Overview

• Pakistan’s benchmark index fell for a fourth straight session on Oct. 9, closing down 0.45% at 164,531 after sharp intraday swings.
• Early trade on Oct. 10 saw the index plunge to 162,411 before a modest recovery, reflecting ongoing volatility and fragile sentiment.
• An IMF statement citing substantial progress toward a staff-level agreement, alongside Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s comments about meeting targets, sparked a brief rally that failed to hold.
• Analysts attributed the declines to profit-taking and sustained selling by local institutions and insurance companies, with some foreign corporates also offloading positions.
• Remittances rose 8% year on year to $9.6 billion in 1QFY26 and were up 11% in September, while the World Bank cut FY26 growth to 2.6% citing flood-related risks.