Pakistan will host a video conference of SAARC member states today (Thursday) to discuss a joint response of the regional countries to COVID-19 pandemic.
The government is all set to issue 3 and 5-year floating-rate Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) with quarterly profit payments meant to attract investors who want to avoid interest rate risk, sources close to Secretary Finance told Business Recorder.
Expressing its full support for Pakistan, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) on Wednesday stated that the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) has been directed to immediately finalize $500 million for import of oil and LNG, and an amou
The World Bank has projected 23 percent decline in remittances for Pakistan, totaling about $17 billion in 2020, compared with $22.5 billion in 2019, due to the economic crisis induced by the Covid-19 pandemic, and shutdown as well as decline in oil price
In order to facilitate the business concerns, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Wednesday announced reduction in the interest rate for active taxpayers under the Refinance Scheme for Payment of Wages and Salaries and allowed banks to extend financing again
Pakistan Wednesday received inflows amounting to $ 1.39 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Rapid Financing Instrument to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 shock.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Dr Zafar Mirza Wednesday announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan had been tested "negative" for the coronavirus.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Member Inland Revenue Operations Seema Shakeel has said that the banks are still reluctant to provide withholding data of the accountholders under cover of the secrecy laws.
The race to develop an effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus gathered pace this week, as clinical trials on humans were approved in Germany and launched in the UK.
The world should fight climate change with the same determination it is showing in the battle against the new coronavirus, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
The next three to four weeks are very critical for Pakistan, said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Wednesday, as he briefed the media about the continuing impact of the coronavirus in the country.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Wednesday said that Pakistan Army will continue its cooperation with the civil institutions in fight against the novel coronavirus, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported.
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Wednesday approved first phase disbursement of Rs75 billion from Prime Minister's Relief Package of Rs200 billion under "Mazdoor Ka Ehsaas Programme" for targeted payments to daily wagers affect
The Sindh prosecution challenged the Sindh High Court (SHC) verdict in the top court to acquit the convicts involved in the murder of Daniel Pearl, bureau chief of Wall Street Journal in Pakistan.
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has relaxed key compliance requirements for the non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) including extension up to May 31, 2020, for submission of the quarterly financial statements.
In a major move to conserve capital, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday directed banks to suspend the disbursement of dividends for March and June 2020 quarters.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has been informed that overall disbursements of Rs65.249 billion have been made to 5.437 million beneficiaries across the country in categories 1 and 2 under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme.
The Ministry of Interior suspended a member of sugar and wheat crisis inquiry commission on charge of allegedly leaking information of the inquiry to relevant people.
Habib Bank Limited (HBL) on Wednesday declared a consolidated profit after tax of Rs 4.1 billion for the first quarter of 2020, a growth of 29 percent over the same period last year. Earnings per share increased to Rs 2.79 compared to Rs 2.08 in Q1'2019.
The Board of Directors of MCB Bank Limited (MCB) met under the chairmanship of Mian Mohammad Mansha, on April 22, 2020 to review the performance of the bank and approve the condensed interim financial statements for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020.
Iran said it put its first military satellite into orbit Wednesday, making it an emerging "world power", as the US issued new threats amid rising naval tensions in the Gulf.
This is apropos a letter to the Editor "Healthcare, social security systems needed" carried by the newspaper yesterday. It is quite true that Rashed Rahman in this op-ed 'Healthcare, social security system needed' carried by the newspaper on Tuesday stron
The body of the Indian migrant who died from coronavirus far from home was kept inside the ambulance in front of the crematorium in case a friend came by for a last goodbye.
Nobody would have ever thought to face a terrible trade-off, like we, to either baldly damage our livelihoods through prolonged lockdowns, or to sacrifice the lives of thousands, if not millions, to this pandemic COVID-19.This article is an attempt to eva
Once upon a time there was news; compact and closely orchestrated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Fake news was unheard of; just plain vanilla dispensed by the government. The newspapers read like compendia of badly drafted government han
A five-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed hearing a suo motu case regarding measures taken by the federal and provincial governments to combat the coronavirus pandemic has asked some pertinent and
Surely any sincere and pragmatic effort on the part of the government to check smuggling and hoarding of essential items, especially as economic activity is largely compromised because of the coronavirus pandemic, must be appreciated. It is precisely beca
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday warned that the cases of the Covid-19 may surge in the coming two months and "increase in mortality rate in the country cannot be ruled out".
Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has planned to operate new special flights commencing by next week for Algeria, Khartoum, Nairobi, Jeddah, Oman, Zurich, Amsterdam and Turkey to rescue stranded Pakistanis from these places.
The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration on Wednesday sealed a seminary after its Khateeb and six other family members were tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judgment regarding suspension of mobile phone services by the government in view of public safety.
The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Dr Sania Nishtar, on Wednesday said that the government had so far distributed Rs 65.249 billion among 5.437 million families across the country.
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani's request to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to allocate NA hall for Senate session has not gone down well with the federal government which is reluctant to convene Senate session in the backdrop of the alarming spread
Demanding the federal and provincial governments to enforce the country-wide lockdown for another month in letter and spirit, eminent physicians of the country warned that if preventive measures were not taken, number of Covid-19 cases could reach upto 70
North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI) leaders have warned K-Electric to stop harassing and not to enforcing Industrial Support Programme (ISPA) adjustment charges till 30th April 2020, otherwise industrialists will lockdown their factori
President Federal B Area Association of Trade & Industry (FBATI) Abdullah Abid has urged federal government to permanently withdraw the Industrial Support Package Adjustment (ISPA) arrears and provide relief to the industries.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should issue income tax refunds in all cases subject to post-refund audit following updation of IBAN account numbers of the taxpayers.
Pak Elektron Limited (PSX: PAEL) was established as a public limited company in 1956 under the Companies Act, 1913 (now, Companies Act, 2017). It has two business divisions namely power division and appliance division. Under the power division, the compan
The domestic fertilizer industry has sought removal of discrepancies in taxes on different types of fertilizers that are hurting the industry as well as farmers. In this regard, a meeting was held between the representatives of fertilizer industry and the
Facebook has taken a $5.7 billion stake in the Jio digital platforms business of India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, in one of the country's biggest foreign investments, the companies said Wednesday.
The US Senate approved a bipartisan, nearly half-trillion-dollar coronavirus relief package Tuesday, with funding earmarked for devastated small businesses, overwhelmed hospitals, and a ramp-up of testing nationwide during the pandemic.
More than 10 million employees in France - one out of every two in the private sector - have been laid off during the coronavirus lockdown and are now benefiting from an extended indemnity programme to weather the crisis, the government said Wednesday.
Developing countries are losing a key source of revenue as the coronavirus pandemic causes worldwide shutdowns, sharply reducing payments from workers living abroad, the World Bank said Wednesday.
The Turkish central bank on Wednesday cut its main interest rate again by a full percentage point to 8.75 percent despite a fall in the Turkish lira's value against the US dollar.
Canada's inflation rate fell to 0.9 percent in March amid a pandemic lockdown and a sharp drop in oil prices, the government statistical agency said Wednesday.
The French markets regulator said Wednesday that it had imposed a 20 million euro fine on US hedge fund Elliott Management, accusing it of "inaccuracies" during its bid to block a takeover deal five years ago.
A controversial decision on whether to annex much of the West Bank is the prerogative of Israel's new unity government, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday.
Egypt on Tuesday flew a plane of medical supplies to the United States to assist in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, a role reversal for a top US aid recipient.
Facebook on Wednesday rolled out its Messenger Kids application to 70 new countries, saying it can help children deal with the challenges of distance learning and isolation during the virus lockdowns.
Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Facebook of "caving" to Vietnam's strict censorship regime, after the US tech giant confirmed it was blocking content deemed illegal by the country's communist government.
Russian internet giant Yandex has launched a free coronavirus testing service for the Moscow region as Russia boasts of one of the world's highest testing rates.
The new leader of Britain's main opposition Labour party on Wednesday accused the government of being slow in its coronavirus response, as lawmakers met for a virtual session in parliament.
Major stock markets in the Gulf ended higher on Wednesday, buoyed by recovery in Brent crude after prices hit their lowest level since 1999 earlier in the session.
A rebound in oil prices and hopes of more stimulus lifted European shares on Wednesday, even as investors remained cautious about a swift recovery as more companies issued worrying financial forecasts.
China stocks reversed course to close higher on Wednesday, as investors hoped the government would speed up rolling out further fiscal stimulus to shore up an economy that has been hobbled by the coronavirus pandemic.
Wall Street's main indexes rose on Wednesday on signs of more stimulus to aid small businesses ride out the coronavirus-induced economic slump and a recovery in oil prices.
Wall Street tumbled for a second straight day on Tuesday as a collapse in US oil prices and glum forecasts by companies worsened fears of a deep economic downturn.
Southeast Asian markets recovered from early losses on Wednesday to end marginally higher, led by a 1.5% rise in Indonesian stocks, which was powered by gains in consumer and telecom stocks.
Britain's top equity index rose on Wednesday as positive corporate updates helped calm the mood after a sharp sell-off in the previous session due to plunging oil prices.
Most Asian currencies moved in a narrow range on Wednesday as weak crude prices gave regional importers a chance to stock up supply, although worries persisted over frail risk sentiment due to oil crash and coronavirus-led uncertainties.
Sterling recovered on Wednesday, as some traders bought back into a currency that had slipped to a two-week low the day before during a flight to financial safe havens after oil prices crashed.
The dollar edged lower on Wednesday, erasing some of the previous day's gains, but safe-haven currencies remained largely well supported even as markets began to stabilize as oil prices recovered from another slump.
The dollar fell slightly on Wednesday, erasing some of the previous day's gains, but safe-haven currencies remained in demand even as the markets began to stabilise while oil prices recovered from another slump.
FBR has devised a centralized system of online payment of Sales Tax, FED and Income Tax refunds directly in the bank account of the taxpayers. For this purpose, FBR has requested the taxpayers to update their IRIS profile. In the given bank account detail
President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Agha Shahab Ahmed Khan has urged the Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to provide urgent relief to all importers through a refinance scheme whereby the import bills which are due for payment whic
April 22, 2020:- The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved three projects at the cost of Rs12.55 billion and recommended two projects valued at Rs196.6 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for considerati
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Wednesday agreed to devise a strategy for promoting startups in the IT industry through business incubation centres and innovation hubs.
Following reduction in key policy rate, margin on all short-term government papers declined up to 250 basis points (bps) in the auction held Wednesday.
The domestic mobile phone industry is eagerly awaiting the Mobile Device Manufacturing Policy (MDMP) which has been under preparation for over one year.
The city is likely to experience a spell of hot weather with a maximum of 36 degrees Celsius of temperature in the next 24 hours, the Met Office said on Wednesday. The metropolis's horizons are likely to remain mostly sunny with a maximum temperature of u
The public sector plants of Generation Companies (GENCOs), presently put on standby, are capable of providing energy according to the system's demand with very little investment on their rehabilitation, said reliable sources from Pakistan Electric Power C
Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) has stressed for expeditious disbursement of all outstanding refunds as the Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the cash flow squeezing the financial streams.
The Punjab government has made hoarding of 41 items a punishable offence up to three years of imprisonment. In this connection, the government promulgated The Punjab Prevention of Hoarding Ordinance 2020, under which any dealer found hoarding an article
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday again skipped the hearing of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in assets beyond means and money laundering cases citing "threat to his
While the daily diagnostics corona testing capacity in Punjab has reached to 4500, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has approved the establishment of four additional diagnostic labs for coronavirus in the province.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has urged the authorities concerned to immediately release the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shahbaz, over fears he might get infected in the presence of suspected Covid-19 inmates in the Camp Jail.
Government has approved two projects in Korangi Fish Harbour (KoFH) for improvement of facilities to bring fish handling practices at par with European Union's hygiene standards.
Traders on Wednesday vowed to open markets by first Ramazan and blamed the Sindh government for 'delaying tactics' to prolong the lockdown phase into the holy month.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that 320 new cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in the province, of them 308 are of local spread, the highest ever witnessed in the province, and the worst affected is Karachi with over 1300 cases of
The government should allow opening of wholesale and retail markets provided they remained within the parameters of the SOPs. The government should also allow all the industries to start their production forthwith, including downstream industries of expor
The Governor Sindh Imran Ismail presided over a meeting to review arrangements for controlling the spread of Coronavirus at Shahbaz Hall, here on Wednesday.
Model Customs Collectorate (MCC), Preventive on Wednesday claimed to have seized huge quantity of smuggled cigarettes and Indian gutka worth Rs 90.45 million at Boltan Market area.
Chief Secretary Sindh Mumtaz Ali Shah said that Sindh government is cognizant about the economic impact of closure of factories and is committed to allow the industries to function gradually. However, industrialists have to give an undertaking that all pr
Pakistan's banking sector is navigating through an enigmatic economic and operating scenario which encompasses multi facet challenges emanating from changing business models, increasing regulatory compliance requirements, disruptive technological advancem
Karachi Electric (KE) is charging Industrial Support Package Adjustment (ISPA) amount for the period July 2019 to Dec 2019 with a deadline to pay on or before 30-04-2020.
Chicago Board of Trade soyabean futures rose on Tuesday, supported by a round of bargain buying after sinking to contract lows early in the session, traders said.
US wheat futures ended mixed on Tuesday, with the most-active Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat contracts and MGEX spring wheat finishing in negative territory on a technical setback and declines in the corn market.
Chinese iron ore futures slumped on Tuesday, retreating from a more than 8-1/2-month closing high hit in the previous session, on concerns about surplus supply of the steelmaking raw material as the coronavirus hit demand outside China.
Dry weather is persisting in Russia's southern regions, the country's main area for wheat production and exports, analysts said on Monday, with one of them, IKAR, downgrading its forecast for the 2020 crop.