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Shahid Iqbal

Shahid Iqbal

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Three nations pull $1bn from T-bills amid uncertainty

Three nations pull $1bn from T-bills amid uncertainty

KARACHI: Only three countries withdrew nearly $1 billion from Pakistan’s treasury bills during the current financial year, with outflows almost...

latest 8

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Remittances to exceed $3.5bn in March

Remittances to exceed $3.5bn in March

KARACHI: Remittances are expected to cross a record high of $3.5 billion in March, rising 15 per cent month-on-month, driven largely by inflows during...

friday 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Quarterly digital retail transactions hit record level

Quarterly digital retail transactions hit record level

• Over 2bn payments made, value hits Rs154tr • Digital channels process 88pc of all transactions • Country’s 19,519 ATMs facilitate 259m...

30.03.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

SBP buys $5.5bn from currency market

SBP buys $5.5bn from currency market

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) purchased $5.5 billion from the banking market during the June-December period and the market expects the...

29.03.2025 60

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

T-bill yields jump by up to 34bps, surpass policy rate

T-bill yields jump by up to 34bps, surpass policy rate

KARACHI: The cut-off yields on treasury bills were increased by up to 34 basis points, surpassing the policy interest rate in the auction held on...

28.03.2025 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

T-bills attract $1.14bn in 8MFY25

KARACHI: Despite declining returns, foreign investors parked over $1 billion in the Treasury Bills (T-bills) in the first eight months of FY25....

27.03.2025 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Dollar outflow doubles

Dollar outflow doubles

KARACHI. The outflow of profits and dividends on foreign investments more than doubled during the first eight months of the current fiscal year. On...

23.03.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Private sector lending drops sharply

Private sector lending drops sharply

KARACHI: The private sector lending has slowed sharply, raising concerns over economic growth and revenue generation, both of which are already...

22.03.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Govt borrows less than half of target in T-bill auction

Govt borrows less than half of target in T-bill auction

KARACHI: The government borrowed less than half of its target in the latest auction of short-term treasury bills (T-bills) held on Wednes­day,...

21.03.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Current account deficit falls to $12m in February

Current account deficit falls to $12m in February

KARACHI: With a sharp decline in the current account deficit (CAD) to $12 million in February from $420m in the preceding month, Pakistan recorded a...

19.03.2025 30

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Rupee dips to Rs281 vs dollar in interbank

KARACHI: The rising demand due to higher debt servicing and repatriation of profits by foreign investors built pressure on the local currency, which...

16.03.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Thar coal-fired energy ‘cheaper than hydropower’

KARACHI: Sino Sindh Resources Pvt Ltd (SSRL) Chief Executive Officer Li Jigen has stated that the power generation cost from Block-1 of the Thar...

15.03.2025 50

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Moody’s upgrades Pakistan’s banking outlook

KARACHI: Global rating agency Moody’s has upgraded Pakistan’s banking outlook to positive from stable on the back of improved financial...

14.03.2025 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Exchange firms see $5bn inflow by end of Ramazan

KARACHI: Inflows of remittances are higher than ever and the exchange companies alone could accumulate $5 billion by the end of Ramazan, said...

10.03.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Govt raises Rs1.2tr at auctions for bonds, T-bills

KARACHI: Amid the high possibility of no further cuts in the interest rate, investors made a total of Rs2.207 trillion bids, mostly for the long-term...

07.03.2025 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Govt’s bank borrowings plunge amid revenue dip

KARACHI: Amid falling tax collections, the federal government’s borrowing from banks plunged 84 per cent during the first seven and half months of...

06.03.2025 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Economy needs digital shift, say banking experts

KARACHI: Amid growing concerns over Pakistan’s cash-dominated economy, bankers at a recent summit in Karachi called for a comprehensive digital...

03.03.2025 100

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Market opinion divided on interest rate cut

KARACHI: Interest rates may see another reduction in the upcoming monetary policy, with market sources suggesting a potential cut ranging from 50 to...

02.03.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Private sector retires 48pc bank debt in a month

KARACHI: Banks have taken back about 48 per cent of the money they lent to the private sector within a month, indicating that the private sector has...

01.03.2025 30

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Yield on dollar bonds hits three-year low

KARACHI: A significant improvement in the external account has brightened Pakistan’s chances of reentering the international capital market soon as...

28.02.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

SBP issues criteria for Raast participants

KARACHI: To reduce cash transactions through digitalisation, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) issued a criterion on Saturday to enhance the technical...

24.02.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Profit outflows surge 90pc in July-Jan

KARACHI: The profit outflows slightly decreased in January but were still higher by 90 per cent in the first seven months of FY25, according to State...

22.02.2025 30

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Current account changes track, posts $420m deficit in Jan

KARACHI: The current account posted a deficit of $420 million last month, almost the same as in Jan 2024, but the deficit slashed a rising surplus...

20.02.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Housing shortfall hits 12m units

KARACHI: More than 12 million houses are required across the country and the demand is rising due to negative growth in this sector. Some banking...

19.02.2025 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Domestic debt up by Rs2.5tr in six months

KARACHI: The federal government’s domestic debt surged by Rs2.5 trillion in the first half of the current fiscal year despite significant support...

16.02.2025 40

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Businesses repay banks Rs440bn in a fortnight

KARACHI: After witnessing a steep increase in liquidity inflows during the first six and half months of the current fiscal year, the private sector...

14.02.2025 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Remittances surge $5bn in 7 months

KARACHI: Amid a robust inflow of remittances, Pakistan met the $5 billion annual growth target in the first seven months of the current fiscal year. ...

12.02.2025 30

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Banks’ investment in risk-free govt papers surges to Rs26tr

KARACHI: Banks’ investments in government papers reached Rs26 trillion by December 2024, contributing 57.6 per cent to the central government’s...

10.02.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Local makers meet 95pc demand for smartphones in 2024

KARACHI: The production of locally manufactured or assembled mobile phones increased by 28 per cent in December 2024 amid high demand for low-priced...

09.02.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

SBP buys $3.8bn to repay debt, boost reserves

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) purchased about $3.8 billion from banks in the first four months of the current fiscal year to improve its...

07.02.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Low interest rate fails to spur growth

KARACHI: Despite a steep fall in the interest rate, the monetary expansion remained negative during the first seven months of the current fiscal year....

03.02.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Foreigners withdraw 87pc money from T-bills

KARACHI: Pakistan witnessed 87 per cent foreign investment withdrawal from treasury bills (T-bills) due to a sharp reduction in profit rates in almost...

31.01.2025 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Govt’s commercial borrowing to shake rupee confidence

KARACHI: Currency market experts have warned that the absence of channels for attracting dollar inflows could pressure the rupee as the government may...

27.01.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

NON-FICTION: WHAT AILS PAKISTAN’S ECONOMY?

A slim book is a good starting point for those who want to have a basic idea about Pakistan’s economic problems and policies over

26.01.2025 30

Dawn (Magazines)

Shahid Iqbal

Bank credit to private sector surges manifold

KARACHI: Bank advances to the private sector surged manifold during the first half of the current fiscal year. However, the textile sector — the...

26.01.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Govt slashes T-bill rates by up to 41bps

KARACHI: The government again slashed the cut-off yields on treasury bills at the auction on Wednesday, reflecting a higher possibility of ano­t­her...

24.01.2025 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Repatriation of profit surges 114pc

KARACHI: The outflow of profit and dividends on foreign investments surged 114 per cent during the first half of the current fiscal year. The profit...

22.01.2025 40

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Current account posts $1.2bn surplus in July-Dec

KARACHI: The current account posted another surplus of $582 million in December 2024, bringing the total surplus for the first half of the current...

19.01.2025 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Govt raises Rs421bn, cuts yields on PIBs

KARACHI. The gover­nment on Wednesday rai­sed Rs421 billion through the auction of Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) against the total bids of Rs1.5...

17.01.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Govt retires Rs1.5tr bank debt

KARACHI: The government retired Rs1.541 trillion in commercial banks’ debt during the first half of the current fiscal year against a net borrowing...

16.01.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

64pc of adults now have bank accounts

KARACHI: Financial inclusion, i.e the share of the adult population operating a bank account, has jumped from 16 per cent in 2015 to 64pc in 2023,...

15.01.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Govt utilises 63pc of Roshan Digital Acc­ount inflows

KARACHI: Pakistan utilised 63 per cent of inflows it received through the Roshan Digital Acc­ount (RDA) by the end of Decem­ber 2024, reported the...

13.01.2025 30

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Remittances, exports will stabilise economy: SBP chief

KARACHI: State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmed expressed hopes on Thursday that an uptick in remittances and dip in inflation would lend stability to the...

11.01.2025 30

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Four Pakistani banks in S&P’s Asia-Pacific top 10 list

KARACHI: Four Pakistani banks ranked as the best among the top 10 Asia Pacific lenders in 2024, reported S&P Global Intelligence on Wednesday....

10.01.2025 20

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Banks advance record Rs1.9tr to private sector

KARACHI: The private sector borrowed a record Rs1.9 trillion from banks during the first half of FY25, registering a surge of 265 per cent from the...

08.01.2025 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

SBP reserves fall $371m in two weeks

KARACHI: The fast erosion of foreign exchange reserves has made it doubtful for the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to reach the $13 billion target by...

04.01.2025 9

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Paid-up capital for exchange companies doubled to Rs1bn

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has almost doubled an exchange company’s minimum paid-up capital requirement to Rs1 billion. On Friday,...

29.12.2024 6

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Govt makes no budgetary borrowing in first half

KARACHI: The government borrowings from banks for budgetary support were negative during the first half of the current fiscal year ending Dec 31,...

27.12.2024 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

Govt raises Rs1.6tr as T-bill yields hold steady

KARACHI: The government raised Rs1.65 trillion through the auction of Treasury Bills (T-bills) and Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) on Tuesday,...

26.12.2024 10

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal

64pc foreign investment withdrawn from T-bills

KARACHI: About 64 per cent of foreign investments in treasury bills (T-bills) have been withdrawn and returned to their destinations, disappointing...

25.12.2024 30

Dawn Business

Shahid Iqbal