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Govt to stop use of methyl bromide for rice fumigation

The government is immediately halting the use of methyl bromide for the fumigation of rice consignments in Pakistan, enabling the importing countries to carry out the procedure themselves in line with international standards. The decision came at a meeting held by the ministry of national food security and research on Monday to address the issue of interceptions in the export of Pakistani rice

Remittances jump 40pc in February, total $3.12bn

Remittances from overseas Pakistani workers soared by nearly 40 per cent year-on-year in February 2025, reaching $3.12 billion, according to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data released on Monday. Compared to January 2025, remittance inflows increased by 3.8pc, providing much-needed financial support to the economy, government reserves and liquidity for importers. For the first eight months of

Smooth IMF talks drive PSX bullish

Despite some benchmark slippages, better-than-expected smooth talks with the visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission for the release of the second tranche of $1.1 billion enthused positive vibes among equity investors about the economic outlook, aiding the benchmark index maintain a bullish performance in the outgoing week. Despite early volatility, the market turned bullish on repor

Relief eludes consumers in Ramazan despite inflation dip

Iqbal Hussain was among many hoping for significant relief in commodity prices this Ramazan, especially after a sharp decline in the country’s inflation rate. The annual inflation, which soared to a record high of 38 per cent in May 2023, dropped to a near-decade low of 1.5pc in February, according to official data released this week. However, despite the dramatic decline, the prices of esse

Pakistan bridging gender gap in digital economy: IT minister

Federal Minister for IT & Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Saturday that Pakistan was not just bridging the gender gap in technology but also redefining the future of women in digital economy. Addressing a webinar, “HERstory: Google IWD 2025”, hosted by Google Pakistan to celebrate International Women’s Day, the minister said young women have consistently excelled on merit, ranking among th