Islamabad: The federal government lifted the import ban on certain items -- other than cat and dog foods, the Ministry of Commerce clarified Saturday.

On May 19, the government had imposed a ban on the import of non-essential luxury items under an "emergency economic plan" to "save the country's foreign exchange".

Pet owners had raised concerns on social media, urging the government to reconsider it.

The ministry today issued the notification, announcing to lift restrictions on the import of certain items and those which were ordered before May to address the concerns of the citizenry and certain anomalies out of implementation of the SRO 598(1)2022 -- dated May 19.

The restriction "shall not apply on the import of goods for which an Airway Bill has been issued prior to the issuance of the said SRO.

On May 19, the government had banned the import of over 30 luxury items including cars and fruit jams in an austerity move to help boost the country's faltering economy.

Lahore: A special court in Lahore extended on Saturday the interim bail of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz until June 4 in the hearing of a Rs16 billion money laundering case against them.

According to details, a special court conducted a hearing of a money laundering case against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shehbaz.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz were present in the courtroom during the hearing.

Judge Ijaz Hassan Awan expressed resentment over the FIA's investigation officer’s report about arrest warrants of absconding accused Salman Shehbaz, Malik Maqsood and Tahir Naqvi.

The judge remarked that a report was submitted an year ago about sending notices to the accused to their addresses. Now, the report said that accused were not found at their concerned address. “Which of the reports to be believed”, he questioned.

Shehbaz Sharif’s counsel Amjad Pervaiz argued that the facts are wrong in the challan. The cases were made by using government machinery, the prosecution was aware that these could not be proved in the court, the counsel said.

The court allowed PM Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz to leave.

The counsel also argued over a plea for a permanent exemption to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the case.

Fire ripped through a superyacht in southwest England on Saturday, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and briefly releasing the burning vessel to drift across its marina.

Police and fire officials said the 85 foot (26 metre) yacht in Torquay, Devon, was "well alight" and the fire brigade said the vessel contained about 8,000 litres of diesel fuel, prompting local areas and nearby beaches to be cleared.

The police said no one had been injured in the fire and the yacht had since been secured after it broke free from its mooring. The police did not say who owned the yacht.

SOURCE: REUTERS