Oil prices held steady on Tuesday as market participants weighed the possibility of a de-escalation in U.S.-Iran tensions, with a firmer dollar limiting the upside. Brent crude futures were up 6 cents, or 0.1%, at $66.36 per barrel at 0102 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $62.24 per barrel, up 0.2%. Oil prices fell more than 4% on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said I
Negative sentiments were observed at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding over 300 points during the opening minutes of trading on Monday. At 9:40am, the benchmark index was hovering at 183,847.01, a decrease of 327.47 points or 0.18%. Selling pressure was observed in key sectors, including cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration
Economic challenges persistently haunt Pakistan. The country is facing economic crises that have become a common refrain. Despite the efforts of successive governments and their tall claims, the economy remains on a downward trajectory. Debt repayment is a major challenge in the current context, further aggravated by rising circular debt. Inflation has returned, and the inflation rate has begun
Pakistan is halfway into the ongoing $7 billion 36-month long Extended Fund Facility (EFF) approved in October 2024 by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) board. This austerity programme like all previous IMF programmes is causing jitters across Pakistan's political and media landscape. Former and current ministers including economic commentators are openly blaming the IMF-mandated policies f
A major structural change is quietly reshaping Pakistan's rice economy – one with consequences far deeper than seasonal prices or export statistics suggest. Across Punjab, including traditional Basmati zones, Chinese hybrid rice is rapidly replacing open-pollinated varieties. What is often presented as progress driven by higher yields is, in reality, evolving into a serious policy failure with imp