ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s power and petroleum ministers pledged on Wednesday there would be no electricity or gas outages during the pre-dawn Sehr meal and evening Iftar breaking of the fast throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as the government seeks to ease hardships for millions observing the religious period.
Economy
Pakistan IT exports rise 19 percent to $2.61 bln in July-Jan, data shows
KARACHI: Pakistan’s information technology exports climbed 19% to $2.61 billion in the first seven months of the fiscal year ending June 2026, driven by higher earnings from software firms, remote workers and freelancers serving global clients, data from the central bank showed.
Pakistan’s factory output rises 4.8 percent in first half on auto, oil surge
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.
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.