War can cost Pakistan $10b to $68b

ISLAMABAD: The Middle East conflict can cause $10 billion to $68 billion annual losses to Pakistan’s economy, and inflation could hit 17% in an extreme oil price volatility situation, said an economist in a briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance on Thursday. The three different impact scenarios that Ali Salman, who is…

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FO in touch with Somalia over hijack standoff

Families of the crew members expressed deep concern over the safety of their loved ones ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday said that it was in contact with the Somali government over the hostage crisis involving Pakistani sailors aboard a hijacked oil tanker, adding that it believed the crew members were safe. During his weekly…

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PSX sinks 2,830 points on oil, geopolitics

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) plunged on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 index tumbling 2,830 points, as escalating Middle East tensions and a sharp spike in global oil prices triggered broad-based selling and dampened investor sentiment. At the close of trading, the KSE-100 index posted a sharp decline of 2,829.70 points, or 1.71%, and…

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Zayn Malik’s family asks fans to skip flowers, donate to Palestine as singer recovers in hospital

Florist flooded with bouquet orders directs fans to family-endorsed Palestine fundraiser Zayn Malik’s family has taken to Instagram to encourage fans to donate to a Palestine fundraiser instead of sending flower bouquets to the singer as he recovers in hospital. A local flower bouquet business shared a post thanking fans for the overwhelming number of…

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‘Inflation to rise to 8–9%’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s inflation is expected to edge higher in April as the Ministry of Finance projects it in the range of 8-9%, as supply chain disruptions and global uncertainty continue to exert pressure on prices despite signs of macroeconomic stability. In its Monthly Economic Update and Outlook for April 2026, the ministry warned that inflationary…

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KSE-100 earnings rise 8.8% to Rs1.24tr in 9MFY26

KARACHI: Pakistan’s benchmark equity market, the KSE-100 index, delivered a steady earnings performance during the first nine months of FY26, with aggregate profitability rising 8.8% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs1.243 trillion. The growth comes despite mixed macroeconomic conditions and uneven sectoral performance, reflecting resilience in key industries and the impact of easing financial costs across the…

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