Karachi: The Pakistan Stock Exchange is witnessing a strong rally at the beginning of the last week of the year, as a result of which the KSE 100 index crossed the historical level of 174 thousand for the first time in the country’s history in the initial session of trading.
During trading, investors continued to buy heavily, as a result of which the 100 index crossed the high level of 174 thousand at one point during trading and reached 174 thousand 411 points, later a slight decrease in the rally was seen.
Strong buying is being seen in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertilizers, oil and gas exploration and production companies, oil marketing companies (OMCs), power generation and refineries.
ARL, Hubco, Mari, OGDC, PPL, Pool, HBL, Meezan Bank, and MCB also appeared in the positive zone.
Last week, Pakistan’s equity market closed at a historic high, with the benchmark KSE-100 index continuing its record rally to close at 172,400 points, showing a weekly gain of 0.6%.
It should be noted that globally, Asian stock markets reached a six-week high on Monday, while the dollar hovered near a three-month low on expectations of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve next year, which also led to a sharp rally in precious metals.
Read More: Global Stock Markets Volatile as U.S.-China Trade War Escalates; Gold Hits Record High
How much did what become expensive and what became cheaper in a year? Data released
On the other hand, the Bureau of Statistics released data related to the changes in food prices during a year.
According to the data, the price of sugar increased by 16.32 percent in a year. The average price of sugar per kilogram in the country was Rs 137.33, which increased to Rs 159.74 per kilogram at the moment. In 2025, the maximum price of sugar per kilogram went up to Rs 229.
Flour became expensive by 22.56 percent in a year. A year ago, the average price of a 20-kilogram bag of flour was Rs 1,794.93, while the average price of a 20-kilogram bag of flour is currently Rs 2,199.85.
According to the report, a year ago, the price of live broiler chicken per kilogram was Rs 409.22, while the average price of chicken per kilogram in the country is Rs 424.89.
Beef became more expensive by 13.01 percent, jaggery by 12.46 percent and bananas by 11.24 percent, while ground chilies became more expensive by 10.31 percent and eggs by 9.71 percent.
According to the Bureau of Statistics, milk powder became more expensive by 9.51 percent during the year, while gas charges increased by 29.85 percent, and the price of firewood increased by 11.02 percent in a year. The prices of mutton, fresh milk, yogurt and ghee also increased in 2025.
The data shows that in one year, tomatoes became cheaper by 74.92 and potatoes by 49.79 percent, garlic by 38.17 percent and gram dal became cheaper by 29.66 percent, onion by 29.23 and tea leaves by 17.79 percent.
The Bureau of Statistics says that dal mash became cheaper by 13.14 and dal masoor by 6.62 percent, and electricity charges decreased by 6.87 percent in one year.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s seafood exports to China increased by 24% during January-November 2025, reaching a value of about $235.7 million in the first eleven months of 2025, compared to $188.95 million in the same period of 2024.
According to data from China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC), officials from the Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan said that this significant increase reflects the growing demand for high-quality seafood products in the Chinese market. Frozen fish, which includes varieties such as anchovies, mackerel and squid, saw a significant increase in value.
Frozen fish exports increased from $46 million in 2024 to over $57 million in 2025, contributing significantly to the overall increase.
Similarly, fresh shrimp exports reached $31.93 million from January to November 2025, up from $27.77 million in the same period last year. Exports of frozen cuttlefish and squid rose to $24.7 million, up from $23.8 million in the same period last year, according to China Economic Net.
According to officials, improved trade relations between China and Pakistan, especially the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), have streamlined logistics, reducing shipping times and ensuring continuous supply.
Improvements in seafood processing capabilities in Pakistan, which ensure that products meet strict Chinese food safety standards, have solidified Pakistan as a reliable supplier of quality seafood. With these factors, Pakistan’s seafood exports are expected to increase further.
