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Giving jobs is not govt’s role: FinMin | The Express Tribune
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is presenting federal budget for fiscal year 2025-26 in National Assembly on June 10. Photo : x.com/NAofPakistan
ISLAMABAD:
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb reiterated on Monday that it was not the government’s job to give jobs, in a statement that came on the heels of capital flight in the absence of an enabling business environment and a high unemployment rate.
Addressing a seminar on population growth, the finance minister said “it is not the government’s job to give jobs and we have to get out of that mindset; it is the ladies and gentlemen who are freelancers today, leading our IT services, leading the IT economy”.
Soon after his speech, Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi Executive Director Dr S Akbar Zaidi said, “Pakistan is in decline. Its economy is in a very, very sharp decline; talk to any economist and many in this room, most will agree that all numbers are going in the wrong direction.”
Governments all over the world provide a conducive environment to the private sector, which is missing in Pakistan and has lately been acknowledged by key policymakers.
With a Human Development Index (HDI) score of 168, “we can’t talk about a new economy, IT, computer growth with these sort of numbers,” said Zaidi.
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad said last week that the current growth model was not able to withstand the burden of a 250 million population, while the national coordinator of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) said that there was no growth plan.
The SIFC coordinator also acknowledged that businesspersons were the easy prey of tax authorities and local investors were investing overseas. Because of these circumstances, there are not enough jobs in Pakistan and the unemployment rate has jumped to 7.1%, the highest since 2004.
Akbar Zaidi said that even the 7.1% unemployment rate was “underreported” and Pakistan’s demographic dividend has been turned into a “demographic nightmare” with 3.5 million people entering the job market every year in search of jobs.
The finance minister did not speak about the unemployment issue. “We need to upskill the youth, reskill them; that is how we are going to go forward with respect to this,” he said.
Zaidi said that Pakistan was half a century behind where South Korea was 50 years ago. Muhammad Aurangzeb was speaking during the seminar organised by the Dawn Media Group. The finance minister underlined the need to “recognise and negotiate” population growth and climate change as two existential issues for Pakistan.
Speaking about the roadmap to a $3 trillion economy by 2047, Aurangzeb stressed that it was “clear that these two existential issues have to be recognised and negotiated if we are to realise our full potential”.
“It is irrefutable that Pakistan’s economy is not doing well, in relevant terms and in absolute terms; it is much worse than it has been over the last few years,” said Akbar Zaidi. He said that Pakistan was estimated to be the third most populous country in the world in 25 years.
Zaidi noted that unemployment had been growing for the last five to seven years. Citing economist Dr Hafeez Pasha’s data, he said the real wage of workers in Pakistan has seen a 20% decline in just last three years.
Zaidi cited Pakistan’s declining ranking in the UN Human Development Index, terming the figures “extremely worrying trends”. Pakistan stands at 168th place, one of the lowest positions on the index.
World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Dr Bolormaa Amgaabazar said that reducing stunting and learning poverty was among the areas that would be focused on under the 10-year Country Partnership Framework.
She noted that 60% of Pakistan’s population was under the age of 30 years, adding that there was a “potential” for demographic dividend, but it would remain unrealised until people were provided jobs and skills. Citing World Bank figures, she said a woman in Pakistan had 2.6 children on average, adding that it was higher than the rest of South Asia.
“If you do not bring population down, you are not gonna get growth up,” said Dr Ali Cheema, Vice Chancellor of LUMS. Dr Hanid Mukhtar, a fellow at the Consortium for Development Policy Research, pointed out that Pakistan’s GDP per capita income had been growing at 3.6% per year, but India had 71% higher GDP per capita and Bangladesh was 53% higher.
Mukhtar noted that because of the low investment, which was indirectly related to population growth, Pakistan’s “capital-labour ratio is much lower than India”.
Car-sharing firm Zipcar has confirmed it is stopping operations in the UK after launching a consultation late last year.
The move will hit the company’s roughly 650,000 drivers across the country.
On December 1, the US-based company told customers in the UK that it planned to suspend new bookings temporarily at the turn of the year.
The business, which had 71 UK employees at the end of 2024, launched a formal consultation with staff as a result.
On Friday, in a fresh email to customers, the business said it “can now confirm that Zipcar will cease operating in the UK”.
The company added: “In accordance with clause 7.5 of the member terms, please take this as your written notice that we will formally close your account in 30 days’ time.
“It’s not possible to make any new bookings with Zipcar UK at this time, but your account will remain open until February 16.”
It added that customers will be entitled to a pro-rated refund for any remaining periods on current plans or subscriptions, from the start of 2026.
Zipcar said this will be done automatically and will not require any action from users.
Accounts showed that the van and car hire firm saw losses deepen to £5.7 million in 2024 after a decrease in customer trips.
New Delhi: Good news for investors and market watchers! Even though February 1 falls on a Sunday this year, the Indian stock markets will remain open for trading on Budget Day. Both the BSE and NSE announced on January 16 that trading will take place as per normal market hours on February 1 for Budget 2026. This special arrangement ensures that investors can react to Budget announcements in real time, without waiting for the next trading session.
The NSE clarified the special trading arrangement in a circular, stating, “On account of the presentation of the Union Budget, members are requested to note that Exchange shall be conducting live trading session on February 01, 2026, as per the standard market timings (9:15 am-3:30 pm),” said NSE in a circular.
Union Budget 2026 to be presented on February 1 at 11 am
The Union Budget for 2026 will be presented at 11 am on Sunday, February 1, the Lok Sabha Speaker confirmed on January 12. In recent years, February 1 has become the fixed date for the annual Budget presentation, a trend that continued with the 2025 Budget as well. The upcoming Budget will also be a significant milestone for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, as it will be her ninth consecutive Union Budget, placing her among finance ministers with the longest uninterrupted Budget tenures.
Trading details for Budget Day explained
While most core market segments will remain open during regular trading hours on Budget Day, some services will stay shut. The BSE has clarified that the T+0 settlement session and the auction session meant for settlement defaults will not be operational. At the same time, the NSE confirmed that trading in capital markets and derivatives will continue as usual.
Stock market holiday list remains the same
The stock market holiday calendar for 2026 remains unchanged, with Indian exchanges observing 16 public holidays apart from weekends. The next scheduled market closure this month will be on January 26. In the first half of the year, markets will remain shut on key occasions such as Holi (March 3), Ram Navami (March 26), Mahavir Jayanti (March 31) and Good Friday (April 3). Trading will also be suspended on Ambedkar Jayanti (April 14), Maharashtra Day (May 1) and Bakri Id (May 28).
In the second half of the year, markets will close on Muharram (June 26), Ganesh Chaturthi (September 14), Gandhi Jayanti (October 2), Dussehra (October 20), Diwali Balipratipada (November 10) and Guru Nanak Jayanti (November 24). Christmas, on December 25, will be the final market holiday of 2026.
Last Updated:
While bulk deals may reflect emerging interest in a stock, block deals are usually pre-planned and involve large institutional investors
Market experts say tracking bulk and block deals can offer useful insights into the actions of large investors and institutions. (Representational Photo)
Investors tracking stock market movements often come across terms such as ‘bulk deal’ and ‘block deal’ in daily trading updates. At times, a sharp rise or fall in a stock price can be traced back to these large transactions. Understanding what these deals mean, how they differ, and why they matter can help investors make better sense of market activity.
Bulk Deal
A bulk deal occurs when an investor or institution buys or sells 0.5% or more of a company’s total equity shares in a single trading day. Such transactions take place during normal market hours and are disclosed by the stock exchanges after the market closes.
Bulk deals can have an immediate impact on a stock’s price, as heavy buying or selling often signals strong interest or exit by a large investor. Retail investors sometimes view bulk purchases by institutional players as a vote of confidence in the company.
Block Deal
A block deal is executed through a special trading window provided by the stock exchanges. To qualify as a block deal, the transaction must involve at least 5 lakh shares or be valued at more than Rs 5 crore. These deals are carried out during a specific time slot known as the block deal window, and both the buyer and seller are identified beforehand.
The main objective is to facilitate large transactions without causing excessive volatility in the open market. Unlike bulk deals, block deals are reported to the exchanges immediately.
Differences Between Bulk and Block Deals
Bulk deals are executed during regular trading hours and typically involve relatively smaller quantities compared to block deals. They are disclosed at the end of the trading session. Block deals, on the other hand, are meant for very large transactions, take place in a designated time window, and are reported in real time.
While bulk deals may reflect emerging interest in a stock, block deals are usually pre-planned and involve large institutional investors.
Types of Deals in the Stock Market
There are broadly four types of transactions in the equity market. Regular trading deals involve routine buying and selling by investors on the exchange. Bulk deals refer to large trades crossing the 0.5% threshold of a company’s equity in a day. Block deals are high-value or high-volume transactions conducted through a special window.
Off-market deals involve the transfer of shares outside the exchange platform, such as inter-promoter transfers or strategic stake sales.
What Should Investors Keep in Mind?
Market experts say tracking bulk and block deals can offer useful insights into the actions of large investors and institutions. However, they caution against making investment decisions based solely on these transactions. Investors are advised to also consider a company’s fundamentals, financial performance, management quality and long-term growth prospects.
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January 16, 2026, 20:26 IST
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