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Three-pronged strategy devised for seamless oil supply

[ Govt targets higher refinery output and oil imports, vows to tackle stock manipulation ISLAMABAD: Amid mounting tensions between the US and Iran, Pakistan’s government has developed a three-pronged strategy, which includes boosting refinery production, increasing oil imports and launching a crackdown on oil marketing companies (OMCs) over stock manipulation. OMCs have reportedly been involved … Read more

Oil prices ease as mediators propose US-Iran ceasefire

The sun sets behind oil pumps outside Vaudoy-en-Brie, near Paris, France, March 18, 2026—REUTERS Oil prices fell on Tuesday, with markets ​weighing reports of mediation efforts between the US and Iran against an exchange of ‌fresh attacks between the two and threats of a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Houthis. Brent crude futures fell … Read more

Geopolitics spurs data localisation

[ More than 30 data centres are currently operating in Pakistan. Several public sector institutions, including the State Bank and the PTA, as well as a number of private companies, have already established local data centres to provide digital infrastructure and hosting services. photo: REUTERS KARACHI: Pakistan is set to migrate public and private sector … Read more

Profit repatriation hits $2.31b

[ KARACHI: Pakistan’s improving foreign exchange position has translated into higher outward remittances by multinational companies, with foreign investors repatriating $2.31 billion in profits and dividends during fiscal year 2025-26 as payment bottlenecks eased. Data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday showed total profit and dividend repatriation on foreign investment increased … Read more

Khalil al-Hayya new Hamas chief

. GAZA: Hamas announced on Monday that it had elected Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s lead negotiator in indirect ceasefire talks with Israel, as the new head of its political bureau. “Hamas announces the election of brother mujahid Khalil al-Hayya as head of the movement’s political bureau, succeeding the martyred leader Yahya al-Sinwar,” Hamas said in … Read more

Daily oil revisions to hurt industry

[ KARACHI: The Salt Manufacturers Association of Pakistan (SMAP) has termed the government’s decision to introduce daily pricing of petroleum products highly detrimental to industry, trade and the overall economy, urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to immediately review the policy. SMAP Patron-in-Chief Ismail Suttar warned that industrial production costs had already become unsustainable due to … Read more

Dealers seek 8% margin amid daily fuel pricing

[ ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik held a meeting with a delegation of the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA), led by Chief Adviser Malik Khuda Baksh, to discuss petroleum pricing reforms, deregulation, and matters concerning petroleum dealers. The PPDA delegation appreciated the government’s effective management of petroleum product supplies during the challenges … Read more

Gold inches up amid US-Iran tensions, Fed uncertainty

[ Local rate rises Rs300/tola as international prices stay stable; rupee up at 277.95/$ KARACHI: Gold prices in Pakistan edged higher on Monday, largely in line with a stable trend in international markets, as investors weighed the implications of the escalating US-Iran tensions that lifted energy prices and caused uncertainty about the outlook for US … Read more