Category: bussines

KARACHI: Pakistan’s startup ecosystem, once a headline-grabbing post-Covid-19 success story that attracted aggressive venture capital chasing growth and buzzworthy “disruption,” is now entering a more cautious and structurally different phase. With investors increasingly prioritising risk-adjusted returns and shifting capital towards safer assets such as gold, the funding landscape is undergoing a transformation marked by a decisive move away from speculative equity rounds towards hybrid financing structures that now dominate capital flows. The shift was highlighted during Invest2Innovate (i2i)’s “Ecosystem Signals 2026” event, where industry leaders discussed the findings of Pakistan’s…

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KARACHI: Recovery hopes were dashed as heavy selling gripped the environment at Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in a turbulent session on Thursday, with bears firmly in control throughout the day. Heavy selling from the opening bell dragged the benchmark KSE-100 index sharply lower, reflecting cautious investor sentiment. The index plunged during intra-day trade, hitting a session low of 178,725.25 points amid broad-based selling across key sectors. Although a late-session recovery trimmed some losses, it failed to reverse the negative momentum. By the close, the KSE-100 index tumbled down 2,537.16 points,…

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LAHORE: The fragile external financing system of Pakistan is one of the main reasons for the weak economic structure of the country, as heavy reliance on foreign loans continues to expose the economy to sudden shocks, business leaders and economists said. They added that the external debt profile remains tilted towards short-term borrowing, leaving little room for policy mistakes. “The government must immediately begin serious negotiations with friendly nations to secure longer repayment periods and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves,” said Raja Waseem Hassan, Vice Chairman of the Pakistan…

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KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor has urged banks to focus on expanding the agricultural borrower base, strengthening inclusion of small farmers and scaling up digital delivery channels to support sustainable growth in the farming sector. Jameel Ahmad noted that agriculture remained critical for improving farm productivity, supporting rural livelihoods and ensuring food security. He emphasised the need for strengthening agricultural financial intermediation to support value addition, market linkages and sustainable growth in the sector. He made the remarks at a meeting of the Agricultural Credit Advisory Committee (ACAC)…

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KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) plans to list 12 new companies in 2026 and has secured full membership of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), PSX Chief Executive Officer Farrukh H Sabzwari said on Wednesday during a special media briefing held with National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited (NCCPL) CEO Naveed Qazi and Central Depository Company (CDC) CEO Badiuddin Akbar. Sabzwari said that PSX continues to modernise its market infrastructure and strengthen investor access. He revealed that the number of Unique Identification Numbers (UINs) reached an all-time high of 23,400…

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ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday held a series of meetings with international investors, development partners and foreign officials, focusing on private sector-led growth, capital mobilisation and Pakistan’s ongoing economic reforms, according to statements issued by the Ministry of Finance. In a meeting at the Finance Division, the minister engaged a high-level international investors’ delegation comprising representatives of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), British International Investment (BII), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Baltoro Capital. Discussions centred on expanding private sector participation, reducing sovereign risk exposure and strengthening…

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ISLAMABAD: The government has finalised a panel for the appointment of Pakistan’s new executive director at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), including two women officers, after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided not to allow the principal aspirants holding key domestic positions to take the lucrative foreign posting. Government sources said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has shortlisted the names of three officers from the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) for appointment as Pakistan’s executive director at the ADB, a major lender to the country. The principal candidate for the position is…

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ISLAMABAD: The government has projected the collection of an additional Rs132 billion annually from power consumers through fixed charges across various domestic categories. However, the net impact on cross-subsidy is estimated at Rs101 billion, as the government has reduced electricity tariffs by up to Rs1.53 per unit for CY2026. On Tuesday, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) conducted a public hearing on a petition filed by the Power Division. The hearing was chaired by NEPRA Chairman Waseem Mukhtar, while officials from the Power Planning and Monitoring Company (PPMC) briefed…

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LAHORE: Concerns over weak growth, low investment and shrinking competitiveness are pushing business leaders to renew calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the economic framework, warning that incremental fixes will no longer be enough to stabilise and revive the economy. Recent discussions among industrialists and traders have highlighted that despite periods of macroeconomic stabilisation, structural issues continue to undermine confidence. Complicated procedures, inconsistent policies and a narrow tax base are widely seen as key reasons why economic recovery has remained fragile. According to business representatives, these challenges are not new,…

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ISLAMABAD’: A Senate panel on Monday expressed serious concern over failure of the ministries concerned to introduce legislation aimed at increasing imprisonment and penalties related to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bowser and cylinder blasts, leading to several deaths. Senator Waqar Mehdi had taken up the matter in the Senate, which was referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat. The panel warned that a private member bill would be introduced if the government was not serious about introducing the legislation. The standing committee, which met under the chairmanship of…

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