The equity market in Pakistan commenced the week under pressure, experiencing an early slip in the session as investors reacted to the government’s decision to delay the federal budget and the ongoing ambiguity surrounding key fiscal conditions under discussion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 Index initially climbed to an intraday high of 119,290.94 points, marking a gain of 188.27 points, or 0.16%, from its previous close of 119,102.67. However, it subsequently retreated to a low of 118,150.27 points, reflecting a decline of 952.40 points, or -0.80%.
“Delay in Budget announcement and lack of clarity on IMF conditions related to budget pushing investors to trim their exposure,” Muhammad Sohail, CEO of Topline Securities, informed Geo.tv.
The federal government has officially rescheduled the presentation of the Budget 2025–26 to June 10, moving it from the previously planned date of June 2. This postponement comes as discussions with the IMF regarding revenue and spending targets remain unresolved. The Ministry of Finance has also announced that the Economic Survey FY2025, which provides a comprehensive overview of the outgoing fiscal year’s economic performance, will be released on June 9.
The IMF, which recently concluded its staff-level visit to Islamabad, stated that discussions concerning Pakistan’s fiscal framework for FY26 will continue over the coming days. On Friday, the market had closed with a marginal loss of 50.37 points, or -0.04%, at 119,102.67, after trading within a range of 119,542.52 and 118,665.26 points.
