Category: Featured

Rewiring Pakistan’s growth model

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s economic policy framework is increasingly being shaped by sector-specific reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions and reviving growth. Among the most significant developments are the gradual deregulation of the sugar sector, a renewed emphasis on an ambitious agriculture export strategy, and sustained efforts to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). These initiatives are closely interlinked and reflect a broader shift away from heavy state intervention towards market-oriented, export-driven and investment-friendly policies. While challenges remain, official data and historical experience suggest that progress in these areas could strengthen Pakistan’s…

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Trump’s bid to reshape oil supply

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KARACHI: President Donald Trump has said that Venezuela’s interim government will deliver up to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States. “We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil. We’re getting oil prices down,” he added. Trump wouldn’t say for how long the US will “run” Venezuela, but what he did say was that the revenue from its oil “will be controlled by me”. Trump earlier said that the US oil industry would be “up and running” in Venezuela within 18 months and…

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Pakistan makes major strides in regulatory reforms

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has taken bold steps forward in modernising its regulatory landscape, delivering significant enhancements to anti-money laundering safeguards, corporate transparency, and the simplicity of starting a business, initiatives that have positioned the country as a more competitive and compliant player on the global stage. At the heart of these achievements is the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), which earned the title of national “Reforms Champion” from the prime minister in December 2025 during the launch of the National Regulatory Reforms initiative. The recognition highlights the regulator’s dedication…

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PSX plummets over 2,000 points as panic selling hits on geopolitical fears

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KARACHI: A sharp wave of selling swept through the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday, triggering a steep corrective move as escalating geopolitical tensions drove investors into risk-off mode. Heightened concerns over the Iran-US standoff, developments in Venezuela, and widening instability across the Middle East and South Asia undermined market confidence, sending the benchmark KSE-100 index tumbling by over 2,000 points in line with volatility across global markets. The trading session started under heavy pressure, with aggressive selling pushing the index lower immediately after the opening bell. Although bargain hunting…

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Federal Constitutional Court moves to Shariat Court building in Islamabad

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ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), set up under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, has formally shifted to the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) building in Islamabad, officials said on Monday. Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan inaugurated the new premises along with other judges. Three benches of the FCC have already started hearing cases at the FSC building, including a three-member bench headed by the chief justice that is taking up super tax cases. Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan also attended the inauguration. Renovation work at…

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Rs300m call centre extortion case debated in Senate IT committee

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Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology has reviewed allegations of embezzlement linked to money collected from illegal call centres during a meeting chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan. Officials told the committee the case relates to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and concerns an alleged monthly amount of Rs15 million taken from illegal call centres. Read: 34 arrested, including 15 foreigners, in Karachi cyber fraud crackdown Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) representatives said the matter is being handled as an Anti-Corruption Wing case. They stated that a first information report…

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Pakistan watches Iran unrest warily, fears spillover from any instability

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ISLAMABAD: Islamabad is closely following the situation in Iran and does not want an upheaval in the neighbouring country, as any major instability across the border would have far-reaching implications for Pakistan’s security, economy and regional standing. Islamabad understands that a section of the Iranian population is protesting against inflation, unemployment and the rising cost of living but there is also a clear concern within Pakistan’s security and diplomatic circles that Iranian dissidents based abroad are actively trying to amplify the unrest and push it in a particular political direction.…

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President Zardari to visit Bahrain from Jan 13-16

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President Asif Ali Zardari will embark on an official visit to Bahrain from January 13 to 16, accompanied by a high-level delegation. According to the Foreign Office post on X, the president is scheduled to hold talks with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The meetings will focus on strengthening bilateral relations, as well as discussing regional and international issues of mutual interest. The visit aims to deepen Pakistan’s longstanding partnership with Bahrain and explore new avenues of cooperation…

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