News

Fertiliser stocks fuel rally at bourse

Investors made a strong comeback at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday as optimism prevailed, driving the benchmark KSE-100 index up by nearly 1,500 points. The market saw an impressive recovery, powered by renewed institutional confidence and strong performances by key sectors. The index opened on a positive note and maintained its bullish momentum for almost throughout the session

Govt raises over Rs1tr in treasury auctions

The government raised more than Rs1.03 trillion on Wednesday through auctions of treasury bills, Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIB) and the Government Ijara Sukuk (GIS). The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) conducted the three auctions, which attracted strong investor participation across conventional and Islamic instruments. In the T-bill auction, the SBP targeted Rs650 billion but received an overwh

Manpower exodus tops 615,000 amid barriers

Pakistan's manpower exports climbed over 615,000 in the first 10 months of 2025, but the record outflow masks deepening challenges faced by workers seeking opportunities abroad. Despite rising demand in Gulf markets, thousands of Pakistanis continue to battle complex visa requirements, tighter documentation rules, frequent rejections, and heightened airport offloading, obstacles that often turn al

Undocumented gold market to face scrutiny

Pakistan may come under the radar of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) due to failure to regulate its gold market as 90% of the metal is still traded without formal channels. Undocumented trade and the smuggling of gold dominate the Pakistani market. FATF had urged Islamabad to regulate its bullion market but the bulk of gold is traded outside of formal channels while the gold association

C/A deficit weighs on GDP growth

The fragile economic recovery of Pakistan is once again under pressure as the current account deficit widens, undermining growth expectations for the ongoing fiscal year. A new analysis of the Lahore School of Economics (LSE) shows that GDP growth for FY 2025-26 is projected at just 2.4%, the same level as recorded in the previous year, after the current account slipped back into deficit during