News

PSX falters on profit-taking, year-end selling

The Pakis­tan Stock Exchange (PSX) reversed its upward trajectory on Thursday after two days of gains, as investors opted for profit-taking at elevated levels, dragging the benchmark index into the red. Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd, said the KSE-100 In­­dex had surged nearly 6,594 points, or 5.7pc, in the previous two sessions following the Iran-Israel ceasefire. “Today’s

Budget 2025-26: Friction within ruling partners necessitates last-minute tweaks

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday voiced strong reservations over a set of politically unpopular provisions in the federal budget for the next fiscal year, urging the government to amend contentious clauses ahead of its expected approval in the National Assembly today (Thursday). Former finance minister and PPP MNA Naveed Qamar, who currently chairs the National Assembly Standing Co

$31tr debt threatens public services: UNCTAD

Global public debt rose to $102 trillion in 2024, with developing countries accounting for nearly one-third — $31tr — of that total, according to a new report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). These economies paid a record $921bn in interest payments, severely straining public finances and threatening essential public services. In its latest World of Debt repor

Steel sector lags in energy efficiency monitoring

Pakis­tan lacks a central mechanism for monitoring energy efficiency in its steel sector, making it difficult to measure progress or tap into global green financing and carbon credit opportunities, according to a new World Bank report. The report, titled Steel Sector: Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation, released under the Pakistan Sustainable Energy Series, highlights several barriers hinder

Leghari calls for cross-border power integration

Pakistan on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to a clean energy transition, pledging to achieve 60pc renewable energy generation and 30pc electric vehicle penetration by 2030, while urging greater regional cooperation on electricity trade and connectivity under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) framework. Addressing the SCO Energy Ministers’ Conference virtually, Federal Minister for