News

Auto loans rise for seventh month on low interest rates

Low interest rates continued to attract buyers towards auto financing, with outstanding car loans rising to Rs276.6bn by the end of June — up from Rs271.2bn in May — marking the seventh consecutive month of growth, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Despite the recent upward trend, the current volume remains well below the peak of Rs368bn recorded in June 2022. T

PM Shehbaz directs authorities to provide easy loans to farmers

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the relevant authorities to present a policy framework by the end of this month for the provision of easy loans to farmers engaged in medium and small-scale agricultural activities. In June, the prime minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to revitalising the agriculture sector, urging relevant authorities to reduce the tax burden on t

US firms eye investment in Pakistan’s port sector

Over 65 US companies joined a landmark webinar on Wednesday to explore commercial opportunities at Karachi Port and Port Qasim. The webinar hosted by the US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and the US Department of State, in collaboration with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, part of the ‘Gateways to Growth: South Asia Port Opportunities’ series, has opened new doors

Businesses gear up for nationwide strike

President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, on Wednesday categorically denied rumours of any postponement or cancellation of the nationwide strike scheduled for July 19, affirming that the shutdown will proceed as planned. The KCCI has installed hoardings and billboards across major arteries of Karachi announcing the complete strike, with slogans de

PSX reaches new intraday peak of 138,000 points

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday continued its renewed bullish momentum as it crossed the 138,000 points during intraday trade. The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 1,785.25 points, or 1.31 per cent, to stand at 138,165.21 points at 11:57am, from the previous close of 136,379.96 points. Awais Ashraf, research director at AKD Securities, said: “Investor optimism over a potential r