ISLAMABAD: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority for the eastern Punjab province had predicted rains and subsequent floods in the next 24 hours and put authorities on alert, a spokesperson said on Wednesday, with 320 people killed in Pakistan since the monsoon season began in July.
Monsoon rains are crucial for Pakistan’s agrarian economy, providing essential water for crops and replenishing water reservoirs. However, the country has been experiencing increasingly erratic weather patterns, including heatwaves, droughts and flooding, which are widely attributed to climate change.
“In the next 24 hours, there is a possibility of rain in most of the districts of Punjab,” a PDMA spokesperson said. “In view of flood warning in hill torrents, PDMA and local administration are on alert.”
Rain disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in both India and Pakistan during the June-September monsoon season. Scientists and weather forecasters have blamed climate change for heavier rains in recent years.
In 2022, climate-induced downpours inundated one-third of Pakistan, killing over 1,700 people and causing $30 billion in economic damages.
Punjab government on rain, flood alert as Pakistan monsoon deaths hit 320
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Punjab government on rain, flood alert as Pakistan monsoon deaths hit 320
- Rain disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in Pakistan during monsoon season
- Scientists and weather forecasters have blamed climate change for heavier rains in recent years
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.
