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Aamir Shafaat Khan

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Dawn Business

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Karachi deluge cripples industries, halts exports

Karachi deluge cripples industries, halts exports

KARACHI: Torrential rains on Tuesday severely disrupted industrial operations across Karachi, with many factories unable to resume afternoon and night...

latest 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Worn clothing imports rise as poverty surges to 45pc

Worn clothing imports rise as poverty surges to 45pc

• Arrival of used clothing hits a record $511m in FY25 • Flea markets have become vital for low-income groups as new branded goods become...

16.08.2025 40

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Auto sales see annual growth amidst monthly decline

Auto sales see annual growth amidst monthly decline

KARACHI: After a 43pc surge during FY25, the new fiscal year FY26 began on a positive note, with sales of cars, light commercial vehicles (LCVs),...

14.08.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Record food imports, skyrocketing prices hit masses

Record food imports, skyrocketing prices hit masses

KARACHI: Pakistan’s food import bill rose to a record $8.14bn in FY25, up 3pc from $7.90bn in FY24, as imports of palm oil, soybean oil, pulses and...

08.08.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Industry faces threat from influx of used vehicles

Industry faces threat from influx of used vehicles

KARACHI: Local auto parts manufacturers have warned of a potential shutdown of Pakistan’s car assembly industry within the next two years if the...

03.08.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Industry faces threat from influx of used vehicles

Industry faces threat from influx of used vehicles

KARACHI: Local auto parts manufacturers have warned of a potential shutdown of Pakistan’s car assembly industry within the next two years if the...

03.08.2025 7

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

High interest rate stokes private sector woes

High interest rate stokes private sector woes

KARACHI: The business community, except multinationals, has expressed intense disappointment over the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) decision to...

01.08.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Transparency in gold trade sought

KARACHI: Senior security officials on Monday held a meeting with bullion traders to address concerns over gold price speculation, rising rates, and...

30.07.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Exporting produce at a cost

High production in the two most sought-after crops (onions and potatoes) has resulted in an all-time high vegetable export of 1.395 million tonnes...

22.07.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Business bodies divided over today’s strike call

KARACHI: Confusion gripped the business community on Friday as key trade and industry bodies appeared divided over whether the countrywide strike...

20.07.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Auto loans rise for seventh month on low interest rates

KARACHI: Low interest rates continued to attract buyers towards auto financing, with outstanding car loans rising to Rs276.6bn by the end of June —...

19.07.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Imports surge as pulse production dips

The import of pulses has reached an all-time high of 1.32 million tonnes ($918m) in just 10 months of FY25, breaking the record of 1.315m tonnes...

15.07.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Auto sales surge despite tractor setback

KARACHI: Pakistan’s auto industry posted a strong rebound in FY25, with double- and triple-digit growth across most segments, signalling a revival...

12.07.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

PBC criticises industrial policy sans consultation

KARACHI: The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) has expressed surprise over the federal government’s approval of a new industrial policy without prior...

07.07.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Automobile prices surge after budgetary levies

KARACHI: Following the imposition of a carbon levy and an increase in sales tax under the federal budget 2025-26, several automobile assemblers have...

06.07.2025 40

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Business leaders decry new tax measures, warn of strike

KARACHI: As banners condemning the proposed Finance Bill 2025-26 appeared across Karachi, businessmen voiced strong opposition to both the federal...

28.06.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Low taxes fail to spur hybrid adoption in Pakistan

• Difference in upfront cost of hybrid, petrol cars is around Rs4m • Maintenance charges also make timeline to recover initial investment on...

24.06.2025 50

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Monetary policy draws mixed reaction

KARACHI: While multinationals praised the State Bank’s decision to maintain the interest rate at 11 per cent, local businessmen on Monday expressed...

18.06.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Business leaders slam Centre, Sindh for ignoring Karachi

• For third year, no new mega project announced for the country’s economic hub • Meagre allocations for Sukkur motorway and K-IV projects...

16.06.2025 40

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Automobile sales flourish in May

KARACHI: Sales of cars, sport utility vehicles, pickups and vans clocked in at 14,762 units in May, reflecting a rise of 35 per cent year-on-year and...

14.06.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Importers hastily raise prices of solar power systems

KARACHI: A worker at a shop arranges solar panels on Wednesday. According to Topline Securities, the country imported $2 billion worth of solar panels...

13.06.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Budget lacks steps to cure economic ills, complain industry leaders

KARACHI: Some businessmen have extended a cautious welcome while others have labelled it a “camouflage budget” due to its unrealistic targets and...

12.06.2025 40

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Auto sector raises red flags over tariff reforms, used car imports

KARACHI: As the government prepares to unveil the federal budget for the next fiscal year, the upcoming National Tariff Policy 2025-30 — designed...

08.06.2025 30

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Business leaders demand tax relief for salaried class and industries in budget

Ehsan Malik, Pakistan Business Council CEO KARACHI: Business leaders have advised the government to avoid surprises in the upcoming federal budget...

01.06.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Auto financing rises

KARACHI: Amid falling lending costs, auto financing increased by 2 per cent month-on-month and 12pc year-on-year to Rs263 billion in April. This was...

22.05.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Fertiliser makers upset at tax hike proposal

KARACH: Fertiliser makers are upset over reports that the government intends to increase the federal excise duty on key ingredients to 10 per cent in...

16.05.2025 30

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Auto sales fall 5pc in April

KARACHI: Sales of cars, sports utility vehicles, pickups and vans clocked in at 10,596 units in April, reflecting a one per cent year-on-year (YoY)...

15.05.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Commercial imports of used vehicles sought

KARACHI: As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is pushing the government for rationalisation of tariffs on the auto industry, the All Pakistan Car...

14.05.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

IMF wants cut in auto tariffs

KARACHI: The local auto industry and its suppliers are facing uncertainty ahead of the FY26 budget as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is...

12.05.2025 30

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Industry insists SBP policy rate cut ‘inadequate’

KARACHI: Contrary to the cautious welcome by the multinational companies, the entire business community slammed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for...

07.05.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Assemblers announce price ‘adjustments’

KARACHI: Amid growing uncertainty over a war-like situation between Pakistan and India, auto assemblers on Wednesday surprised customers with price...

02.05.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Canal protests continue to hinder movement of goods

• Transporters say thousands of trucks are now stranded; cargo being spoilt with each passing day • Ports anticipate crisis; manufacturers face...

29.04.2025 40

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Strike partially disrupts industrial activities

KARACHI: Industrial activities on Satur­day displayed a mixed response to the Jamaat-i-Islami’s strike call to protest the ongoing genocide in Gaza...

28.04.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Traders seek govt intervention as Sindh protests hit goods supply

• Oil companies warn of supply disruption as containers stuck at Sindh-Punjab border • KCCI president decries losses incurred by businesses...

24.04.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Speculation in gold trading resurfaces, causing daily disparity in domestic rates

It may sound weird that the price of gold is fixed daily based on domestic and international economic indicators despite the discontinuation of its...

22.04.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Transporters’ strike ends after four days; exporters claim heavy losses

• 20,000-25,000 containers missed port deadlines during the strike • Clearance of backlog expected to take up to 25 days • $300,000-$400,000...

21.04.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Businesses seek PM’s intervention as logistics crisis deepens

• Claim ports are paralysed, thousands of containers stuck, perishables rotting away • Transporters seek grace period to implement new Sindh govt...

20.04.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Auto financing rises amid strong sales

KARACHI: The downward trajectory in the interest rate continued to lure buyers towards auto financing, which increased to Rs257.3 billion at the end...

18.04.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Homes on hold as steel prices rise

Amid rosy economic indicators, like a three-decade low consumer price index (CPI) for March 2025 at 0.7 per cent, a drop in the interest rate to 12pc...

15.04.2025 30

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Gold hits new peak amid global tensions

KARACHI: Domestic gold prices surged to an all-time high on Friday, driven by soaring international rates amid intensifying trade tensions between the...

13.04.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Counter tariffs not an option for country: Pakistan Business Council

KARACHI: Multinational companies operating in Pakistan offer divergent views as some see a 29 per cent reciprocal tariff imposed by the United States...

06.04.2025 30

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

‘Cheaper electricity to revive economy’: business community

KARACHI: Businessmen have welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to reduce the power tariff, saying that it will “release financial...

05.04.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Despite ‘hefty’ fines, Karachi retailers thrive on booming Ramazan sale

KARACHI: The price checking brigade of Karachi Commissioner has collected around Rs45 million in fine imposed on 4,345 retailers till 27th of Ramazan...

03.04.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Auto industry gets uneasy with IMF’s economic liberalisation plan

KARACHI: Opening up the automotive sector under the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) economic liberalisation plan for Pakistan has stoked fears...

31.03.2025 50

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Gold scales yet another peak of Rs321,000/tola

KARACHI: Domestic 10-gram and one-tola gold rates reached an all-time high of Rs275,205 and Rs321,000 on Thursday, up by Rs2,743 and Rs3,200 on rising...

29.03.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Pakistan Business Council opposes hasty reduction in customs duty

KARACHI: The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) has urged the government not to make hasty decisions on reducing customs duties without comprehensively...

27.03.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Fish harbour to get facelift before EU audit next month

KARACHI: The Karachi Fish Harbour is set to get a major facelift before an audit by the European Union (EU) in the first week of April. The audit by...

24.03.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Dar’s warning fails as sugar sells at Rs180 per kg

KARACHI: Consumers continued to pay high prices for sugar despite Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s firm announcement a few days back that the...

23.03.2025 10

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Pakistan ratifies fisheries agreement

KARACHI: The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has said that Pakistan has formally accepted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. Pakistan’s Ambassador...

22.03.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan

Auto financing improves further on rate cuts, arrival of new variants

KARACHI: The falling interest rate has further raised auto financing to Rs249 billion at the end of February from Rs241.6bn in January. Buyers are...

19.03.2025 20

Dawn Business

Aamir Shafaat Khan