SBP releases Rs4.5tr borrowing plan

[ State Bank of Pakistan. Photo: File KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) injected Rs13 trillion through both conventional and Shariah-compliant Open Market Operations (OMOs) on Friday. In the conventional reverse repo purchase segment, the central bank accepted a total of Rs12.9 trillion in face value, translating into a realised value of Rs12.6 trillion. … Read more

Cement sales grow 9.7% to 25.8m tonnes

[ LAHORE: Cement dispatches showed a slight growth of 1.47% in December 2025 as total sales reached 4.347 million tons against 4.284 million tons during the same month of last year. According to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association, local cement dispatches by the industry during December 2025 were 3.725 million tons … Read more

Fire and Ash’ leads New Year’s Eve box office

james cameron s latest instalment in the avatar franchise earned approximately 8 1 million domestically on new year s eve photo file

Since opening, the movie has generated more than $250 million in domestic box office in under two weeks James Cameron’s latest instalment in the Avatar franchise earned approximately $8.1 million domestically on New Year’s Eve. Photo: file James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash closed out 2025 by dominating the New Year’s Eve box office, finishing … Read more

Qatar-returned woman killed for ‘honour’

Sources say father’s relatives carried out shooting while husband facilitated crime A Lahore Police spokesperson emphasised that personnel in uniform are required to maintain strict discipline. PHOTO: FILE RAWALPINDI: A married woman was shot dead in what police describe as an ‘honour killing’ in the jurisdiction of Wah Cantt Police Station, in a case resembling … Read more

‘Mineral marvel’ to be showcased at Riyadh forum

[ . Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik. ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Friday discussed cooperation in the minerals and energy sectors with Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmad Al-Malkiy, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, with a focus on participation in the upcoming Future Minerals Forum in … Read more

PSX tops 179,000 as equities extend rally

[ The new flat 15% CGT rate for filers and 20% for non-filers will be applicable to only those shares that are bought and sold on and after July 1, 2017. PHOTO: FILE KARACHI: Pakistan equities extended their bullish run at the start of 2026, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index surging 1.52% on Friday to … Read more

NARC opens speed breeding units for wheat and pulses

[ ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain on Friday inaugurated speed breeding facilities for wheat and pulses at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad, a move aimed at accelerating crop improvement and addressing food security challenges, according to an official statement. The speed breeding technology enables crops to … Read more