KARACHI: As anticipa­ted, the inflow of $1.2 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and an increase in workers’ remittances on Tuesday enthused economic optimism among the equity investors, triggering aggressive value-hunting, which helped the benchmark KSE 100 index to scale an all-time high above the 169,000-point barrier as remittance data also fuelled the rally.

The inflow has alleviated concerns about potential delays following the release of the long-awaited Governance and Corrup­tion Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA) on Nov 20. This assessment highlighted sys­temic weaknesses with­­in state institutions and emphasised the need for immediate action to add­ress ongoing corruption challenges.

Yesterday, the finance minister, in a calling attention notice in the national assembly, informed the house that the government was set to finalise an action plan by Dec 31 to implement the 15 key recommendations outlined in the IMF’s assessment report.

According to Topline Securities, the bulls dominated the session, lifting the benchmark index to new heights. After soaring to an intraday high of 1,297 points, the market closed at a record-breaking 169,456, gaining 1,153 points or 0.69 per cent.

The rally drew further strength from the IMF’s approval of nearly $1bn under the Extended Fund Facility and $220m under the Resilience Sustain­ability Fund, a decision that keeps the two loan programmes worth $8.4bn firmly on track and boosted investor sentiment.

This stellar momentum was driven by robust, persistent buying from local mutual funds, which revived sentiment and kept the rally firmly anchored. Market heavyweights Fauji Fertiliser, Lucky Cement, Habib Bank, PSO and Maple Leaf Cement led the advance, collectively contributing roughly 640 points to the benchmark’s impressive rise.

With strong flows, encouraging macro signals, and reinvigorated sentiment, the record close reinforces the bullish momentum carrying the market forward.

Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd, said that strong momentum continued at PSX, with IMF inflows as the key driver of the rally.

On the macro front, remittances rose 9pc to $3.19bn in November, though they declined 7pc month-on-month. For 5MFY26, inflows climbed 9pc year-on-year to $16.14bn.

PSO also gained 2.37pc amid reports that the ECC was likely to increase profit margins for OMCs and petroleum dealers later in the day.Market activity remained robust, as the trading volume surged 31.76pc 1.03bn shares. However, the traded value rose by a meagre 2.7pc to Rs51.3 bn. K-Electric topped the volume chart with 86.7 million shares.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2025

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1960240

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ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Tuesday directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to prepare a report on tax rates for mobile phones, covering policy options, economic impact, international comparisons, and proposed revisions.

The directive came from the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, chaired by MNA Naveed Qamar, who expressed displeasure over rising taxes on mobile phones, noting that these institutions have wrongly classified mobile phones as luxury items.

The chairman urged both the FBR and Tax Policy Office to review current tax rates on mobile phone imports under the personal baggage and registration schemes. Mr Qamar said the report should be prepared by March 2026, enabling the committee to examine the matter comprehensively ahead of the next budget.

MNA Qasim Gilani criticised the heavy taxes on mobile phones, noting that consumers are forced to pay taxes again if their phones are lost or stolen. He highlighted that smartphones are already very expensive, citing a tax of Rs35,000 on older iPhone 6 models and Rs100,000 on iPhone 12 imports. “People are using smartphones for content creation, video sharing, and e-commerce,” he said, stressing their role in livelihoods.

FBR chairman claims smartphone taxes, prices have declined overall

MNA Sharmila Faruqi pointed out that the latest iPhone costs Rs350,000, with an additional tax burden of Rs190,000. FBR officials clarified that levies are applied on the price of devices rather than on specific models.

MNA Mirza Ikhtiar Baig said that a clear mechanism for taxation is essential, rejecting the notion that smartphones are exclusively for the wealthy.

The PTA chairman informed the committee that only six per cent of high-end phones are imported, while the majority are locally manufactured. He also announced that 5G licences are expected to be issued by February-March next year.

FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial said that smartphone prices and taxes have declined overall, except for a few major brands. He reported that Rs82 billion in tax revenue was generated from mobile phones in the last fiscal year.

The committee suggested placing smartphones under the Eighth Schedule to provide relief to consumers. Tax officials explained that the Ninth Schedule currently applies to telecom, while the Eighth Schedule offers concessions. They added that, apart from Apple, most smartphones are now manufactured domestically.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2025

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