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The Ebola outbreak raging in central Africa had a “big head-start”, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief acknowledged Wednesday, but insisted efforts to rein in the deadly virus were making progress.

The outbreak, which was declared on May 15 in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has so far been confirmed to have infected 359 people, including 61 who have died.

But the actual numbers could be far higher, with the virus believed to have been spreading under the radar for some time before it was detected.

“The outbreak had a big head-start and we’re still behind,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at the UN health agency’s headquarters in Geneva, but insisted that “we’re catching up”.

Tedros, who had just returned from a trip to DRC, where he travelled to the outbreak’s epicentre in Ituri province, said he had been “very encouraged by the level of commitment I saw everywhere I went”.

But challenges remain, he said, warning that “the virus is ahead of us… we need to move faster”.

It has been clear from the start that the difficulties would be daunting, with the outbreak concentrated in Ituri, where decades of armed conflicts have forced millions of people from their homes and into crowded camps.

Ebola patient visited UAE

The region’s insecurity, limited testing capacity, lagging contact tracing and mistrust among some of the population are among the challenges facing the response, Tedros said.

On top of that, no vaccine or approved treatment exists for Bundibugyo, the rare strain of Ebola behind the current outbreak.

Ebola, which is passed on through close contact and bodily fluids, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.

The current outbreak — the 17th to hit the DRC — has to date seen 344 confirmed Ebola cases across three of the country’s provinces, including 60 deaths, said the WHO.

The UN health agency also tallied 116 suspected cases of the disease.

Fifteen cases, including one death, have also been reported in neighbouring Uganda, including a Congolese resident who had arrived there after first travelling to the United Arab Emirates, Tedros said.

“WHO is working with public health authorities in Uganda and the UAE to gather additional information, assess the risk of exposure during travel, and to facilitate contact tracing,” he said.

Speed up contact tracing

The agency has said the risk from the outbreak is “very high” at the national level, “high” at the regional level, and “low” at the global level.

Tedros stressed on Wednesday that while the WHO recommends exit screening at airports, ports and border crossings in affected countries to prevent the spread of the virus, broader limits were unhelpful.

“Blanket travel restrictions imposed by some countries are disrupting supply chains and hindering the response,” he warned.

“We ask countries that have imposed blanket travel restrictions to lift them.” Reining in the outbreak would instead centre on significantly bolstering and speeding up the response on the ground, including by decentralising laboratory testing in Ebola hotspots, Tedros said.

At present, only around 45 per cent of known contacts of Ebola cases have been followed up, the WHO chief said.

“To get ahead of the outbreak, we need to get that number up to above 90pc.” Abdi Rahman Mahamud, the WHO’s emergency alert and response director, told reporters that so far, more than 1,400 tests had been conducted.

But decentralisation across five priority locations – Mongbwalu, Beni, Aru, Nyakunde and Tchomia – should soon make it possible “to do 1,000 tests a day”.

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ISLAMABAD: Only two in 10 Pakistanis surveyed believe the country is on the right track, with optimism higher among some groups, a survey conducted by market research company Ipsos shows.

Men are more optimistic than women, while rural residents show more optimism than those in urban areas. Of the four provinces, respondents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were the most optimistic about Pakistan’s economy.

The survey also found that confidence in the country’s direction has fallen to 22pc, following a 40pc peak earlier this year amid US–Iran tensions.

The drop indicates a sharp reversal of recent gains, returning to levels broadly comparable with the Covid-19 period.

The survey, conducted last month, included interviews with more than 1,000 people from all four provinces of Pakistan, as well as Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The most pressing issues mentioned in the survey include economic anxiety, unemployment and inflation.

When asked about the current state of the economy, only one in five respondents said the economy was strong.

Among respondents, men were more optimistic than women, and young people were more optimistic than older people.

Furthermore, residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan were more optimistic than those in Punjab.

Respondents identifying as lower-middle-income also showed more optimism than those in other income groups.

As many as 7pc of respondents said they feel comfortable making household purchases, with comfort higher among young people, the upper-middle class, urban residents and respondents in Sindh.

The level of comfort with household purchases has returned to Covid-era levels after a period of stabilisation amid global economic pressures.

The survey shows that only two in 10 respondents expect the economy to strengthen, with optimism concentrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, affluent areas, rural areas and among older respondents.

“Expectations for the economy have declined as rising economic pressures drive a gradual return of pessimism. Personal financial optimism has fallen to 31pc amid weaker sentiment and continued sensitivity to geopolitical shocks such as US–Iran tensions,” it stated.

It also found that confidence in personal financial situations has fallen to 31pc, with relatively higher optimism among youth, men, rural residents, respondents in Punjab and Balochistan, and upper-income groups.

“Confidence in investment remains low at 14pc after a period of stabilisation, with higher optimism among the upper-middle class, respondents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and among men. Comfort in making major purchases remains low at 5pc, stabilising after earlier gains during and after the Pakistan–India conflict,” it said.

The findings show that only one in five Pakistanis feel secure in their jobs, with higher confidence among men, young people, mid-career cohorts and rural residents.

Job security confidence, which had nearly doubled over the past two years, has now fallen to 17pc amid US–Iran tensions.

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The federal government on Tuesday decided to extend the operating hours of shops, markets, restaurants and other commercial outlets as part of its ongoing austerity measures, citing longer daylight hours and rising summer temperatures.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Austerity Measures, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

The government had announced unprecedented austerity measures on March 9 in the wake of the Middle East war to deal with the global energy crisis, which had arisen due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

As per the revised schedule, the closing timings are as follows:

• Shops, markets, malls, and general retail: 9pm
• Restaurants, cafes and eateries: 11pm (takeaway and delivery services exempt)
• Marriage halls and event venues: 10pm (no change in timings)
• Essential services (pharmacies, hospitals, fuel stations, IT & telecom-related services) are exempted.

“The Committee also directed provincial governments to ensure effective implementation of these guidelines in coordination with federal authorities,” the statement said.

On May 11, PM Shehbaz had extended the countrywide austerity drive till June 13.

The measures extended included 50 per cent reduction in fuel allowance for official vehicles, with the exemption of operational vehicles such as ambulances and public buses.

Other steps included grounding 60pc of official vehicles and a complete ban on foreign visits by ministers and government officials, excluding those deemed essential for the country’s interests, as specified the last time.

Among previously announced austerity measures, the working week for all government offices was reduced to four days — Monday to Thursday.

However, the additional holiday was not availed by banks. It did not apply to the agriculture and industrial sectors, or essential services such as hospitals and ambulance services.

Under the measures, the salary of parliamentarians was to be cut by 25pc, while employees of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and government-supervised institutions were to see their salaries cut by 5pc-30pc.

Expenses of government departments were reduced by 20pc, along with a ban on purchasing vehicles, furniture, air conditioners and other items for government departments.

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ISLAMABAD: Four PTI leaders, including the party’s general secretary, were expelled from Gilgit-Baltistan while local leaders were detained on Tuesday.

General elections in GB are scheduled for Sunday (June 7), after a four-month delay attributed to harsh winter weather.

According to the PTI leadership, the party is not being allowed to campaign in the upcoming elections.

“Today, upon entering Gilgit-Baltistan, I, along with Shaukat Basra, Naeem Panjutha, and Zaheer Babar, was stopped by the police within the jurisdiction of Jal Police Station and prevented from proceeding further,” PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja claimed in a post on X.

“The DSP informed us that my name had been specifically listed in their records. We and our colleagues from the Insaf Student Federation (ISF) were subsequently surrounded by police vehicles and forcibly escorted out of the province,” claimed the PTI general secretary.

Raja said that these actions “represent an attempt to restrict our constitutional right to free movement and political activity”.

“Such measures cannot suppress the voice of the people or their democratic aspirations. The nation has already made its decision: it stands with Imran Khan and the cause of freedom,” he added.

Talking to Dawn, Raja said that party leaders were travelling to GB by road, as PTI stalwart and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser had earlier not been allowed to travel by air. Similarly, PTI lawmaker Junaid Akbar was also expelled from the region.

“When we reached the area of Jal police station in Diamer District, we were stopped by the police,” he alleged.

“The police officer was already aware that I was going to Gilgit-Baltistan. They told us that they had orders not to allow us to go there. I asked them who had given the orders, but they said, ‘You can understand who has given us the orders,’” he added.

Raja added that the police travelled with the PTI leaders until they reached Babusar Top, at which point they returned.

Shaukat Basra, while talking to Dawn, said that the people of GB were supporting PTI, and that was why the government was scared of the party’s election campaign.

“They are not giving us a level playing field for the elections, but I believe that the strategy of the government will backfire. While we were expelled, the local leaders and workers of the ISF, who had come to receive us, were arrested by the police,” he added.

Meanwhile, PTI Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram strongly condemned the incident, comparing it with the general elections held on February 8, 2024.

According to Akram, Raja and other party leaders were barred from entering GB and sent back, a “repeat of the suppression tactics used against PTI leadership ahead of and during the 2024 general elections”.

He claimed that police were being provided lists and were identifying and stopping PTI-affiliated individuals from entering the region. Akram said the alleged action “constitutes a clear violation of the Constitution and democratic principles”.

Furthermore, he said a systematic campaign was being carried out in the name of issuing no-objection certificates (NOCs), mirroring the administrative hurdles and restrictions imposed on PTI candidates and workers across Pakistan in February 2024.

He said ruling parties, particularly the PML-N and PPP, were enjoying full state patronage.

“The administration is providing them with facilities and protocol for their public meetings, while every door is being shut on PTI, a clear replication of the one-sided state support extended to these parties in February 2024”, he said.

Earlier today, political bigwigs sought to garner public support in GB as PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari addressed rallies.

Bilawal said the region should be afforded the same rights and protections that other provinces enjoy under the 18th Amendment.

Meanwhile, the PML-N supremo lamented the lack of development in the region.

“I am speaking to you after many years. Isn’t that the case? Perhaps you have forgotten me,” Nawaz said while addressing the public in Gilgit, prompting roaring chants in his support.

The PML-N president then assured the GB residents that he would hold a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and ask him to expand the airport so that commercial jets could operate there.

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PAKISTAN’S farmers are awaiting the next budget with growing fears and fading hopes. Their concerns this year are fundamental, as the government — amid pressure for reform — continues experimenting with subsidies, procurement prices, input-cost liberalisation and agricultural trade.

The cost of this trial-and-error has become an existential problem for farmers and the agricultural sector.

The agriculture sector’s fading hopes are a direct result of the government’s inability — or unwillingness — to adopt a long-term policy direction and muster the political will needed for its implementation.

Deregulation of agricultural inputs has led to a continuous rise in production costs, which the government hesitates to pass on to consumers because of political consequences.

Wheat policy reversals, deregulated input costs and controlled output prices are curtailing farm profitability

Consequently, farmers and agri-sector experts alike agree the government should make a clear decision this year, develop a consistent policy framework, and commit resources to it in the coming budget.

Iqrar Ahmad Khan, former vice chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and author of the Punjab government’s last agricultural policy, supports the farmers’ demands.

“After all, this is going to be the third budget of this government; it must decide where it wants to take the sector. If it wants to regulate agricultural inputs and trade, it should do so clearly. If it plans to deregulate, it must do so unambiguously. But it must make the direction clear.

“If deregulation is the preferred path, as appears to be the case, then the government should stop interfering in the market on behalf of different stakeholders — whether farmers, consumers, traders or manufacturers — at different levels and times, and let the market find its own equilibrium.”

Citing policy somersaults on wheat — the national staple around which much of the agricultural economy revolves — farmers explain how an inconsistent mix of liberalised and controlled policies is proving ruinous for growers.

Responding to lenders’ demands, the federal and provincial governments withdrew from the wheat procurement process two years ago.

But after a crippling price crash last year, the Punjab government lured commercial wheat buyers into the market by promising to share their financial burden and ensure profitability. Within weeks, as the entire model began to collapse, the province reverted to old tactics: raiding farmers’ stocks, seizing wheat shipments on roads and using administrative power to build up the reserves of private buyers.

In the process, it incurred farmers’ wrath twice over — first by withdrawing from the wheat market and then by seizing their produce to rescue a failing liberalisation model. Such somersaults have become routine and now define the government’s handling of the entire agricultural sector.

Structural weaknesses

Beyond pricing and procurement issues, many believe the crisis in agriculture is also rooted in structural weaknesses that successive governments have failed to address.

Dr Asif Ali, vice chancellor of Nawaz Sharif Agriculture University, argues that since landholdings in Pakistan are already highly fragmented — and continue to be divided with each passing generation — the government needs to mitigate the effects through cluster farming and crop zoning.

These clusters could then be linked with providers of quality agricultural inputs, including seed, fertiliser and pesticides, which could also conduct training programmes for farmers. Such a model would help improve the marketing of agricultural produce as well.

He further points out that nearly 65pc of farmers own less than five hectares of land. For such small landholders, most forms of mechanisation are either financially unaffordable or commercially impractical. He suggests the government announce measures in the budget to establish farm machinery rental centres, enabling small farmers to access equipment without bearing the full cost of ownership.

A question of survival

While some experts focus on structural reforms, farmers’ representatives insist the most immediate issue remains economic survival.

Khalid Khokhar of the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad advocates making agriculture profitable on an urgent basis, arguing that it is no longer economically viable. He suggests the creation of a pricing commission to calculate the cost of production for each crop every year, add a 25pc profit margin and announce the price before the crop reaches the market.

“Either put a cap on the cost of inputs or remove the cap on the price of outputs,” he warns. “Otherwise, farmers may soon be pushed out of business and existence.”

Running dry

Water sector remains the most critical challenge facing agriculture. According to data from the Indus River System Authority, water shortages remained in double digits in six of the last 10 years, touching nearly 30pc in 2022-23. Not a single year during this period was free of a water deficit.

Naeem Hotiana, a farmer from central Punjab, points to a stark funding gap: the outgoing Wapda chairman demanded Rs400 billion annually to complete ongoing water projects but received only Rs35 billion — less than 10pc of the required amount.

“The irrigation system was originally designed for 65pc land utilisation, whereas the current cropping intensity in Punjab has already crossed 150pc. Now combine the realities of limited surface-water availability, shrinking groundwater reserves and barely one-tenth of the required investment being provided, and imagine the situation that is emerging. Doesn’t it scare one out of one’s senses?”

He warns the situation will worsen as environmental pressures mount. “Climate change, which is already testing the limits of existing water supplies, only deepens the anxiety.”

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2026

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European Union (EU) top diplomat Kaja Kallas on Monday said the bloc sought stability in the region, adding that it was in everyone’s interest for the ongoing war in the Middle East to end and for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open.

Kallas, who serves as vice-president of the European Commission and the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to participate in the 8th round of the EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, which was held earlier today.

In an interview on the Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, Kallas said, “This is in everybody’s interest that this war is stopped and the Strait of Hormuz is opened. We are paying a very high price. There are a lot of things dependent on the Strait of Hormuz.”

During the appearance on the show, she commended Pakistan for being a mediator between the United States and Iran, bringing all the parties together, adding that, “Eventually, the [warring] parties have to decide.”

“Everybody is hoping that the first phase of this agreement is signed, so the talks on the difficult topics like nuclear can be started,” she said.

Kallas added that the EU seeks stability in the region. “The problems of our neighbour today could be the problems for us tomorrow. We are all very interlinked.”

She called the Strait of Hormuz a “chokepoint”, mentioning that the EU was also looking forward to diversifying its trade routes and supply chain. “You cannot remain dependent on a single route.”

When asked if she sees any parallels between Russia’s war against Ukraine and Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon, she replied: “I see parallels in all these crises undermining international law. We have the UN Charter, which is very clear: you can’t attack another country; you have to respect another country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. No one should be above the law.”

Talking about the renewal of Pakistan’s GSP+ status, Kallas said, “We discussed it with our counterparts today. The preferential access to our markets is also conditional.”

“It is true that we have a report coming up in July, and then the question of renewing this preference,” she added.

“However, the conventions have to be adopted, particularly on human rights issues, where we need to see improvements.”

She elaborated that the renewal process goes through the EU Parliament.

“The EU Parliament is always scrutinising, and we have been raising these issues on what more can be done to improve the situation,” she said.

When asked whether the EU was satisfied with Pakistan’s legislation to meet the conditions, she said: “Our counterparts are mentioning what they are doing in various files, but this is something where we clearly need to see improvements.”

“We are putting forward some very concrete questions. Hopefully, there is time for improvement in those areas, and then we can renew this scheme easily,” she concluded.

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The government must stop shifting the cost of weak revenue mobilisation onto households and the corporate sector and instead offer targeted tax relief to offset the burden imposed in recent years, including a reduction in the petroleum levy. While support for the most vulnerable remains necessary given high poverty levels, sustained job-creating growth is vital.

It is unreasonable to tax a monthly income of Rs50,000, which falls below the amount required for a family’s subsistence. To make the tax regime more logical and equitable, the income tax threshold should be raised to Rs1.5 million per annum (Rs125,000 per month) from the current Rs600,000. The tax slabs and rates should then be recalibrated accordingly to preserve progressivity while providing meaningful relief to low-income earners.

At the same time, there is little justification for imposing a super tax on the already compliant corporate sector while large segments of the economy — including many services, retail and wholesale trade, real estate, and farm landowners — continue to remain undertaxed or effectively enjoy a tax holiday.

With inflation once again edging upward, the persistently high petroleum levy is adding to the cost pressures across the economy. The levy needs to be rationalised and gradually reduced to levels comparable with regional averages to provide much-needed relief to consumers and businesses alike.

‘Attempting to extract more taxes from an already stressed private sector is likely to generate frustration and resentment rather than meaningful additional revenues’

Measures to broaden the tax base by effectively bringing big property owners and traders into the federal tax net, while ensuring that provinces adequately tax agricultural income and other undertaxed service providers, could not only offset the revenue loss from providing relief to overburdened taxpayers but also generate substantial additional revenues.

“A wider and more equitable tax base would improve compliance, reduce distortions, and strengthen fiscal sustainability without placing further pressure on already heavily taxed segments of society,” said a retired Federal Board of Revenue officer.

Meanwhile, revenue targets should be set realistically, considering the near-stagnant state of the economy, where economic growth is barely keeping pace with population growth. Under these circumstances, greater emphasis should be placed on reducing wasteful administrative spending and rationalising the costs of an oversized and inefficient state apparatus.

“Sizeable increase in tax revenues is rarely achieved in a low-growth environment,” observed a tax expert who requested anonymity. “Attempting to extract more taxes from an already stressed private sector is likely to generate frustration and resentment rather than meaningful additional revenues. It could further undermine business confidence, discourage investment, and deepen the economic slowdown at a time when the country can least afford it.”

The government will need to use the budget to convince the public that it is not only cognisant of the mounting economic pressures on households and businesses but is also committed to addressing rising poverty and inequality, while facilitating the private sector for accelerating GDP growth.

More importantly, it must demonstrate a credible strategy to lift growth to the levels capable of generating sufficient productive employment for the country’s expanding workforce and improving living standards on a sustained basis.

The spending patterns witnessed during Eid, where a small segment of society reportedly spent millions on sacrificial animals, in a country where half the population remain below or near the poverty line, underscored the widening gap between the affluent and the struggling majority.

Growing frustration among the youth over limited economic opportunities, coupled with widening income and wealth disparities, is increasingly viewed as a source of political and social risk not only for the government of the day but also for the country’s fragile democratic order and broader institutional framework.

Some observers caution that unless the upcoming budget sends a clear signal that the government is committed to expanding opportunities, reducing barriers to upward social mobility, and addressing economic exclusion, public discontent could intensify. Failure to tackle these underlying grievances may further erode trust in institutions and increase the risk of social unrest.

“We dread a Bangladesh-like situation if mounting economic grievances remain unaddressed. Our platforms are not merely advocating the interests of businesses; we are also urging the government to safeguard the economic rights of citizens and provide tax relief to the middle class,” remarked a leading Karachi-based business leader while explaining the budget proposals submitted to the government.

The reference was to the 2024 turmoil in Bangladesh, widely referred to as the “July Uprising”, a massive, student-led movement that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government. Many analysts view it as a reminder of how economic pressures, perceptions of nepotism and inequality, and limited opportunities can amplify public discontent and trigger wider political instability.

Official estimates place Pakistan’s poverty rate at 28.9 per cent of the population. However, a recently released report by the Social Policy and Development Centre paints a bleak picture, suggesting poverty incidence at 43.5pc in 2024-25, with urban poverty rising at a faster rate.

The report also points to a widening income gap. According to its findings, inequality increased by 12pc between 2018-19 and 2024-25, with deterioration more pronounced in urban centres.

Members of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s economic team were approached for their views on the concerns raised in this report. While some chose not to comment ahead of the budget, the responses of others had not been received by the filing deadline.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, June 1st, 2026

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