News

Science ministry ‘sidelined’ in crypto oversight

Following the recent visits of ‘President Trump’s advisers for digital assets’, the Ministry of Finance appears to have left the Ministry of Science and Technology high and dry over its months-long endeavour to be the custodian of virtual assets and cryptocurrencies. Sources told Dawn that the Ministry of Science, under Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, has been coordinating with a working group of a

Equity prices falter for want of triggers

After brea­king a four-session losing streak overnight, the sto­ck market on Wednesday struggled as investor sentiment remained mixed due to a lack of positive triggers, forcing the benchmark KSE 100 index into the red zone on late profit selling. Topline Securities Ltd said the stock market had a range-bound session, with the benchmark index moving between a high of 583 points and a low of 598

The last mile

HERE it comes. The coming IMF review is going to be successful, but the government is likely to emerge significantly more hamstrung at the other end. We should expect an embattled budget drawing up process as the search for more innovative means to address business community concerns collides with a fiscal effort that needs to try and plug a Rs600 billion gap in the revenue target before June.

Cement sales improve in February

Constru­ction activities slightly improved as cement sales rose 7 per cent to 3.065 million tonnes in February compared to 2.869m in the corresponding period last year. Export despatches rose 34.30pc to 531,736 tonnes from 395,935 tonnes in February 2024. The All Pakistan Cement Manu­facturers Asso­ciation (APCMA) data showed total cement despatches were up 10.15pc to 3.596m tonnes against 3

Trump assails India among ‘tariff states’

During his wide-ranging and eventful first speech to Congress, President Trump lashed out at India — among several other countries — for imposing what he called “very unfair” tariffs on American goods, and announced that from April 2, he would respond with reciprocal tariffs. Trump specifically criticised India’s 100pc tariff on American automobiles — grouping it with China, the European Union,