The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lowered Pakistan’s growth forecast by half to one per cent for the next fiscal year as the global economy appears to have suffered greater setbacks following the Covid-19 pandemic and shows slower signs of recovery than previously anticipated.

Earlier, IMF had estimated Pakistan’s GDP going negative 1.5pc in the fiscal year 2019-20 and a 2pc growth rate for FY2020-21 in its flagship World Economic Outlook (WEO). The Fund has now revised its forecast to -0.4pc for the current fiscal in line with the government’s estimates.

Read the full story here.

Opinion

Editorial

Larijani’s killing
Updated 19 Mar, 2026

Larijani’s killing

The late Larijani was one of the most powerful men in Iran — a thinker and a soldier.
War’s hunger toll
19 Mar, 2026

War’s hunger toll

THE conflict between the US, Israel and Iran continues to widen with far-reaching repercussions.The UN’s World ...
Let them in
Updated 19 Mar, 2026

Let them in

THE government need not be so difficult. Former prime minister Imran Khan’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, have not ...
Exit strategy
Updated 18 Mar, 2026

Exit strategy

MOST members of the international community, particularly states in the greater Middle East, are gravely concerned...
Unsafe trains
18 Mar, 2026

Unsafe trains

SUNDAY’S accident involving the Shalimar Express has once again brought into sharp focus the deep structural and...
Disappointment in Dhaka
18 Mar, 2026

Disappointment in Dhaka

FOR a side looking for lift-off after a disappointing T20 World Cup, it was despair for Shaheen Shah Afridi’s ...