Friday’s trading on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) was cautious as investors concentrated on the ongoing negotiations between Iran and Pakistan.

The KSE-100 changed by 0.09 percent from its previous finish of 168,514.44 points during intraday trading, gaining 151.21 points to reach 168,665.65 points in the first session.

However, despite the fact that both parties were still at odds on important issues, Asian stocks increased on Friday, the US dollar was close to six-week highs, and oil prices were erratic as investors hoped for a breakthrough in US-Iran peace talks.

The worry for investors remains the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for the world’s energy supplies that has sent oil prices soaring and rewired the global interest rate outlook because of inflationary concerns.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there had been “some good signs” in talks to end the nearly three-month-old U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, but differences remain over Tehran’s uranium stockpile and control of the strait.

In stock markets, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS), opens new tab was 0.8% higher, set for a modest weekly rise. Japan’s Nikkei (.N225) gained 2.8%, just shy of ⁠a new record high, while Taiwan stocks (.TWII), opens new tab rose 2.3%.
 

In order to help taxpayers pay their taxes and government duties on time, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has declared that a few commercial bank branches nationwide will stay open on Saturday and Sunday.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) requested the action, according to a notification from SBP’s External Communications Department.

On May 23 and 24, 2026, branches of all commercial banks will be open from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Additionally, until the special clearing of government transactions through NIFT is finished, the central bank has directed all banks to maintain the appropriate branches open.

Additionally, taxpayers are guaranteed continuous access to all online payment channels, such as ATMs, mobile applications, internet banking, and other digital platforms.

Pakistan has formally reopened its offshore oil and gas exploration sector after nearly 20 years, a significant step toward boosting domestic energy resources and attracting investment.

The government has signed Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) and Exploration Licences (ELs) for the 23 offshore blocks awarded under the Offshore Bid Round 2025. Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik was present at the signing event.

The officials said the bid round encompassed over 54,600 square kilometres in the Indus and Makran offshore basins along the coastal waters of Sindh and Balochistan.

The Ministry of Petroleum said two blocks were awarded earlier in December 2025, while the remaining 21 agreements have now been concluded, completing the full offshore licensing structure.

Officials said the achievement was an important milestone to spur offshore exploration, increase international and local investment and reduce dependence on imported energy.

The government said the potential of Pakistan’s offshore area is around 282,623 square kilometers and only a few exploration wells had been completed since independence.

Companies will first conduct geological and geophysical research, including seismic data collecting and interpretation in Phase-I under the new framework. If the results are positive, exploratory drilling will follow in Phase-II.

Mari Energies was the biggest stakeholder among participating corporations, however significant national energy companies also won several blocks.

The government forecasts the initial investment at about $82 million, rising to almost $1 billion if drilling moves to the advanced exploration stages.