News

Govt flags risks to budgetary targets

The government has flagged a series of critical risks to next year’s budget and medium-term outlook, including slower than targeted GDP gro­wth, inflation shocks, exchange rate volatility, lower revenue buoyancy, debt servicing costs, poor performance of state-owned entities (SOEs) and unexpected climatic and other natural disasters. In a written statement on fiscal risks placed before parliame

Stocks lose 254 points on profit-taking

The stock market suffered mild losses on Tuesday as jittery investors opted to take profits amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Ahsan Mehanti from Arif Habib Corporation reported that stocks closed lower due to a decline in global equities, driven by geopolitical uncertainty and the State Bank of Pakistan’s decision to maintain the key policy rate amid inflationary pressures f

Taxman’s powers of arrest

TODAY it will be the third day of a line-by-line deliberation over the budget in both the National Assembly and the Senate committees, and the revenue plan brought by the government is sparking a justifiable pushback by the lawmakers. Nobody likes taxes, so any plan to raise taxes anywhere will raise objections. But some objections carry more merit than others. In this budget, the government is

Careem announces end of ride-hailing service in Pakistan from next month

Careem will suspend its ride-hailing service operations in Pakistan from July after nearly a decade in the industry, its CEO announced on Wednesday, adding that its journey in the country would continue “in a different role”. Mudassir Sheikha, Careem’s CEO and co-founder, shared a post on LinkedIn announcing “a new chapter” for the company. “It is with a heavy heart that I share this update:

ABC slams arrest powers, digital taxes

The American Business Council (ABC) of Pakistan on Wednesday voiced strong concerns over new tax measures and expanded arrest powers for tax officers included in the Finance Bill 2025-26, warning that the changes could undermine investor confidence and disrupt business operations. The council, which represents US investors and multinational companies, urged the government to reconsider the Fede