Islamabad: The Pakistan Stock Exchange's benchmark KSE-100 index tumbled 151 points on Tuesday, closing at 147,344 with a trading volume of 934 million shares. This drop coincided with growing concerns about a potential wheat flour shortage and the government's approval of a plan to transfer Islamabad International Airport's operations to a United Arab Emirates-based entity. PIBTL, SAZEW, and HUMNL led the market in price gains, while FABL, PABC, and HINOON experienced the largest declines. Trading focused primarily on the banking, investment, and cable sectors.

The finance ministry cautioned that the economic impact of recent floods may strain the national budget, further exacerbating the looming food security crisis. Concerns regarding agricultural production and food distribution have been heightened by the potential for supply disruptions.

In other financial developments, the State Bank of Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves saw a modest increase of $18 million, reaching $14.27 billion. Pakistan welcomed the inclusion of a Japanese bank in the Reko Diq project's lending consortium. Meanwhile, the Federal Board of Revenue launched a new online portal designed for agricultural taxpayers.

A scheduled meeting of the National Finance Commission has been postponed. The Trading Corporation of Pakistan has issued tenders for the procurement of 100,000 metric tons of sugar. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) also announced determined rates, and efforts are underway to recover outstanding dues for liquefied natural gas (RLNG).