News

Stocks lose 192 points on rate hike rumours

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a gloomy session on Monday as the benchmark index remained in red for most of the session amid rumours about an imminent policy rate hike which triggered profit-selling by some investors. This strategic choice by investors not only prompted the market to relinquish some of its previously accrued value but also culminated in the index transitioning int

The hopeless downward spiral

The inevitable has happened. On August 24, the Pakistani rupee fell below 300 to a US dollar in the interbank market. In less than two months of this fiscal year (between July 1 and August 24), the rupee has lost about five per cent value against the mighty greenback. The dollar has been on the rise since the lifting of import restrictions from the beginning of this fiscal year on July 1 at the

Running out of resources

After a long break, Pakistan has relaunched a programme for oil and gas exploration, exploitation and development activities, onshore and offshore, aiming at recovering the untapped indigenous hydrocarbon resources. Petroleum, a vital economic sector, is heavily dependent on oil and gas imports to meet the ever-growing demand based on growth in population and increasing urbanisation, and the is

Making money virtually

It’s extremely hard to scale a business by selling anything online in Pakistan, something that tech startups grapple with every single day. Even more so for digital products through mobile apps where, despite the hundreds of millions of smartphone users, the number of users for platforms is usually scant. But there are two categories that defy this trend. First, you have these financial apps th

Senate panel slams independent power producers

The Senate Standing Committee on Power on Monday joined public criticism of the “unprecedented electric bills” and directed the Power Division to provide lists of electricity defaulters and outstanding dues to all the distribution companies (Discos). The meeting of the panel presided over by Senator Saifullah Abro discussed the unprecedented electric bills that have led to nationwide protests.