A new auditor general will have to clean up the mess left by his predecessor, after the Auditor General of Pakistan’s (AGP) office backtracked on a controversial report, which gave an astronomical figure for irregularities unearthed in the federal government’s accounts. Maqbool Ahmed Gondal was sworn in as the country’s 22nd AGP on Monday, at a ceremony held in the Supreme Court. Appointed f
The country’s auto sector has raised strong objections to the draft Motor Vehicles Industry Development Act 2025, warning that instead of promoting growth, the proposed law risks stifling investment, inflating costs, and even criminalising legitimate business practices. Industry leaders argue the legislation was drafted without consulting stakeholders and hands sweeping powers to bureaucratic b
Apart from the affluent sheikhs of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, who lavished Pakistan’s dignitaries — including visiting bureaucrats — with expensive gifts, mainly wristwatches, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a traditional golden dagger during the first six months of 2025. The Toshakhana record, made public by the cabinet division for the period between January and June 2025, lists high-val
Barring foreign investors, local business leaders have expressed concern over the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) decision to keep the policy interest rate unchanged at 11 per cent, arguing that the move could stifle investment, raise production costs, and delay economic recovery. While foreign investors largely supported the decision, domestic business groups criticised it as overly cautious, p
The Public Accounts Committee of the Balochistan Assembly on Monday uncovered billions of rupees in financial irregularities, including unsurrendered savings and funds improperly held in private bank accounts by government officials, according to a review of recent audit reports. The commitee’s meeting, presided over by Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen, identified what it called serious lapses in f