October 12, 2026

Business

Industrial oil refinery at dusk

Furnace Oil Export Approvals: OGRA Permits Parco to Offload 100,000 MT Amid Domestic Grid Shifts

ISLAMABAD / KARACHI — In a major operational directive to sustain refinery operations, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has formally cleared the Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO) to export 100,000 metric tonnes of furnace oil in June 2026. Approved by the National Committee on Monitoring of Commodities (NCMC), the massive fuel offloading strategy is […]

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City street at night, curfew restrictions

Capital Market Restrictions Restored: Islamabad Orders 8 PM Shutterdown Amid Regional Energy Strain

ISLAMABAD — In a sudden shift to control energy expenditures, the district magistrate’s office has officially restored early market closure restrictions across Islamabad starting today. Under the new austerity guidelines, all retail shops, markets, and shopping malls are strictly mandated to close by 8:00 p.m. throughout the week. Restaurants, wedding halls, and grocery stores have

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PM addressing officials, industrial modernization

Industrial Modernization Shift: PM Shehbaz Declares Reformed Pakistan Open for Global Business Tech

HANGZHOU — Standing before top-tier Chinese business tycoons and global tech leaders at the Hangzhou summit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally declared that Chinese business leaders are central to Pakistan’s upcoming “economic transformation and industrial modernization.” Addressing investors directly with the slogan “Pakistan is open for business. Pakistan is reforming. Pakistan is rising,” the government

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Officials shaking hands, China investment deal

China B2B Investment Accords: Pakistani and Chinese Firms Ink Massive $1.22 Billion Deals in Hangzhou

HANGZHOU / ISLAMABAD — In a major economic breakthrough, Pakistani and Chinese companies have officially signed cooperation agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth a massive $1.22 billion. The historic deals were finalized at the Pakistan-China Business Conference in Hangzhou, witnessed directly by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Governor of Zhejiang Province, Mr. Liu

China B2B Investment Accords: Pakistani and Chinese Firms Ink Massive $1.22 Billion Deals in Hangzhou Read More »

Aerial view of housing development

SEZ Act Amendment Approved: President Zardari Signs Bill Offering New Incentives for Private Developers

ISLAMABAD — President Asif Ali Zardari has officially approved the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill 2026. Passed by both houses of Parliament, the new legislation replaces the previous temporary ordinance and completely upgrades Pakistan’s fiscal policy framework. The amended law establishes an investor-friendly dispute resolution mechanism and legally binds federal and provincial governments to provide

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Solar panels installed at industrial facility

Corporate Solar PPA Boom: Major Industrial Hubs Sign 50MW Captive Power Deals with Local Providers

KARACHI / LAHORE — Driven by rising grid tariffs, Pakistan’s corporate sector is rapidly expanding its independent clean energy infrastructure. Today, three major industrial consortiums signed long-term corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) totaling 50MW of rooftop and ground-mounted solar capacity. These captive power plants will supply uninterrupted green electricity directly to manufacturing units in the

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Officials in committee meeting, mineral security

Balochistan Mineral Security Corridor: PM Orders Strict Security Protocols to Protect Mega Investments

RAWALPINDI / QUETTA — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has issued directives to establish a dedicated “Mineral Security Corridor” in Balochistan to safeguard large-scale international mining and infrastructure projects. Simultaneously, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir visited the Quetta Garrison, where he emphasized that Pakistan’s economic and technological rise cannot be derailed by hostile

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Official speaking at financial briefing

Blockchain Sovereign Bonds: Pakistan to Launch Tokenized Bonds and Naya Pakistan Certificates

ISLAMABAD — In a massive tech-driven shift to modernize the capital markets, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has chaired a high-level meeting to review the tokenization of sovereign bonds and Naya Pakistan Certificates (NPCs) via blockchain infrastructure. Partnering with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the newly formed Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), the

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Womens-Sahulat-Bazaar-Hidden-Gem

Market Closure Restrictions Suspended: Federal Government Removes Closing-Time Curbs Until May 31

ISLAMABAD — The Federal Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has officially suspended all business and market closing-time restrictions across the country until May 31, 2026. The emergency exemption temporarily overrules the austerity measures enacted on April 6. This means shopping malls, bazaars, retail shops, bakeries, and restaurants nationwide can now remain open 24/7

Market Closure Restrictions Suspended: Federal Government Removes Closing-Time Curbs Until May 31 Read More »

Person reviewing financial documents

S&P Macroeconomic Risk Warning: Pakistan Flagged as Most Exposed APAC Country to Middle East War

ISLAMABAD / KARACHI — A grueling report by S&P Global Market Intelligence has flagged Pakistan as the Asia-Pacific (APAC) economy most vulnerable to severe macroeconomic stress if conflicts in the Middle East persist. Due to a heavy dependence on imported energy and regional industrial inputs, a prolonged shock could choke domestic manufacturing and strain fiscal

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