Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has raised the maximum loan limit under the Prime Minister’s Youth Business Loan Scheme and Youth Agriculture Loan Scheme from Rs7.5 million to Rs25 million. A total of Rs292 billion has been allocated for youth loans during the current financial year, with an estimated 266,700 young people expected to benefit in 2026–27. Since January 2023, 581,341 young people have received loans—ten times the number of beneficiaries recorded in the preceding decade. Loans worth Rs313.9 billion have been disbursed so far. The prime minister directed that 30 per cent of total loans be reserved for women and ordered the minimum eligible age to be reduced from 21 to 18.

Pakistan has secured a rollover of Saudi Arabia’s USD 3 billion loan, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced after discussions with his Saudi counterpart. He said Pakistan does not currently need additional financial support from the kingdom, as foreign exchange reserves provide around three months of import cover. The rollover offers continued support for Pakistan’s external financing position.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has declared 39,704 companies inactive after they failed to file annual returns and/or financial statements for four years. The companies cannot open new bank accounts or access financial services, while existing accounts will remain frozen until they complete their outstanding filings. Director changes will not be registered during inactive status. Lahore and Islamabad account for the highest numbers, with 13,927 and 13,859 companies, respectively. The SECP says the action aims to improve the reliability of Pakistan’s corporate register and protect the financial system. Companies can regain active status by submitting all required filings.