Minister vows swift CPF execution with provinces

Cheema assures World Bank of policy continuity, effective implementation of reforms ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema has assured the World Bank that the federal government is closely coordinating with all provincial governments to effectively implement the 10?year Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Pakistan, which includes $20 billion for development projects and reform…

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PSX extends bullish run, surges over 1,480 points

Overall market participation was strong, as 1,066 million shares were traded with a total value of Rs. 49 billion. KEL led the volume chart, with 195.8 million shares..Photo: Express KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) extended the bullish mode on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index climbing more than 1,480 points in the first hours…

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Govt to end untargeted subsidies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has assured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to end untargeted electricity subsidies for all residential consumers and give any further subsidies only through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) as part of conditions agreed for a $1.2 billion climate support loan. This will impact residential consumers having up to 300 units of monthly…

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CPEC 2.0 to focus on green growth

Chinese consul says Gwadar to become regional trade hub as Iran lauds peace efforts LAHORE: China’s Consul General Sun Yan has said that CPEC 2.0 will focus on high-quality development, including industrialisation, agricultural modernisation, technological innovation, green growth and livelihood improvement, while highlighting Gwadar Port’s potential as a key regional trade hub. Speaking at a…

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ME peace deal hopes ignite strong PSX rally

KARACHI: With growing hopes for a lasting peace agreement between the United States and Iran, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday staged a robust rally, during which it notched up gains of nearly 7,000 points, powered by deep investor interest in high-yielding stocks across the board. In the morning, the market commenced trading on…

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Financial sector grows 15%

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has issued its annual flagship publication, the Financial Stability Review (FSR) for CY25, highlighting that the financial sector grew by 15.1% during calendar year 2025. The financial depth, measured by the assets-to-GDP ratio, increased to 67.1% while risks to financial stability subsided during the year. Banks’ balance sheet…

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Banks reject 91% of e-bike requests

ISLAMABAD: Commercial banks have shown little enthusiasm for the prime minister’s scheme to deliver subsidised electric bikes, approving only 4,075 applications, about 9% of those received, forcing the government to make major policy changes on Tuesday. With such a low approval rate, the government is set to miss its annual target of distributing 116,000 electric…

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LSM rises 11% in March, monthly dip 5%

Large-scale manufacturing (LSM) posted a mixed yet broadly positive performance in March 2026, reflecting an uneven recovery in Pakistan's industrial sector. The latest provisional data show that while annual growth remained strong, short-term indicators pointed to volatility and underlying structural challenges. On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, LSM output increased by 11.09% in March 2026 compared…

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PSX surges nearly 7,000 points as US‑Iran peace deal hopes lift investor sentiment

Overall trading volume increased to 1.20billion shares compared with Tuesday’s total of 453.2million “Peace hath her victories, no less renowned than war.” The old adage rang true at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday, as easing geopolitical tensions ignited a strong revival in investor confidence, fuelling a powerful market rebound. The market opened on…

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