News

Mashreq Bank entry marks push towards digital economy: PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday stressed the urgent need to modernise Pakistan’s economy through digital tools, calling for a shift from conventional systems to a digitally driven model. Speaking at the launch ceremony of UAE-based Mashreq Digital Retail Bank in Islamabad, the prime minister said transitioning to a digital economy would enhance efficiency and expand financial inclusion

Development budget hits historic low, warns Ahsan Iqbal

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has deplored a massive decline in allocation of funds for development, stunting economic growth and job creation and has linked clearance of new foreign-funded projects to prior certification for availability of additional rupee cover. The minister has conveyed to the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) that no new foreign-funded projects would be acceptable for consid

SC questions parliament’s power to slap super tax

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, a member of the five-judge Supreme Court constitutional bench, on Tuesday questioned whether the National Assembly could be granted specific authority under the constitution to enact tax legislation that operates outside the financial year. Headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, the CB was hearing multiple petitions filed by taxpayers challenging the constitutional vir

Big industry grows 9pc in July

The Large-Scale Manufacturing (LSM) sector staged a recovery, posting a robust year-on-year growth of 8.99 per cent in the first month of FY26, according to figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday. On a month-on-month basis, the LSM posted a positive growth of 2.60pc in July 2025. This clearly indicates a revival in the industrial output at the start of new fiscal year.

Deadlock persists on GB traders’ demand for tax exemptions

The prime minister’s 22-member committee failed on Tuesday to reach consensus on recommendations for resolving grievances of Gilgit-Baltistan’s traders, with the matter deferred to another meeting scheduled for Wednesday. The committee, formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to address concerns over taxes and clearance of consignments imported from China via the Khunjerab Pass, met in Isla­mab