Pakistan is halfway into the ongoing $7 billion 36-month long Extended Fund Facility (EFF) approved in October 2024 by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) board. This austerity programme like all previous IMF programmes is causing jitters across Pakistan's political and media landscape. Former and current ministers including economic commentators are openly blaming the IMF-mandated policies f
A major structural change is quietly reshaping Pakistan's rice economy – one with consequences far deeper than seasonal prices or export statistics suggest. Across Punjab, including traditional Basmati zones, Chinese hybrid rice is rapidly replacing open-pollinated varieties. What is often presented as progress driven by higher yields is, in reality, evolving into a serious policy failure with imp
Pakistan's total public debt remained Rs17 trillion higher than the maximum statutory limit set by Parliament to ensure fiscal discipline during the last fiscal year, but the government has still managed to reduce refinancing risks by extending the tenor of domestic loans. The Debt Policy Statement 2026 disclosed that, against the maximum permissible debt limit of 56% of Gross Domestic Product
Asian shares mostly followed Wall Street futures into the red on Monday as chaotic trading in precious metals made for a nervous start to a week that is packed with corporate earnings, central bank meetings and major economic data. Silver lost another 5% at one stage, as Friday’s 30% plunge squeezed leveraged positions in what had become a very crowded trade. Dealers also said pressure on the
A delegation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) mission visited Mardan to review the construction progress of the ongoing Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) and directed the concerned authorities to ensure its early completion. The delegation also visited the office of the Water and Sanitation Services Company Mardan (WSSCM). On this occasion, a special meeting was held under the joint chairman