Newsroom

Pakistan wants early approval of its next IMF tranche as the country heads into another programme review next month. The move is aimed at protecting reserves, reassuring investors and sustaining a still-fragile sense of economic stability.

Pakistan’s electricity shortages eased after a sharp rise in hydropower generation, cutting outages in some areas from around six hours a day to less than three and giving the country’s strained grid a measure of temporary relief.

Pakistan is accelerating plans to return to international capital markets, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb using meetings in Washington to outline a diversified borrowing strategy that includes Eurobonds, a Panda bond and liability management tools.

Britain has removed Gilgit-Baltistan from the restricted section of its Pakistan travel advice, easing a notable warning on the country’s mountainous north in a move which could positively affect tourism, insurance and international perceptions of the region.

Two Iranian IRGC gun boats opened fire without warning on a tanker 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The vessel and its crew were reported safe, while authorities investigate, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre.