WASHINGTON: The United States has not scheduled talks with the Taliban, the State Department said Wednesday, after reports that discussions with the Afghan insurgent group could begin this week in Qatar.
“Reports of a meeting being scheduled or on the books aren’t accurate,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, saying Washington had “never confirmed”the date and place of any specific meeting.

ISLAMABAD, June 19: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has initiated in-house brainstorming to make the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) an effective body of his ministry, a government official privy to the development told DNA.
A fully operational Nacta will be the cornerstone of the new national security plan, the contours of which will be shared with members of the parliament in the coming days, according to the minister.

ISLAMABAD, June 19: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has criticised the US and said that stringent preconditions could put Afghan reconciliation process in jeopardy. “Such preconditions can even scuttle the prospects of talks before any meaningful negotiations kick off,” he said. “Instead, the US should take confidence-building measures that will lead to positive sentiments on both sides and will also have positive impacts on the talks’ result.” The Maulana said the US had committed the same mistake when the first Obama administration asked the Taliban to take some measures before any engagement on the pressure of the Congress and other domestic lobbies.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly is to begin general discussion on the budget for financial year 2013-14 today (Thursday) but Speaker Asad Qaisar has yet to name leader of the opposition in the House. According to the assembly secretariat, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz with 17 members has emerged as the single largest opposition party in the 124-strong House followed by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl with 15 members.

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Sirajul Haq on Wednesday ruled out any role for the members of the provincial and national assemblies in the use of development funds in future. “We’ve allocated Rs1 billion for the early holding of the local body elections in the province. Once the power is transferred to local bodies, all funds will be used at local level with no interference of lawmakers in their utilisation. Their (lawmakers) role will be limited to legislation only,” he told a news conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad.

ISLAMABAD: Attorney General of Pakistan Munir A. Malik on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court that 70 edible items including cooking oil, peppers, seeds, sugarcane, eggs, fish, fruits and medicines are exempted from General Sales Tax (GST).
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heard a case pertaining to one per cent hike in General Sales Tax.The attorney general said that action would be taken against those found receiving GST on food items.

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Wednesday submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan a fresh list of newly-elected National Assembly members whose educational degrees are suspicious.

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue has issued the list of products which are exempted General Sales Tax (GST). Chairman FBR has directed all field offices to monitor the situation closely.