KARACHI: Pakistan rupee posted marginal gain for another week as it appreciated by Re0.09 or 0.03 percent against the US dollar in the inter-bank market.
The local unit closed at 279.77, against 279.86 it had closed the week earlier against the greenback, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The SBP decided to keep its benchmark policy rate unchanged at 10.5 percent in its first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of 2026.
The decision was against the market expectations. The central bank purchased $10.76 billion from domestic foreign exchange (FX) markets between June 2024 and October 2025, as per the latest data released during the previous week.
The SBP reports foreign exchange market interventions with a lag of three months. The banking sector’s gross Advance-to-Deposit Ratio (ADR) reversed its downward trajectory, clocking in at nearly 40 percent as of December 2025.
The banking sector’s ADR stood at 39.8 percent as of December 2025, up from 37.9 percent recorded in November 2025, reflecting an increase of 182 basis points (bps), stated brokerage house Arif Habib Limited.However, yearly, the ADR was down 1,311bps, compared to 52.9 percent in December 2024. Pakistan’s inflation was projected to remain within the range of 5-6 percent in January 2026.In its Monthly Economic Update & Outlook January 2026, the Ministry of Finance said that Pakistan’s economy was well positioned to sustain its growth momentum in FY2026, “supported by the encouraging performance of LSM and other high-frequency indicators”.
Open-market rates
In the open market, the PKR gained 10 paise for buying and 17 paise for selling against USD, closing at 280.22 and 280.82, respectively.
Against Euro, the PKR lost 4.76 rupees for buying and 4.90 rupees for selling, closing at 333.72 and 336.84, respectively. Against UAE Dirham, the PKR gained 2 paise for buying and lost 2 paise for selling, closing at 76.49 and 77.29, respectively. Against Saudi Riyal, the PKR gained 4 paise for buying and remained unchanged for selling, closing at 74.80 and 75.42, respectively.
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Weekly inter-bank market rates for dollar
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Bid Close Rs. 279.77
Offer Close Rs. 279.97
Bid Open Rs. 279.86
Offer Open Rs. 280.06
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Weekly open-market rates for dollar
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Bid Close Rs. 280.22
Offer Close Rs. 280.82
Bid Open Rs. 280.32
Offer Open Rs. 280.99
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Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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