Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday issued a firm directive to fast-track the privatisation of underperforming state-owned enterprises (SOEs), urging officials to secure the most advantageous deals while warning against bureaucratic inertia and administrative delays. The prime minister, while chairing a high-level meeting, stressed that the national interest must remain at the heart of th
The inflows of home remittances maintained a healthy growth, surging to USD 9.53 billion in the first quarter (July to September) of this fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26). According the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the inflow of remittances reported a notable increase of 8.4 percent or USD 700 million in the first three months of the current fiscal year as compared with a similar period of the last
Oil prices declined slightly on Friday after settling 1.6% lower in the previous session as the market’s risk premium faded after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a plan to end the war in Gaza. Brent crude futures were down 7 cents at $65.15 a barrel by 0338 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 2 cents to $61.49. Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signed a cea
The Pakistani rupee strengthened against the US dollar, appreciating 0.08% during the opening hours of trading in the inter-bank market on Friday. At 10am, the currency was hovering at 280.97, a gain of Re0.23 against the greenback. On Thursday, the local unit closed at 281.20. Internationally, the Japanese yen was set for its steepest weekly drop in a year on Friday, as investors fretted
Gold held steady below $4,000 an ounce on Friday and was set for an eighth straight weekly gain, buoyed by lingering geopolitical and economic tensions and increased expectations of further US rate cuts. Spot gold slipped 0.1% to $3,971.43 per ounce by 0514 GMT, but was up 2.2% for the week. US gold futures for December delivery rose 0.3% to $3,985.8. Silver rose 0.9% to $49.55 per ounce, easin