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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has this week formally announced its candidacy for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2026–2028 term, vowing to pursue a platform based on tolerance, universality and consensus-building.

The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday during a reception hosted by Pakistan’s Mission in New York as the country assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of July.

Pakistan has previously served multiple terms on the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, which is composed of 47 member states elected for staggered three-year terms by the UN General Assembly. The next round of elections is scheduled for late 2025.

“Pakistan has also presented its candidature for election to the Human Rights Council for the term 2026–2028. Our engagement with the Human Rights Council is guided by the idea of truth, tolerance, respect, universality, consensus-building and engagement,” Dar said at the dinner.

“Pakistan’s candidature is endorsed by the Asia-Pacific Group, and we hope to count on your valuable support.”

The announcement coincides with Pakistan’s broader push for UN reform, its active participation in Security Council deliberations this month and its ongoing diplomatic efforts to strengthen the UN system’s focus on peace, development, and rights.

Dar also used the reception to reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to multilateral diplomacy and UN Charter principles, especially the peaceful resolution of disputes and the non-use of force. 

As part of its Security Council presidency, Pakistan has prioritized three areas: the peaceful settlement of disputes, multilateralism and enhanced cooperation between the UN and regional bodies such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dar explained. 

“These same guiding principles continue to shape our contributions to the Council’s work, including in our presidency this month, both in deliberations and in action,” the deputy prime minister said, noting that Pakistan continues to support “reform of the United Nations to make this organization stronger, more effective, and more responsive to the interest and priorities of the general membership.”

Pakistan, he added, has “championed strengthening of the three pillars of the United Nations — peace and security, development and human rights,” including across the General Assembly, ECOSOC, and other multilateral platforms.

On Tuesday, under Pakistan’s presidency, the UNSC unanimously adopted a resolution calling on member states to use peaceful means to resolve disputes.

The resolution encourages states to make full use of existing mechanisms such as “negotiation, mediation, arbitration, judicial settlement or other peaceful means,” in accordance with the UN Charter.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio rose by 1.5 percentage points in fiscal year 2024–25 to reach 10.6%, officials said on Wednesday, marking progress toward the government’s 13% target under a three-year International Monetary Fund (IMF) reform program.

The increase comes as part of fiscal commitments under a 37-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the IMF approved last year. During a review meeting in Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for tighter oversight and accelerated digital reforms to expand the country’s tax base and bring more of the informal economy into the net.

The tax-to-GDP ratio had stood at 9.1% the previous year, and rose to 10.6% by the end of June 2025, according to a briefing at the meeting chaired by the prime minister.

The government aims to continue raising the ratio under a wider economic and structural reform agenda backed by the IMF, which includes digitization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), to improve enforcement and increase compliance.

“Digitization at the FBR has helped meet targets, but steps must now be taken to ensure the system becomes sustainable,” the prime minister was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office. “Enforcement must be strengthened further to curb the informal economy.”

The meeting was told that total tax revenue collected in FY2024–25 crossed Rs20.4 trillion ($71.4 billion), while the number of income tax return filers jumped from 4.5 million in 2024 to over 7.2 million by June 2025.

Officials credited the increase to enhanced enforcement, including reforms in the retail sector, integration of point-of-sale systems, and an expanded digital footprint.

They said tax revenue from the retail sector alone rose by Rs455 billion ($1.6 billion) compared to the previous year.

The prime minister instructed FBR to fast-track the restructuring of its digital wing, set deadlines for implementation, and consult all stakeholders, including taxpayers and the business community, to ensure the reform process remains inclusive.

He also praised FBR officials and directed them to present actionable targets for the next phase of reforms within a week.