KARACHI – Pakistan’s information technology (IT) exports increased by 19% year-on-year to $435 million in September, reaching their highest level in nine months.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), IT exports also recorded a 10% month-on-month increase. During the first quarter of the current fiscal year, from July to September, IT exports reached $1.25 billion.

The central bank’s data further showed that IT exports increased by 20% between September last year and September this year, rising from $4 billion to $4.8 billion over the 12-month period.

Under the government’s Uraan Pakistan plan, a target has been set to increase the country’s IT exports to $10 billion by the end of fiscal year 2028-29.

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KARACHI – Mastercard and BankIslami have collaborated to expand the bank’s consumer and commercial card offerings and support the continued growth of digital payments in Pakistan.

Under the agreement, BankIslami will develop a broader portfolio of debit, credit and business card solutions to meet the needs of its diverse customer base, including individual account holders, micro, small & medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and commercial clients.

The collaboration includes a priority banking program featuring Mastercard World cards, along with Mastercard World Elite cards for affluent customers. It also covers BankIslami’s Shariah-compliant credit card program for customers across mass-market and affluent segments. The bank will also expand its Shariah-compliant offerings for corporates and small and medium-sized enterprises through debit cards and Business Payment Controls, helping businesses manage payments and optimise their supply chain processes.

In addition, Mastercard will support the launch of BankIslami’s unified loyalty platform across its card portfolio, providing customers with a consistent rewards and benefits experience.

“This collaboration with Mastercard strengthens our ability to provide customers with a broader range of Shariah-compliant card and payment solutions across individual and business banking”, said Imran H Shaikh, President & Chief Executive Officer of BankIslami. “Our goal is to make Islamic banking the preferred choice for customers by combining Shariah-compliant solutions with the convenience and capabilities they expect from modern digital banking,” he added.

“Mastercard powers commerce by connecting people and businesses through digital payment technology. Working with BankIslami, we are expanding payment options for consumers and small businesses in Pakistan, supporting the bank’s Shariah-compliant card offerings and helping more customers participate in the digital economy,” said Arslan Khan, country manager, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Mastercard.

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KARACHI – Pakistan’s current account recorded a deficit of $356 million in September, marking a sharp deterioration from the previous month.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the current account deficit surged by 388% on a month-on-month basis, compared with just $73 million in August.

Economic analysts attributed the widening deficit to an increase in imports and a lack of significant improvement in exports, which put pressure on the country’s external account balance.

Data showed that Pakistan’s cumulative current account deficit stood at $874 million during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, covering July to September.

The current account deficit increased by 16% in the first quarter of the current fiscal year compared with the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

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LONDON – Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has been conferred the honour of an Honorary Bencher by London’s Inner Temple during his visit to the United Kingdom.

According to a statement issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Chief Justice Afridi attended the Benchers’ Night ceremony in London, where he was welcomed as an Honorary Bencher.

The statement said discussions were held during the ceremony on strengthening cooperation between judicial and legal institutions in Pakistan and the United Kingdom.

The discussions also covered ways to enhance judicial capacity, improve case management, and raise the quality and standards of judicial decision-writing.

According to the Supreme Court, the two sides also exchanged views on promoting legal ethics and improving professional standards in Pakistan and the United Kingdom.

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LAHORE – Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that the head of a political party is deeply upset over not being given a role in the imposition of governor’s rule or appointed as governor.

Speaking informally to journalists in Lahore, Naqvi said the politician in question had relied on the establishment for decades to pursue his political career.

“He used to get even the air tickets for his political party arranged through the establishment,” Naqvi said, adding that such politicians were not in a position to point fingers at others.

He said political differences were understandable, but political discourse should be based on arguments and facts rather than inappropriate language and allegations.

Naqvi said some political leaders had recently expressed considerable concern over the allocation of resources to the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) districts.

He questioned why these leaders had remained silent for years when the former FATA districts were not receiving their due share of resources.

“Why did they not remember to speak up for the rights of the people of former FATA at that time?” he asked.

The interior minister said the rights and resources of the people of former FATA should be treated as an issue beyond political interests, adding that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was currently facing serious security challenges.

He urged political leaders to play a constructive role in restoring law and order and eliminating terrorism instead of fuelling tensions and spreading unrest.

“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needs peace, stability and collective efforts, not political confrontation,” Naqvi said.

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ISLAMABAD – More than 15,000 highly educated Pakistanis have moved abroad for employment so far this year, according to official documents presented in parliament.

The documents show that 45,830 highly educated Pakistanis went abroad in 2024, while 28,726 secured employment overseas in 2025. In 2026, a total of 15,850 highly educated Pakistanis have left the country so far.

Those moving abroad include doctors, engineers, IT professionals and educationists.

Details of Managers and Engineers Working Abroad

According to the documents, 23,674 managers went abroad in 2024, compared with 9,562 in 2025 and 5,190 in 2026 so far.

Similarly, 8,015 engineers secured employment abroad in 2024, while 5,945 went overseas for work in 2025. In 2026, a total of 3,605 engineers have moved abroad.

Accountants, Doctors and Teachers

The documents further reveal that 4,779 accountants went abroad in 2024, followed by 4,305 in 2025 and 1,771 in 2026 so far.

Meanwhile, 3,625 doctors moved abroad in 2024, while 3,795 went overseas in 2025. A total of 2,093 doctors have left the country for employment abroad so far in 2026.

The number of teachers moving abroad stood at 1,729 in 2024 and 1,725 in 2025. In 2026, a total of 1,457 teachers have gone abroad, according to the documents.

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LAHORE – The Lahore High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the proposed 10-day celebration of Basant in 2027, declaring it premature, and directed the petitioner to file a fresh petition along with the relevant notification.

Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry heard the petition filed by a citizen, Shahid Islam. During the hearing, the court asked the petitioner’s counsel whether he had any notification confirming the decision to celebrate Basant for 10 days in 2027.

Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry observed that the petition could not be entertained without an official notification, adding that no judicial order could be issued solely on the basis of documents available on a website.

The court further remarked that, in the absence of the relevant notification, it could not be determined how celebrating Basant would constitute a violation of fundamental human rights. It said the notification must first be presented before the government could be asked to respond to the matter.

During the hearing, the court expressed surprise over why the registrar’s office had not raised an objection to the petition. It also questioned the petitioner’s counsel about why a fine should not be imposed on the petitioner.

The petitioner argued that the government had issued a notification regarding the celebration of Basant in 2027 but had failed to establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the festival.

The petition further claimed that dozens of people had died during Basant celebrations in 2026 and sought to have the announcement of the 2027 festivities declared null and void.

The petitioner also requested the court to direct the government to reduce the duration of Basant celebrations from 10 days to just one day.

The court dismissed the petition and directed the petitioner to file a fresh plea along with the relevant notification.

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