News

Voter turnout’s weak link with the economy

People were determined to vote in the 2024 elections. However, despite the increase in absolute terms, voter turnout dipped in terms of percentage. Harsh winter in parts of the country, fears of violence and terrorism in KP and Balochistan, as well as uncertainty about the conduct of elections, may have also adversely affected the turnout, states an analysis by the Free & Fair Election Network (Fa

CORPORATE WINDOW: Braced for turbulence

As the prime minister designate Shahbaz Sharif prepares to assume office in the upcoming National Assembly session this week, the business community of Pakistan is apprehensive about the potential challenges that lie ahead. Their support for the idea of a national unity government, which includes the Sunni Ittehad Council adopted by the PTI-backed winning independents, did not resonate with the

IMF looking forward to working with new govt to ensure macroeconomic stability: official

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that it is looking forward to engaging with the new government on policies to ensure “macroeconomic stability and prosperity for all of Pakistan’s citizens”. The development comes a day after PTI Senator Ali Zafar told reporters that a letter would be sent from incarcerated party founder Imran Khan to the international lender urging it to call fo

Sazgar-GWM launch ORA 3 EV in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Sazgar Engineering, one of Pakistan’s leading car manufacturers, has partnered with Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall Motors (GWM) to introduce their latest innovation in the automotive industry, the electric vehicle ORA 3. “With cars being the primary mode of transportation in Pakistan and gasoline prices continuously rising due to global oil price hikes, there’s a clear and urgent n

Pakistan eyes $20b in trade with Saudi Arabia

ISLAMABAD: Observing that the current trade volume falls short of expectations, Caretaker Federal Minister for Commerce and Industry, Gohar Ejaz said that Pakistan aims to lift bilateral trade with Saudi Arabia upto $20 billion. Addressing the Pakistan-Saudi Business Forum in Riyadh on Thursday, the minister said that legislation would be enacted to promote bilateral investment between the two