Pakistan’s fight against tobacco is getting harder
By
Illustration by Aisha Nabi.
Pakistan made a commitment in 2005, when it signed the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), to reduce tobacco consumption and ensure the right of people to the highest standards of health.
At the moment, 19.1% of people, over the age of 15 years, in the country use tobacco in any form as per the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an American non-profit organization that advocates for reducing tobacco consumption.
Not only that the Campaign calculates that tobacco kills 118,000 people in Pakistan every year.
Separately, smoking-related illness cost the country more than Rs615 billion per annum, according to the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
Daily Times
May 3, 2021
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) is unlikely to escape the bumpy ride this week and stocks are at a major risk of underperforming on back of rising coronavirus cases, lockdown fear, reduced business timing, and extended Eid holidays starting this weekend, besides political instability.
Another factor that can put pressure on stocks is an increase in the Consumer Price Index-based inflation, which surged by 11.1 percent on a year-on-year (YoY) basis in April 2021 as compared to an increase of 9.1 percent in the previous month. On a month-on-month basis, it increased by 1.3 percent in April as compared to an increase of 0.3 percent in March.
Stocks falter as lockdown fears loom
KSE-100 index decreases 445 points amid growing cases of coronavirus
KARACHI:
The outgoing futures rollover week at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) was marred by bearish trade as the KSE-100 index shed 445 points or 1% to settle at 44,262.35 points amid growing fears of lockdown as warned by the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) in the wake of rising coronavirus cases.
During the week, trading remained under pressure on back of concerns regarding rising coronavirus infections, news flows citing stricter lockdowns and government’s decision to reduce business timings.
A sharp rise in fatalities in Pakistan and neighbouring countries forced the government to take action in order to curb the spread of Covid-19, which did not bode well with the participants and prompted them to divest their stakes.
Kse-100: Stocks post meager gains on lack of triggers
April 17, 2021
Bulls or Bears, stocks accommodated none at Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday, as lack of triggers kept investors sentiments in check, in a choppy trade.
On Friday, the benchmark kse-100 opened on a positive note and touched intra-day high at 45,471.35 level after gaining 241.17 points. However, selling pressure emerged by midday, which wiped off most of the gains. But, nevertheless, the index crawled up in the positive zone as by the closing bell the benchmark index gained 75.45 points to clock at 45,305.63 level.
During the session the market witnessed lack of investor interest, but higher expectations in upcoming financial results in key sectors was the sole reason which lent support to the bourse and aided its uptrend.