General Economic Updates

The minister did not reveal those measures, but officials said that it has been proposed to shift all the higher education institutions to remote learning by closing the facilities to save fuel. Another measure will be to set the petrol and diesel prices on a weekly basis by ending the current fortnightly price determination.

The final set of measures has not yet been approved by the committee, as it would again deliberate on these energy-saving measures tomorrow (Thursday). Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to take a decision on Friday in the light of recommendations of the committee, said the officials.
 
Due to the “evolving situation,” the petrol committee may have to take decisions on an hourly basis, and PM Shehbaz has empowered the petrol committee to take decisions in real time, said Aurangzeb.

The minister further added that Pakistan has about 28 days’ equal stocks of petrol and diesel and 10 days of crude oil. There are also LPG stocks equal to 15 days of the country’s requirements, and we are closely monitoring the situation, said Aurangzeb, who is also the Chairman of the prime minister’s Committee to Monitor Petrol Prices in the wake of the emerging situation in the region, which was constituted by the prime minister and met for the third time on Wednesday.

He, however, said that the LNG cargoes have stuck up from Qatar and the government was closely monitoring the situation.

According to a handout issued by the finance ministry, the petrol committee members reviewed energy conservation measures as part of broader contingency planning aimed at managing demand efficiently while maintaining orderly market conditions.
 

Food, energy push SPI up 4.7% YoY​

Weekly inflation edges up 0.37%, driven by chicken and fuel price surge

Our CorrespondentMarch 07, 2026

KARACHI: Pakistan's weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), recorded a year-on-year (YoY) increase of 4.70% for the week ended March 5, 2026, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The SPI, which tracks prices of 51 essential commodities across 17 urban centres to gauge short-term inflationary trends, showed a modest rise compared to the same week of last year.
 

Industry warns of inflation after fuel hike​

Business leaders urge govt to cut fuel levies to absorb impact of rising global oil prices

Our Correspondent
March 08, 20261

KARACHI: Business leaders have warned that the recent increase of up to Rs55 per litre in petroleum oil and lubricant (POL) prices could intensify inflation and raise production costs, urging the government to reduce taxes on petroleum products to ease the burden on industries and consumers.

Abdul Rehman Fudda, President of the SITE Association of Industry (SAI), expressed grave concern over the extraordinary increase in POL prices amid ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran.

According to a statement issued on Saturday, he said that in the present emergency situation the government should absorb the impact of rising international POL prices by cutting petroleum taxes rather than passing the entire burden on to consumers.

He warned that failure to provide tax relief on POL would further intensify inflation and increase economic pressure on industries and the public.
 
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KSE-100 plunges over 4,000 points amid oil price surge

The KSE-100 index shed 3.05 per cent, with Fauji Fertilizer Company, United Bank Limited, Engro Holdings, Hub Power Company, and Habib Bank Limited emerging as the key laggards, collectively dragging the benchmark down by approximately 1,881 points during the session.
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KSE drops 4000 points
 
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Jul-Jan: LSM sector posts 5.75pc growth​

Abdul Rasheed Azad Published about 4 hours ago


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ISLAMABAD: The Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) sector recorded a growth of 5.75 percent during July–January 2025-26, with output accelerating sharply in January 2026 as the Quantum Index of Manufacturing (QIM) rose to 144 points, reflecting an increase of 10.54 percent on a Year-on-Year (YoY) basis and an increase of 12.08 percent on a Month on Month (MoM) basis.

According to provisional data with base year 2015-16 released here on Tuesday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS),the growth is mainly driven by an impressive performance of the automobile, food, garments, petroleum products, and cement sectors.

The LSM output grew 10.54 percent on a YoY basis in January 2026, while posting a strong 12.08 percent increase on a MoM basis compared to December 2025. On a cumulative basis, the sector recorded 5.75 percent growth during July–January FY26, with the QIM averaging 121.46, up from 114.85 in the same period last year. Automobile remained the driver of the QIM growth as the automobile sector registered a remarkable increase of 67.31 percent in January and a cumulative 67.38 percent during July–January FY26.


READ ALSO: The LSM sector

Garments maintained robust momentum with 10.82 percent monthly growth and an 8.02 percent cumulative expansion, reflecting continued strength in export-oriented textile manufacturing. The food sector staged a strong recovery, posting 12.07 percent monthly growth and a 3.28 percent cumulative increase, reversing earlier softness in the segment. Cement production grew 10.83 percent in January, sustaining a substantial 11.49 percent cumulative increase for the seven months, underpinned by ongoing construction activity.

Electrical equipment emerged as a notable outperformer with 17.02 percent monthly growth and a 9.97 percent cumulative gain. Furniture recorded a dramatic turnaround with 186.27 percent monthly growth, while other manufacturing, including footballs, surged 59.11 percent in the month. Beverages continued their steady expansion with 8.53percent monthly growth and a 5.54 percent cumulative rise, while tobacco posted 24.65 percent monthly growth and a 10.71 percent cumulative increase.

Several sectors continued to face pressure during the month. Iron and steel extended its decline, falling 8.87 percent in January and contracting 5.10 percent on a cumulative basis. Machinery and equipment remained in sharp contraction, declining 19.41 percent in January and posting an 18.83 percent cumulative fall, the steepest drag among tracked segments. Pharmaceuticals recorded a 1.63 percent monthly decline, extending their cumulative contraction to 4.82 percent. Fertilizers slipped 1.09 percent in January, with cumulative output down 1.26 percent. Chemicals edged 1.35 percent lower on a cumulative basis despite a modest monthly recovery of 2.51 percent; leather products and wood products also registered marginal declines both monthly and cumulatively.

The main contributors toward the overall 5.75 percent cumulative growth were automobiles, 1.61 percentage points; garments, 1.34 percentage points; petroleum products, 0.85 percentage points; food, 0.58 percentage points; non-metallic mineral products, including cement, 0.63 percentage points, textiles 0.28 percentage points, other transport equipment 0.24 percentage points, beverages 0.23 percentage points, and electrical equipment 0.25 percentage points.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

www.brecorder.com

Jul-Jan: LSM sector posts 5.75pc growth

ISLAMABAD: The Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) sector recorded a growth of 5.75 percent during July–January 2025-26,...
www.brecorder.com
 
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