- Govt moves to take over Rs800bn power sector circular debt ECC directs food ministry to achieve wheat procurement target, approves five supplementary projects.
- Govt promises to bear 40pc first loss to banks on SME loans Finance ministry says risk-sharing mechanism is expected to increase the banks’ incentive to lend to small businesses.
- WB to aid Pakistan in creating new model for non-formal education Govt has been developing new roadmap for country’s education system since 2018.
- Markets to open five days a week from sehri till 5pm as govt starts easing lockdown measures Announcement comes as Sindh, Punjab cross 9,000 cases and report their highest daily death tolls.
- 18th amend can be revisited with no compromise on autonomy: Saad PML-N leader maintains that no one from the government had contacted his party on the issue of the amendment.
- ANP vows to resist any change to 18th Amendment Party leader says the amendment was the result of a long struggle of ANP.
- Chaudhrys challenge NAB chief’s power to reopen 20-year-old inquiries Move termed an attempt to ‘contain’ PML-Q leaders’ role in political arena.
- Poor woman dies after passing out in queue at Nadra office Woman had gone for verification of her fingerprints to get financial aid under the Ehsas Kafalat Programme.
- Pemra suspends NEO TV’s licence for ‘illegal’ news broadcast Channel had obtained licence for airing entertainment programmes but since its inception aired news content.
- SC asked to review return of petition challenging PM aides’ appointment Petitioners argue unelected persons are running state affairs without any constitutional justification.
- Limited domestic flights operation may resume NCC to take final decision today.
- Sindh urges centre to allow limited business, routine activities in case of easing lockdown Decision to reopen schools on June 1 still not final.
- Fiscal deficit slides lower to 3.8pc Conditionalities of IMF programme appear to have kept overall expenditures under control.
- China says it backs WHO in tracing Covid-19, denounces US ‘lies’ Spokesperson says Pompeo “may still be in process of making up evidence” about virus origin as he cannot show proof.
- International tourism to plunge up to 80pc due to virus: UN Experts believe there will be signs of recovery by the final quarter of 2020 but mostly in 2021.
- Coronavirus researcher shot dead in US murder-suicide Colleagues of victim Bing Liu say he was “on the verge of making very significant findings” regarding Covid-19.
- At least 9 dead, hundreds in hospital after Indian gas leak Incident led to panic among locals in a radius of three kilometres around the plant, Indian media says.
- Virus misinformation fuels hatred against India’s Muslims As the misinformation has exploded, so too has real world violence and anger against Muslims.
- Afghan agency busts IS-Haqqani cell involved in major attacks NDS says five militants were killed and eight arrested.
- Pakistan cricket punishes whistle-blowers instead of fixers: Aaqib “My career ended prematurely because I spoke against fixing.”
- Bowl with full speed and aggression, Shoaib tells pacers Pins hopes on young guns Naseem Shah, Muhammad Abbas and Shaheen Shah Afridi to become future bowling stars of Pakistan.
