Pakistan’s trade deficit with the Middle East widened by 7.37 per cent to $13.974 billion in FY25 from $13.014bn a year ago, primarily due to a sharp increase in petroleum imports. According to data compiled by the State Bank of Pakistan, the growing deficit reflects the country’s heavy reliance on energy imports from the region, while exports have shown only marginal gains to a limited number
The Senate Standing Committee on Railways on Monday slammed the Ministry of Railways for its lack of seriousness and failure to provide accurate data on corruption and financial losses, demanding accountability for officials responsible for misleading parliament. Chairman of the committee, Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, criticised the ministry for repeatedly submitting inconsistent information, de
Amid rapid digitisation and modernisation of banking in Pakistan, the number of complaints lodged by customers has surged, reflecting growing concerns over service quality and fraud. The Banking Mohtasib Pakistan provided monetary relief of Rs882.25 million to customers by resolving 16,006 complaints during the first half of 2025 (January to June). This marks a notable rise from the same period
The World Bank, in a new report, has designed strategies for five key industrial sectors in Pakistan, highlighting significant opportunities for energy efficiency and decarbonisation to help the country manage soaring energy costs and meet its climate goals. The report ‘Pakistan Energy Efficiency: Industrial Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation (EE&D)’, outlines strategies, targeting the cemen
After a strong start in 2015, progress on the 2030 Agenda has slowed since the pandemic. Conflicts, climate shocks, inequalities, and mounting debt are derailing global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) efforts. In Pakistan, already lagging, the focus now seems more on revenue generation than pursuing real human development. It is, therefore, unsurprising that Pakistan’s ranking on SDG index