News

Sale of 35pc new gas reserves okayed after 11 months

Over one-third of the newly discovered gas reserves would be sold to private companies, a high-level committee decided on Monday. The decision by the committee, led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, came after almost a year-long resistance from government-owned gas companies over this issue. The committee decided to sell 35pc of new gas finds to third-party private entities through a biddi

Fresh approach required to sell off PIA, says minister Aleem Khan

Efforts for the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIACL) would continue and it would require a fresh approach and ‘big-hearted’ decisions, Minister for Privatisation Abdul Aleem Khan told the Senate Standing Committee on Privatisation on Monday. He revealed that the first consultant engaged for the task was deemed unsatisfactory, and now a new consultant would be hired to help m

Cotton production tumbles 34pc

Phutti arrivals at ginning factories kept a promising trend for the third consecutive fortnight, strengthening hopes for harvesting over six million bales this season. Cotton production during the last three fortnights remained 22 per cent higher than last season’s. However, the total arrivals touched 4.894m bales till Nov 15, which is 34pc less year-on-year, according to the data released by t

Food exports grow 22pc in July-October

Exports of raw food items surged 21.73 per cent to $2.36 billion in July-October from $1.94bn in the corresponding period last year, according to data compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. In FY24, the raw food exports touched $8bn, up from $5.8bn in the preceding year. As a result, consumers nationwide are paying higher prices for food items because of supply and demand gaps. Raw f

PM Shehbaz wants action against tax evaders expedited

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the authorities concerned to expedite action against tax defaulters and evaders as well as their facilitators. “Accelerate actions against tax defaulters and bring the tax evaders and their facilitators to book,” the prime minister said while receiving a briefing from the finance ministry regarding the country’s economy and the recent meeting wit