Business

Rupee nosedives to all-time low of 290 against dollar amid political tumult

Published

12 months ago

Farwa

KARACHI: The rupee fell sharply against the US dollar on Wednesday, losing Rs5.38, or 1.89%, to close at Rs290.22 per dollar in the interbank market, data shared by the State Bank of Pakistan showed.

The local currency had previously reached a record low of Rs288.42 per dollar on April 11.

The local unit lost ground after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was taken into custody a day earlier on charges of involvement in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Samiullah Tariq, head of research at Pakistan-Kuwait Investment Company, told Geo.tv that uncertainty regarding the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and increasing political turmoil were impacting the exchange rate.

“The rupee-dollar parity doesn’t seem linked to the actual supply and demand of dollars,” he maintained.

“Continuing political instability has taken a toll on market sentiment pushing the Pakistani rupee to hit a record low. it has also increased uncertainty regarding the resumption of the IMF programme.

“The heightened political turmoil has come at a time when the economy has been in the doldrums for months largely due to an acute balance of payment crisis, with falling State Bank of Pakistan reserves barely covering a month of highly controlled imports,” commented former finance ministry adviser Khaqan Najeeb.

He also pointed out that even if Pakistan was able to finance its balance of payments till June, it would be hard to arrange financing following the end of the current IMF programme.

Negotiating a new programme is an uphill task till there is certainty of the political cycle in the country, Najeeb added.

A day earlier, Moody’s Investor Service warned that without an IMF programme, Pakistan could default as its financing options beyond June are “uncertain”.

“We consider that Pakistan will meet its external payments for the remainder of this fiscal year ending in June,” sovereign analyst with the ratings company in Singapore, Grace Lim, was quoted by Bloomberg.

“However, Pakistan’s financing options beyond June are highly uncertain. Without an IMF programme, Pakistan could default given its very weak reserves.”

Rising political tensions ahead of elections due this year are adding to the risk of a delay in the loan, as former prime minister Imran Khan is showing no signs of backing down against the government.

The coalition government is struggling to revive a $6.5 billion IMF bailout programme, which had stalled after the government failed to meet some loan conditions.

“An engagement with the IMF beyond June would support additional financing from other multilateral and bilateral partners, which could reduce default risk,” Lim, in an emailed response to questions, said.

It should be noted that Pakistan’s foreign-exchange reserves — which stand at $4.5 billion — remain extremely low and sufficient to cover only about one month of imports, she said.

Business

PSX surpasses the historical 71,500-point threshold.

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

Investors celebrated as the PSX finally crossed the historic 71,500 point threshold, signalling a critical turning point in the state of the economy in the country.

The KSE-100 index jumped more than 740 points, soaring to a record high of 71,650 points, demonstrating the tenacity and optimism that pervaded the Pakistani financial market.

This outstanding accomplishment indicates strong growth possibilities for the foreseeable future and demonstrates investors’ faith in the nation’s economic prospects.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)’s KSE-100 index saw a minor decline of 60.92 points on Friday, or 0.09 percent, and ended the day at 70,483.66 points.

In the foreign exchange market, the US dollar lost value in relation to the Pakistani rupee at the same time.

Currency dealers claim that on the first day of the workweek, the value of the US dollar dropped by 11 paisas to Rs278.20 in the interbank market, significantly strengthening the rupee.

Business

Outsourcing: Investors from Turkey stop by the airport in Karachi

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

Turkish investors, who are interested in outsourcing Pakistan’s airport industry, sent a high-level team to Karachi Airport.

The domestic arrival and departure lounge at Karachi airport was visited by the Turkish investment group, according to information. The investors were briefed about the workings of the Karachi airport by a delegation of the Civil Aviation Authority, headed by Secretary Aviation Saif Anjum.

An update on the volume of people and business leaving the airport was also provided to Turkish investors. It is anticipated that the delegation would tour the cargo terminal and CAA headquarters today.

The nation’s three main airports, Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, were formerly to be outsourced by the federal government.

Interest in outsourcing three of Pakistan’s airports has been expressed by local parties as well as investors from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Turkiye.

The timeframe for proposal submission for Islamabad International Airport’s outsourcing was extended by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) earlier on March 21.

The government’s top objective in the process of outsourcing international airports, according to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, is openness.

First, he stated that Pakistan is willing to participate in a public-private partnership to outsource a portion of the airport’s commercial activities.

Business

The inaugural flight of Azerbaijan Airlines is between Baku and Karachi.

Published

6 days ago

Farwa

The national airline of Azerbaijan launched direct flights from Baku to Karachi today. There will be two weekly flights on this route, on Thursdays and Sundays.

The first flight will land in Karachi, and Azerbaijan’s ambassador, Khazar Farhadov, will be there to greet it.

This evening also marks the departure of the inaugural flight from Karachi to Baku, in addition to the arrival of the flight from Baku.

Azerbaijan Airlines said last month that it would be growing its network and flight operations in Pakistan.

Aviation insiders have verified that Azerbaijan Airlines is preparing to launch service to Karachi in the coming month of April.

In addition to its current services in Islamabad and Lahore, the airline plans to launch its Karachi route on April 18, with the inaugural flight anticipated to depart on that date.

Azerbaijan Airlines has been given permission to operate flights on the Karachi route, according to sources within the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Following a bilateral agreement between the two nations, Azerbaijan Airlines has been given permission to extend its operations in Pakistan.