Business & Economy Correspondent

Mehreen Abbasi

Stories by Mehreen Abbasi

Page 16 of 23

The bull statue outside the Islamabad Stock Exchange in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Pakistan raises $500m in first Eurobond sale in four years

Pakistan raised $500 million through a three-year Eurobond on 17 April 2026, its first international bond sale in four years, at a coupon of about 6.975 per cent.

The State Bank of Pakistan building in Karachi, photographed in September 2017.

Pakistan / Business & Finance

Pakistan's current account swings to $1.07bn March surplus, second-highest on record

Pakistan posted a $1.07bn current account surplus in March 2026, the second-highest monthly figure on record, on lower imports and robust remittances.

The State Bank of Pakistan headquarters building in Karachi.

Pakistan / Business & Finance

SBP legalises virtual assets and sets strict rules for crypto-linked bank accounts

Pakistan's central bank legalised virtual assets under the Virtual Assets Act 2026 and set strict conditions for banks serving licensed crypto firms.

Electricity transmission pylons carrying power lines across a rural landscape in northern Pakistan.

Pakistan / Business & Finance

Pakistan to impose 2.25 hours of daily peak-hour power cuts to cap tariff rise

Pakistan's Power Division said on 14 April 2026 it would suspend electricity supply for about 2.25 hours daily during peak evening hours to prevent a sharp tariff increase.

A large liquefied natural gas carrier at sea with its cargo containment system visible above deck.

Pakistan / Business & Finance

Pakistan to double gas supply to power sector as imported LNG runs short

Pakistan is moving to lift gas supply to power plants to 160–170 mmcfd by end-April to contain tariff increases and loadshedding after imported LNG dried up.

The headquarters building of the State Bank of Pakistan in Karachi, a sandstone and marble structure used as the institutional anchor of the Fitch rating story.

Pakistan / Business & Finance

Fitch affirms Pakistan's credit rating at 'B-', stable outlook despite Gulf energy shock

Fitch held Pakistan's B- rating with a stable outlook on 13 April 2026, citing IMF progress and rebuilt forex buffers.

Representative illustration of the Saudi Arabian and Qatari flags flying in front of a Pakistan skyline with the Pakistan flag.

Pakistan / Business & Finance

Pakistan secures $5bn financing pledge from Saudi Arabia and Qatar

Saudi Arabia and Qatar pledged US$5 billion in financial support as Pakistan faces about US$4.8bn of external repayments during April 2026, official sources said.

Vehicles queue at a Pakistan State Oil petrol and CNG station beside a road near Hyderabad, Sindh.

Pakistan / Business & Finance

Pakistan slashes diesel price by Rs135 a litre as fuel costs ease

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif cut high-speed diesel by Rs135 and petrol by Rs12 a litre from 11 April 2026, passing on lower global oil prices.

A Shell fuel station forecourt in Karachi at night, with an illuminated canopy over the pumps.

Pakistan / Business & Finance

Pakistan cuts diesel by Rs135, petrol by Rs12 as global oil prices ease

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif cut high-speed diesel by Rs135 and petrol by Rs12 per litre in a televised address, taking diesel to Rs385 and petrol to Rs366 from midnight.

Front facade of the State Bank of Pakistan building in Karachi, a sandstone-and-marble institutional structure under a clear sky.

Pakistan / Business & Finance

ADB lifts Pakistan growth forecast to 3.5pc for FY26 as manufacturing rebounds

The Asian Development Bank raised Pakistan's FY26 GDP forecast to 3.5pc from 3pc on Friday, citing manufacturing recovery and post-flood rebuilding, but warned of downside risk.

ISE Towers, the Islamabad Stock Exchange building in Islamabad, Pakistan, a tall office block that housed one of Pakistan's predecessor exchanges.

Pakistan / Business & Finance

PSX surges 14,000 points to all-time high after US-Iran ceasefire lifts Gulf markets

The KSE-100 closed 14,137.55 points higher at 165,811 on 8 April 2026, its biggest single-day gain ever, after the Pakistan-brokered US-Iran ceasefire.

A high-voltage electricity transmission tower standing in fields at Thathi Mughlan, Punjab, Pakistan.

Pakistan / Business & Finance

NEPRA approves Rs1.42 per unit increase in April electricity bills

NEPRA approved a Rs1.42 per unit fuel cost adjustment for February, raising April electricity bills after the Central Power Purchasing Agency sought Rs1.62.