The current tense regional environment likely underpins the government’s proposal, endorsed by its largest coalition partner, the Pakistan Peoples’ Party, to raise the defence budget by 18 per cent for the next fiscal year. The critical question for a resource-constrained country, however, remains: who will pay for it? Driven by patriotism and deep respect for a military establishment that succ
Pakistan’s agriculture sector is grappling with a deepening crisis, which is likely to worsen in the coming years. The prices of agricultural commodities have been on a consistent downward slide in international markets, and so have they in local markets. Meanwhile, agricultural input prices in Pakistan continue to rise. This growing imbalance — rising production costs amid government claims of
Pakistan is seeking loans totalling up to $350 million from commercial banks in the United Arab Emirates to meet its external financing needs. According to informed banking sources, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has been in discussions with these banks to revive their loan portfolio with Pakistan, and the finalisation of the loan is expected to occur very soon. In the first three quart
The outflow of profits and dividends on foreign investments jumped by 108 per cent during the first ten months of the current fiscal year over the same period of the last fiscal year. After the improvement of inflows, particularly higher remittances, the State Bank has eased the outflow of profits from the country. During the current fiscal year — FY25 — the outflow of profits was much higher t
Britain agreed the most significant reset of defence and trade ties with the European Union since Brexit on Monday after US President Donald Trump’s upending of the global order pushed the two sides to move on from their acrimonious divorce. Nearly nine years after it voted to leave the bloc, Britain, the second largest defence spender in Europe, will take part in joint procurement projects. Th