Pakistan, Tajikistan agree to strengthen bilateral trade
ISLAMABAD (Online): Pakistan and Tajikistan have agree to further strengthen their mutual trade by facilitating traders of their respective countries. This was agreed during a meeting held between Tajikistan Ambassador Sher Ali Water and Power minister Khwaja Asif here on Friday. In the meeting, areas of mutual interest and cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, energy, defense and security came under discussion. Both sides agreed that the Pakistani business community would be facilitated to participate in the forthcoming business exhibition being held in the last week of October in Dushanba. The minister said that this was a golden opportunity for the introduction of Pakistani products in Tajikistan.

SBP Governor for capacity
building amongst SAARC countries
LIMA (NNI): Governor SBP Ashraf Mahmood Wathra has expressed optimism that SAARC Finance can play an important role in fostering closer relationship and building human capability in the fields of economic and finance amongst SAARC partners. He was addressing to the meeting of 31st SAARC Finance Group held on 8th October 2015 at Lima, Peru, alongside the IMF/World Bank annual meetings. Governor SBP and Chairman of SAARC Finance chaired the meeting. The meeting was attended by SAARC central bank governors and finance secretaries. In his opening remarks, Ashraf thanked all the members for entrusting SBP the chairpersonship as well as for extending full support.

Deteriorating exports resulting in budget deficit: PEW
ISLAMABAD (INP): The PEW on Friday said deteriorating external sector is resulting in budget deficit which will take toll on economy and the poor. Government will have no option to cut developmental expenditures to finance deficit which will hut poor which is not acceptable, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW. He asked for a plan to boost exports as situation has been hurting every facet of economy and society. He said that national resources are being diverted towards affluent while leaving poor high and dry while the economic situation is not as good as portrayed. Mughal said that sliding exports have started hurting basic facilities like health and education frustrating all except for those who can afford services offered by the private sector.

Overall broadband subscribers reach 18.91m mark
ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan has achieved all-time high broadband subscribers till August this year as its overall subscription is expected to cross 19 million mark soon. The overall broadband services in the country have reached 18.91 million subscribers and interestingly, a major portion belongs to mobile broadband services that is 3G and 4G having 15.75 million users. According to latest statistics issued by PTA, the users availing DSL services for Internet access are placed on second position with 1.5 million share while EvDo user are 1.27 million by end of August 2015. It means that 3G, 4G and DSL services are more popular among the people as compared to other technologies for Internet connectivity like EvDO and WiMax etc.

World oil prices extend gains
in Asia
SINGAPORE (AFP): Oil prices extended their recent rally in Asia Friday on hopes that increasing demand and a decline in US crude production would ease a supply glut that has depressed the market for more than a year. The two main crude contracts hit a six-year low during the April-September quarter owing to a fears about an oversupply, China’s economic crisis and expectations for a US interest rate rise. However, they have surged recently as the US Federal Reserve shows signs it will hold off hiking rates — a rise would strengthen the greenback, making dollar-priced oil more expensive — while recent data from Beijing have soothed nerves.