Pakistan has abundant resources and hardworking people, which gives it the potential to become one of the top five economies in Asia if we embrace innovation and change, said Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday. Speaking at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), the minister stressed the importance of planning and policy continuity to compete with regional riva
Global ratings agency Fitch on Tuesday upgraded Pakistan’s foreign currency credit rating to ‘B-’ from ‘CCC+’, citing increased confidence in the country’s progress on narrowing its budget deficits. The upgrade also reflects confidence that the country would implement structural reforms, supporting its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme performance and funding availability, Fitch said.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) fell sharply in the outgoing week amid rising uncertainty over tariffs from the Trump administration, increasing concerns about a global economic slowdown. Last Thursday, the PSX hit an all-time high near 119,000, in sharp contrast to reeling global markets following the ‘Liberation Day’ reciprocal tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump the previous day.
Pakistan suffers greatly from financial exclusion. The total individual lending by all providers, including commercial banks, microfinance banks, and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), is approximately 15 million in a country of 225m. This is staggeringly low. The biggest culprits are the commercial banks. While the commercial bank industry is hugely profitable, the earnings are generated
As the United States and China wage an all-out trade war — with escalating tariffs, strategic retaliations, and an economic standoff that reverberates globally — the impact on Pakistan is both profound and potentially existential. For a nation burdened by a fragile economy, geopolitical dilemmas, and longstanding structural inefficiencies, these global shifts introduce challenges that are far m