US dollar shoots to Rs164.05 in interbank market as upward trajectory continues

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Dollar jumps to Rs178 in inter-bank

he US dollar on Thursday continued to soar against the Pakistani rupee, reaching a new all-time high of Rs164.05 in the interbank market and registering an increase worth Rs1.89.

In the open market, on the other hand, the US dollar rose Rs0.50 to Rs163.50.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Pakistani rupee continued to weaken against the US dollar, reaching Rs162.47 in the interbank market.

The rupee has been falling against the dollar following an agreement with the International Monetary Fund on a $6 billion loan with expected strict conditions including a “market-determined” exchange rate.

The rupee’s official exchange rate is supported by the central bank under a de facto managed float system and many analysts consider the currency to be overvalued.

According to data from the State Bank, the central bank’s foreign exchange reserves as of May 3 stood at $8.984 billion, equivalent to less than three months of import payments.