News

Diesel cut by Rs3, petrol price stays unchanged

The government on Friday reduced the price of high speed diesel (HSD) and kept unchanged that of petrol for the next fortnight, ending December 31, in line with international prices. The finance ministry said Ogra had worked out the consumer prices of petroleum products, bas­ed on the price variations in the international market during the last two weeks. The ex-depot price of HSD was reduce

Finance: Navigating continuing challenges

Pakistan’s electricity supply companies caused a staggering Rs660 billion loss to the national exchequer in the last fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, according to a recent Dawn report. To put this in perspective, this amount is 11 times the federal government’s Rs59.7bn budget for higher education last year. This comparison starkly highlights the depth of the structural problems afflicting Pakist

PSX continues record-breaking rallies, KSE-100 crosses 113,000

The Pakistan stock exchange continues to rise, with the index surging by 2.1% to current index at 113,141.20 during intra day trading breaching the 113,000 point barrier for the first-time. At 11:00 am, KSE-100 index rose by 2330.99 points (2.1%), up from the previous day's close of 110,810.21 points. The market saw a positive turnaround, with the index reaching a high of 113,481.90 and a lo

FX reserves decline by $19m to $16.6b

Pakistan's total liquid foreign reserves remained largely stable, with a slight decline of $19 million, settling at $16.6 billion as of December 6, 2024. These reserves include $12.05 billion held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), marking the highest level since March 2022, and $4.55 billion held by commercial banks. The central bank's reserves increased by $13 million during the week, suppo

Islamic finance pivotal for economic growth

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, said on Thursday that Islamic finance and Islamic capital markets could play a pivotal role in helping Pakistan achieve macroeconomic stability and sustainable growth. Addressing the inaugural session of the Second International Islamic Capital Markets Conference & Expo in Karachi, the minister stated that while Pakistan had