Tech and Telecom

Sajid Ali Sadpara has announced to climb K2 for a ground search of his father and legendary mountaineer, late Mohammad Ali Sadpara, and two other missing climbers. According to details, Sajid Sadpara will be accompanied by Canadian filmmaker, Elia Saikaly. He is an award-winning adventure filmmaker and his work has received millions of views on Discovery Channel, BBC, ESPN, HBO, NBC, and many other TV channels. ALSO READ Here’s the PSL 2021 Final in Pictures Taking to Twitter, Sajid Sadpara penned that he is teaming up with Elia to launch a ground search of the three missing climbers of the…

The government has decided to abolish the registration fee and motor vehicle tax on Electric Vehicles (EVs) following the cabinet’s decision to incentivize those who opt to buy them. This exemption has only been approved for the two-wheeled and three-wheeled EVs and Heavy Commercial EVs, and is now effective. The incentives for the owners of four-wheeled EVs will be highlighted in the upcoming auto and EV policy. ALSO READ If Pakistani Automakers Bring These 7 Small Kei Cars, They’ll Sell Like Hotcakes The government has provided the following incentives to the EV segment in the 2021-22 financial budget. Reduction of…

The promulgation of Conduct of Examinations Regulations (CER) 2021 by the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) earlier this month has left the students in quandary. Under the CER 2021, students appearing for the entry tests for MBBS and BDS have been deprived of their right to recheck the answer sheets and inquire about the legitimacy of the question papers. ALSO READ Kotli Sattian to Rival Murree as a Tourist Destination As result-awaiting students have been allowed to appear in the entry tests, it is expected that the number of aspiring MBBS and BDS students taking the entry tests will be more…

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the PSL 6 team of the tournament. The team includes three players each from winners, Multan Sultans and Islamabad United, two players each from runners-up, Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars and one player from Karachi Kings. ALSO READ Here’s Everything You Need to Know About PSL 2021 Final The winning captain, Mohammad Rizwan, has been selected as the captain of the team of the tournament. The team was selected by an esteemed panel, containing former Pakistan women’s captain, Sana Mir, former cricketers and current commentators, David Gower, Pommie Mbangwa and Ramiz Raja. Pakistan all-format…

In a recent promising development, it has been revealed that, as per the revisions in the 2021 financial budget, the tax exemptions for 850cc vehicles have been extended to vehicles with an engine capacity of up to 1000cc. As per our sources, the government has taken the decision after learning about the limited number of options available to the car buyers in the 850cc segment. This implies that, along with the prospective decline in the prices of 850cc vehicles, the prices of 1000cc vehicles could also observe a decline, following the implementation of the budget from July 1, 2021. ALSO…

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has taken a step to boost the infrastructure financing in the country in collaboration with private organizations. The SBP has included Infra Zamin Pakistan Limited, a commercial credit enhancement facility company, in its regulations on corporate and commercial banking, in a bid to develop the infrastructure financing market in the country. In this regard, it amended its corporate and commercial banking prudential regulations to facilitate the private sector’s role in uplifting the country’s infrastructure Accordingly, para 1(C) of annexure-I of prudential regulations for corporate/commercial Banking is revised as under: “85 percent of the unconditional…

The government has imposed a tax of 75 paisas on mobile calls that exceed five minutes. During the wind-up Budget speech 2021-2022, the Minister for Finance, Shaukat Tareen, said that there will be no tax on the Internet and SMS, but a tax of 75 paisas will be charged on mobile calls that are longer than five minutes. He added that there will be zero tax on information technology firms. ALSO READ SBP Reserves Fall by $311 Million in One Week The telecom sector taxes have been a contentious issue for the government since the announcement of the budget two…

The sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) came to an end with Multan Sultans winning their first-ever PSL title by defeating Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The tournament initially began in February at National Stadium Karachi but after an outbreak of Covid-19, it was postponed and then rescheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi in June. The two phases of the tournament brought forward some exciting cricket and scintillating performances from the players as they had to adjust to new playing conditions. Several international superstars backed out of the…

Finance Minister, Shaukat Tarin in his wind-up speech on Friday, announced that the income tax exemption on medical allowance for employees will be restored. He also announced the withdrawal of the Rs. 10 billion in taxes imposed on the salaried class. ALSO READ IMF Urges Pakistan to Solve Long-Standing Economic Issues The budget announcement had revealed that the government implemented income tax on the expenditures on medical treatment, various allowances, and the savings in provident and pension funds of the salaried class. This move had come under severe criticism, which is now ultimately rescinded. During his wind-up speech also announced…

The foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had decreased by 1.89 percent during the week that ended on 18 June 2021. The SBP foreign currency reserves were recorded at $16,106.1 million on 18 June, down by $311 million as compared to $16,417.3 million that was recorded on 11 June. The central bank has attributed the decrease to external debt repayments. ALSO READ ITFC Grants Pakistan $4.5 Billion for Import of Oil & LNG Overall liquid foreign currency reserves held by the SBP and commercial banks were recorded at $23,256.9 million. Out of these, the net…