Pakistan, April 24 -- Pakistan's business sentiment has slipped into decline in the first quarter of 2026, a Gallup survey showed on Thursday, as rising energy costs and heightened Middle East tensions dampened expectations for demand and investment.

Pakistan's power sector relies heavily on imported fuels, leaving it especially vulnerable to global energy shocks. Disruptions in oil and gas markets following the Middle East conflict between US-Israel-Iran have pushed up fuel costs, raising the risk of inflation and higher electricity tariffs.

The 17th quarterly survey conducted in April by Gallup Pakistan showed declines in current performance, future expectations and perceptions of the country's direction, based on responses from 510 c...