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us DOLLAR |               [ JAPAN: YEN!             i  SAUDI RAYAL.-           UK POUND                [ | Euro!         =    |    te.                       {32 24K                      | PALLADIUM                       ] PLATINUM -                      | SILVER
BUYING     279...     , | 271     Mf   74.38           368.52          318.5     fe      1G:             | 5. 770:            111,193             151,992. .          $808 -        ‘
= SELLING |      279.2,              1.81         ise   | 75.05                   | 39338                  (32217 a            i GL                    | 419, 636:           ches    129,558 |                       177,095-                     6,767 YR,


Aurangzeb lauds FBR.
‘for achieving revised.
‘revenue collection
‘target for FY2025-26


IMRAN AL] KUNDI .
“ISLAMABAD ~~


“Federal _ Minister ‘for: Fi-
nance..and Revenue Sena-
tor. Muhammad. Aurangzeb

S  if - \on Wednesday commended
, the Federal Board of Rev-
enue (FBR) for successfully

F ANS                   achieving the revised annu-

al revenue collection target

:  ; for FY2025-26, describing itas a landmark accom-
« plishment made possible through teamwork, sus-

{ tained reforms, and the unwavering commitment
"of the entire FBR leadership and field formations.”

_.,. Addressing a meeting at FBR Headquarters .at-

q tended virtually by Chairman FBR Rashid Mahmood
: Langrial, Members of the FBR Board, senior officers,
and Chief Commissioners and Chief Collectors joining
: virtually from across the country, the finance minis-
* ter conveyed the congratulations of the Prime Minis-’

‘ ter to the entire FBR team for its dedication and hard

; work throughout the fiscal year The finance minister

: Said the achievement should be viewed in the con-

* text of Pakistan's broader reform journey over the

i past two and 4 half years, during which the country’s

revenue collection had nearly doubled. He observed

>) that this remarkable progress represented one of the

; Most significant improvements in Pakistan's fiscal

: history and had played a pivotal role in strengthen-

1 Ing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, He
; noted that alongside improved external sector indi-

:  cators, Pakistan had recorded its lowest fiscal defi-
“cit and highest-ever primary surplus, achievements
* made possible through strong revenue performance
! coupled with prudent fiscal management.   core

Be —“C;isSCSCSCSCiéC
Finance minister.
‘stresses need to make tax:
‘compliance easier !

Senator Aurangzeb particularly appreciated the ck
“forts of the Inland Revenue and Customs formations,
¥ noting that the FBR had delivered strong revenue
“growth despite providing substantial tariff relief to
facilitate economic activity. He also lauded the board
: for processing and disbursing Rs 599 billion in tax re
» funds during the year, including an unprecedented Rs
~ 13.5 billion released on the last day of the fiscal year,
* describing It as a significant milestone reflecting the
' government's commitment to facilitating businesses
. and exporters. The finance minister congratulated
, both the Finance Division and FBR on the successful
; coordination during the preparation of the Federal
* Budget 2025-26, describing the seamless integration
“of tax policy and tax administration as an excellent
: example of teamwork, He said the collaborative ap-
"proach had resulted in one of the most progressive
* budgets in Pakistan's history and reflected the gow
: ernment’ institutional commitment to reform. +
__, Highlighting the government's forward-looking
j Teform “agenda, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb
: emphasized that modern tax administration must
! focus not only on revenue collection but equally
"on taxpayer facilitation, transparency, and public
: trust. He stressed the need to make tax compliance
, easier through technology-driven solutions, great-
er automation, improved taxpayer services, and
Sreduced opportunities for discretion and ‘corrup-
; ton. The finance minister. said the government's
; newly approved operating model for FBR would
‘accelerate institutional transformation ‘through
:Teforms centred on people, processes, and tech-
, nology, including the expanded use of artificial In-.
; telligence and digital systems, He expressed grati-
“tude to Parlianient forsupporting the legislative
: framework required to implement these reforms
“and. reaffirmed that the government remained
‘fully committed to transforming FBR into one of
‘ Pakistan's leading pub! ic institutions.


IMRAN ALT KUNDI

Tnflation remains under
control in FY2025-26 despite:

“IMRAN ALL KUNDI-
ISLAMABAD :


Pakistan's Inflation rate was record-
ed at 7.05 percent during the fiscal
year: 2025-26, below: than the gov-
ernment’s projection of 7.5: percent,
despite historic Increase in oil prices
in the country. The monthly inflation

Tate,. measured through Consumer *

Price’ Indicator (CPH),. was recorded
at.7.05 percent during the last fiscal
year (from July'2025 to June 2026).
The government has kept the inflation

target below the target of 7.5 percent -

despite massive increase in oil prices.
The highest ever petrol and diesel pric-
es in Pakistan’s history were recorded
‘on April 3, 2026, reaching Rs458.40
per litre for petrol and 'Rs520.35 per
litre for diesel. These unprecedented
hikes were driven by severe global
supply shocks and regional geopoliti-

‘cal conflicts in the Middle East...
+The CPI based inflation has slightly ©

eased to 11.1 percent in June’ 2026
due to the reduction in the oil prices,
according to the latest data of Paki-
stan Bureau of Statistics. (PBS). The
inflation rate has increased in the last
few months, as it was recorded at 10.9
percent in Aprit and now'117 per-
cent in May, which was 7.3 percent in
March. On month-on-month basis, it
decreased by 0.3 percent in June 2026
as compared to an Increase of 0.5 per-
cent in the previous month and an in:
crease of 0.2 percent in June 2025S, :

“_y The CPLinfiation urban remained at _

11.2 percent on a year-on-year basis
fn the last month, Meanwhile, the CPI
inflation for rural areas has increased
by 10.9 percent in June 2026, Mean-
while, the CPI inflation was recorded
at.7.05 percent during the last fiscal

historic oil price hikes


year. Inflation measured by Sensitive
Price Index has Increased by 5.46 per-
cent and Wholesale Price Indicator «
(WP!) based inflation has enhanced
by 3.86 percent. The inflation rate has
remained .within the government's
projections during the month of June -
this year, “Inflation ts. anticipated, to
remain within the range of 11-12 per= |
cent for June 2026,” the ministry of «
finance had noted in its Monthly Eco-.
nomic Update and Outlook 2026.;
es «
_ Inflation rate was
‘recorded at 7.05°
percent during fiscal

year 2025-26

The break-up of inflation of 11.1 pers
cent showed that food and non-alcohol-
ic beverages prices increased by 9.38
percent last month.. Similarly, health
and. education charges went up by.
7.59 percent and 8.3 percent, respec-
tively. Similarly, prices of utilities (hous:
Ing, water, “electricity, gas’ and fuel)
increased by 15.5 percent In the last
month. Meanwhile, the prices of alco-
holic beverages and tobacco went up by |
around 3.32 percent. Prices of clothing
and footwear increased by 9.3 percent *


rn e and furnishing and household equip--

ment, maintenance. charges 5.94 per-:
“cent. Recreational charges.and those?
* related to culture went up by 0.09 per:
‘ cent in the period under review, while’
; amounts charged by restaurants and
“hotels by 5.38 percent in June 2026 as
 compared to the same month last year. .
In rural areas, the food items which
Ww their’ prices. increased included
tomatoes (90.24.-percent), potatoes:
: (36.53 percent),. onions: (22.26 per=:
‘.cent), fresh vegetables (9.70 percent),
i readymade food (1.49), wheat (1.11
_ percent), honey (1.01 percent), wheat
5 flour (0.90. percent), ‘milk products.
: (0.83 percent), sweetmeat (0.70. per-
{ cent), milk fresh (0.68 percent), sugar’
"(0.61 percent) ‘and vegetable ghee:
(0.57 percent). In ‘non-food commodi-;
4 ties, prices of following items enhanced
“mewspapers (14.29 percent), liquified
« hydrocarbons (8.65 percent),' dopatta’
‘04 percent), Doctor clinic fee (2.34
+ percent), medical tests (2.22 percent),’
: hospitals “services (2.01 percent and
? construction wage rates (1.82 percent),
In rural areas, prices of the follow-:
‘ing items decreased: chicken (20.97,
" percent), eggs (11.55 percent), pulse:
/ gram.  (2.46. percent), besan (2.38.
“percent, pulse mash (1.83 percent),,
: pulse masoor (1.59 percent), fresh
fruits (1.48 percent), pulse moong
«(1.41 percent} and gram whole (1.05.
' percent). In urban areas, prices of fol--
“ lowing commodities increased: toma-:
toes (90.10 percent), onions (20.80:
percent), potatoes (17.76: percent),
‘ fresh ivegetables (12.55 percent),
= Wheat flour (2.17. percent}, wheat.
: products (2.12. percent), vegetable
i ghee (1.85 percent), wheat (1.72 per-.
: cent), cooking oil (1.53 percent) and
‘milk, fresh (1.27 percent). ,


Pakistan floats tender for spot.
LNG cargo amid Qatar supply
uncertainty, rising power demand.


FAWAD YOUSAFZAI
ISLAMABAD :


Pakistan has Noated tender for procure-
ment of one liquefied natural gas (LNG)
cargo from the spot market amid Qatar
supply uncertainty and ‘surging elec-
ticity demand. The state-owned Paki-

stan LNG Limited (PLL} Wednesday °

floated tender to import one LNG cargo
from spot market for delivery windows
between July 10-11 amid surging tem:
peratures and electricity shortfall.
2’ Bids are Invited from reputed
‘ternational suppliers, for the su|


nected Punjab ‘Program builds, ‘to9.9 million people by June

ly of?


one (01) LNG cargo on a Delivered Ex:

‘  Ship (DES) basis at Port Qasim, Kara-
. chi, Pakistan," the Pakistan LNG Lim-

ited (PLL) advertisement said. PLL set

: July 3, 2026