The government raised more than Rs1.03 trillion on Wednesday through auctions of treasury bills, Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIB) and the Government Ijara Sukuk (GIS). The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) conducted the three auctions, which attracted strong investor participation across conventional and Islamic instruments. In the T-bill auction, the SBP targeted Rs650 billion but received an overwh
Pakistan's manpower exports climbed over 615,000 in the first 10 months of 2025, but the record outflow masks deepening challenges faced by workers seeking opportunities abroad. Despite rising demand in Gulf markets, thousands of Pakistanis continue to battle complex visa requirements, tighter documentation rules, frequent rejections, and heightened airport offloading, obstacles that often turn al
Pakistan may come under the radar of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) due to failure to regulate its gold market as 90% of the metal is still traded without formal channels. Undocumented trade and the smuggling of gold dominate the Pakistani market. FATF had urged Islamabad to regulate its bullion market but the bulk of gold is traded outside of formal channels while the gold association
The fragile economic recovery of Pakistan is once again under pressure as the current account deficit widens, undermining growth expectations for the ongoing fiscal year. A new analysis of the Lahore School of Economics (LSE) shows that GDP growth for FY 2025-26 is projected at just 2.4%, the same level as recorded in the previous year, after the current account slipped back into deficit during
The central bank governor said on Wednesday that the current economic growth model cannot sustain a country of 250 million people and the economic stabilisation policies cannot continue indefinitely, urging businesspersons and policymakers for a shift in their approach. Governor Jameel Ahmad spoke about Pakistan's economic model and its implications a day after Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal bla