The new administration features some of Washington’s harshest Pakistan critics. Its transactional approach ensures that longstanding claims by Pakistan about its strategic importance — rooted in its location — will fall on deaf ears. New areas of cooperation during the Joe Biden administration — clean energy and climate change — won’t be priorities. Washington’s foreign aid freeze and dismantli
Binance’s billionaire founder Changpeng Zhao on Monday was appointed as a strategic adviser to the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), a press release issued by the Finance Division said. The Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) was officially launched last month to “regulate and integrate blockchain technology and digital assets” into the country’s financial landscape. On February 25, following a meeti
Stock markets and oil prices collapsed on a black Monday for world markets, as US President Donald Trump stood firm over his tariffs, despite fears of a global recession. Trading floors across the globe were overcome by waves of further selling after last week’s sharp losses, with Trump telling Americans to “be strong, courageous, and patient,” minutes before the New York stock market opened to
As the government considers its options, the private sector views the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariffs as a strategic manoeuvre to compel Islamabad to engage in discussions for better access to the Pakistani market. The tariffs have also impacted Pakistan’s three main competitors in the US market — India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. However, New Delhi and Hanoi have already prepared in ad
The government has, in principle, agreed to withdraw the 18 per cent sales tax imposed on the local sale of cotton, yarn, and grey cloth, provided the International Monetary Fund (IMF) permits it, to ensure a level-playing field for both local and imported cotton and its products. Dawn has learned that the committee of federal ministers and secretaries, formed on the directive of Prime Minister