ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women in wage employment earn significantly less than men —by approximately 25 to 30 percent, depending on the wage metric. The disparity is especially stark in the informal economy, where the gap widens to 40 percent due to limited enforcement of labour laws and lack of protections. This was revealed at the launch […]
Bilal Bin Saqib, Minister of State for Crypto and Blockchain and CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), met with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador in San Salvador, marking the first-ever official meeting between a Pakistani government representative and the Salvadoran Head of State. During the meeting, Saqib and Bukele discussed El Salvador’s experience […]
KARACHI – July 17, 2025 — United Bank Limited (UBL) has announced a significant move to enhance customer convenience by keeping selected branches open on Sundays as well. In a post shared across its official social media channels, UBL stated that these branches will now operate from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every Sunday, offering […]
The federal cabinet approved on Wednesday a 15% increase in the pension of the Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI). The decision was made during the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today. The hike in EOBI pensions will be effective from January 2025 The cabinet approved it on the recommendation of […]
The banking sector’s gross Advance-to-Deposit Ratio (ADR) maintained its downward trajectory, clocking in at 38% as of June 2025. The banking sector’s ADR stood at 38.1% as of June 2025, down from 39.8% recorded in May 2025, reflecting a decrease of 172 basis points (bps), stated brokerage house Arif Habib Limited (AHL) on Tuesday. On […]
Faysal Bank Limited (FBL), one of Pakistan’s leading Islamic banks, has partnered with Smart1-Tech (Pvt.) Ltd., a fast-growing Fintech company focused on digital payments and acceptance solutions. This partnership aims to expand secure, cashless payment options for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). This collaboration underscores FBL’s commitment to financial inclusion through Fintech partnerships, especially […]
Banking sector deposits increased by 14.1 percent year-on-year (YoY) in June 2025, according to the latest data from the State Bank of Pakistan. Banking deposits increased to Rs. 35.5 trillion as of June 2025 (June 2024: Rs. 31.1 trillion), while advances also increased by 8.7 percent YoY to Rs. 13.5 trillion during the same period […]
KARACHI: The Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday appreciated the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and banks for achieving stellar growth of 41 percent in SME finance and appreciable growth of 15 percent in agri financing during FY25. He was addressing a meeting of banks’ CEOs/Presidents at SBP head office Karachi. The meeting was co-chaired […]
KARACHI: United Bank Limited (PSX: UBL) has declared an interim cash dividend of Rs8 per share, after posting a 106% year-on-year increase in its after-tax profit for the half-year ended June 30, 2025. The bank’s profit soared to Rs64.7 billion, up from Rs31.4 billion in the same period last year, driven by a significant rise […]
KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced the appointment of Primary Dealers (PDs) and Special Purpose Primary Dealers (SPDs) for the fiscal year 2025-26. Applications for the selection of PDs and SPDs were invited on May 7, 2025, from all eligible institutions under the relevant rules. After evaluating the applications in line with […]