MPC to meet today amid Middle East tensions

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the second of this calendar year, will meet today (Monday) to discuss the country’s economic issues and decide on the policy rate. At its previous meeting, held on January 26, 2026, the MPC, against market expectations, kept its benchmark policy rate unchanged at 10.5%. Market experts widely expect the central bank to maintain the status quo in today’s meeting on account of escalating tensions in the Middle East. Arif Habib Limited (AHL) anticipates that the SBP is expected to keep the policy rate unchanged, “signalling caution amid a rapidly evolving global backdrop”. Similarly, Topline Securities, another brokerage house, expects no change, citing a recent survey showing that 96% of participants expected no rate cut.