News

Private equity’s greed threatens prosperity

In recent decades, the rise of private equity firms has reshaped the economic landscape of the United States and Europe. While initially heralded as engines of innovation and growth, these firms have come under increasing scrutiny for their practices, which often prioritise short-term gains at the expense of long-term sustainability. In reality, private equity has contributed to the destruction

Finding ways for lucrative investments

A tremendous amount of focus is now visible from actions of the current leadership, spearheaded by supremely empowered Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) with support of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Reportedly, the PM was lauded as a “man of action” by one of the Saudi Arabian ministers and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb too has focused his entire energy on implementation of

The battle over solar power pricing

ISLAMABAD: Net metering, also referred to as net energy metering (NEM), is an electricity billing method enabling consumers generating their own power to utilise it at any time, rather than solely when it’s generated. It involves customers with solar panels transferring excess electricity they produce to the grid, receiving credits from the utility company on their electric bill. When solar pan

Stocks fall below 71,000 in gloomy week

The status quo in the SBP policy rate against the market expectation of a cut disappointed investors who resorted to profit-selling, dragging the index below the 71,000 level in the outgoing volatile week. Arif Habib Ltd (AHL) said the index experienced persistent pressure throughout the week as the market anticipated a rate cut, which ultimately remained unchanged at 22 per cent. On the econom

Workers vulnerable without unions

Pakistan is a challenging location for workers who are the backbone of the economy. Despite the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimating a living wage of Rs60,000 to 65,000, they typically earn only a fraction of this amount. Workers face life-threatening risks in factories, agriculture fields, construction sites and mines, and if they are fortunate enough to secure employment in an o