KARACHI: Pakistan’s economy showed marked improvement in the first half of fiscal year 2025, with inflation dropping to its lowest level in decades and the current account balance swinging into a surplus, the central bank said on Monday.
Economy
Govt calls urgent CCI meeting to settle Indus canals dispute
KARACHI: The government will hold an urgent meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) on Monday evening to address a contentious plan to build six new canals on the Indus River, a project that has sparked widespread protests in Sindh, a provincial minister said.
Govt pledges protections for foreign projects amid security challenges
LAHORE: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured a delegation of foreign investors on Sunday that the government would provide them with protection, the interior ministry said, amid a surge in militant attacks in the western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Pakistan requests 10 billion yuan China swap line boost, targets panda bond
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has asked China to expand its currency swap line by 10 billion yuan, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said, as the cash-strapped nation seeks to bolster reserves and plans a debut panda bond by year-end to diversify funding.
Trump-backed WLF, Pakistan Crypto Council strike blockchain deal
ISLAMABAD: World Liberty Financial (WLF), a decentralised finance (DeFi) platform backed by US President Donald Trump, has signed a landmark Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) to accelerate blockchain innovation, stablecoin adoption, and DeFi integration across Pakistan.
Lifeline under siege
India’s abrupt suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty on April 24, 2025, following a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir, has thrust South Asia into a perilous standoff, with Pakistan warning that any tampering with its water lifeline would be an “act of war.” The decision, outlined in a sharply worded letter from India’s Jal Shakti Ministry Secretary Debashree Mukherjee to her Pakistani counterpart Syed Ali Murtaza, dismantles a 65-year-old pact that has endured wars and crises, exposing the fragility of trust between two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Banking sector grows 15.8pc in 2024, NPLs decline: SBP
KARACHI: Pakistan’s financial system maintained its stability and operational strength in 2024 despite global headwinds, as improved macroeconomic conditions and regulatory safeguards helped curb credit risks and bolster capital buffers, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in its annual Financial Stability Review (FSR) released on Thursday.
Pakistan relaunches PIA privatisation push with May 3 bid deadline
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has relaunched efforts to privatise its struggling national flag carrier, inviting expressions of interest by May 3, 2025 for a majority stake in Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) after a previous sale attempt failed.
Brokerage poll sees majority betting rate cut, yet SBP likely to stand pat
By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: The central bank may consider reducing interest rates next week as inflation slows, but worries about delayed foreign funding and global trade issues could lead to caution, a top brokerage firm said.
World Bank cuts Pakistan’s growth forecast, urges structural reforms
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has trimmed its growth forecast for Pakistan to 2.7 percent for fiscal year 2025, a slight dip from its previous estimate of 2.8 percent, signaling that without sweeping structural reforms to bolster private investment and export strength, the country’s economic and poverty woes will persist.