KARACHI: Nearly three-fourths of leading foreign investors in Pakistan view the country as a viable destination for future investment, a new survey showed on Tuesday, marking a cautious uptick in sentiment amid improved macroeconomic stability and a stronger currency.
Macro
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia launch new economic cooperation framework to boost trade, investment
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia launched on Tuesday an Economic Cooperation Framework aimed at boosting trade and investment ties, following a meeting a day earlier between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) in Riyadh.
Pakistan set to receive $1.2 billion IMF tranche by December after meeting all targets
KARACHI: Pakistan is on track to secure a $1.2 billion disbursement from the International Monetary Fund by December, after fulfilling every performance benchmark for the lender’s latest review under its ongoing bailout program.
Pakistan logs rare Rs1.5 trillion fiscal surplus in Q1, defies flood disruptions
The government posted a rare Rs1.51 trillion federal fiscal surplus in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, flipping last year’s Rs649 billion deficit and signalling robust revenue gains even as floods hammered crops and spiked food prices.
PM Sharif reaches Saudi Arabia for investment summit, seeking deeper ties
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached Riyadh on Monday to lead a high-level delegation at the ninth edition of the Future Investment Initiative, a global summit convened under the auspices of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, amid efforts to bolster economic and security cooperation between the two longtime allies.
SBP keeps policy rate at 11 percent as floods drive up inflation risks
KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 11% on Monday as policymakers assessed the impact of recent floods on food prices and the broader economy, extending a pause in monetary easing for a fourth straight meeting.
Pakistan targets record 30m tonnes wheat output for 2025-26 Rabi season
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has set a wheat production goal of 30 million tonnes for the 2025-26 Rabi season, leveraging sufficient water supplies in Punjab and Sindh, the country’s main agricultural provinces, following recent floods that boosted water availability for crops, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research said on Friday.
Millions of Pakistani account holders face service limits under new biometric rules
KARACHI: The central bank will impose new rules from Friday requiring biometric verification as the primary method for opening and operating digital bank accounts and wallets, a move that could disrupt services for potentially tens of millions of customers who have yet to comply.
Pakistan keeps Afghan border closed to transit trade over security fears
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Friday it would keep its border crossings with Afghanistan closed to transit trade indefinitely, citing persistent security threats from across the frontier, even as a fragile ceasefire holds following weeks of deadly clashes.
Pakistan offers Rs22.98/unit power to industry, agriculture to revive growth
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday launched a three-year subsidy package offering cut-rate electricity to its industrial and agricultural sectors in a bid to spur exports and job growth, despite ongoing IMF pressure to curb untargeted energy support.