Updates by ROW

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed that strict legal action be taken against all human trafficking groups in the country to set an example, including immediate legal action to confiscate the properties and assets of human traffickers. Last month, several Pakistanis died in a boat capsizing incident in Greece. As per the estimate, more than 80 Pakistanis drowned in the accident, 36 of whom were rescued. The remaining have been presumed dead. A spokesman for the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Islamabad had said in a statement that following an investigation into the Greek boat capsize, two FIA immigration officers were arrested, and a case was registered against three human smugglers, including the FIA officials. More than 30 FIA officers have been booked and dismissed from service over their alleged collusion with human smugglers in illegally sending Pakistanis abroad. PM Shehbaz chaired a review meeting today on measures taken against human trafficking in the country, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. The prime minister appreciated the recent actions taken by the Federal Investigation Agency against government officials involved in human trafficking. Following disciplinary actions, he further directed that strict punitive measures should also be taken against facilitators. #UpdatesByROW #PMshehbazshrif #property #confiscation #trafficking #groups #updatebyrow2025

Mustafa Jamal Qazi, the Director General of Immigration and Passports, has announced the opening of two new passport offices within National Database & Registration Authority’s (NADRA) mega centres in Karachi. According to media reports, the DG discussed the establishment of these new offices during a recent visit to Karachi. The move aims to reduce congestion at the central passport office in Karachi. The new facilities will be located in NADRA’s mega centres at North Nazimabad and Siemens Chowrangi (SITE). #UpdatesByROW #karachi #NADRA #pasport #nadracenter #updatebyrow2025A

UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday expressed interest in collaborating with Pakistan in the mining, minerals, and agriculture sectors. The UAE leader met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Rahimyar Khan area of Punjab where he arrived on a private visit. #UpdatesByROW #UAE #collaborating #minerals #sector #pakistan #updatebyrow2025

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 6 (ANI): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Shazia Marri has said that the party might withdraw its support from the federal government due to a lack of trust in important decisions, emphasising that the government will collapse if PPP pulls out support, The Express Tribune reported. In a statement, Shazia Marri strongly reacted to the Maritime and Shipping Port Authority decision. She said that Pakistan's federal government is consistently taking decisions without holding discussions with the PPP, including the formation of the Pakistan Maritime and Shipping Port Authority. She said that both the PPP and the Sindh government were kept in the dark regarding the formation of the authority. She reiterated that the government will remain in power until PPP continues its support. However, she noted that the government will collapse if the PPP withdraws support, according to The Express Tribune report. Shazia Marri noted that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) might not realize this and added that the PPP had been calling for the convening of the National Interest Council meeting for a long time. However, it has not been called in eleven months. PPP leader pointed out the ongoing violation of the constitution by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is legally bound to convene the Council of Common Interests every three months. #UpdatesByROW #shaziamarri #peopolesparty #federal #government #updatebyrow2025

A new report of the FBR revealed that with 4,738,595 active taxpayers and only 234,193 sales tax filers, there is a notable gap between income and sales tax participation during 2023-24. Regional Tax Office (RTO) Lahore leads in both categories, while Karachi and Faisalabad also show strong performance. In contrast, LTOs like Multan and Islamabad report the lowest numbers, reflecting their focus on specialized taxpayers. #UpdatesByROW #pakistan #FBR #income #fy24 #tax #payers #incomesales #updatebyrow2025 

The National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP), Motorway North Zone, has suspended Faisal Movers’ operations for 30 days within the jurisdiction of the Motorway North Zone. The decision follows a tragic accident on December 30, 2024, involving a Faisal Movers bus that resulted in the loss of 11 lives and injuries to 14 others. #UpdatesByROW #motorway #faisalmover #NHMP #accident #suspended #updatebyrow2025

The Pakistani national flag was installed in front of the United Nations Security Council chamber, as the country began its eighth term as a non-permanent member (2025-26) of the 15-member body, according to a press release issued by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations on Thursday. Pakistan on Wednesday began a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Elected in June to replace Japan, Pakistan now occupies one of the two Asia-Pacific seats on the UNSC. It will preside over the council in July, a key opportunity to set the agenda and foster dialogue. #UpdatesByROW #pakistan #national #pakistaniflag #permanent #unsc #8thtime #updatebyrow2025

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has proposed a plan to reduce electricity tariffs by Rs25 per unit, bringing the cost down from Rs45.06 to Rs20.04 per unit if implemented. According to the report, the plan, submitted to the government, suggests revising capacity payments and eliminating surcharges to achieve this reduction. NEPRA highlighted that of the current Rs45.06 per unit tariff, Rs17.01 accounts for capacity payments, Rs15.28 for taxes and surcharges, and Rs3.10 as distribution margins. Additional components include Rs1.37 for transmission charges and one paisa for maintenance and future revenue adjustments. In contrast, the average net production cost of electricity stands at Rs7.62 per unit. The proposed formula recommends abolishing Rs7.52 per unit in surcharges and adjusting 67 paisa, which NEPRA says could result in a significant tariff reduction of Rs25.20 per unit. This proposal follows NEPRA’s recent State of Industry Report 2024, which called on the government to reassess the Rs15.28 per unit taxes on electricity. #UpdatesByROW #nationalelectric #nepra #25prunit #electric #trafic #proposes #updatebyrow2025

The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has announced that an international submarine cable outage is causing slow internet speeds for its users. "Teams are working diligently to resolve the matter as soon as possible. We sincerely apologi[s]e for any inconvenience caused during this time," the company said in a statement on Friday. #UpdatesByROW #pakistan #telecommunication #PTCL #international #updatebyrow2025

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need for export-led growth and political stability to ensure the country's economic development, expressing satisfaction over the country’s "improving" macroeconomic indicators. The premier made these remarks while chairing the 11th Apex Committee meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to review various initiatives being steered through the forum in Islamabad on Thursday. #UpdatesByROW #islamabad #prime #minister #ShehbazSharif #economic #development #updatebyrow2025