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Rupee gains 10 paisa against US Dollar

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ISLAMABAD, Jul 18 (APP):The Rupee on Friday appreciated by 10 paisa against the US Dollar in the interbank trading and closed at Rs 284.86 against the previous day’s closing Rs 284.96.
However, according to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of the dollar in the open market stood at Rs 288.2 and Rs 288.5, respectively.
The price of the Euro increased by Rs 1.21 to close at Rs 331.54 against the last day’s closing of Rs 330.33, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The Japanese yen remained stagnant and closed at Rs 1.91, whereas a surge of Rs .41 was witnessed in the exchange rate of the British Pound, which was traded at Rs 382.80 compared to the previous day’s closing of Rs 381.39.
The exchange rates of the Emirates Dirham and the Saudi Riyal declined by 03 paisa each to close at Rs 77.55 and Rs 75.94, respectively.

NA Speaker condoles passing of Asma Arbab Alamgir’s father

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ISLAMABAD, Jul 18 (APP):National Assembly, Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the demise of the father of MNA Ms Asma Arbab Alamgir.
In his condolence message, the Speaker extended heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family, praying for the departed soul’s eternal peace and strength for the family to bear the loss.
The Speaker prayed for patience and strength for the bereaved family, expressing his resolve to stand with them in this time of grief. He also prayed that Allah Almighty grant the departed soul a place in His mercy.
The Speaker prayed for fortitude and comfort for the bereaved family, assuring them of his heartfelt solidarity during this time of grief. He also prayed to Allah Almighty to bless the departed soul with a place in His boundless mercy.

Ambassador Hashmi attends closing ceremony of Agricultural Training Program in China

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BEIJING, July 18 (APP): Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, attended the closing ceremonies for the first cohort of Pakistani agricultural professionals trained in China under the Prime Minister’s Initiative for Capacity Building of 1,000 Agricultural Professionals. The training took place in the Yangling Hi-Tech Agricultural Demonstration Zone.

The inaugural batch, comprising approximately 300 participants, was enrolled across two Chinese universities and received training in key areas critical to Pakistan’s agricultural development, including smart irrigation, post-harvest loss prevention, animal breeding, and water conservation.

Speaking at both ceremonies, Ambassador Hashmi noted that the event marked more than the conclusion of a training program — it signaled the start of a deeper, more meaningful chapter in Pakistan-China agricultural cooperation.

He emphasized that the graduation of these professionals reflects the two countries’ commitment to implementing the vision set forth by their leadership.

The ambassador expressed hope that the returning professionals would serve as catalysts for innovation and progress, equipped with both technical expertise and the pioneering spirit inspired by Yangling’s agricultural advancements.

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Weekly inflation decelerates by 1.61% on year-on-year basis

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ISLAMABAD, Jul 18 (APP):The weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the combined consumption group decreased by 1.61 percent on year-on-year basis during the week ending on July 17 as compared to the corresponding week of last year (2024).
However, on week-on-week basis, the SPI for the group increased by 0.38 percent during the week compared to last week, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday.
According to the PBS data, the SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 316.23 points as compared to 315.03 points during the past week.
As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed a decrease of 1.61 per cent.
The weekly SPI with the base year 2015-16 =100 covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.
The SPI for the lowest consumption group of up to Rs 17,732 witnessed an increase of 0.13 per cent and going up to 305.19 points this week from last week’s 304.79 points.
The SPI for consumption groups of Rs 17,732 to 22,888, Rs 22,889-29,517; Rs 29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175, increased by 0.22 percent, 0.26 percent,0.34 percent and 0.46 percent respectively.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 22 (43.14%) items increased, 09 (17.65%) items decreased and 20 (39.22%) items remained stable.
The items, which recorded major decrease in their average prices on a week-on-week basis included tomatoes (9.34%), bananas (1.57%), LPG (0.95%), pulse gram (0.31%), pulse moong (0.30%), wheat flour (0.25%), cooking oil 5 litre & sugar (0.21%) each and rice irri-6/9 (0.05%).
The commodities which recorded major increase in their average prices on a week-on-week basis included chicken (8.31%), eggs (5.87%), diesel (4.15%), petrol (2.00%), onions (1.76%), garlic (1.70%), potatoes (1.46%), firewood (0.49%), cooked daal (0.35%), mutton & powdered milk (0.31%) each and cigarettes (0.25%).
Year-on-year basis, the commodities that witnessed decrease included onions (48.65%), tomatoes (48.44%), electricity charges for q1 (37.62%), garlic (23.17%), wheat flour (22.56%), pulse mash (20.67%), tea packet (17.93%), potatoes (13.69%), pulse masoor (9.02%) and petrol (1.24%).
The commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices on year-on-year basis included ladies sandal (55.62%), sugar (27.76%), pulse moong (17.91%), beef (14.62%), gur (12.50%), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (12.46%), vegetable ghee 1 kg (12.32%), chicken (11.77%), firewood (10.77%), bananas (9.67%), lawn printed (7.32%) and georgette (7.20%).

Upgraded financial supply chain allow both China and Pakistan to play greater role

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BEIJING, July. 18 (APP): “In the current environment, the global supply chain has been continuously upgrading digitally, that is, achieving innovative and sustainable development, which is also a major responsibility that we need to shoulder together,” Chief Representative, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Beijing Office, Shaikh Muhammad Shariq said at Supply Chain Services Panel Discussion held during the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo.

The Chief Representative pointed out that the key link is to provide very complete localized financial services and reduce conflicts between traders, which is crucial for both large leading enterprises and small start-ups.

“The global supply chain need and must take a diversified path, not only for industrial powers like China that support the global supply chain, but also for all countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, and of course Pakistan, which is jointly developing the CPEC.”

When it comes to specific measures for supply chain optimization and innovation, Shariq emphasized the importance of better financing mechanisms and a unified framework.

“The optimized financing mechanism will allow us to have smoother capital flow and reduce our reliance on a single path, helping us to seek better financing strategies.”

The Chief Representative added that a unified framework means unifying standards within this scope, assisting different cultures, concepts, customs, and the like, to communicate more smoothly, which is the premise for all parties to build a global network. Through these measures, various countries could build a more efficient, more resilient and fairer global supply chain network.

Talking specifically about the financial links between China and Pakistan, Shariq elaborated on NBP’s efforts to better integrate into the financial supply chain system between the two countries and the world. “As the national bank of Pakistan, we have branches in 80 countries worldwide. In 1981, we entered the Chinese market and opened a representative office in Beijing. Since then, we have been helping Chinese companies in different fields that are interested in doing business in Pakistan, such as energy, agriculture, e-commerce, digital technology.”

Shariq believes that for small and medium-sized enterprises, liquidity is their backbone in the process of engaging in cross-border business; thus nothing is more important than smooth financial liquidity. “From a deeper perspective, policymakers in China and Pakistan have established very deep connections to simplify all financial-related processes, assisting us to confidently provide comprehensive services in the current complex and changing international environment, solving financial problems, consulting problems, and of course the most important liquidity problem for enterprises. In a nutshell, a very stable supply chain ecosystem allows better cross-border cooperation between our two countries.”

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DPM Dar reviews progress on attracting investment from friendly countries

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ISLAMABAD, Jul 18 (APP): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday chaired a meeting of the committee tasked with developing a comprehensive investment portfolio to attract investments from friendly countries.

The committee conducted a review of the existing foreign investment landscape and proposed a list of early harvest projects. Discussion focused on identifying strategic areas for collaboration, particularly in the energy, infrastructure, and privatization sectors.

The deputy PM directed relevant stakeholders to identify viable investment opportunities and development initiatives that can foster shared prosperity and support sustainable economic growth.

The meeting was attended by Minister Petroleum, SAPM Tariq Bajwa, Advsior on Privatization, NC SIFC, Chairman WAPDA, Secretaries Petroleum & SIFC, and other senior officials from concerned departments.

CM distributes 300 chromebooks, inaugurates girls, boys hostels

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KARACHI, Jul 18 (APP):Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, while addressing inauguration ceremony of newly constructed buildings at NED University and distribution of Chromebooks for top performers of Peoples information Technology Program (PTIP), emphasised his l government’s dedication to higher education, digital empowerment, and youth development through pioneering initiatives such as the People’s Information Technology Programme (PITP).
The event, held at NED University, was attended by Chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission Professor Dr. Tarique Rafi, Chairman CIEC Dr Sarosh Lodi, Chairman of IT Mr. Noor Ahmed Samoo, Secretary U&B Abbas Baloch, and Vice Chancellors from Mehran University, Sukkur IBA, and NED, alongside senior faculty, PITP teams, and students.
Shah proudly announced that Sindh has allocated a record Rs. 42 billion for public sector universities in the current financial year, the highest among all provinces, to support operational needs, research, infrastructure, and innovation.
The CM also inaugurated two major infrastructure projects at NED University: the new building for the Department of Food Engineering, equipped with advanced laboratories for Rs. 96.48 million, and the International Boys Hostel, which accommodates 112 students and was funded with Rs. 67.11 million. Additionally, a dedicated Girls Hostel block for 52 female students, funded with Rs. 98.52 million, was recognised as a step towards promoting gender inclusivity in engineering and technical education.
PITP: A Model for Digital Inclusion Highlighting the success of the People’s Information Technology Programme (PITP) – carried out in partnership with NED University, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology (MUET), and Sukkur IBA – the Chief Minister revealed that 13,565 students trained under PITP-I exceeded targets. Of these, 4,353 graduates have secured employment, contributing Rs. 49 million in direct income to the provincial economy.
Murad Shah appreciated the notable female participation: 40% at Sukkur IBA, 36% at NED, and 33.6 per cent at MUET, with 62 per cent of MUET students coming from rural backgrounds, underscoring the programme’s inclusive approach.
The Chief Minister distributed 300 Google Chromebooks /laptops to the top-performing PITP students through a transparent and merit-based selection criterion. He stressed that the selection process was completely merit-based, transparent, and tailored for each institution:
Criterion:
The Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah praised the leadership of Vice Chancellors Dr Sarosh Lodi, Dr. Muhammad Tufail, Dr Tauha Hussain Ali, and Dr. Asif Shaikh, along with PITP focal persons and Tech Valley’s CEO,  Umer Farooq. He also recognised the tireless efforts of the Science and IT Department under Noor Ahmed Samoo, Dr Shahzeb Malik, and Mr. Athar Baloch.
“We are not just training students we are building a knowledge economy and enabling social mobility. PITP is a shining example of what public sector universities can achieve when trusted and empowered,” he stated.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to an inclusive, digitally empowered, and economically resilient Sindh, ensuring no student is left behind and no dream is too big to attain.

Textile exports rise by 7.39pc to $17.887b in FY 2025

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ISLAMABAD, Jul 18 (APP):Textile exports witnessed an increase of 7.39 percent during the financial year (2024-25) as compared to the last year 2023-24, said Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.
The textile exports from the country were recorded at $ 17,887.038 million during the fiscal year 2024-25 against the exports of $ 16,655.899 million during the last year.
The textile commodities that contributed in trade growth included knitwear, the export of which increased by 13.68 percent to $ 5,010.467 million from $ 4,407.573 million while the export of bed wear surged by 11.07 percent to $ 3,112.848 million from $ 2,802.670 million.
The other commodities that witnessed growth in trade included towels, the export of which rose by 2.61 percent to $1,082.611 million from $ 1,055.108 million, tents, canvas, and tarpaulin by 6.21 percent to $ 124.870 million from $ 117.564 million; yarn other than cotton yarn by 4.75 percent to $34.042 million from $32.498 million, and the ready-made garments up by 15.85 percent to $ 4,128.556 million this year compared to the exports of $ 3,563.599 million last year.
Similarly, the export of art, silk and synthetic textile grew by 8.80 percent to $ 399.515 million from $ 367.199 million, made up articles (excl. towels and bed wear) increased by 8.45 percent to $ 775.791 million from $ 715.333 million while the export of other textile materials went up by 1.65 percent to $ 727.764 million from $ 715.955 million.
The textile commodities that witnessed negative trade growth included raw cotton, the exports of which declined by 98.45 percent to $0.871 million from $56.086 million.
Likewise, the exports of cotton yarn declined by 28.76 percent to $680.700 million from $955.510 million whereas the export of cotton carded or combed dipped by 99.28 percent from $0.837 million to $0.006 million during the period under review.
The export of cotton cloth came down by 3.05 percent to $1,808.997 million from $1,865.964 million.
Meanwhile, on Year-on-Year (YoY) basis, the textile exports from the country witnessed an increase of 7.59 percent during June 2025 as compared to the corresponding month of last year.
The textile exports in June 2025 were recorded $1,521.716 million against the exports of $1,414.417 million in June 2024.
On Month-on-Month (MoM) basis, the textile exports witnessed a nominal decrease of 0.60 percent in June 2025 when compared to the exports of $ 1,530.927 million in May 2025, according to PBS data.

More rains with wind-thundershowers expected across Pakistan in coming days: PMD

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ISLAMABAD, Jul 18 (APP):The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Friday has forecast widespread rain accompanied by wind and thundershowers in various regions of the country over the coming days, with occasional gaps.
Monsoon currents are currently penetrating Sindh and upper parts of the country and are likely to strengthen in the upper and central regions from July 20.
Additionally, a fresh westerly wave is expected to approach the upper parts of the country on July 21.
In Sindh, rain-wind/thundershowers with isolated moderate to heavy falls are expected in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Dadu, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Jacobabad, Sanghar, and Kashmore from the night of July 18 to July 20.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, scattered heavy to very heavy rain-wind/thundershowers are likely in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Shangla, Battagram, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, and tribal districts including Waziristan, Orakzai, Bajaur, Khyber, Mohmand, and Kurram from July 21 to July 25.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur and surrounding areas, is expected to receive rain-wind/thundershowers with isolated heavy falls from July 20 to July 25.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, similar conditions are expected in Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, and Shigar from July 21 to July 26.
In Punjab, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Sargodha, and adjoining districts, rain-wind/thundershowers with scattered heavy to very heavy falls are expected from the evening/night of July 20 to July 25.
Southern Punjab areas such as Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Layyah may receive showers on July 18–19 and again from July 21 to July 23.
In Balochistan, rain-wind/thundershowers are expected in northeastern and southern districts including Quetta, Zhob, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Qilla Saifullah, Qilla Abdullah, Kalat, Barkhan, Sherani, Ziarat, Awaran, Musakhel, and Loralai during the night of July 18–19 and again from July 22 to July 25.
The PMD has warned of possible flash floods in local streams and nullahs in KP, Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, northeast Punjab and Kashmir from July 21 to 25.
Heavy rainfall may cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Okara, Nowshera, and Peshawar during the same period. Landslides and mudslides are also feared in hilly regions of KP, Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Strong winds, lightning, and heavy downpours may damage weak structures including kacha houses, billboards, electric poles, vehicles, and solar panels.
The public, especially travelers and tourists, is advised to avoid unnecessary movement in vulnerable areas and remain updated on weather conditions.
All concerned departments and authorities are advised to remain on alert and take necessary precautionary measures to prevent any untoward situation.

U.S. Consulate General Karachi marks 249th Independence Day

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KARACHI, Jul 18 (APP):The U.S. Consulate General in Karachi hosted a festive, country western-themed reception to celebrate the 249th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America.
Consul General Scott Urbom welcomed Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, and other distinguished guests from Pakistan’s government, corporate sector, civil society, and diplomatic community.
The event was a vibrant occasion that honoured the frontier spirit of the western United States with traditional country western music, line dancing, and food.
The event highlighted the growing economic partnership and diplomatic collaboration between the United States and Pakistan.
Consul General Urbom emphasized the U.S. Consulate General’s role in expanding trade and investment ties between our two countries.
He said, “The United States is committed to helping Pakistan succeed through trade, investment, and innovation.  Together, we can ensure that the next chapter of our partnership is one of mutual growth and shared opportunity.”
The United States and Pakistan share a long history of partnership and cooperation across many sectors, including education, trade, entrepreneurship, security, and health.  These efforts reflect our strong partnership and shared goals of both nations.