Pakistan stocks close at 150,591 record high points on corporate earnings, institutional buying

A stockbroker walks past share prices on a financial market board during a trading session at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in Karachi on April 9, 2025. (REUTERS/File)
Short Url
Updated 20 August 2025
Follow

Pakistan stocks close at 150,591 record high points on corporate earnings, institutional buying

  • Financial analyst describes market participation as “vibrant,” with total volume of shares traded surging to 662 million
  • Rally comes amid signs of stabilization in economy after IMF bailout, credit rating upgrades from international agencies 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed at a record high of 150,591 points on Wednesday, with a leading brokerage firm attributing the surge to strong corporate earnings and institutional buying. 

The bullish trend at the stock market picked up from Tuesday, when the benchmark KSE-100 Index ended the session at 149,771 points. Analysts said the surge was driven by strong institutional inflows, which powered gains in the banking and cement shares. 

The bulls showed no signs of fatigue despite the floods on Wednesday, notching an intraday record high of 1,490 points before settling at 150,591 when trading ended, up by 820 points or 0.55 percent from the previous day’s close. 

“The upward momentum was underpinned by better-than-expected corporate earnings and a strong liquidity push from local institutions, lifting the benchmark to uncharted heights,” Karachi-based brokerage firm Topline Securities said in a statement. 

It noted that investor confidence remained “buoyant” as market heavyweights attracted “robust flows.”

Topline Securities described the market participation as “vibrant,” saying that traded volume surged to 662 million shares and at a value of Rs40.5 billion [$143.46 million]. 

“BOP [Bank of Punjab] led the volume chart, with 52 million shares changing hands during the session,” it concluded. 

Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad took to X on Tuesday to attribute the bullish trend at the stock market to Pakistan’s “rising global credibility, home-grown structural reforms agenda with positive macroeconomic outlook” that he said had turned into strong investor confidence. 

The PSX rally comes amid signs of stabilization in Pakistan’s economy after the country secured a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout in September 2024 and saw recent upgrades by international ratings agencies.

Inflation has eased from a peak of 38 percent in 2023 to 4.1 percent in July 2025, while the rupee has stabilized against the dollar.


Daesh media chief for ISKP in Pakistan’s custody — state media

Updated 18 December 2025
Follow

Daesh media chief for ISKP in Pakistan’s custody — state media

  • Sultan Aziz Azzam, a senior member of ISKP, used to head its Al Azzam media outlet, says state media
  • Azzam was arrested in May while attempting to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan, says state media

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have taken into custody Sultan Aziz Azzam, the head of Daesh regional affiliate ISKP’s media outlet, state media reported on Thursday citing intelligence sources. 

The state-run Pakistan TV Digital reported that Azzam was a senior member of ISKP and hailed from Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. As per the state media report, he is also a graduate of the University of Nangarhar where he studied Islamic jurisprudence. 

Pakistan TV Digital reported Azzam joined ISKP in 2016 and later became a prominent member of its leadership council.

“He was arrested in May 2025 while attempting to cross from Afghanistan into Pakistan,” Pakistan TV Digital reported, citing intelligence sources. 

“He is believed to have overseen media operations and headed ISKP’s Al Azzam media outlet.”

In November 2021, Washington listed Azzam as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT). The move bars American citizens from engaging in transactions with persons designated as SDGTs. 

According to a report on the UN Security Council’s website, Azzam has played an “instrumental role” in spreading Daesh’s violent ideology, glorifying and justifying “terrorist acts.” 

“Building on his former experience as an Afghan journalist, his activity as ISIL-K’s spokesperson has increased ISIL-K’s visibility and influence among its followers,” the report states. 

The report further states Azzam claimed responsibility on behalf of Daesh for the suicide attack near Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26, 2021, which killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 US service members and injured 150 more. 

The development takes place amid tense relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Islamabad alleging militants use Afghan soil to carry out attacks against Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegations.

Tensions surged in October when Pakistan and Afghanistan engaged in fierce border clashes, claiming to have killed dozens of soldiers of the other side.

Pakistan has urged the Afghan Taliban-led government to take “decisive action” against militants it says operate from its soil. Afghanistan says it cannot be held responsible for Pakistan’s security challenges.