Kainat R, Author at Pakistan Chronicle

Pakistan Greets North Korea on 78th Founding Anniversary, Reviving Rare Diplomatic Contact

September 10, 2026 Kainat R

Pakistan and North Korea flags together representing Pakistan North Korea relations and Islamabad Pyongyang diplomatic ties

Pakistan Greets North Korea on 78th Founding Anniversary Pakistan made a rare public diplomatic move this week when President Asif Ali Zardari and the Foreign Office sent greetings to Pyongyang. The message marked the 78th anniversary of North Korea’s founding, an occasion most countries with formal ties to Pyongyang mark quietly through diplomatic channels rather than public statements. Islamabad’s decision to do so openly has drawn attention precisely because Pakistan North Korea relations have stayed muted for years. Background: A Relationship That Rarely Makes Headlines Pakistan and North Korea have…

SBP Bank Data Access: New Law Lets Central Bank Build a Central Data Repository

September 10, 2026 Kainat R

State Bank of Pakistan headquarters building representing SBP bank data access and the new central data repository

Pakistan has given the State Bank of Pakistan formal legal cover to set up a centralised digital store of banking data. The change comes through an amendment to the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, and it hands SBP the ability to hold records that were previously locked behind bank confidentiality rules. Background Banking data in Pakistan has long been protected under laws like the Banking Companies Ordinance 1962 and the State Bank of Pakistan Act 1956. Those laws made it hard for any single authority to pull transaction records together in…

FBR Chief Orders Rs126bn Tax Refunds for Traders

September 10, 2026 Kainat R

FBR chief refunds order releasing Rs126 billion tax refunds to Pakistani traders

Summary The Federal Board of Revenue has moved to ease the cash-flow crunch faced by Pakistani businesses. In a major relief step, the FBR chief refunds order has cleared the way for Rs126 billion in pending tax refunds. The amount includes Rs83 billion in sales tax refunds and Rs43 billion in customs duty rebates. Traders across Karachi welcomed the decision as a much-needed liquidity boost. Background Tax refund delays have long been a sore point between the business community and tax authorities in Pakistan. Exporters and traders frequently complain that…

FBISE Intermediate Exam Results 2026: Girls Take Most Top Positions

September 9, 2026 Kainat R

Pakistani intermediate students celebrating after FBISE announces 2026 results

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education has released the intermediate exam results for 2026, and once again, girls have taken most of the top spots. FBISE announced the HSSC Part I and Part II outcomes on Wednesday, closing out months of waiting for over two hundred thousand students across the country. Female students secured 11 of the 15 top positions spread across the five major groups: pre-medical, pre-engineering, computer science, commerce, and humanities. It’s a pattern that’s held for several years running at FBISE, and this year…

Iran-US Conflict Explained: Why Jordan and the Strait of Hormuz Are Now Front and Center

September 9, 2026 Kainat R

Map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Al Azraq air base in Jordan amid Iran-US tensions

The war between Iran and the United States has entered its seventh month, and this week it reached two places that had mostly stayed on the sidelines until now: a US-linked air base in Jordan and a stretch of the Strait of Hormuz packed with oil tankers. Here’s a breakdown of what happened, why it happened, and what comes next. Summary Iran’s Revolutionary Guard hit the Al Azraq air base in Jordan with ballistic missiles on Wednesday and separately struck ten ships near the Strait of Hormuz. Both moves were…

New Industrial Zone in Hyderabad: FPCCI Warns of Economic Crisis

September 9, 2026 Kainat R

Aerial view of an industrial estate representing calls for a new industrial zone in Hyderabad

Summary The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry has raised an urgent call for a new industrial zone in Hyderabad. The trade body says the city’s rising population and the absence of any fresh industrial development now threaten its economic future. Officials warn that the existing industrial area can no longer support the growing demand for business space. Background Hyderabad has long depended on a single industrial base to support its economy. This zone, known as SITE Hyderabad, was set up back in 1952 and spreads across roughly…

FBR Urges Shopkeepers to Register for the Fixed Tax Scheme

September 9, 2026 Kainat R

FBR official briefing Lahore shopkeepers on the new fixed tax scheme at LCCI

LAHORE: The Federal Board of Revenue has asked small shopkeepers and retailers across the city to sign up for its fixed tax scheme. Officials say the plan was built around one idea: make paying tax simple enough that small traders actually do it. The pitch is straightforward. A one-page return, a flat rate of one percent of turnover, and a minimum tax bill of Rs25,000 a year. No accountant required, at least in theory. What Prompted the Push Pakistan’s retail sector has long sat outside the formal tax net. Millions…

Sindh Assembly Passes Resolution Against Division of Sindh

September 9, 2026 Kainat R

Members of the Sindh Assembly during the session that passed the resolution against Sindh division

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution against the division of Sindh, rejecting every proposal to redraw the province’s boundaries or carve new administrative units out of its territory. The Sindh Assembly resolution was passed amid a walkout by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), while Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah told the house that Sindh’s geographical unity was not up for discussion. Background Talk of new provinces has resurfaced in Pakistan’s political circles over the past few weeks, and Sindh has been named in…

Supreme Court Upholds Bait-ul-Mal Aid for Hindu Girls, Rejects PBM’s Plea

September 8, 2026 Kainat R

The Supreme Court has rejected a plea filed by the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal against a Sindh High Court order that told the institution to support two Hindu minor girls financially. The court upheld the monthly payment of Rs10,000 to each girl, with a 10 percent increase every year until marriage. It’s a ruling that touches on how far courts can go to protect vulnerable citizens when the law itself falls short. Background The case goes back to a family court in Jacobabad. Shrimati Reeta, a Hindu woman, had married Ravi Kumar…

Pakistan and Oman Are Quietly Building a New Sea Route Between Their Ports

September 8, 2026 Kainat R

Cargo ships docked near Gwadar Port with the Arabian Sea coastline, representing growing Pakistan Oman port connectivity

Something worth paying attention to has been moving forward in the background of Pakistan Oman relations: a plan to formally connect Gwadar Port with Oman’s Sohar Port as sister ports. It’s not flashy news, but a direct maritime link between the two matters more than the small headlines around it suggest. The Basic Idea, In Plain Terms Strip away the diplomatic language and the plan is simple. Pakistan and Oman want ships to move cargo straight between Gwadar and Sohar, without the longer detours that currently add time and cost…