Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday ahead of the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) in Riyadh. The premier, visiting Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the crown prince, is leading a high-level Pakistani delegation during the trip. The delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday decided to keep the key interest rate unchanged at 11 per cent as policymakers weighed the impact of recent floods and higher food prices on inflation. “The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep the policy rate unchanged at 11 per cent in its meeting held on October 27, 2025,” the SBP announced in a post on social media platform X. A monet
Oil prices eased slightly on Monday as Opec’s plans to increase oil output once again outweighed hopes of a trade deal framework between the US and China and renewed US sanctions on Russia. Brent crude futures were down about 26 cents, or nearly 0.4 per cent, at $65.68 a barrel at 11:30am ET (1538 GMT). US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were 9 cents or 0.2pc lower at $61.41. Both contrac
Claiming a rare Rs1.5 trillion federal fiscal surplus — instead of usual deficits — in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, the government on Monday conceded rising prices of essential commodities due to supply disruptions caused by floods and closure of the Pak-Afghan border. “Flood-related supply disruptions and temporary border closures have put upward pressure on prices of a few es
Barring foreign investors, Pakistan’s business community on Monday strongly criticised the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) decision to maintain the policy interest rate at 11 per cent since May, terming the move “anti-growth” and damaging for industrial competitiveness. Trade and industry leaders have been urging the central bank to bring the rate down to single digits to revive industrial activ