News

Petition against PIA sell-off dismissed

The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench on Thursday dismissed a petition challenging the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), removing a key legal roadblock in the government’s ongoing efforts to divest its majority stake in the loss-making national flag carrier. Justice Jawad Hassan issued a short order rejecting the petition, stating that detailed reasons would be shar

Digitalisation key to transparent economy: PM

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday stressed the need for implementing the digital transaction system across the country, insisting that it is vital to bring transparency to the economy. Chairing a weekly meeting on cashless and digital economy at the Prime Minister’s House, he emphasised the need to facilitate payments between citizens and businesses and raise awareness about the use of

Business leaders warn of strike over ‘draconian’ tax law

The Karachi Cham­ber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Thursday expressed full support for a complete nationwide strike if all chambers unanimously oppose Sections 37A and 37B of the Sales Tax Act, terming them “draconian” and detrimental to the business environment. Speaking at a press conference at KCCI, President Jawed Bilwani said the chamber, along with all seven industrial associations,

PSX scales 130,000 barrier as market climbs by 2,100 points

Bulls continued their reign over the trading floor at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday as shares scaled the 130,000-point barrier to reach a new high after climbing by 2,100 points. The benchmark KSE-100 index opened on a positive note, rising by 1,430.07 points (1.12 per cent) to reach 129,629.49 points at 10:07am, from the previous close of 128,199.42 points. Shares then rose

Is the textile sector recovering?

Pakistan’s large-scale manufacturing (LSM) sector continued to face headwinds in first ten months of this fiscal year (July 2024–April 2025), contracting by 1.52 per cent year-on-year, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The decline reflects ongoing challenges in key industries such as food, chemicals, iron and steel. However, textile manufacturing — the largest component of L