Pakistan business, economy, markets, petrol prices, trade and startup news.
Pakistan’s battle against poverty just got a sobering new report card. The United Nations Development Programme released its Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2026 in New York on Monday, and the numbers show that 38.3 per cent of Pakistan’s population is multidimensionally poor — more than twice the rate in India (16.4 per cent) and Bangladesh…
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the Federal Board of Revenue to complete automated, camera-based production monitoring across all major manufacturing sectors by December 31, 2026, telling the tax authority that businesses which collect sales tax from consumers but keep it instead of depositing it with the national exchequer will get no concessions. The directive…
By Bilal Ahmed | Updated: October 13, 2026 If your bank has ever ignored your complaint, here is proof that complaining works: the Banking Mohtasib Pakistan has resolved 29,001 complaints in favour of customers and secured refunds worth Rs1.2 billion during the first nine months of 2026. The figures, announced in Karachi on October 12,…
By Bilal Ahmed | Updated: October 13, 2026 Flour prices have surged across Pakistan this week: chakki atta has touched Rs200 per kg in Karachi against the official rate of Rs145, and a single roti now sells for Rs30 to Rs35 in the city. Multan, Faisalabad, Hafizabad and Balochistan are all reporting sharp increases. In…
Islamabad, Oct 13, 2026 — Petrol has become cheaper for Pakistani consumers from today: the federal government has cut the price of petrol by Rs2.93 per litre, bringing it down to Rs395.37 from Rs398.30. High-speed diesel, on the other hand, has been hiked by Re0.61 per litre to Rs396.85 (from Rs396.24). The new rates are…
Islamabad, Oct 12, 2026 — Pakistan plans to sell five to six state-owned entities this fiscal year and raise more than $1 billion from the sales, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told Reuters on Monday. Around a dozen state firms are already at different stages of the sale pipeline, including the state-run power distribution companies and…
Goods transporters across Pakistan have announced a further 5% increase in freight fares, blaming the repeated fuel price hikes for making current rates unworkable. The All Pakistan Goods Transport Ittehad made the announcement on Saturday, October 10, and warned that a nationwide strike could resume next week if the government fails to honour the commitments…
If your business touches pink salt in any way — grinding it, refining it, packing it, selling it — this one is worth your full attention. The Punjab government has opened the Pink Salt Value Addition Financing Scheme, offering interest-free loans of up to Rs50 million per business for processing, grinding, refining and packaging ventures….
Dollar Rate Today in Pakistan — Interbank vs Open Market (Oct 2026) By Bilal Ahmed · Updated October 11, 2026 Every morning in Pakistan, the same question makes the rounds — from traders and students to families waiting on remittances: what’s the dollar rate today? Here are the latest numbers first, then the full table…
The International Monetary Fund has reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan on the latest reviews of its lending programs, potentially unlocking about $1.21 billion in financing, the Fund announced on October 7, 2026. The disbursement remains subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board. If approved, Pakistan would gain access to roughly $1 billion under…