Group 1: Export Development and Economic Measures - The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, has ordered the immediate abolition of a 0.25% Export Development Surcharge (EDS) to reduce operational costs for exporters and enhance their competitiveness in global markets [9] - In the first four months of the fiscal year 2025-2026, the top three export destinations for Pakistan were the United States, China, and the United Kingdom, with total exports to the US amounting to $2.188 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7.41%, while exports to China and the UK decreased by 3.03% and 1.03%, respectively [10] Group 2: Employment and Labor Market Trends - Pakistan's unemployment rate has risen to 7.1% in the fiscal year 2024-2025, the highest level in 21 years, with 4.6 million out of 5.9 million unemployed individuals being educated [10] - The employment share in agriculture has decreased by 4 percentage points to 33.1%, while the share in wholesale and retail trade has increased to 16% [10] Group 3: Manufacturing and Technology - The production of smartphones in Pakistan has reached 53% of total mobile phone production as of October, reflecting improved manufacturing capabilities and growing demand for smart devices [11] - In the first ten months of the year, over 25.11 million mobile phones were produced locally, with smartphones accounting for 13.2 million units [11] Group 4: Infrastructure and Development Projects - The Asian Development Bank has approved an additional loan of $48 million for water resource development projects in Balochistan, aimed at improving irrigation efficiency and sustainable water management [11] - The project includes watershed management measures such as afforestation and soil conservation to mitigate land degradation and improve flood management [11] Group 5: Trade and International Relations - The third International Food and Agriculture Exhibition (FoodAg 2025) in Karachi concluded successfully, featuring over 5,700 B2B meetings and generating $730 million in transactions, establishing new export partnerships with several countries [12] - Alibaba.com has partnered with UPS authorized service contractors in Pakistan to provide affordable and reliable logistics services for local exporters, enhancing their connectivity to over 200 countries [12]