News

PM Shehbaz assures US investor delegation of business-friendly environment

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to facilitating foreign investors by ensuring a conducive business environment, streamlined processes and robust institutional support. A press release from the Prime Minister’s Office said the premier underscored Pakistan’s unique appeal as a global investment destination during a meeting in Islamabad

Foreigners withdraw 87pc money from T-bills

Pakistan witnessed 87 per cent foreign investment withdrawal from treasury bills (T-bills) due to a sharp reduction in profit rates in almost seven months. The returns on T-bills halved during the first seven months of the current fiscal year. These large outflows occurred despite a stable exchange rate for over a year. Financial market experts said many other factors could contribute to the

GSMA slams Pakistan’s spectrum policy

GSMA has criticised Pakistan’s spectrum policy, warning that increasing the cost of spectrum is unsustainable and poses a significant threat to the future development of mobile services. GSMA, a global organisation representing mobile operators and entities across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, has issued a paper emphasising that mobile network infrastructure is vital for Pakista

Don’t take GSP+ for granted, warns EU envoy

The European Union has warned Pakistan not to take its GSP+ status for granted. Olof Skoog, the EU Special Rep­resentative for Human Rights who is currently on a week-long visit to Pakistan, has also urged the government not to use military courts to pursue cases against citizens, and opposed recent moves to restrict freedom of expression. Talking to Dawn, he said he had conveyed these messa

Petroleum prices may see another fortnightly rise

High-speed diesel (HSD), petrol and kerosene are estimated to increase by up to Rs6 per litre on Friday for the next fortnight owing to higher international prices. Informed sources said the ex-depot petrol price was estimated to go up by Rs2-3 per litre depending on the final calculation on Jan 31. Kerosene and diesel prices are estimated to rise by about Rs6 per litre. The estimates are ba