Wednesday, January 28 2026

PSX falls after surprise no change in rate
Macroeconomic uncertainty continued to weigh on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday as the market remained volatile after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), contrary to expectations, left its policy rate unchanged at 10.5%. In the morning, trading commenced on a positive note and following a brief dip the benchmark index touched the intra-day peak at 189,521 in the first hour of trading. However, the optimism proved short-lived as selling pressure pulled the market down, wiping out all the early gains. The KSE-100 index slid to the intra-day low of 187,538 towards the close of trading. It recouped some of the losses and eventually settled at 188,203, down 384.80 points, or 0.20%. Arif Habib Limited Deputy Head of Trading Ali Najib noted that the PSX experienced a largely uneventful session as the KSE-100 traded sideways and closed at 188,203, down 385 points.
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Positive momentum at bourse, KSE-100 up nearly 700 points
Stocks kicked off trading on a positive note, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining nearly 700 points during the opening minutes of trading on Wednesday. At 9:40am, the benchmark index was hovering at 188,895.12, an increase of 692.27 points or 0.37%. Buying interest was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies and power generation. Index-heavy stocks, including HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, POL, PPL, HBL, MCB, MEBL and NBP, traded in the green. In a key development, total foreign investment into Pakistan dropped substantially to $207 million in July–December 2025-26, down from $1.343 billion a year earlier.
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IMF third review talks likely in Feb
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) review mission is set to visit Pakistan next month to negotiate the third economic review of the ongoing loan programme. The completion of the third review would unlock the next $1 billion tranche for Pakistan under the programme. According to officials, Pakistan's economic team has accelerated preparations for the review process and has already shared key economic and fiscal data with the IMF. On the prime minister's directives, the Ministry of Finance has also decided to redefine negotiation priorities for the upcoming talks with the Fund.
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Chinese tech delegation explores long-term investment in Pakistan’s IT sector
A Chinese technology delegation has expressed interest in exploring long-term partnerships and investment opportunities in Pakistan's information technology sector, citing the country's expanding digital ecosystem and the availability of skilled human resources. The two-member delegation from the Leviathan Group, which specialises in big data centres, advanced digital solutions and smart technologies, conveyed its interest during a meeting with Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, according to a news release. The delegation comprised Mingqian Sun, Chief Executive Officer of Leviathan Technologies, and Dinglin Mei, the group's Senior Representative.
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World Bank flags irrigation failures
The World Bank says Pakistan is among the countries facing severe water scarcity, with large volumes of water wasted due to inefficient irrigation systems and ineffective agricultural practices. Emphasising the need for improvements in the tax system, more efficient use of water and subsidy reforms, the Bank has identified wide-ranging reform requirements in the agricultural and social sectors. According to details, the World Bank has released its report on development in South Asia, highlighting the need for reforms in Pakistan's tax system, improved water management and rationalisation of subsidies. The report points to structural weaknesses in the agricultural and social sectors and notes that measures such as discouraging pollution could also help generate additional revenue.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators misc