Mobile phones could no longer be treated as luxury goods, nor considered comparable to high-value imported items such as luxury vehicles, the Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue chairman Syed Naveed Qamar said on Tuesday. Qamar passed these remarks in the committee’s 21st meeting at the Parliament House, Islamabad. The lawmaker expressed deep concern over what he described as the “unre
NayaPay, one of Pakistan’s fastest growing fintech platforms, has launched global QR payments in collaboration with Alipay+, Ant International’s global wallet gateway. The partnership enables millions of NayaPay users to scan-and-pay at Alipay+ merchants initially across more than 50 countries, connecting Pakistani consumers to an extensive global ecosystem spanning retail, dining, transport, h
Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled USD23 billion in new artificial intelligence investments, with the bulk earmarked for India as the US tech giant deepens its bet on one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets. CEO Satya Nadella said Microsoft would spend USD17.5 billion in India in its largest investment in Asia, building on a USD3 billion commitment announced earlier this year. The four-ye
Oil prices held steady on Wednesday after falling about 1% in the previous session, as concerns over supply outpacing demand capped gains and investors watched for progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Brent crude futures were up 11 cents, or 0.2%, to $62.05 a barrel at 0241 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $58.38 a barrel, up 13 cents, or 0.2%. While the oil market is moving
The Pakistani rupee strengthened against the US dollar, appreciating 0.06% during the opening minutes of trading in the inter-bank market on Wednesday. At 10am, the local currency was hovering at 280.23, a gain of Re0.17 against the greenback. On Tuesday, the local unit closed at 280.40. Globally, the yen looked punch-drunk on Wednesday after a sudden spill overnight, pressured by wide in