News

Threat of losing exports, FDI looms

Pakistan is facing the threat of losing exports and foreign direct investment (FDI) because of potential failure to comply with measures required to combat climate change as global buyers increasingly urge domestic producers to report their best and bad practices contributing to global warming. Speaking at the launch of a report titled "Pakistan's Climate Crossroads: Private Sector Solutions to

SOEs’ sell-off hopes toss index above 78,000

Despite the weakening of the rupee driven by uncertainty about the approval of a new loan by the IMF board this month, Pakistani shares staged a rally on Wednesday, snapping a three-day losing streak. This was aided by the start of the privatisation process for three power companies, propelling the benchmark KSE 100 share index above the 78,000 level. Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation att

Pharma sales surge to Rs916bn last fiscal year

The pharmaceutical industry recorded the highest-ever quarterly sales of Rs237 billion, up 25 per cent year-on-year in Q4FY24, while sales rose by 22pc to Rs916bn in the entire FY24. As per healthcare data company IQVIA, pharmaceutical sales rose by a quarter, with 20pc attributed to a price increase and 5pc to a rise in volume. The significant jump in price is due to the government-approved

Trouble at the start line

RARELY have I seen things as scattered and messy as they are today, in the realm of economic management in any case. At the epicentre of the mess is the IMF programme, all dressed up with nowhere to go. A staff-level agreement (SLA) was announced by the Fund on July 12, more than five weeks ago. Then on July 23, on the eve of his departure for China, the finance minister assured the country during

Punjab’s ‘power move’ riles political spectrum

A POWER move by the PML-N government in Punjab, apparently aimed at securing its support base in the most populous province, has put an already-fragile alliance in the Centre, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to the test. Besides the opposition PTI, the PPP and MQM-Pakistan — both of whom are PML-N’s partners in the federal government — have also questioned the rationale behind such a move