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PM Shehbaz, Chinese premier reaffirm working on CPEC 2.0 as firms ink 21 MoUs

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang reaffirmed on Thursday to work together on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s (CPEC) second phase in a meeting that the former termed “most productive” as business firms inked 21 memorandums of understanding (MoUs). Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership with ties that span various sectors, including trade, en

Cement, fertiliser power PSX to new peak

Despite a slump in exports and the devastating impact of recent floods, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued its bullish trend, marking the fourth consecutive session of gains. The benchmark KSE-100 index surged past the 152,000-point barrier, reaching an all-time high, buoyed by strong performances from the cement and fertiliser sectors. Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation attrib

Extracting dollars

YOU have no doubt heard of ‘overheating’, the word used in economic language to describe an economy that is growing, but at the same time, seeing rising inflation. This combination of growth with inflation portends trouble because it is a sign that the economy is trying to serve levels of demand that its productive apparatus is not capable of meeting. Over-extraction is something similar, bu

Wapda seeks to double revenue requirement

The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has sought about a 91 per cent increase in its revenue requirement to Rs365 billion for the current fiscal year (FY26), up from Rs191bn in FY23. This would translate into an estimated 90pc increase in the bulk hydropower rate to about Rs11.55 per unit (kilowatt hour) from Rs6.10 per unit, an official told Dawn. The additional revenue of about

Senate committee proposes key changes to Virtual Assets Bill

The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on Wednesday recommended that members and staff of the Pakistan Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (PVARA) be barred from trading in virtual assets. The committee also suggested placing the authority under the Finance Division rather than the Cabinet Division. During discussions on the government’s Virtual Assets Bill 2025, PMLN Senator Af