ISLAMABAD: The petroleum prices are estimated to generally remain stable for the next fortnight starting March 16, informed sources said. They said the premium on petrol import had increased to $12.15 per barrel from $10.45 in February but exchange rate and international product prices remained range bound. The premium on the import of high-speed diesel (HSD) has remained unchanged at …

KARACHI: The central bank has revealed a significant upswing in digital banking transactions during the second quarter (October-December) of the ongoing fiscal year, with the number of mobile app-based transactions surging 29 per cent to 280 million and internet banking transactions rising 15pc to 57m compared to the previous quarter. The value of mobile banking transactions during the three months …

KARACHI: The cost of living has gone up significantly amid surging utility bills and transportation expenses as consumers witnessed a mixed trend in prices of food items over the last Ramazan. As per data from the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), the average national price of a 20kg flour bag currently stands at Rs2,500-2,960 as compared to Rs1,295-3,000 prevailing on 1st …

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday stressed the urgent need for digitalisation of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to enhance transparency and efficiency in tax collection. During an introductory meeting with tax officials at the FBR headquarters, the minister deliberated on a range of proposals, a key one being the inclusion of retailers’ and wholesalers’ incomes in the …

After two consecutive sessions of selling pressure, some positivity returned to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday after it gained more than 1,000 points in intraday trade. The KSE-100 index gained by 1,015.82 points, or 1.59 per cent, to close at 65,064.26 from the previous close of 64,048.44. Yousuf M. Farooq, director of research at Chase Securities, attributed the …

WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill on Wednesday that would force TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner or get banned from the United States. The lawmakers voted 352 in favour of the proposed law and 65 against, in a rare moment of bipartisan unity in politically divided Washington. The fate of the bill is uncertain …

GAZA STRIP: Amid mounting efforts to bring food to the besieged Palestinian territory, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said one of its aid warehouses in the war-ravaged Gaza was “hit” on Wednesday, wounding scores of people. “At least one UNRWA staff member was killed and another 22 were injured when Israeli forces hit a food distribution centre in eastern …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday formally announced reconstitution of the three-judge committee with the inclusion of Justice Munib Akhtar after the retirement of Justice Sardar Tariq Masood. “In continuation of this Court’s Office order dated Jan 12, 2024, the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) has been pleased to reconstitute the requisite committee under Section 2 of the Supreme …

Beijing is seeking to build closer ties in South Asia in a push to counter its strategic rival India for influence. Last week, the Maldives said it had signed a “military assistance” deal with China after ordering Indian troops deployed in the small but strategically-placed archipelago to leave. Beijing confirmed on Wednesday that a delegation had visited the country and met with pro-China President …

ISLAMABAD: The ruling PML-N on Wednesday faced a double whammy in the National Assembly when the opposition as well as one of its key allies unleashed scathing criticism on it over alleged political victimisation and the unilateral appointment of the chairman of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), respectively. The National Assembly, which met after a four-day recess under Deputy …