News

Debt-to-GDP ratio falls to 26pc: SBP governor

Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Jameel Ahmad on Wednesday said Pakistan’s external debt burden has begun to ease, with the debt-to-GDP ratio falling from 31 percent to 26 percent. Speaking to the media at the Pakistan Women Entrepreneurship Day 2025 ceremony at SBP head office, he said this is the first meaningful improvement in several years. He added that Pakistan has not added to its e

Imported mobile phones: NA body concerned at high taxes

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance expressed serious concern over high taxes on imported mobile phones, which, according to the panel, are forcing people to rely on grey-market channels to obtain these devices. The committee met here on Wednesday, and it witnessed strong criticism over the heavy taxes imposed on mobile phones brought into Pakistan, particularly those carried

Eastern Offshore Indus Block C: PPL signs Assignment Agreement with Turkish company

Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has formalised a major step in strengthening Pakistan-Türkiye energy cooperation with the signing of an Assignment Agreement for the Eastern Offshore Indus Block C, paving the way for enhanced foreign investment and renewed momentum in offshore exploration. The agreement was signed in Islamabad in a ceremony witnessed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Türkiye’s

Business confidence in Pakistan surges to +22 pc: OICCI Survey

Pakistan’s business sentiment has strengthened notably, with the OICCI Business Confidence Index (BCI) Wave-28 showing an 11 percentage-point rise, pushing the overall confidence level to +22 percent. Despite the upbeat indicators, OICCI Business Confidence Wave-28 Survey respondents identified persistent challenges including taxation, inflation, rupee devaluation, corruption, and inconsistent

PIA will be put up for sell-off on 23rd: PM

In a move that many are calling the final blow to a once-iconic national institution, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Wednesday that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), long plagued by corruption and mismanagement, will be put up for privatisation on December 23. The announcement marks the official end of an era for PIA, which, for decades, stood as a symbol of national pride, but