Asia-Pacific | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The momentum of economic growth in Asia-Pacific developing countries slowed to 4.6 per cent in 2025 and is projected to drop to 4pc in 2026, as fallout from the Middle East situation weighs on energy prices, supply chains and external demand, due to the conflict in the Middle East, said a new United Nations report on Monday. The 2026 edition of the ‘Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific’ suggests that regional countries need to rely more on domestic and regional demand, while carefully managing the shift to clean energy to avoid short-term economic and social disruptions. The annual survey released by the UN Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) said that the average economic growth in the region moderated to 4.6pc in 2025 from 4.8pc in 2024, and 5.3pc in 2023. However, assuming that the conflict in the Middle East will not last more than a few months and that there will be a partial de-escalation and an easing of tensions later in 2026, the survey noted that the aver...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani banks led the Asia-Pacific region in equity performance during the third quarter (July-September) of 2025, according to an analysis by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The Bank of Punjab topped the list of publicly traded banks in the region with a market capitalisation greater than $100 million, delivering a total return of 176.4 per cent during the quarter. The Lahore-based bank, with a market cap of approximately $320m as of September 30, outperformed other regional lenders. The Bank of Khyber, based in Peshawar, ranked second with a total return of 108.2pc. Other Pakistani banks among the top 15 performers included National Bank of Pakistan, JS Bank, Askari Bank, and Habib Bank, bringing the total number of Pakistani banks in the top rankings to six. Six banks feature in the region’s top performers list Pakistan’s benchmark KSE-100 index also saw notable gains, advancing 11pc in July and 11.4pc in September. Investor sentiment was bolstered by the resolution of a military conflict with...