The SBP's decision to hike its benchmark policy rate by 50 basis points to 12% comes in a bid to insulate the domestic economy from a widening Middle East war. With the geopolitical crisis stoking persistent energy price risks and disrupting critical global shipping routes, the central bank's intervention serves as a necessary preemptive shield. By tightening monetary policy, the SBP aims to safeguard macroeconomic stability and contain the dangerous ripple........

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