KARACHI: Pakistan’s auto industry posted robust growth in October, with passenger vehicle sales jumping 32% from a year earlier amid lower interest rates and improving consumer confidence, though a surge in used-car imports is raising alarms about the sector’s long-term viability.
Technology
Google, Pakistan open first Chromebook assembly line in push for local tech manufacturing
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday inaugurated Pakistan’s first assembly line for Google Chromebooks, describing the move as a “historic milestone” in the nation’s push toward digital transformation and broader economic growth.
PIA engineers’ walkout grounds flights, leaves hundreds stranded at major airports
ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of air travellers, including many Umrah pilgrims bound for Saudi Arabia, were stranded at three major airports on Monday night after aircraft engineers at Pakistan International Airlines staged a walkout, delaying at least six flights and bringing international operations to a near halt.
US delegation in Islamabad seeks partnership with Pakistan on critical minerals
ISLAMABAD: A high-level American delegation arrived in Islamabad on Friday to court Pakistan as a potential partner in securing vital mineral supply chains, part of a broader Washington effort to loosen China’s stranglehold on the rare earths and other metals essential to everything from electric vehicles to fighter jets.
State-run PIA resumes direct flights to UK after five-year ban
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines resumed direct flights to the UK after a nearly five-year suspension, marking a milestone in the government’s push to rehabilitate the struggling national carrier and restore the country’s aviation reputation amid broader economic reforms.
PM Sharif pitches Pakistan as gateway for regional trade, transport and energy
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday highlighted his country’s strategic position as a regional tri-junction linking China, Central Asia and the Middle East, saying it offered potential to boost trade, transport and digital cooperation across the region.
Stormfiber says internet services to be fully restored by Monday after undersea cable faults
KARACHI: The internet service provider Stormfiber said on Friday its services would be fully restored by Monday after disruptions over the past week caused by faults in undersea cables.
Pakistan launches first hyperspectral satellite from China to boost climate, farm monitoring
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan achieved a significant milestone in its space program on Sunday with the successful launch of its first hyperspectral satellite from a launch center in China, a development that officials said would enhance the country’s capabilities in agriculture, environmental monitoring and disaster response amid growing climate challenges.
Factory output rises 4.44 percent in July-August, auto sector leads recovery
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s large-scale manufacturing sector, a cornerstone of the country’s industrial base, posted a 4.44 percent increase in the first two months of the fiscal year, offering a tentative sign of stabilisation even as monthly production dipped in August.
Pakistan eyes early-November close to long-delayed PIA privatization
ISLAMABAD: Four local companies have emerged as bidders in the long-awaited privatization of the debt-ridden national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines, with the process set to conclude early next month, officials told a Senate committee on Friday amid assurances that the airline’s name, flag and domestic ownership would remain intact.