PESHAWAR: Government has introduced an Investment Tax Scheme for new and old tax-payers under which the tax-payers can legalize their properties.This was told by director-general Regional Tax Office Abida Ali while addressing the members of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce in Peshawar.She said that under the Investment Tax Scheme, a tax-payer can declare his property by paying only two per cent tax on his revocable or irrevocable property. The tax-payers can avail this scheme from July 1 to December 31.Abida Ali further said that a Tax Arrears Settlement scheme has been introduced for paying arrears and fines. Under this scheme, all outstanding bills can be deposited altogether from July 1 to September 30.

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ISLAMABAD: Seats of five private members in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) have become vacant and the new members could not be appointed.According to the FBR sources, the vacant seats include the important seats of member audit, member tax reforms and member human resources.The contracts of member tax reforms Habib Fakhruddin, member audit Abdul Razzaq and member fiscal research Dr Athar Maqsood have expired, member HR Mohammad Talha has also gone while member information management A.Z. Chaudhry, s tenure of employment has been completed.

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The attack has raised concerns in Pakistan about the United States’ increased willingness to take unilateral action in the war on terror.

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KARACHI: The PTCL employees have ended their strike on acceptance of all their demands.According to sources, salaries of contract and regular employees have been raised by 35 per cent after their successful negotitations.The contract employees have been regularized while they will be given all benefits except pension.This has been decided at the negotiations to form a committee for increase in salaries and this committee will submit its proposals to the government and the PTCL management.

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Two new polio cases have been confirmed in Pakistan, bringing the total number of sufferers of the crippling disease in the country to 20 this year, health officials said Tuesday.

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KARACHI: Captain Pakistan cricket team Shoaib Malik said that he asked the star players of foreign teams to ensure their participation in the Champions Trophy as they would be provided complete protection in Pakistan.Talking with media after a ceremony at a local hotel, Shoaib Malik said that the ICC Champions Trophy would be held in Pakistan according to the schedule.He said that whatever the security concerns the foreign teams and star players have in their minds are baseless. Besides the successful holding of the Asia Cup, many foreign teams have come and played here.

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KARACHI: Heavy rains have lashed different parts of Karachi here on late Tuesday and the Karachiites had a sigh of relief eventually after long wave of hot weather.Rains lashed in torrents areas of Surjani town, North Karachi, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad etc.Rainwater accumulated on many streets, as many major arteries in the city were clogged with traffic, which include I.I Chundrigar, Shahrah-e-Faisal etc.Many motorcyclists injured as their motorbikes overturned due to slippery roads and severe electric outage was also witnessed in many areas.Met department forecast continuous spell of rains in next 24-hours in almost all parts of the metropolis as the temperature declined to 30 Degree Celsius with 57% humidity in the air.

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KARACHI: Sindh Health Department has devised a strategy to combat dengue fever across Sindh province in view of monsoon rains. Provincial Health Minister Dr Saghir Ahmed presided over a high level meeting at his office here on Tuesday to finalize arrangements in this regard. The meeting was also attended among others by Sindh Government Hospital Lyari MS Dr Mukhtar Khawaja, EDO Health Karachi Dr AD Sajnani, Sindh Government Children Hospital MS Dr Asif Zaman, Sindh Government New Karachi Hospital MS Qaiser Sultan, Saudabad Hospital MS Aftab Aziz, Blood Transfusion Authority Secretary Dr Zahid Ansari, Services Hospital Karachi MS Dr Aslam Pechoho, Health Secretary Shafiq Ahmed Khoso, Civil Hospital Karachi MS Dr Saeed Qureshi, Special Secretary Health Dr Shafqat Abbasi and Dengue Surveillance Cell Focal Person Dr Shakil Malik. The minister said that all EDOs Health have been directed to provide diagnosis kits and other equipment at all the hospital in Sindh. Dr Saghir Ahmed said that Civil Hospitals in Karachi and Hyderabad have been declared central treatment centers for dengue fever while Incharges of Sindh Government Hospitals of Orangi, Saudabad, Korangi and Liaquatabad have been directed to finalize arrangements to combat dengue fever.

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WANA: Security forces have conducted an operation in Dandi dar Pakhel area of North Waziristan against suspected militants and their hideouts.Four military helicopters were also part of the operation, providing surveillance as well as aerial cover to ground forces.According to sources, security forces also searched a seminary and locked the district seminary. No arrests have been made so far.

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India and Pakistan traded blame Tuesday for a ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that left an Indian soldier dead.

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