ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s large-scale manufacturing sector expanded 4.82% in the first half of fiscal 2026, buoyed by surging automobile production and robust gains in petroleum refining, though a slowdown in textiles and declines in some key industries tempered the overall advance.
Economy
Slight rebound in Pakistan’s textiles masks broader export decline, import surge
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s textile exports, the backbone of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings, posted a modest 1.25% gain in the first seven months of the fiscal year, climbing to $10.904 billion from $10.777 billion a year earlier, even as broader shipments faltered and imports swelled, widening the trade deficit.
Pakistan’s current account flips to surplus in January on remittance boost
KARACHI: Pakistan’s current account swung to a surplus in January as remittances from overseas workers climbed, helping offset a widening trade deficit and offering a brief respite in the South Asian nation’s efforts to stabilise its external finances.
Pakistan commits to peaceful nuclear use at Vienna talks with IAEA chief
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed his country’s backing for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) efforts to promote the responsible use of nuclear technology during a meeting with the agency’s director general in Vienna on Tuesday.
Pakistan on track to meet most IMF targets ahead of key review, brokerage says
KARACHI: Pakistan is on track to satisfy nearly all of the International Monetary Fund’s quantitative performance criteria under its current bailout program, according to brokerage Topline Securities, a development that could smooth the path for the lender’s upcoming review and the release of further funds.
Pakistan cuts factory power prices by Rs4.04 per unit
ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday formally notified an average reduction of Rs4.04 per unit in electricity tariffs for all industrial consumers, effective from Feb. 11, while directing the power regulator to restore contractual rights for existing net-metered solar users until the end of their seven-year agreements.
Stocks tumble most in months as foreign outflows, political noise kit KSE-100
KARACHI: Pakistan’s benchmark stock index suffered its steepest one-day point drop in months on Monday, as persistent foreign outflows and a fresh wave of political jitters sent investors scurrying for the exits.
Petrol up Rs5, diesel Rs7.32 in latest biweekly price review
ISLAMABAD: The government increased the price of petrol by Rs5 a liter and high-speed diesel by Rs7.32 a liter, according to a notification issued by the Petroleum Division late Sunday night.
Arif Habib-led consortium to buy remaining 25% stake in PIA
KARACHI: A consortium led by Arif Habib Group has said it intends to acquire the government’s remaining 25% stake in the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines, completing the privatisation of the loss-making airline.
IMF talks with Pakistan on power tariff revamp as inflation risks loom
ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund is in talks with Pakistani officials over a proposed revamp of electricity tariffs that could stoke inflation even as it aims to relieve pressure on the nation’s industries, the fund said, stressing that any changes must shield middle- and lower-income households from the brunt of the burden.