Fuel prices continue to rise in Pakistan. As a result, transport costs, grocery bills and business expenses are putting more pressure on ordinary families. The government can provide immediate relief in one area: cut unnecessary fuel, travel and other perks for public officials. Ministers, chief ministers, prime ministers, legislators, judges, senior bureaucrats and other officials often receive government vehicles, fuel and travel facilities. Therefore, the state should set strict limits on these benefits. Officials should also pay for clearly private journeys and expenses. The recent controversy over Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s use of an official aircraft for a London…
Author: Faisal Waqas
ISLAMABAD (LAHORE MIRROR) — Pakistan recorded a sharp increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) in August, with net inflows rising to $316 million, according to data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) compiled by Topline Securities. The August inflow was 77 per cent higher than the $179 million recorded in July and represented an 80pc increase over the same month last year. During the first two months of the ongoing fiscal year, net FDI reached $495m, up 24pc from the corresponding period of the previous year. The increase in investment comes amid heightened economic and strategic engagement between Pakistan…
Is an economically exhausted public easier to govern? In Pakistan, the question is no longer merely political. It is becoming a question of survival. A hungry household does not have the luxury of debating constitutional reform. A father struggling to pay rent does not have the time to attend a political rally. A mother calculating the month’s electricity bill is unlikely to spend her evening arguing about the country’s political future. And a young person working two jobs to keep a family afloat has little energy left to fight over who controls the national narrative. This is where the real…
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s passport has dropped nine places to 183rd globally in 2026, reversing the modest improvement recorded over the past three years, according to the latest Passport Reports ranking published by Gulf News. Pakistan has a Mobility Score of 42, meaning Pakistani passport holders can access 42 destinations through visa-free entry, visas on arrival or electronic travel authorisations (eTAs). Of these, only nine destinations offer visa-free access, while 29 provide visas on arrival and four permit entry through eTAs. Travellers holding Pakistani passports must obtain visas in advance for the remaining 156 destinations covered by the index. The nine visa-free…
ISLAMABAD: The federal government is considering a three-day-a-week “smart lockdown” across the country to curb fuel consumption amid a sharp rise in petroleum prices linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East. The proposal came under discussion at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday to assess the impact of rising fuel prices and explore measures to ease the burden on consumers. According to sources, the government is considering a four-day working week for public and private offices, with Friday, Saturday and Sunday proposed as holidays. The plan also envisages reducing transport activity and introducing a rotational…
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to make SMS-based registration for the government’s petrol subsidy scheme free of charge to facilitate eligible citizens. The decision is intended to remove the cost associated with sending registration messages and improve access to the fuel relief programme. Under the scheme, motorcycles, rickshaws, three-wheelers and cars with engine capacities of up to 800cc are eligible for the subsidy. Applicants can register by sending their CNIC number and vehicle details to 9771 from a SIM registered in their own name. The prime minister has directed the relevant authorities to facilitate applicants during the…
RIYADH (LAHORE MIRROR) — Saudi Arabia on Tuesday issued emergency alerts in Jeddah, Taif and the holy city of Makkah, warning residents of a “potential danger” and urging them to seek shelter and follow safety instructions. The alerts were issued through the National Early Warning Platform for Emergencies, according to the Saudi Civil Defence. Authorities did not immediately disclose the nature of the threat. The warnings came amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement, which has claimed a series of missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi territory and infrastructure in recent days. The Saudi-led coalition has…
There was a time when being middle class in Pakistan meant living modestly but with dignity. A family could hope to buy fruit regularly, send its children to a decent school, pay electricity bills and fill the car with petrol without calculating every rupee. That promise is rapidly disappearing. Today, a family can have a respectable income on paper and still struggle to afford what should be considered a normal life. Fruit has become a luxury. Good private schooling is increasingly out of reach. Electricity bills consume an alarming share of household income, while petrol prices repeatedly squeeze transport and…
ISLAMABAD (LAHORE MIRROR) — The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has increased electricity prices by Rs0.52 per unit under the quarterly adjustment mechanism, placing an additional burden of Rs12.67 billion on consumers. According to a notification issued by Nepra, the increase was approved under the second quarterly adjustment of the current fiscal year. The additional charge will be reflected in electricity bills for September, October and November 2026. The increase will apply to consumers across the country, including those served by K-Electric. The latest hike is the second increase announced by Nepra within a week. On Sept 4, the…
LAHORE (LAHORE MIRROR) — Police have registered a case against three unidentified men after a viral CCTV video showed a group allegedly assaulting workers at a petrol pump on Airport Road and threatening them with a rifle. The case was registered at South Cantt police station on the complaint of the petrol pump administration following the incident, which occurred at around 5:10am on Sept 6, according to the FIR. The incident began when one of the suspects allegedly got out of a vehicle and attempted to urinate at the petrol pump. After workers stopped him, an argument reportedly broke out…
