KARACHI: The stocks was buoyed up by the hope for an apparent end to the prevailing political impasses as Karachi Stock Exchange 100 index bounced back with an increase of 886 points to reach 28660.37 in the midday trading on Friday.
Sentiments at the market were high at the opening of the day as it gained more than one thousand points in early trading, responding positively to the developments at the political spectrum. Business of shares worth some Rs50 million shares was done since trading began.
Investors have attributed the positive sentiment in trading to the series of events that transpired in Islamabad late on Thursday and early Friday.
The deadlock which began with the marches and subsequent sit-ins by activists and supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) finally seemed to near a definitive phase when heads of the two parties held meetings with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif.
Both parties still persist on their demand for resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with the PAT also calling for Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif as its principal demand.
Pakistan’s economic outlook had improved since the government of business-friendly Nawaz Sharif came to power with foreign exchange reserves having doubled from $7 billion to $14 billion but the market in recent days had shown much unease with the protests led by Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri.
Earlier in July, ratings agency Moody’s had also upgraded Pakistan’s country outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’ citing its improving external liquidity position and commitment to reforms.
Gold traded at Rs111,000 per tola in Pakistan on February 13
KARACHI: A single tola of 24-karat gold in Pakistan was sold for Rs111,000 on Saturday, February 13, at the opening...