1:00 Headlines on 24Digital

♦ Miftah Ismail braces nation for more difficult times ahead: Says Pakistan economy is in dire straits: Economy will crack if problems are not solved: Energy sector losses are more than defence budget: Not buying LNG on time added to the woes: Record loans were obtained during last four years: Miftah addresses post-budget news conference

♦ 15% raise in salaries announced in Budget: Govt unveils Rs9.118tr budget with whopping Rs5.1tr deficit; Special package for Balochistan; monthly stipend of Rs2,000 for poor families from June; spend 550 billion on civil administration; provinces will get Rs4.2tr; Rs580b reserved for subsidies; luxury tax on big houses, farm houses, reduces taxes on import of different raw materials; Rs1522b reserved for Defense; Rs800b fixed for development

♦ Income Tax slabs for salaried class reduced from 12 to 7

♦ Excise duty on cigarettes, air tickets, telecom services increased

♦ Govt announces Fixed Tax on small shopkeepers, car dealers

♦ Govt increases tax on vehicles from 850cc to above 3000cc

♦ Punjab govt also suggests 15 percent pay raise for its employees in budget: 

No new tax proposed; Sahulat programme to continue in next FY: Name of provincial finance minister to be announced shortly

♦ KP govt also readies budget with Rs380 billion outlay

♦ PM Shehbaz tells court corruption cases against him baseless: Court orders to start proceedings to declare Salman Shehbaz as PO

♦ PTI leaders get extension in their bails until June 18

♦ Two Muslims killed by Hindu fanatics in India protests: Police also open fire on Muslim protesters in Indian city of Ranchi: Anti-BJP protests break out in several Indian states

♦ IHC orders ministry to submit Hajj police in the court

♦ AirBlue flight escapes disaster at Peshawar Airport

♦ Passengers fume as chicken qorma fails to ‘board’ PIA flight

♦ Three killed in 210 wildfire incidents across KP: report

♦ Smugglers family arrested, 104kg drugs seized in Islamabad

♦ Gusty winds to cool down heatwave in plain areas

♦ Pakistan posts another 73 coronavirus infections, no death: NIH data shows positivity ratio edges up to 0.54%: Canada suspends random Covid tests at airports: US says Moderna vaccine effective in under-fives

♦ Ex-Punjab minister Abdur Rehman Khar passes away

♦ Azam, Haq, Nawaz star in Pakistan's 10th series win over West Indies

♦ Singer Justin Bieber says suffering from facial paralysis