Karachi and Lahore — Pakistan’s two largest commercial cities — witnessed a near-complete shutdown on Saturday as traders observed a strike against what they described as harsh and anti-business taxation measures introduced through the Finance Act 2025-26. The strike, called by the Karachi and Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industry, marked one of the most widespread protests by the business c
Pakistan’s raw food exports fell by nearly 4 per cent to $7.116 billion in FY25 from $7.369bn a year earlier, largely due to a sharp drop in rice exports. The decline in raw food exports marks the end of a 20-month streak of uninterrupted growth, despite persistently high food inflation. According to data compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the export of traditional value-ad
Pakistan’s seafood exports rose to $465 million in FY25, reflecting a 13.4 per cent increase in value and an 8pc growth in quantity compared to the previous year, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The country exported 216,350 tonnes of fishery products during FY25, up from 199,738 tonnes worth $410m in FY24. The Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association (PFEA
The illicit cigarette trade in Pakistan has emerged as a serious economic and public health concern, driven by weak regulatory enforcement and a significant knowledge gap among retailers, according to a new study. The report, titled ‘Tax Stamps and Illicit Cigarette Sales in Pakistan: Understanding Retailers’ Knowledge Gap’, was released by Umeed-i-Sehar, a non-profit organisation focused o
Finance chiefs of G20 countries were close to agreeing a common position on trade and other global challenges, which would be the first since US President Donald Trump’s election victory and tariff war. The G20, which emerged as a forum for cooperation to combat the 2008 global financial crisis, failed to reach a joint stance when finance ministers and central bankers met in February, to the di