Day: October 24, 2025

ISLAMABAD: Consumers of K-Electric (KE) are being billed Rs3.23 per unit under the Debt Servicing Surcharge (DSS) — a levy imposed to repay loans raised by the Power Division to manage the country’s mounting circular debt, even though KE has played no role in creating it, the utility and energy experts have said. The surcharge, applied under the head of Power Holding Limited (PHL), is tied to Rs1.225 trillion borrowed by the federal government from 18 commercial banks to address the growing financial shortfall in the power sector. The measure,…

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Poland have reaffirmed their resolve to elevate bilateral relations into a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership, pledging to expand cooperation in trade, defence, energy, infrastructure, counterterrorism, science and technology, and education. The commitment was announced during a joint press stakeout at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following talks between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and visiting Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. Dar highlighted the “untapped potential” in bilateral trade, which currently exceeds $1 billion, and underscored Pakistan’s appreciation for Poland’s…

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s total public debt has surged by over 10 percent of GDP in the past decade, rising from 60 percent in 2016 to 71 percent in 2025, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenues was informed on Thursday. Alarmingly, debt servicing consumed 89 percent of the federal government’s net revenue receipts in FY2025, leaving just 11 percent for all other expenditures, including defence, development, and pensions. The committee, chaired by Syed Naveed Qamar, was briefed by Finance Ministry economists Dr. Waseem and Aizaz Asif, who highlighted that…

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