing firm on the truth requires great courage and unwavering faith. The martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) makes it clear as day that the true spirit of Islam lies in human dignity, justice, mercy, principledness and freedom," he asserted.
"We have to adopt qualities such as honesty, tolerance, patience, sacrifice and principledness in our national life. From individual attitudes to state policies, if we chart our course in the light of Karbala, Pakistan can become a welfare, just and self-reliant state that not only represents the aspirations of its people but also sets an example for the world," he remarked.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Express Tribune
FBR unveils AI-powered clearance system
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced Pakistan's first Artificial Intelligence-based Custom Clearance and Risk Management System (RMS). The development came on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During a meeting chaired by the premier in the federal capital to review the ongoing reform measures by the FBR, it was informed that under the new system, the estimation of the cost and nature of goods during import and export will be conducted using artificial intelligence and bots. The new risk management system, based on modern technology, will continuously improve through automation using machine learning, along with the movement of goods, the meeting was told. "During the initial testing of the new system, over 92% improved performance was observed." The briefing showed that in initial testing, not only was 83% more Goods Declarations (GD) determined for tax collection, but goods clearance through the green channel also increased two and a half times. It was informed in the meeting that the new risk management system will bring transparency to the system, minimize human intervention, and provide ease to businessmen. With the launch of the new system, immediate and effective estimation of goods and their cost will be possible, resulting in time savings. The meeting was further informed that the implementation of the new system will reduce pressure on customs officials, enhance transparency and efficiency, and facilitate businessmen. The premier pointed out that reforms in the FBR were among the government's top priorities. "By automating the tax system, we are making it more transparent and effective," the prime minister said adding that the technology-based modern system will bring ease in doing business and provide convenience to taxpayers. Due to reduced human intervention, the premier noted that the system will be more efficient, saving both time and money. He directed the authorities concerned to make the new system integrated and sustainable. The prime minster appreciated the officers and staff who worked on the development of the new risk management system. The meeting was briefed on video analytics-based measures to increase tax collection in the manufacturing sector. With this system, tax collection in these sectors will be automated and conducted transparently, which will increase government revenue and allow taxpayers to pay taxes without human interference. The meeting was also informed that this system is cost-effective and showed 98% efficiency during initial testing. The meeting also reviewed the potential for increased tax revenue following its implementation in manufacturing for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar, Chairman FBR and other senior government officials attended the meeting.
Express Tribune
4 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Govt lifts cap on bureaucrats' fee
The federal cabinet has withdrawn its one-year-old decision to cap the board fees of top bureaucrats at a cumulative Rs1 million per annum after an overwhelming majority of them did not obey the decision. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar were the driving force behind the federal cabinet's decision in June 2024 to limit the fee at Rs1 million and surrender the surplus amount to the national kitty. The board fee goes as high as $5,000 for one board in certain cases, while in the majority of cases, the fees for attending one board meeting of some government-owned enterprises range from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of rupees. The cabinet division withdrew its decision on June 22, according to a notification issued by the finance ministry this month. "In pursuance of the Cabinet Division decision dated 22-06-2025, the Finance Division's letter dated 10-07-2024 and Office Memorandum stand withdrawn ab-initio," reads the notification. In June last year, both the prime minister and the deputy prime minister held the view that these bureaucrats should keep only a portion of the hefty board fees and surrender the remaining amount to the exchequer. The premier had serious objections to bureaucrats receiving up to $5,000 or Rs1.4 million for a single board meeting. At least two government entities, Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO) and Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL), pay around Rs1 million or more in fees for every board meeting. The secretaries of finance, petroleum, privatisation, and information technology are members of these boards. There are also boards where the fees range from Rs100,000 to Rs250,000 per meeting. In 2023, then-finance minister Ishaq Dar had announced that government servants should retain a maximum of Rs600,000 annually in board fees and deposit the rest. However, this decision was never implemented. The finance ministry has also withdrawn its office memorandum, which stated: "It has, therefore, been decided to reiterate those instructions that the government servants appointed to the Board of companies, organisations, and who become entitled to fees, shall only be allowed to retain remuneration to a maximum of Rs1 million in a financial year. Any amount more than Rs1 million so received shall be deposited by the officer in the government treasury, and a record of the same shall be promptly provided to the administration wing of the respective Ministry and Division." Since hardly any bureaucrats complied with the decision, the cabinet decided to withdraw last year's decision ab-initio, as if it had never been taken. Austerity measures The finance ministry also notified the continuation of austerity measures for the fiscal year 2025-26. The austerity measures will also apply to all federal government-attached departments, state-owned enterprises, and statutory bodies, including regulatory authorities. In the case of SOEs, these austerity measures will be considered a directive of the federal government under Section 35 of the SOEs Act of 2023 and under relevant sections of their respective organic laws for statutory bodies, according to the notification. These measures are introduced annually to reduce expenditures across various government departments, including the abolition of vacant positions, a ban on the purchase of new vehicles and machinery, and restrictions on officials' foreign travel. The austerity measures were adopted to control government expenditures. Under these measures, the government banned the purchase of new vehicles and equipment for various departments. The notification stated that only operational vehicles, such as ambulances and other medical equipment vehicles, fire engines, buses and vans for educational institutions, solid waste vehicles, and motorcycles, could be purchased if needed. However, the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has purchased vehicles for federal ministers and officers of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). FBR vehicles bearing the FBR logo, bought last month, can be seen being irregularly used by officers for private purposes. Similarly, the purchase of machinery and equipment for various government departments would also be prohibited. The notification clarified that only machinery and equipment needed for hospitals, laboratories, agriculture, mining, and schools could be purchased. The ministry also imposed a ban on the creation of new posts and temporary posts, except for positions under Public Sector Development Project (PSDP)-funded projects. According to the notification, all posts lying vacant for the last three years would be abolished. Procurement of goods under PSDP-funded projects would be exempt from this ban. Additionally, there would be a complete ban on government-funded treatment abroad and all unnecessary foreign trips. Ad-hoc salary notification The finance ministry has also notified a 10% salary increase for Armed Forces personnel, Civil Armed Forces, and all civil employees of the federal government, as well as civilians paid from defence estimates and contract employees employed against civil posts in basic pay scales under standard terms and conditions. The decision had been announced in the budget. The finance ministry also notified a 7% increase in net pensions for all civil pensioners of the federal government. The increase will also apply to family pensions granted under the Pension-cum-Gratuity Scheme, 1954, and Liberalised Pension Rules, 1977.
Business Recorder
14 hours ago
- Business Recorder
FBR introduces Pakistan's first AI-powered customs clearance system
In a major move towards digitisation, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) unveiled Pakistan's first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Customs Clearance and Risk Management System (RMS). The new system, launched on the directive of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aimed at enhancing transparency, reducing human intervention, and facilitating trade, is expected to enhance the efficiency of import-export operations. The development came to light during a meeting regarding matters related to FBR held on Monday, read a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The briefing was told that under this system the cost and nature of goods, during import and export operations, will now be assessed using AI and bots. It was learnt that the risk management system will continue to improve automatically through machine learning, alongside the movement of goods. The meeting was informed that during initial testing, the new system demonstrated over 92% improved performance. The RMS not only determined 83% more Goods Declarations (GDs) for tax collection but also enabled 2.5 times more GDs to be cleared through the green channel. Pakistan's e-commerce sector faces operational costs surge amid new taxes The attendees were told that the new RMS will bring transparency to the system, minimize human intervention, and facilitate the business community. The system will allow instant and efficient estimation of goods and their value, resulting in time savings, the meeting noted. 'Reforming the FBR is among the top priorities of the government,' said PM Shehbaz. 'By automating the tax system, we are making it more transparent and effective. This technology-driven system will ease doing business and provide convenience to taxpayers,' he added. The prime minister also instructed that the new system be made integrated and sustainable, and praised the officers and staff involved in developing the new RMS. Moreover, a review meeting, chaired by PM Shehbaz, was held to assess ongoing FBR reforms. The meeting was informed about video analytics-based measures to improve tax collection in the manufacturing sector. The PM was told that through this system, tax recovery will be conducted in an automated and transparent manner. This will increase government revenue and allow taxpayers to pay taxes without human interaction. The system is low-cost and showed 98% efficiency during initial testing. Officials also briefed the meeting on the system's potential to increase tax collection from the manufacturing sector.
