Refinery output surges 13%

[ Production increase driven primarily by over 25% growth in motor spirit, high-speed diesel A file image of Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery at Kuwait. PHOTO: TIMES KUWAIT ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s refining sector played a critical stabilising role in March 2026 as its throughput surged 13%, ensuring uninterrupted fuel supply at a time when global markets faced disruptions … Read more

US vows to target more Iranian infrastructure as nations seek to open Hormuz

US President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, US, March 23, 2026. REUTERS US President Donald Trump threatened that the US “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran”, reiterating vows to increase the ferocity of attacks on its infrastructure, as dozens of countries sought ways to … Read more

SBP’s reserves up $6m to $16.38b

[ State Bank of Pakistan. Photo: File KARACHI: Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) recorded a marginal increase during the week ended March 27, 2026, reflecting relative stability in external inflows. According to the latest data, the SBP’s reserves rose by $6 million to reach $16.38 billion. The country’s … Read more

IRSA to finalise water distribution

Advisory body to meet on April 7 as rains boost water levels across major reservoirs View of the Sukkur Barrage formerly known as the Lloyd Barrage, as flood water passes through, following monsoon rains and rising levels of Indus River in Sukkur, Sindh province. Photo: REUTERS ISLAMABAD: The Advisory Committee of Indus River System Authority … Read more

Govt to end currency controls

[ The government has agreed to the need for a mini-budget if revenues fall short of expectations by end-December 2025, according to the IMF. Photo: file ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has assured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that to deal with the economic impact of the Middle East conflict, it stands ready to increase interest rates and … Read more

FBR eyes Rs195 tax per 1,000 YouTube views

[ Special procedure targets non-resident Pakistani creators with over 50,000 annual users ISLAMABAD: The government has proposed new amendments to hit non-resident Pakistani YouTubers who were earning hefty amounts by selling their content in Pakistan, seeking to recover Rs195 per 1,000 views on videos. The proposed income tax rate translates into 16% to 66% of … Read more

Leghari links power use rise to policy success

[ Says the government is working to make electricity tariffs competitive to support key economic sectors ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Power Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, on Thursday, attributed the steady increase in electricity consumption to the success of the government’s energy policies and reform measures, said a press release. He made the remarks during a … Read more

Rains wreak havoc countrywide

Child among six dead in Karachi, seven killed in Balochistan; four lives lost in K-P A pool of rainwater creates problems in free flow of traffic in Quetta. Photo: PPI ISLAMABAD/KARACHI/QUETTA/PESHAWAR: Torrential rain and severe weather swept across Pakistan on Thursday, leaving devastation in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), killing more than a dozen people … Read more