ISLAMABAD: Sialkot has emerged as a key player in e-commerce trading, where 87% of Pakistan’s total trade transactions are made by Chinese tech giants alone, primarily driven by wholesale business. Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that the government was aiming to be the primary buyer of local innovative tech…
PESHAWAR: Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chairman Ashfaq Paracha has urged the provincial government to make industrial development a central pillar of the upcoming Budget 2026-27, saying sustainable growth, employment, exports and revenue depend on a strong industrial base. He noted that K-P presented a budget of over Rs2.1 trillion for FY2025-26, including an…
ISLAMABAD: British High Commissioner Jane Marriott called on Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik in Islamabad to discuss the implementation of the Green Compact, a £35 million bilateral climate cooperation framework aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s resilience against climate change, according to an official statement. Marriott presented the Action Plan for…
Social safety nets create 1.66 million jobs, offset 24% of costs through tax revenues ISLAMABAD: The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) generates Rs2.34 in real income for every rupee transferred to vulnerable households, creating jobs and stimulating economic activity, according to new evidence presented at a policy dialogue in Islamabad. The event, jointly organised by…
Govt may also allocate Rs3 trillion for defence spending and has finalised Rs50 billion relief for the salaried class The federal government has slashed next fiscal year’s proposed development budget by Rs126 billion, while three provinces, except Balochistan, would freeze their uplift expenses at current levels to create around Rs500 billion worth of fiscal space…
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has downgraded the $400 million Pakistan Raises Revenue programme to “moderately satisfactory” due to slow progress towards achieving even the downwardly revised goals of enhancing revenues and simplifying the tax system. The Washington-based lender’s decision to downgrade the loan programme by a notch once again underscores that increasing taxes and facilitating…
Energy minister says bilateral ties have evolved from ‘unfriendly country’ to ‘reliable friend’ over past two decades Energy Minister Awais Ahmad Leghari. PHOTO: FILE ISLAMABAD: Energy Minister Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari on Tuesday said Pakistan and Russia had agreed to sign an Economic Cooperation Programme extending through 2030, while a recently signed readmission agreement was…
Development of better varieties to boost production of crops, particularly cotton ISLAMABAD: Amid a record decline in cotton output, the government has approved the National Seed Policy 2025 aimed at introducing high-quality seeds to boost agricultural production. Pakistan’s cotton harvest plunged to just five million bales a few years ago, a 40-year low, compared to…
LAHORE: The Punjab government is signalling a development strategy built around fiscal discipline, infrastructure expansion, social protection, climate resilience and economic empowerment as the provincial government prepares to unveil its budget for fiscal year 2026-27. Addressing representatives from industries, trade bodies, academia, media and civil society during a pre-budget consultation session on Monday, Punjab Finance…
Selling pressure across key sectors drags KSE-100 lower as investor sentiment weakens KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday came under sustained selling pressure as geopolitical concerns prompted investors to offload their holdings, which dragged the benchmark KSE-100 index sharply lower during intra-day trade. At close, the index lost 1,525.24 points, or 0.89%, to settle…