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Xi leaves for state visit to DPRK

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, left Beijing on Monday for a state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

GenSan Airport operations suspended after magnitude 7.8 earthquake

MANILA, Philippines — Operations at General Santos International Airport have been temporarily suspended following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Maasim, Sarangani, on Monday morning, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). A Notice to Airmen, which is a safety advisory given to pilots and flight operators to alert them of

‘Destructive’ intensity felt after earthquake off Sarangani — Phivolcs

MANILA, Philippines — “Destructive” intensity was felt in General Santos City after an offshore Magnitude 7.0 earthquake off Sarangani early Monday morning, according to state seismologists. Intensity VII was felt in the said city after the earthquake which occurred at 7:37 a.m. with a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and

Fair weather seen across PH due to monsoon break — Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines — The southwest monsoon or habagat has slightly weakened as monsoon break prevails, bringing generally fair Monday weather in most parts of the country, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). Pagasa weather specialist Chenel Dominguez said that habagat only prevails in western section of northern and central Luzon. “If

Don't Side With 'Moral Degenerate' Graham Platner

Tehran vows payback after Israel attacks Beirut despite truce

• Ghalibaf says violation makes US, Israeli assets ‘legitimate targets’ • Trump calls for ‘surgical attacks’ against Hezbollah • Lebanese army says its chief travelled to Pakistan to meet top officials SMOKE rises after an Israeli airstrike targeted Tyre.—AFP BEIRUT: Israeli warplanes struck Beirut’s sou­thern suburbs on Sunday, hitting apartments in two residential buildings in the densely-populated Ta­­h­­w­itat al-Ghadir area, de­s­pite a US-broke­red ce­a­­s­efire between the Leb­a­n­e­se government and Israel. These were the first attacks on the Lebanese capital since Presi­dent Donald Trump announced a truce plan for Lebanon last week. While the latest Israeli strikes cla­i­med two lives, Israel’s continued att­a­cks on Lebanon have killed at least 3,613 people and wounded 11,072 others since Israeli forces along with the US launched the war on Iran. Iran’s chief peace negotiator, parliamentary spe­a­ker Moham­med Bag­her Ghalibaf, said US bases and Israeli assets were legitimate targets beca­use of hostile acts including the “violation of agre­e­ments over Lebanon”. Tehran has long said any peace deal with the United Sta­tes would depend on a ceasefire, also holding in Lebanon. “They showed that they only understand the language of power,” he wrote on X. Ebrahim Rezaei, an influential lawmaker who also serves as spo­k­esperson for parliament’s natio­nal security committee, posted on X that Iran would deliver a “decisive and painful response” to Sunday’s Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Although he has leaned on Israel to scale back its war against Lebanon to allow room for a peace deal with Iran, US Presi­dent Donald Trump called for “more surgical strikes” against Hezbollah in Lebanon, in an interview broadcast on Sunday. “I’d like to see Lebanon have a better life. I’d like to see a more surgical attack on Hezbollah. I think it should be more surgical,” he remarked. Asked whether he was demanding that Lebanon be included in the Iran deal, Trump replied: “No, no.” “Not at all. I’m not dem­a­n­ding,” he said. “I think they’d like to see it, but I’m not demanding.” Trump has said previously he would like to “separate” the discussions on Lebanon from the negotiations on an agr­eement with Iran, while Tehran wants to link the two conflicts. But Israel has never fu­lly halted its attacks on Lebanon, which have killed thousands of people and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes. Hezbollah, which was not party to the US-brok­ered tru­ce, has made it clear that it would not give up weapons unless Israel withdraws its troops from Lebanon. Elsewhere in Beirut on Sunday, mourners held a military funeral for Brigadier General Wissam Sabra, a senior military officer killed in a strike on his vehicle. Earlier on Saturday, Leba­non’s army said its commander General Rud­olf Haykal had departed for Pakistan, which is currently making efforts to mediate an end to the US-Isr­aeli conflict with Iran, which has also spilled into Lebanon. The Lebanese army said the visit was at the invitation of Haykal’s Pakistani counterpart, Field Marshal Asim Munir, but did not immediately provide further details on its purpose or duration. There was no official word from Inter-Services Public Relations at the time of going to press. Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026

Digging deeper into deficit

Pakistan’s external trade balance continues to widen beyond normal cyclical swings, pointing instead to deeper structural constraints that have accumulated over decades. Despite periodic policy interventions and short-term stabilisation efforts, the underlying pattern remains unchanged: import growth consistently outpaces export earnings, leaving the economy dependent on external inflows to bridge a persistent gap. During the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, the trade deficit widened by 17.48 per cent year-on-year to $34.76 billion from $29.58bn in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Export earnings declined by 5.61pc to $27.91bn, while imports rose 5.94pc to $62.66bn. Earlier, in the entire last fiscal year, the trade deficit widened by 9pc to $26.3bn from $24.1bn a year ago. Although exports rose 4.7pc to $32.1bn, imports increased even faster by 6.6pc to $58.4bn, demonstrating a persistent pattern in which import growth outpaces export earnings. Energy remains perhaps the single largest reason Pakistan struggles to achieve a trade surplus. The country imports large quantities of crude oil, petroleum products, LNG, coal, and industrial fuels. During the first 11 months of FY26, petroleum imports exceeded 14m metric tonnes, up 7pc in volume from a year earlier. Our external trade imbalance is rooted in the very structure of the economy, which relies excessively on borrowing and remittances and fails to address structural issues More importantly, the import bill surged 13.7pc to a record $14.9bn. Even though exports fell by 5.6pc during the same period, a substantial share of foreign exchange earnings continued to be absorbed by energy purchases, deepening the trade deficit. Economic growth itself often widens the imbalance because rising industrial activity increases demand for imported energy. Our manufacturing sector also relies heavily on imported machinery, chemicals, raw materials, and intermediate goods. The textile industry, despite being the country’s export backbone, depends on imported machinery, dyes, chemicals, and specialised fibres. In FY25, textile machinery imports increased by 61.5pc to $241.2m, while power-generation equipment imports rose 47.8pc to $616.2m. The pharmaceutical, engineering, automobile, and technology industries exhibit similar dependence on imported components. As a result, producing exports frequently requires substantial imports first, limiting net foreign-exchange gains. A second structural challenge is Pakistan’s narrow export base. Textiles and textile-related products continue to dominate exports. In FY25, textile exports reached $17.89bn, up 7.39pc from the previous year. And, during the first 10 months of FY26, textile exports totalled $15.03bn, a modest 1.3pc increase from $14.83bn a year earlier. Textiles accounted for approximately 59.6pc of Pakistan’s $25.21bn total merchandise exports during this period. While the sector remains a major source of foreign exchange, excessive dependence on a single industry leaves Pakistan vulnerable to fluctuations in global demand, competition, and commodity prices. Countries such as South Korea and China reduced external vulnerabilities by diversifying into electronics, machinery, advanced manufacturing, and technology-intensive exports. Pakistan has yet to make a similar transition. The technological content of Pakistan’s exports also remains relatively low. Globally, the highest export revenues are generated by sectors such as semiconductors, industrial equipment, aerospace components, medical devices, and software-intensive products. Pakistan’s presence in these industries remains limited. The IT and IT-enabled services sector has shown encouraging growth. Exports reached a record $3.8bn in FY25, up 18pc. During the first 10 months of FY26, IT exports rose to approximately $3.3bn, a 12pc increase from $2.95bn a year earlier. However, the sector still represents only around 11–12pc of total merchandise and services exports. Even with sustained double-digit growth, Pakistan remains far behind more diversified export economies in high-value technology sectors. Demographics add another layer of pressure. Pakistan’s annual population growth rate of 2.55pc continues to increase demand for fuel, machinery, vehicles, medicines, electronics, and consumer goods. Unless export capacity expands at a similar pace, import demand naturally grows faster than export earnings, placing persistent pressure on the trade balance. Consumer and business preferences further reinforce import dependence. Imported products often enjoy a reputation for superior quality, particularly in electronics, automobiles, industrial equipment, and luxury goods. During the first nine months of FY26, imports of fully built-up motor vehicles rose 31pc to $263 million. Pakistani exporters also face longstanding obstacles, including high energy costs, infrastructure deficiencies, logistics inefficiencies, regulatory complexity, limited research and development spending, and shortages of skilled labour. According to the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2025, Pakistan ranked 124th, down from 109th in 2023 and below India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Moreover, the cost of doing business is estimated to be roughly 34pc higher than in many regional competitors, reducing export competitiveness. Global competition is simultaneously becoming more intense. Countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Mexico continue to attract investment in export-oriented manufacturing through stronger infrastructure, larger industrial ecosystems, and more integrated supply chains. As the hybrid government prepares the FY27 budget, the challenge is not merely to narrow the trade deficit in the short term but to address the structural weaknesses that produce it year after year. A durable improvement requires reducing dependence on imported energy, expanding domestic industrial capacity, diversifying exports, improving productivity, and strengthening Pakistan’s competitiveness in global markets. Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, June 8th, 2026

South Korea’s Lee says business success should be shared

President Lee Jae Myung says the government will devise a plan to effectively use the surplus tax revenues generated from the country's semiconductor sector.

Cutting out the middleman

Every federal budget is a stark reminder of how much Pakistan’s federal government is unable to spend within its means. Therefore, the burden to keep fiscal balance somewhat manageable falls on the same few sacrificial lambs, typically the formal sector in terms of collection and development needs for expenditure. Troublesome as it may be, the country’s gross public debt ratio of 70 per cent is not outrageously high by developing economy standards. However, one big problem is its concentration: over the past decade, commercial banks have held the bulk of the federal government’s debt. Of Pakistan’s Rs54.5 trillion in domestic debt, the bulk sits in marketable instruments, worth Rs46.6tr; of that, scheduled banks hold Rs36.8tr, or 79pc. Insurers account for under 5pc, mutual and pension funds for about 6pc, and a catch-all bucket of “corporates and others” for the rest. This makes the bank-sovereign nexus extreme by global standards. A World Bank analysis from the end of 2024 put Pakistani banks’ public-debt holdings at roughly 60pc of total assets, four times the global median and the highest in a sample of over 80 countries. As a result, the effect on credit activity has been highly detrimental, with the industry’s advances-to-deposits ratio hovering below 40pc and the share of small and medium enterprises barely 10pc of private-sector loans. Shift even a tenth of the Rs54tr domestic stock out of banks and into retail hands at a yield just 150 basis points cheaper, and the annual saving runs into the region of Rs80bn Since the two balance sheets of banking and sovereign are wound so tightly together, the relationship has curdled into something toxic. The government borrows from banks, taxes the profits from that borrowing, and banks push money away rather than put it to work. Somewhere in this loop, both the depositor and the real economy have been forgotten. When 79pc of the outstanding paper sits with a small club of institutional buyers, those buyers carry real pricing power into every auction; a market with retail savers, pension funds, insurers and foreign buyers each holding a meaningful slice generates competitive tension that bears down on yields, and a bank-dominated one simply does not. The institutional money that would normally provide that tension, chiefly the insurers, is too small to matter: at roughly 0.9pc of GDP against about 4pc in India, the entire sector’s asset base is smaller than a single year of government borrowing. That leaves retail, and on paper, the case for it is compelling. There are already millions of Pakistanis lending to the state through the old National Savings Schemes, currently holding Rs3.6tr. This segment has historically accepted lower yields than banks for the same sovereign credit, so widening the base could also trim the debt-servicing bill. A new policy InsightLab at the Karachi School of Business & Leadership, Karachi, argues that despite new instruments and platforms, the set of creditors holding Pakistan’s debt has barely changed over the past seven years. Banks still hold the vast majority. The new channels changed how the debt is sold, but not who buys it. Shift even a tenth of the Rs54tr domestic stock, some Rs5.5tr, out of banks and into retail hands at a yield just 50 to 150 basis points cheaper, and the annual saving runs into the region of Rs25bn to 80bn. This would make a noticeable difference to the debt-servicing bill, which has become the single largest line in the budget and only compounds each year. There is a structural prize too. Banks gravitate toward short-term and floating-rate paper, largely because their liability mix forces them to do so. Pakistani banks hold hardly any fixed deposits, just Rs6.1tr out of Rs37.3tr, so they cannot comfortably warehouse long, fixed exposure. A genuine retail base anchored by long-dated household savings would take on the very tenor the banks shy away from, easing the rollover risk that the current profile does nothing to address. For a government desperate to rein in its largest expenditure line, retail is the rare lever that lowers both cost and risk at once. But the question is: how does the sovereign reach this segment? Historically, that answer was National Savings, though it is not without shortcomings. Its rates are set by administrative fiat in discrete steps, so they lag the market. This is attractive to savers when rates fall, but it is a structure that works against the state’s own objectives, is untradable, capped at Rs5 million, and is pitched more as quasi-social security for widows and retirees than as a serious financing tool. The second route runs through the capital markets by issuing Sukuk directly at the Pakistan Stock Exchange. But this has fared no better at changing who holds the paper. Since December 2023, the government has auctioned Ijarah Sukuk through the exchange to dazzling headline demand, yet the paper is fully Statutory Liquidity Requirement-eligible, individuals cannot bid directly when fewer than 1pc of citizens hold a brokerage account, and banks still end up holding close to 90pc of the stock. Third is the diaspora channel, the Roshan Digital Account, and truly the one relative win: over 927,000 accounts opened and more than $12.7bn received since 2020, though Naya Pakistan Certificates, the debt instrument inside it, have never crossed 2pc of government external debt. The newest effort tries to fix the access problem at its root. Investor Portfolio Securities (IPS) accounts have long let individuals hold government paper in principle, but in practice, the channel meant branch visits, manual forms, and bank staff with little incentive to promote it, so few ever used it. The State Bank of Pakistan’s InvestPak portal, launched in November 2025, builds on that plumbing and strips out the friction. It does so by allowing individuals to open an IPS account, bid at auction, and trade securities entirely online. In theory, it is the most promising of the lot, with one catch: the access still routes through bank-maintained IPS accounts, the very institutions with no commercial reason to usher retail investors toward an asset class they would rather keep for themselves. India faced the same problem and took a different route. Its RBI Retail Direct scheme, launched in 2021, lets individuals hold government bonds in an account directly with the central bank, cutting out banks. If there is a single fix worth making, it is to stop flying blind. Pakistan now runs several parallel retail channels and publishes consolidated data on none of them, so nobody can actually say whether the needle is moving. The holder-wise statistics do not even carry a separate line for individual investors. The rest follows from there: a genuinely retail-sized product rather than the Rs100,000 minimum tickets that pass for one today, and an honest decision on whether to keep routing retail through the banks or, as India did, around them. None of this pays off in a single budget. But the concentration did not build itself overnight either, and years of inaction cannot be undone in days. After seven years of new instruments, the holder of last resort is still the bank. It will stay that way until the state builds something savers can actually use and a route that doesn’t run through the institutions it is trying to move beyond. Mutaher Khan is co-founder of Data Darbar and Head of InsightLab at KSBL. Shahzaib Abbasi is an analysts at InsightLab. Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, June 8th, 2026

CORPORATE WINDOW: No relief measures expected

As is tradition, the day of the budget announcement remains a non-event for many consumers, who know that the finance minister’s speech in the National Assembly will bring little in the way of relief, focusing instead on praising the government’s past measures and setting new budgetary and revenue targets under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, this year’s budget carries greater significance, as consumers are already struggling to make ends meet amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Higher freight and insurance charges imposed by shipping lines following the US–Israel and Iran conflict have pushed up the cost of production. Some manufacturers have tried to absorb this cost pressure, while others have simply passed the burden on to consumers. This has been partly cushioned by relative stability in the rupee–dollar parity; otherwise, the situation would have been far more alarming. Prospects for strong industrial growth remain constrained under the current IMF programme, as fiscal consolidation and revenue generation continue to be key priorities Consumers are curtailing petrol and diesel purchases due to unaffordable prices. Monthly petrol and diesel sales are not showing any growth despite rising bike and four-wheeler sales. During 11MFY26, petrol and diesel sales stood at seven million tonnes and 6.35m tonnes, showing a marginal year-on-year (YoY) rise of two per cent and 1pc, respectively. Cost pressures set to persist Senior Vice President, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during a recent meeting with the business community, indicated that the upcoming budget is expected to focus on export-led growth. However, ‘significant relief on essential commodities appears unlikely’. The government is targeting a revenue collection of around Rs15.2 trillion for FY27, suggesting the introduction of additional taxation measures to meet fiscal objectives. The continued phasing out of subsidies under the IMF programme could increase the cost of goods and services, adding further pressure on consumers, he said. “A reduction in the 18pc GST also seems difficult given the government’s commitment to achieving IMF revenue targets,” Magoon said, adding that while some sector-specific incentives may be announced, “broad-based relief on essential items and petroleum products appears limited despite changing market dynamics arising from the Middle East conflict.” SVP FPCCI said prospects for strong industrial growth remain constrained under the current IMF programme, as fiscal consolidation and revenue generation continue to be key priorities. CEO Top Line Securities Mohammad Sohail said “under the IMF programme, it looks difficult that the government can provide any major relief.” Increase in wages, lower tax rate on people earning less and more direct subsidies may help to some extent, he said, adding that “major relief can only come through diesel and petrol prices, which are affected by the Middle East war.” President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Rehan Hanif, while commenting on the possibility of relief for the salaried class in the upcoming Federal Budget, stated that meaningful and sustainable relief can only be achieved if the government shifts its entire focus towards broadening the tax base instead of further burdening the existing taxpayers, including the salaried class. The salaried class has become one of the most heavily taxed segments of society despite having no opportunity to conceal income, as taxes are deducted at source. He cautioned against any increase in the GST, warning that even a one-percentage-point increase could trigger a fresh wave of inflation, raise the cost of doing business, increase production costs, and further diminish the purchasing power of consumers, particularly low- and middle-income groups. President KCCI said, “the revenue required for providing relief to the common man can be generated through plugging leakages and eliminating tax distortions rather than imposing additional taxes.” The government can still provide meaningful relief to the public by rationalising indirect taxes, reducing unnecessary duties on essential commodities, curbing inefficiencies in the supply chain, and ensuring that any benefit arising from lower international commodity prices is promptly passed on to consumers, the KCCI chief said. Inflation can be effectively controlled through improved market oversight, reduction in transportation and energy costs, and by minimising the cascading impact of excessive taxation on the cost of goods, he said, urging the government to refrain from imposing additional petroleum levies or other indirect charges that unnecessarily inflate fuel costs. President Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA), Rauf Ibrahim, said the government is unlikely to provide any big relief to the consumers in the shape of GST reduction or other taxes on various commodities due to the IMF’s pressure to increase tax collection, while the economy is already under pressure due to stagnant exports and rising imports. Rising prices A general price survey before the previous and current federal budgets reveals a steep rise in wheat and flour varieties despite the arrival of Sindh and Punjab crops in March/April. As per data from the Sensitive Price Index ending June 4, 2026, versus June 4, 2025, a 10kg wheat bag is now available at Rs 1,095 versus Rs653, resulting in a price hike for various roti varieties by Rs2 to Rs10 per piece. Sindh Minister for Food Makhdoom Mehboob Uz Zaman, on June 2, 2026, took notice of the increase in bread and flour prices in different parts of Sindh and directed the Sindh Food Department and concerned district administrations to submit a detailed report on flour prices, wheat stock positions, supply chain issues, and any possible hoarding or profiteering in the market. He said Sindh has produced a bumper wheat crop this year, and there is no justification for creating panic in the market. Similarly, the prices of beef with bones and mutton have risen to Rs1,000–1,550 and Rs1,800–2,900 per kg, respectively, from Rs800–1,400 and Rs1,600–2,450 per kg, while exports of meat and meat preparations to the Middle East and other regions continue amid the ongoing conflict in the region. Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, June 8th, 2026

PPP leads GB poll tally despite crying foul

• Preliminary count has PPP ahead on 10 seats; PML-N has upper hand in six constituencies • Independents carve out leads on five seats; PTI-aligned candidates set to claim two districts; MWM ahead in one race • PPP, PTI complain of widespread irregularities PEOPLE cast their votes at a polling station during the Gilgit-Baltistan elections.—Dawn GILGIT: The PPP appeared to be leading in the unofficial, early tallies for 24 seats of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, even as political parties cried foul and levelled serious allegations of vote-rigging. The preliminary count from Sunday’s closely watched polls indicates the PPP is currently leading in 10 constituencies; with the PML-N ahead in six, and independent candidates holding the lead in five constituencies. Meanwhile, PTI-backed independent candidates, contesting without their party’s traditional electoral symbol, were ahead on two seats, while their ally, the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen, was leading the race in one constituency. According to unofficial and unverified results, shared by the Gilgit Baltistan Election Commission, PPP regional president Amjad Hussain is leading in GBA-1 (Gilgit), while former chief minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman of the PML-N is ahead in GBA-2 (Gilgit). PTI-backed independent Sohail Abbas is currently leading the GBA-3 (Gilgit) constituency. In Nagar, Muhammad Ali Akhtar is leading in GBA-4 and Zulfiqar Ali Murad is ahead in GBA-5. Across the Skardu district and neighbouring areas, the PPP was also leading in five additional seats: Syed Tauqeer Mehdi in GBA-7 (Skardu), Fida Muha­mmad Nashad in GBA-9 (Skardu), Nasir Ali Khan in GBA-10 (Rondu), Iqbal Hassan in GBA-11 (Kharmang), and Imran Nadeem in GBA-12 (Shigar). The MWM’s sole lead is in GBA-8 (Skardu), where Muha­mmad Kazim is ahead. The PML-N demonstrates concentrated support in the Astore district, where Rana Farman Ali and Rana Muhammad Farooq are leading in GBA-13 and GBA-14, respectively. The party is also ahead through Kifayat ur Rehman in GBA-18 (Tangir), Abdul Jahan in GBA-20 (Ghizer), and Muhammad Ibrahim in GBA-22 (Ghanche). Independent candidates are currently leading across Diamer, Yasin, and Ghanche. Muhammad Dilpazir and Imam Malik are ahead in GBA-15 and GBA-16 in Diamer. In Yasin, Aman Ali is leading in GBA-21, while independents Anwar and Asad Shafiq are holding leads in GBA-23 and GBA-24 in Ghanche. Rounding out the preliminary results, PTI-backed independent Naik Nam Karim is leading in GBA-6 (Hunza). In Darel, PPP’s Muhammad Naseem is ahead in GBA-17, and his party colleague Syed Jalal is leading in GBA-19 in Ghizer. Rigging allegations Despite their early lead, the PPP was among the parties most vocal in their complaints of alleged irregularities and rigging. Both the PPP and the PTI separately accused officials of delaying the release of official paperwork used to verify results at the polling-station level. PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari alleged that presiding officers refused to provide Form-45, the official vote count prepared at each polling station. “We have contacted the chief election commissioner and informed him about the matter,” Bukhari said in a statement. PPP spokesperson Sha­zia Marri called the delay unacceptable, adding that altered voter lists and shifted polling stations indicated systemic rigging. The PPP, which is a coalition partner in the federal government, alleged that the Balachi polling station in Astore-II’s Bunji area was relocated from a roadside to a hilltop overnight, prompting residents to block the Gilgit-Skardu Road in protest. Concurrently, the PTI, whose candidates ran as independents after the party lost its electoral symbol, also alleged manipulation after initially claiming its candidates were ahead in several constituencies. In a statement, the party said its candidates were leading until 7pm, after which “suspicious results” began to emerge, including reported turnouts above 80 per cent and individual ballot boxes containing “700 to 800 votes”. It further said, “This is a blot on the entire electoral process and its transparency.” The PTI also alleged that its polling agents were not being issued Form-46, terming it a “clear violation of election laws that has further intensified fears of result manipulation”. It said reports had emerged of members of other parties being caught red-handed with fake ballot papers in multiple areas, including Nagar. “This rigging is part of a well-planned and systematic conspiracy,” the party has claimed. It alleged that before polling, voter lists were tampered with in specific constituencies, police and administration were used to change delimitation and polling schemes, and opposition candidates and workers were “systematically harassed and pressurised”. The PTI warned that any attempt to manipulate the results would have serious consequences. “PTI will employ every constitutional, legal, and democratic avenue to protect the votes of its supporters. We demand that authentic results from all polling stations be released immediately, Form-45 and Form-46 be provided to every candidate without delay, a swift inquiry be conducted into suspicious polling stations with strict action against those responsible, and the Election Commission fulfil its constitutional duty by ensuring complete transparency,” the party stated. The sharp accusations came after officials earlier presented a more positive picture of the voting process. Gilgit-Baltistan’s chief election commissioner, Raja Shahbaz Khan, visited about 10 polling stations across Gilgit city and said security arrangements were satisfactory. He also noted a high turnout among women, with 396,937 registered female voters in the region. Caretaker interior minister Sajid Ali Baig similarly described the day as generally peaceful, though he acknowledged minor irregularities and said authorities had responded quickly. The election was held after a four-month delay attributed to harsh winter weather. In total, 396 candidates contested the vote, including 266 independents and eight women, competing for 24 of the assembly’s 33 seats. Officials said 963,034 registered voters were eligible to cast ballots across 10 districts. The highly competitive race featured 23 candidates from the PPP, 22 from the PML-N, and a 22-candidate alliance between the PTI and Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen. Attention has now turned to the outcome and the likely contest for the chief ministership. Among the leading contenders are the PPP’s regional president, Amjad Hussain, contesting from GBA-1, and the PML-N’s regional president, Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, contesting from GBA-2 Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026

Lee highlights growth-focused use of chip tax windfall

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday said excess tax revenue from the semiconductor boom should be used for long-term investments to boost growth, while taking a cautious stance on calls for companies to share excess profits with workers. The remarks came during a press conference marking the first anniversary of his inauguration at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. Lee said excess tax revenue could fluctuate depending on economic conditions and should therefore be used for future generations and to strength

7.8 magnitude earthquake shakes part of southern Philippines — tsunami possible for some coasts

The quake struck 8 miles southwest of General Santos city, with potential tsunami waves up to 10 feet high for the Philippines.

VR Man in 2026? One fan reimagined Singapore's TV superhero in an AI-generated video

A VR Man fan created an AI-generated tribute imagining what Singapore's first TV superhero might look in 2026, complete with upgraded armour, bigger action and plenty of nostalgia.

Angola: People With Albinism Undergo Skin Cancer Screening in Cuanza-Sul

[ANGOP] Sumbe -- At least 100 people with albinism participated on Saturday in a skin cancer screening campaign held at the Comandante Raul Arguelles General Hospital in the province of Cuanza-Sul.

Spencer Pratt falls behind Nithya Raman in LA mayoral race after latest vote update

Republican Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt fell behind Councilwoman Nithya Raman in the city’s mayoral primary election Sunday night, threatening the former reality TV star’s chances of advancing to the November general election against incumbent mayor Karen Bass. Raman overtook Pratt for second place after a vote count update revealed she had received 27.1% […]

Strong earthquake strikes southern Philippines with tsunami warnings issued

People told to prepare for waves of up to three metres in parts of the Philippines, with smaller waves possible in Indonesia and Malaysia A magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook part of the southern Philippines early on Monday, sparking tsunami warnings on some regional coasts, collapsing some houses and killing at least one person. “Many buildings were affected, but I cannot enumerate them now because we are busy with ongoing rescues,” Master Sergeant Robert Dagon of the General Santos City police told Agence France-Presse. Continue reading...

7.8 magnitude quake hits southern Philippines; tsunami risk for some coasts

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the epicenter was 8 miles from General Santos city on the island of Mindanao.

Middle East war live: Israel plans to strike Iran 'with force' once given green light

Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir vowed Sunday that the military would strike Iran "with force" upon receiving orders, after the Islamic Republic fired missiles at Israel. Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they were attacking the headquarters of "terrorist groups" in Iraqi Kurdistan. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

S. Korea, ASEAN to kick off negotiations for improving bilateral FTA

South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are set to commence official talks for upgrading their free trade agreement, as part of the ongoing effort to expand bilateral ties in emerging areas, such as digital economy and critical minerals, Seoul's trade ministry said Monday. The first round of official negotiations is scheduled to take place throughout this week in Seoul, with Park Geun-oh, director general for trade agreement policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resour