ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh will visit Denmark this month for the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Denmark-based global shipping giant, AP Moller–Maersk (Maersk), and the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Pakistani state media reported.
The development comes months after Maersk Chief Executive Officer Keith Svendsen’s visit to Pakistan, where he met top officials to explore opportunities in the country’s maritime sector.
The Danish shipping firm will invest $2 billion in Pakistan’s port and transport infrastructure over the next two years, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The investment under this project will contribute to the infrastructure development and economic improvement,” the report read.
Sheikh said Karachi had a huge potential for exports and his ministry was providing an enabling environment to the business community in this regard.
Maersk has grown into a leading provider of logistics and supply-chain services across Pakistan. It has around 20 percent market share in Pakistan’s containerized import-export activities, according to Pakistan’s information ministry.
In January this year, the Danish shipping firm announced new smart logistics and warehouse facilities in China, Norway and Pakistan.
Pakistan has also signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi (AD) Ports Group which is investing about $395 million for the development of a container and cargo terminal under a government-to-government (G2G) agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.
Pakistan minister to visit Denmark this month to sign $2 billion investment deal with Maersk
https://arab.news/2zjy4
Pakistan minister to visit Denmark this month to sign $2 billion investment deal with Maersk
- Maersk has a market share of around 20 percent in Pakistan’s containerized import-export activities
- Foreign firms have lately shown interest in Pakistan’s port as a global hub for transshipment
Pakistani stocks breach 176,000 points barrier as investors expect further rate cuts
- Pakistani financial analyst attributes surge to falling inflation, investors expecting further policy rate cuts
- Pakistan’s finance ministry said Thursday that inflation had slowed to 5.6 percent year-on-year in December
KARACHI: Pakistani stocks continued their bullish run on Thursday, breaching the 176,000 points barrier for the first time after trading ended, with analysts attributing the surge to investors expecting further cuts in the policy rate.
The KSE-100 benchmark gained 2,301.17 points at close of business on Thursday, marking an increase of 1.32 percent to settle at 176,355.49 points.
Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 50 basis points to 10.5 percent last month, breaking a four-meeting hold in a move that surprised markets. Pakistan’s consumer price inflation slowed to 5.6 percent year-on-year in December, while prices fell on a monthly basis as per data from the finance ministry.
“Upbeat data for consumer price index (CPI) inflation at 5.6pc in December 2025 [with] investors expecting a further State Bank of Pakistan rate cuts on falling inflation data,” Ahsan Mehanti, CEO of Arif Habib Commodities Ltd., told Arab News.
The stock market witnessed a trading volume of 1,402.650 million shares, with a traded value of Rs48.424 billion ($173 million), compared with 957.239 million shares valued at Rs44.231 billion ($158 million) during the previous session.
Topline Securities, a leading brokerage firm in Pakistan, credited the surge to strong buying at the first session.
“This positivity can be accredited to buying by local institutions on the start of the new calendar year,” it said.
Pakistan’s Finance Adviser Khurram Schehzad highlighted that the bullish trend at the stock market reflected “strong investor confidence.”
“With lower inflation, affordable fuel, stronger reserves, rising digitization and a buoyant capital market, Pakistan’s economic outlook is clearly improving--supporting greater confidence, better investment sentiment and more positive momentum for 2026,” he said on social media platform X.
