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IMF board to meet on May 9 to discuss Pakistan’s programmes

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board will meet on May 9 to discuss the country’s staff-level agreement for a new $1.3 billion arrangement under a climate resilience loan programme, along with the first review of Pakistan’s ongoing $7bn bailout programme, the global lender said. According to the Fund’s website, this will be the first “review under the Extended Arrangement Under

Pakistan set to become the next major tech destination: PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to becoming the next major tech destination in light of $700 million pledged in foreign investment in the IT sector at the Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI) conference in Islamabad. Delegates from around 45 countries arrived in Islamabad to participate in the DFDI conference, the first-ever DFDI conference held in

PM Shehbaz touts $700m in foreign investment for IT sector

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday hailed what he described as around $700 million in new foreign investment pledges in the information technology sector, urging international stakeholders to continue supporting Pakistan’s journey as it is ready to lead the global digital economy. Addressing the Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI-2025) conference, PM Shehbaz declared: “Pakistan is no

Shares at PSX shed 1,400 points as Pakistan-India tensions loom

Bears took control of the trade floor on Monday as shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) reversed their short-lived gains in intraday trade, declining more than 1,400 points after a week of volatility due to heightened tensions between Pakistan and India. The benchmark KSE-100 index climbed by 941.79 points, or 0.82 per cent, to stand at 116,411.13 from the previous close of 115,469.34 at

Agriculture: Crop sector — from boom to bust

In late March 2025, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics released the country’s economic growth figures for the second quarter (October-December) of FY25. The data painted a worrying picture: the agriculture sector grew by just 1.1 per cent. The first quarter was even worse, barely registering a growth rate of 0.74pc (revised figure). That is a massive fall from FY24, when agriculture posted a robust