KARACHI: Ratings agency S&P Global raised Pakistan’s sovereign credit rating to ‘B-’ from ‘CCC+’ and assigned a stable outlook on Thursday, signaling growing confidence in the country’s financial stability bolstered by International Monetary Fund support.
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Pakistan’s passport languishes near bottom of global rankings
KARACHI: Pakistan’s passport ranks among the weakest globally, granting its citizens visa-free access to only 32 destinations, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.
Market expects rate cut as SBP meeting nears
KARACHI: Most market participants expect the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to lower interest rates at its upcoming meeting, a poll showed, as inflation is projected to remain low and the external account shows stability.
Pakistan and Afghanistan ink trade pact to slash tariffs
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan signed a landmark trade deal on Wednesday, agreeing to an Early Harvest Programme (EHP) that slashes tariffs on eight agricultural items for one year and lays the groundwork for a broader preferential trade agreement (PTA).
SCP denounces ‘weaponising’ infertility against women in legal disputes
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Wednesday condemned what it called a “distressing and sorrowful” practice: wielding infertility, or even its mere suspicion, as a cudgel against women in legal disputes.
Pakistan cracks down on sugar hoarding to tame runaway prices
ISLAMABAD: The government has launched a nationwide crackdown on sugar hoarding and profiteering as retail prices of the commodity have soared to unprecedented levels, sparking widespread public outcry and intensifying criticism from opposition parties.
ADB lifts Pakistan growth outlook as Asia grapples with tariff woes
ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has raised its GDP growth forecast for Pakistan in fiscal year 2025 to 2.7%, citing a stronger-than-anticipated performance in the industrial and services sectors, even as it lowered economic projections for developing Asia and the Pacific due to higher US tariffs and global trade uncertainty.
Monsoon onslaught: Death toll climbs to 252 as floods and landslides devastate Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s monsoon death toll climbed to 252 on Wednesday, with 10 more fatalities reported amid relentless rains that have unleashed flooding, landslides, and house collapses nationwide, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.
Imran Khan’s sons meet Trump aide in bid to free father from Pakistani jail
ISLAMABAD: The sons of Pakistan’s imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan met with Richard Grenell, a key aide to US President Donald Trump, in California on Tuesday, intensifying their campaign to secure their father’s release from jail. Khan, 71, has been detained since August 2023 on corruption charges his supporters decry as politically motivated, a case that has drawn growing international attention to Pakistan’s turbulent political landscape.
Pakistan, Bangladesh agree to visa-free diplomatic travel, bolster security cooperation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bangladesh took a step toward easing their historically strained ties on Wednesday, agreeing in principle to allow visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic and official passports.