KARACHI: Shares ended higher on Friday in healthy turnover led by the textile sector after a World Trade Organisation committee meeting this week approved a European Union waiver on duties for 75 products from Pakistan, dealers said.
The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) benchmark 100-share index closed up 0.44 percent, or 52.84 points, at 11,982.62 points.
Volume rose to 130 million shares, compared with 107.72 million traded on Thursday.
"Activity was mostly limited to the middle-tier stocks especially the textile sector," said Shuja Rizvi, a dealer at brokers Al-Hoqani Securities Ltd.
Textile companies such as Azgard Nine ended 9.44 percent higher at 4.29 rupees and Nishat Mills gained 1.47 percent at 48.16 rupees.
In the currency market, the rupee ended weaker at 90.43/48 to the dollar, compared with Thursday's close of 90.38/43 amid increased import payments following an increase in international oil prices.
Brent crude rose above $112 on Friday as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Iran would retaliate over an oil embargo "at the right time."
The rupee touched a record low of 91.28 to the dollar on Jan. 9, pressured by concerns about higher payments for oil imports and the country's economic health, especially a weakening current account.
The current account recorded a provisional deficit of $2.154 billion in the first six months of the 2011/12 fiscal year, compared with a surplus of $8 million in the same period last year, according to data from the State Bank of Pakistan.
The deficit is likely to widen further in coming months because of debt repayments and a lack of external aid.
In the money market, overnight rates ended flat at its top level of 11.90 percent, unchanged from Thursday's close, due to a lack of liquidity in the interbank market.
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