News

Stocks rise 484 points on cherry-picking

KARACHI: After posting losses overnight, the stock market on Wedne­sday resumed its upward drive due to political clarity and strong corporate results as investors opted to do some cherry-picking at attractive levels. Topline Securities Ltd said the equities remained bullish almost throughout the session thanks to further clarity with regards to formation of new government in the centre. The

Pakistan, Saudis agree to increase investment

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to work towards increasing investment in key sectors, paving the way for sustainable economic growth and prosperity. The agreement reached between the two countries during a recently concluded visit of the Federal Minister for Commerce, Industries and Production, Investment, Interior and Overseas Pakistanis, Dr Gohar Ejaz to Saudi Arabia, where h

Bitcoin hits $60,000 as rally gathers pace

LONDON: Bitcoin hit $60,000 on Wednesday for the first time in more than two years, as a flurry of capital into new US spot bitcoin exchange traded products fuelled a 42% price rally in February, which would mark its largest monthly gain since December 2020. Bitcoin was last up 6% at $60,131, its highest since November 2021, when it hit a record just below $70,000. Bitcoin was also heading for

Domestic consumers bear Rs17b subsidy cost

ISLAMABAD: As provinces refuse to bear the cost of subsidised liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply to two fertiliser plants, the caretaker government has put a burden of Rs17 billion on domestic consumers. The provinces want full recovery of LNG cost from the farmers. The Petroleum Division was of the view that the continuation of re-gasified LNG supply at Rs1,239 per million British thermal unit

Reliance on renewables a must

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambitious renewable energy plans need to be coupled with close attention to addressing the system’s constraints to reduce the volume of unserved energy on the one hand and accommodate the intermittency of renewable energy on the other. This was the consensus reached at a webinar titled “Emerging trends in Pakistan’s renewable energy sector: Charting the agenda for 2030 and