Economy

23 August 2024
New Gwadar International Airport, set to be Pakistan's largest air hub by size, was built with a $246 million grant from China. (Screenshot from New Gwadar International Airport's Facebook page) 
France's TotalEnergies sold its stake in a network of 800 fueling stations in Pakistan.
Business trends

TotalEnergies' Pakistan exit stirs company exodus fears

French energy major latest Western multinational to quit crisis-hit Asian nation

13 August 2024
Supporters of the Balochistan Yakjehti Committee listen to their leader speak during the Baloch National Gathering in Gwadar on the southwestern coast of Pakistan on July 28.
Politics

Protests disrupt Pakistan's Gwadar, home of Chinese-controlled port

Turmoil led by group demanding recovery of victims of enforced disappearances

1 August 2024
Electricity theft and distribution problems caused by line losses have left Pakistan's government short of revenue.
International relations

Pakistan under pressure to renegotiate hefty Chinese power deals

Beijing unlikely to concede to Islamabad's request, experts say

26 July 2024
A family harvests red chili peppers in Pakistan. The IMF has asked Pakistan to tax agriculture.
Economy

Pakistan's IMF program 'at risk' if agriculture goes untaxed

Fund also advises nation to avoid building new power plants, chief of mission says

18 July 2024
Demonstrators in Bara, Pakistan, protest against new taxes on July 7: The government's push to increase revenues has not been popular.
The Big Story

Why Pakistan cannot resist going back to the IMF for another fix

Latest $7bn injection of support will not itself end country's cycle of dependence

17 July 2024
SadaPay gives Turkey's Papara fairly low-cost access to Pakistan's huge digital wallet market, and the deal could bring other foreign investors to the South Asian nation.
Startups

SadaPay deal has Pakistan looking to startups to attract foreign capital

Turkish fintech Parapa's acquisition of digital wallet startup seen as a harbinger

14 July 2024
The new loan deal, which is subject to approval by the IMF's executive board, is to last 37 months.
Finance

Pakistan reaches $7bn loan deal with IMF

Government promises to increase tax collection and number of payers

13 July 2024
Technicians work on solar panels installed on the roof of a house in Karachi on June 8. Solar panels, mostly from China, are spreading across Pakistan as residents seek solutions to outages and hefty bills.
Asia Insight

Pakistan's rooftop solar boom shines spotlight on power crisis

Blackouts, soaring electricity bills spur urban, rural residents to install own panels

9 July 2024
Pakistani police officers take position during a counterterrorism training session.
Terrorism

Pakistan eyes new counterterror operations as security deteriorates

Government unveils plan after Chinese official warns future investment at risk

27 June 2024
Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presents the government's proposed budget to the National Assembly in Islamabad, on June 12. (Pakistan Finance Ministry Press Service via AP)
Economy

Pakistan floats international travel ban for tax dodgers

Ambitious $67bn budget in line with IMF demands, experts say

13 June 2024
Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif greet each other at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 7.
International relations

China rebuffs Pakistan's Sharif on new BRI investment

Islamabad hoped Beijing visit would breathe new life into infrastructure deals

11 June 2024
A damaged bus at the scene of a suicide bomb attack that killed five Chinese nationals in Pakistan on March 26.  
Terrorism

Pakistan beefing up security after deadly attacks on Chinese workers

Islamabad under pressure to ease Beijing's concerns amid future investment fears

3 June 2024
A Chinese-backed power plant under construction in Pakistan's southern Sindh province in 2018.
International relations

Pakistan scrambles for relief on $15bn energy debt owed to China

UAE surprises with $10 bn investment in promising sectors of economy

24 May 2024
The IMF has told Pakistan it must stop subsidizing money-losing entities, such as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), as a condition for loans to help prop up its faltering economy. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images)
Asia Insight

Pakistan moves to sell national airline in test case for privatization drive

Dozens of state enterprises on auction block as IMF calls for end of subsidies

21 May 2024
Filling up at a petrol station in Karachi, the Pakistani commercial capital. Pakistan receives millions of barrels of smuggled Iranian finished petroleum products annually.
International relations

Iran smuggles $1bn worth of fuel into Pakistan annually: report

Traders sneak petrol and diesel across border in corruption-riddled trade

7 May 2024
Political veteran Ishaq Dar has become Pakistan's first deputy prime minister since 2013.
Politics

Pakistan appoints Ishaq Dar, close aide of elder Sharif, as deputy PM

First deputy in over a decade takes reins amid rift in ruling party

1 May 2024
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, right, walks with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Islamabad on April 22. (prime minister's office handout via Reuters)
International relations

Pakistan and Iran agree to boost trade, but Washington casts long shadow

Sanction fears could make it tough for neighbors to expand bilateral business

25 April 2024
Pakistan needs to repay $75 billion in debt over the next three years, according to Lahore-based capital markets expert Abdul Rehman.
Economy

Pakistan bargains hard for larger IMF deal of up to $8bn

Struggling country must reform economy to survive, even after approval

22 April 2024
Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party and others demand free and fair results of the elections on Feb. 11 in Karachi. More recently Khan's PTI allied with five other opposition parties and now expects to speak with a louder voice.
Politics

Pakistan opposition forms six-way alliance to challenge government

With economy bringing consumer pain, anti-government campaign could accelerate

16 April 2024
An Afghan repairs a carpet in Kabul. Carpets are one of Afghanistan's primary items of exports to Pakistan.
International relations

Pakistan and Taliban to expand trade despite lingering tensions

Two countries agree on 'separation of business from politics'

5 April 2024
A man counts Pakistani rupee notes at a currency exchange in Peshawar, Pakistan, in September 2023. The country is attempting to escape an economic crisis with the help of the International Monetary Fund.
Economy

Pakistan targets new IMF deal with banker atop Finance Ministry

Government accused of bending rules on cabinet selection

19 March 2024
A fruit vendor waits for customers in front of a makeshift Pakistan People's Party office in Karachi on Feb. 1. The country's economic crisis, including high inflation, is sure to challenge the next government.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan's economic crisis looms over last days of election campaign

Next government faces billions in debt bills, fallout from crackdown on Imran Khan

5 February 2024
A customer checks flags to be used for election campaigns at a shop in Karachi on Jan. 18.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan election battle focuses on fairness, security: 5 things to know

Economy on back burner as campaign puts a new spin on old problems

20 January 2024
Pakistan's caretaker government is pushing a plan to turn the IT sector into a bigger source of revenue. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters)
Economy

Pakistan faces hurdles on path to India-style tech takeoff

IT pros cite talent retention, internet shutdowns and payment limitations

15 January 2024