The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has ordered an immediate suspension of Afghan Transit Trade transportation from Karachi ports, citing severe congestion and a lack of storage capacity at customs stations in Quetta and Peshawar. According to officials, the decision was made during a high-level meeting at the Directorate of Transit Trade Headquarters, Customs House Karachi, chaired by the Director …

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a strong upward trend on Wednesday as the benchmark KSE-100 Index continued its rally, gaining more than 1,500 points in early trading and surpassing the 167,000-point mark. The bullish momentum follows a historic trading session on Tuesday, when the index soared by 7,000 points, closing at 165,476 points—one of the largest single-day gains in …

In a major economic development, Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached a staff-level agreement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), paving the way for the disbursement of $1.2 billion after approval from the IMF Executive Board. According to an IMF statement, Pakistan’s economic reform program, supported by the Fund, is steadily progressing toward stability and restoring market …

Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce, called on Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates, at the Ministry in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. During the meeting, both dignitaries reviewed the state of bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE, underscoring the importance of further …

Pakistan and Vietnam have officially signed and launched negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) aimed at strengthening bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation between the two countries. The announcement and signing took place during a high-level bilateral meeting and the Pakistan–Vietnam Business Forum held in Islamabad, co-chaired by Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and H.E. Nguyen Hong …

Pakistan secured foreign loans worth $10.1 billion during the last fiscal year, according to official data presented by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EAD) before Parliament. The report, covering the period from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, reveals that the government obtained 29 international loans from multilateral and bilateral development partners as well as commercial banks. According to …

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb had a busy first day of his official visit to the United States with a series of high-level meetings on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) in Washington D.C. according to the official statement, the Finance Minister and his …

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has invited US companies to invest in Pakistan’s oil, mineral, agriculture, and information technology sectors, highlighting the country’s improving economic fundamentals and ongoing reform initiatives. According to the Ministry of Finance, the finance minister met with US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Robert Kaproth and other senior officials in Washington, where he briefed them on …

Pakistan’s stock market witnessed another steep decline on Monday, as political uncertainty, renewed border tensions with Afghanistan, and delays in the IMF loan program continued to rattle investor confidence. The benchmark KSE-100 Index plunged 4,654.77 points, or 2.85 percent, to close at 158,443.42, marking the sixth consecutive session of losses. The market has now lost over 9,500 points in just …

The federal government has set an ambitious goal of increasing Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports to 30 billion dollars within the next five years, as part of a broader plan to strengthen the country’s economy and global trade footprint. The target was discussed during a high-level meeting of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), chaired by Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal. …

The 32nd meeting of the Board of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) was held under the chairmanship of Mr. Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production. The meeting reviewed proposed amendments to the SMEDA Ordinance 2002, the appointment process of the new Chief Executive Officer, and the Authority’s SME Formalization …

Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan has emphasized the government’s firm commitment to boosting Pakistan’s agricultural exports through value addition, innovation, and quality enhancement — particularly in the citrus sector. The Minister noted that citrus, especially Kinnow mandarin, holds a crucial place in Pakistan’s export portfolio, and restoring its global competitiveness remains a top priority for the Ministry of …

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, virtually addressed a business session arranged for the visiting Saudi business delegation at the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OICCI) in Karachi today. The event was co-hosted by the OICCI and the Pakistan Business Council (PBC). While expressing gratitude to the leadership of OICCI and PBC for the invitation, …

Pakistan has shared a preliminary report with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) detailing the economic and human losses caused by recent floods, which inflicted damages worth Rs744 billion across the country, according to official sources. The report reveals that 1,037 people lost their lives and 1,068 were injured in the disaster, while around 6.5 million people were affected across 70 …

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has reported a significant increase in remittances from overseas Pakistanis, with inflows reaching $9.53 billion during the first quarter of the current fiscal year—an 8.4 percent rise compared to the same period last year. According to the SBP’s latest data, $3.18 billion were sent to Pakistan in September 2025 alone. Among the top contributing …

The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) has unveiled landmark findings from the Pakistan Panel Household Survey (PPHS) 2024, the country’s only long-term, nationally representative household survey tracking economic and social change for more than two decades. The evidence-packed seminar, titled “Pakistan Panel Household Survey (PPHS): Key Insights and Implications for Policymaking,” featured Dr. Shujaat Farooq, Dean of Research at …

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has imposed heavy financial penalties on Aisha Steel Mills Limited (ASML) and International Steels Limited (ISL) after finding both undertakings guilty of cartelization and price-fixing in violation of Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2010. According to CCP, the CCP’s Bench, comprising Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu and Member Ms. Bushra Naz, passed the …

YB Tuan Gobind Singh Deo, Minister for Digital of Malaysia, called on Mr. Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Commerce of Pakistan, on the sidelines of the Pakistan-Malaysia Business and Investment Conference on October 6 in Kuala Lumpur. During the meeting, the Minister for Commerce and the Minister for Digital emphasized the growing importance of digital transformation in boosting trade, investment, …

The Sindh government has fixed the price of a 100-kilogram flour bag and approved the Wheat Release Policy for 2025–26 to stabilize flour prices across the province. The decision was made during a meeting of the provincial cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Sindh. Under the new policy, the government will release 1.265 million tons of wheat to flour mills, while …

Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani has underscored the vital link between modern transport infrastructure and sustainable economic growth, as he addressed a high-level Ministerial Panel Discussion at the Global Rail Conference and Exhibition in Abu Dhabi. Speaking on the theme “Building Connected Nations: The Role of Transport and Infrastructure in Sustainable Development,” Kayani said, “It …

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has established its Sovereign Sustainable Finance Framework (“Framework”) to reinforce its commitment to sustainability and provide a structured approach for raising Sustainable Financing Instruments (including Green, Social, Sustainability). Through this initiative, Pakistan aims to enhance its participation in the global sustainable finance market while fostering the development of a robust sustainable financing ecosystem. Developed with …

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has taken notice of unverified reports circulating on various media platforms claiming that the deadline for filing Income Tax Returns for Tax Year 2025 will be extended. Some elements have also attempted to link this perceived extension to the recent floods. FBR categorically clarified that these reports are false, baseless, and misleading, as the …

Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik has said that the Oil and Gas Development Company’s (OGDC) five new oil and gas discoveries during the fiscal year 2024-25 are a testament to Pakistan’s vast hydrocarbon potential. The Minister made the remarks during a meeting with the Managing Director and senior executives of OGDC at the company’s head office on Monday. …

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 …