Connect with us

Business

Was not supposed to announce petrol price hike on TV, Miftah Ismail says

Published

on

Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail on Friday said that he was “not supposed to” appear on national television the night before to announce a hike in the prices of petroleum products but he did so after being asked by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

His clarification on Twitter came after a clip of his appearance on a television show was shared. In it, he can be seen saying he will not be appearing on television again that night.

Speaking on Dawn News show “News Wise”, the finance minister said: “It is said whenever Miftah Ismail comes on TV, petrol prices go up. But I will not be appearing on television after this (show).”

In the show, which airs at 7pm, Ismail said that the “government will decide” whether prices will be raised July 1 onwards and that as of that point in time he has not been informed of any such decision. “And neither do I have this in my mind that I have to go announce it on TV.”

He also spoke of the petroleum development levy which the International Monetary Fund has advised be brought up to Rs50 per litre. The finance minister said that there are plans to impose the levy “gradually” and that “there is no deadline”.

About four hours later, Ismail and Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Malik briefed the media on a raise in petrol prices, to be effective starting midnight.

Explaining in his tweet what had occurred, the finance minister said: “I was not supposed to go on TV last evening to announce this. Another colleague was supposed to do this. But PM sahib decided that Musadik Malik and I should do that.”

With the fresh hike, the price of petrol will be Rs248.74/litre, diesel will be Rs276.54/litre, kerosene oil will be sold for Rs230.26/litre, and the price of light diesel oil will be Rs226.15/litre.

Business

PSX surpasses the historical 71,500-point threshold.

Published

on

By

Investors celebrated as the PSX finally crossed the historic 71,500 point threshold, signalling a critical turning point in the state of the economy in the country.

The KSE-100 index jumped more than 740 points, soaring to a record high of 71,650 points, demonstrating the tenacity and optimism that pervaded the Pakistani financial market.

This outstanding accomplishment indicates strong growth possibilities for the foreseeable future and demonstrates investors’ faith in the nation’s economic prospects.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)’s KSE-100 index saw a minor decline of 60.92 points on Friday, or 0.09 percent, and ended the day at 70,483.66 points.

In the foreign exchange market, the US dollar lost value in relation to the Pakistani rupee at the same time.

Currency dealers claim that on the first day of the workweek, the value of the US dollar dropped by 11 paisas to Rs278.20 in the interbank market, significantly strengthening the rupee.

Continue Reading

Business

Outsourcing: Investors from Turkey stop by the airport in Karachi

Published

on

By

Turkish investors, who are interested in outsourcing Pakistan’s airport industry, sent a high-level team to Karachi Airport.

The domestic arrival and departure lounge at Karachi airport was visited by the Turkish investment group, according to information. The investors were briefed about the workings of the Karachi airport by a delegation of the Civil Aviation Authority, headed by Secretary Aviation Saif Anjum.

An update on the volume of people and business leaving the airport was also provided to Turkish investors. It is anticipated that the delegation would tour the cargo terminal and CAA headquarters today.

The nation’s three main airports, Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, were formerly to be outsourced by the federal government.

Interest in outsourcing three of Pakistan’s airports has been expressed by local parties as well as investors from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Turkiye.

The timeframe for proposal submission for Islamabad International Airport’s outsourcing was extended by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) earlier on March 21.

The government’s top objective in the process of outsourcing international airports, according to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, is openness.

First, he stated that Pakistan is willing to participate in a public-private partnership to outsource a portion of the airport’s commercial activities.

Continue Reading

Business

The inaugural flight of Azerbaijan Airlines is between Baku and Karachi.

Published

on

By

The national airline of Azerbaijan launched direct flights from Baku to Karachi today. There will be two weekly flights on this route, on Thursdays and Sundays.

The first flight will land in Karachi, and Azerbaijan’s ambassador, Khazar Farhadov, will be there to greet it.

This evening also marks the departure of the inaugural flight from Karachi to Baku, in addition to the arrival of the flight from Baku.

Azerbaijan Airlines said last month that it would be growing its network and flight operations in Pakistan.

Aviation insiders have verified that Azerbaijan Airlines is preparing to launch service to Karachi in the coming month of April.

In addition to its current services in Islamabad and Lahore, the airline plans to launch its Karachi route on April 18, with the inaugural flight anticipated to depart on that date.

Azerbaijan Airlines has been given permission to operate flights on the Karachi route, according to sources within the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Following a bilateral agreement between the two nations, Azerbaijan Airlines has been given permission to extend its operations in Pakistan.

Continue Reading

Trending