Pakistan’s Foreign Reserves Rise for 15th Straight Week

KARACHI: Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, managed by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), climbed by $18 million to reach $11.17 billion during the week ending November 1, 2024. This marks the 15th consecutive week of reserve growth, according to the central bank’s latest weekly update. Despite the steady increase in reserves, the Pakistani rupee continued …

Pakistan’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Dip Below $16 Billion

Karachi: Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves fell below the $16 billion mark this week, as reported by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The decline marks a $117.2 million drop in total reserves within just one week, indicating ongoing financial pressures. The State Bank announced that as of November 1, total reserves stood at $15.9318 billion, …

SBP Expected to Announce Key Interest Rate Decision

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is set to announce its key interest rate decision shortly. Many analysts are anticipating a substantial cut of 200 basis points (bps). This move follows recent reductions aimed at stimulating economic growth amid slowing inflation and declining oil prices. Background of Recent Rate …

PSX Hits All-Time High Amid Post-26th Amendment Gains

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) surged to a new all-time high on Tuesday, driven by strong post-26th Amendment gains. The KSE-100 index rose 409 points, or 0.48%, to close at 86,466, surpassing yesterday’s close of 86,057. Early in the day, the index reached a new peak, climbing 798 points to 86,846 during intraday trading. …

26th Constitutional Amendment Bill Sets Deadline for Interest-Free Banking by 2028

The recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2024, has set a firm deadline of January 1, 2028, to eliminate interest-based banking (Riba) in Pakistan. The decision reflects a major shift towards an Islamic banking system, in line with religious principles. Moreover, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), led by Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, played a pivotal role in pushing …

IMF Warns of Dangers in Pakistan’s Sovereign-Bank Nexus

ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised concerns over the deeply entrenched nexus between Pakistan’s government, the central bank, and the banking sector, warning that it poses significant risks to the country’s economy and financial system. According to the IMF, this relationship can lead to conflicting policies, regulatory challenges, and a harmful trade-off between …

Pakistan Receives First Loan Tranche of $1 Billion From IMF

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has received the first loan tranche of around $1.027 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This will provide a significant boost to Pakistan’s economic recovery efforts by releasing its first loan tranche. Pakistan received the funds on Friday, following the IMF Executive Board’s approval. The State Bank of …

Pakistan Govt Revises Rules for Securities Buyback and Exchange Programs

The Pakistan government has officially revised the rules governing buyback and exchange programs for securities. This significant change aims to cut debt servicing costs by December 2024. This decision follows an unprecedented profit of Rs3.4 trillion reported by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). This profit arose due to the record-high interest rate of 22%, …

Pakistani Rupee Strengthens Slightly Against US Dollar

KARACHI – The Pakistani rupee appreciated by 0.03% against the US dollar in the inter-bank market on Friday, closing at 277.84. This marks a small gain of Re0.07 from Thursday’s closing rate of 277.91, as reported by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The rupee’s movement comes ahead of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive …

SBP Cuts Interest Rate to 17.5% as Inflation Drops

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reduced its key policy rate by 200 basis points to 17.5%, effective from September 13, 2024, as inflation fell to 9.6%, marking the first single-digit figure in three years. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) noted that inflation dropped faster than expected, due to delayed energy price hikes and lower …

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