Pakistan’s trade with Central Asian states, Afghanistan, and Azerbaijan grew significantly in the fiscal year 2024–25, reaching $2.41 billion compared to $1.92 billion in the previous year. The surge reflects a renewed momentum in regional economic ties, with both exports and imports showing upward trends. According to official data, Pakistan’s exports to these countries rose to $1.77 billion in FY2025, …

Serious questions of transparency have emerged over the Sindh Solar Energy Project, a flagship initiative of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), after reports of alleged irregularities in contracts and imports. Funded by the World Bank with an estimated cost of Rs. 28 billion, the first phase of the project aimed to distribute 200,000 solar home systems, with plans to expand …

Newly inducted officers of the Commerce and Trade Group, currently undergoing the 31st Specialized Training Program (STP) at the Pakistan Institute of Trade and Development (PITAD), visited the headquarters of the Pakistan Textile Council (PTC) in Islamabad as part of their training today. The session introduced the officers to Pakistan’s textile and apparel sector, the country’s largest export industry and …

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed delight as the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) crossed the historic 160,000-point mark, terming it a reflection of growing investor confidence in the government’s policies. In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office Media Wing, Shehbaz Sharif said that the record performance of the stock market was made possible by the blessings …

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, inaugurated the 14th meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Beijing, calling it the beginning of a new era of high-quality, inclusive, and people-centered development under Phase II of the project. In his opening address, the Minister described Pakistan and China as …

Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Finance, Revenue and Investment, Haroon Akhtar Khan, chaired a high-level meeting with tractor manufacturers and investors to discuss plans for setting up a Belarus tractor assembly line in Pakistan. The meeting was attended by representatives of private tractor investors, Margalla Heavy Industries Limited, Heavy Industries Taxila, and Green Corporate Initiatives. Discussions focused on establishing an …

Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Secretary General Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari has proposed fixing the wheat support price at Rs 4,500 per maund, urging the federal government to prioritize agriculture and protect farmers from losses. In a statement on Wednesday, Bukhari termed the federal minister for food security’s remarks about importing wheat worth $1.5 billion “alarming,” warning that such imports …

Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday set an ambitious target of achieving $30 billion in pharmaceutical exports within the next five years, reaffirming the government’s full support for the industry. He was addressing the 8th Pakistan Pharma Summit and the 4th Pharma Export Summit and Awards (PESA 2025) today in Islamabad. The …

The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD) successfully concluded the second edition of the Best of Entrepreneurship Series in Asia (BOE Asia 2025) at Karachi Expo Centre on September 24, held on the sidelines of the 26th ITCN Asia. As part of its strategic vision to propel the Asian entrepreneurial landscape and expand opportunities within tech-driven entrepreneurial cultures and …

Pakistan is preparing to secure $750 million (Rs2.11 trillion) in external financing over the coming weeks through two initiatives the issuance of Panda Bonds in China’s market and commercial financing from international banks. According to media reports, the government is considering raising $300–500 million in commercial loans through a consortium of international banks, including Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered. The …

A new report by the World Bank has revealed that poverty in Pakistan has increased significantly over the past three years, with the rate rising by 7 percentage points. World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, Bholoruma Amgaabazar, told a press briefing that Pakistan’s poverty rate currently stands at 25.3%, compared to 18.3% in 2022. The rate climbed to 24.8% in …

Pakistan is sitting on an estimated 1,234 million barrels of oil reserves and the government says accelerated exploration could significantly boost domestic production and cut reliance on expensive imports. Minister of State for Petroleum Ali Pervez Malik revealed that with $25–30 billion investment over the next decade, up to 10 percent of the reserves could be tapped, potentially saving billions …

Pakistan’s first Trade Dispute Resolution Commission (TDRC) has officially begun operations, marking a landmark development in the country’s trade governance framework. Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan inaugurated the Commission, describing it as a “transformational step” that will provide businesses with a neutral, transparent, and efficient mechanism for resolving trade disputes. This is the first time since the passage …

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Minister for Commerce on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review the country’s trade performance during the first two months of the financial year 2025–26. Senior officials and representatives from relevant departments attended the meeting, which focused on sustaining export momentum and shaping strategies for long-term trade growth. The meeting noted that Pakistan’s exports remained stable at USD …

ISLAMABAD: President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Atif Ikram Sheikh has said that CPEC Phase Two offers a rare opportunity to take Pakistan-China cooperation to new heights. He was addressing a promotional event in Islamabad on Wednesday for the upcoming China International Import Expo, organized by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). …

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) surged past the 156,000-point mark for the first time in its history on Monday, buoyed by strengthening macroeconomic indicators and the continued appreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar. The KSE-100 benchmark index hovered at 156,080.79 points, reflecting a gain of 1,803.6 points, or 0.63 percent, from the previous close of 154,277.19. The …

KARACHI: The Pakistan Textile Council (PTC) held its annual general meeting in Karachi, bringing together leading textile exporters, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. The event’s chief guest, Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Jameel Ahmad, delivered a detailed address highlighting Pakistan’s improving economic fundamentals, while PTC leadership pressed for urgent reforms to strengthen export competitiveness. Governor Jameel Ahmad said Pakistan had …

Gold prices surged sharply in international and domestic markets on Saturday, pushing local rates to record highs. According to reports, the price of gold in the international bullion market rose by USD 36 per ounce, reaching USD 3,447. Following the global increase, the price of gold in Pakistan also climbed by Rs3,600 per tola, hitting a new all-time high of …

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed the week on a bullish note on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 index advancing 1,274 points to settle at 148,618, up 0.86% day-on-day. The rebound came after a volatile week, fueled by expectations of flood rehabilitation-related spending and cyclical sector recovery. Market participation surged, with trading volumes rising sharply to 625 million shares …

ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday approved Rs25 billion in severance package in order to sack another 6,878 employees of Utility Stores Corporation (USC), bringing down the curtain on a half-a-century-old entity that served the underprivileged with subsidised goods through its 5,600 outlets. Established in 1971, the USC had been catering to the needs of underserved people by providing them essential …

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) ended Thursday’s session with a slight dip as traders stayed on sidelines amid a mix of domestic and external pressures. The KSE-100 index gave up 150.52 points, or 0.10%, to close at 147,343.51, reflecting a clear lack of direction during a week dominated by contract rollovers. Investors remained cautious over risks of flood damage …

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed lower on Tuesday amid ongoing contract rollover pressure on investors. The KSE-100 index remained volatile, hitting the intra-day high of 149,453 points, before coming down significantly to close at 148,435, a decrease of 380.24 points, or 0.26%. Analysts mentioned that concerns over a proposed hike in industrial gas tariffs, alongside geopolitical uncertainty, played …

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened the rollover week on a turbulent note on Monday as profit-taking and cautious sentiment drove the benchmark KSE-100 index from the intra-day high of 586 points to the low of 735 points. It closed the day at 148,815.31, representing a decrease of 677.75 points, or 0.45%. Banking and cement stocks weighed heavily on the …

KARACHI: The rates of 24-karat gold per tola fell on Friday, August 22, 2025, in line with a decline in the international market, the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association reported. The rate of 24-karat gold dropped by Rs1,500 to Rs355,700 per tola, compared to Rs357,200 on the previous trading day. Similarly, the price of 10 grams of 24-karat …

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a 410 million U.S. dollar financing package for the Reko Diq copper-gold mine in Pakistan, the ADB said on Friday. The project will help meet rising global demand for critical minerals and unlock transformative economic development and poverty reduction in the South Asian country, the ADB said in a statement. Located in the …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s textile exports surged by over 32 percent during the first month of the current fiscal year 2025-2026, compared to the same period of the last fiscal year, officials from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said on Thursday. The textile exports were recorded at 1.679 billion U.S. dollars during July 2025, as against 1.271 billion dollars during July …

LAHORE: President of the Lahore Tax Bar Association (LTBA) Muhammad Asif Rana has called on the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to immediately notify the final income tax return for Tax Year 2025 and resolve ongoing technical glitches in the IRIS e-filing system to ensure smooth and timely compliance. In a letter to the FBR chairman, Rana noted the tax …

The Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) upheld the order of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) against the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) for “fixing the price of wheat flour”. However, the CAT reduced the fine amount to Rs35 million from previously Rs75 million the CCP had imposed in its 2019 order, according to a CCP statement on Tuesday. In 2019, …

The equity market slightly higher on Tuesday, with the benchmark index trading firmly in the green for most of the session as institutional buying and upbeat investor sentiment kept the market buoyant. “Investments from mutual funds is carrying market forward in light of good results, improving US relationships and macroeconomic rerating. Some positivity also expected due to circular debt resolution,” …

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has pointed out that the memorandum of understandings (MoUs) between the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) and the provincial governments, as laid down in the financing agreement of “Digital Economy Enhancement Project” (DEEP) of $78 million, are still pending. Official documents of the Bank also stressed on stronger coordination among the project implementation entities …

Elon Musk’s electric car and energy company Tesla has applied for a licence to supply electricity to British homes. If approved by the energy watchdog Ofgem, it would allow Tesla to take on the big firms that dominate the UK energy market to provide electricity to households and businesses in England, Scotland and Wales as soon as next year. Tesla, …

The inflow of overseas workers’ remittances into Pakistan stood at $3.2 billion in July 2025, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data showed on Friday. Remittances increased by 7.4% year over year, compared to $3 billion recorded in the same month last year. On a monthly basis, remittances were down 6%, compared to $3.4 billion in June. Home remittances play a …

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected a decline in Pakistan’s inflation this year, attributing it to falling food and commodity prices, even as regional economies brace for the impact of rising global trade tensions. In its latest report on the economies of developing Asia and the Pacific, the ADB maintained its inflation forecast for Pakistan for fiscal year 2025-26 …

The federal government has issued a notification announcing major revisions in the profit rates of various National Savings Schemes, effective immediately. The move comes as part of routine adjustments aligned with prevailing economic conditions, including inflation and policy rates. According to the notification, the rate of return on Regular Income Certificates has been fixed at 11.16%, while the average return …

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) clarified that it has never declared virtual assets (VAs), including cryptocurrencies as illegal. In a press release issued by the central bank, the SBP stated that the advisory directed banks, microfinance institutions, development finance institutions (DFIs), electronic money institutions (EMIs), and other financial service providers to refrain from dealing in VAs purely as a …

International markets witnessed a sharp decline in crude oil prices, with a 7% drop recorded. According to global media reports, Brent crude oil prices fell by $5.04, reaching $69.91 per barrel, while U.S. crude oil dropped $5.13, settling at $66.58 per barrel. Meanwhile, natural gas prices rose by 2%, with the new rate standing at $4.14 per MMBtu. The decline …

VEHARI: The National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) took center stage at the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Agri Festival 2025, held on Thursday in Vehari City. The event brought together commercial banks, the SBP team, pesticide and fertilizer companies, tractor manufacturers, agricultural implement traders, and farmers, fostering collaboration and innovation in the agricultural sector. The festival was graced by the …

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should focus entirely on tax collection to ensure economic progress. Addressing the business community in Peshawar, he highlighted several government reforms designed to foster stability and growth in Pakistan’s economy. He mentioned that measures such as lowering the policy rate and interest rates are a result …

BRUSSELS: For much of 2024, electric vehicle (EV) disputes have weighed heavily on the economic and trade ties between China and the European Union (EU). The “love-hate” relationship, marked by both friction and interdependence, has left the two powers navigating a precarious path — seeking common ground even as uncertainty looms. UNCERTAINTIES CLOUD COOPERATION What started as an EU investigation …

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) made history on Thursday as the benchmark KSE-100 index surged past the significant 100,000-point mark, reflecting investor optimism and a positive start to the trading session. At 09:42AM, the benchmark KSE-100 index climbed by 947.32 points, or 0.95%, reaching 100,216.57 points, up from its previous close of 99,269.25 points. This milestone comes as a remarkable recovery …