��������

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has ample petroleum reserves and an uninterrupted supply chain, a junior minister said on Monday, amid fears that Iran may cut off a vital oil and gas shipping lane in retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear facilities.

Iran’s parliament has approved cutting off the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane in the Arabian Gulf through which about 20 percent of global oil and gas passes. It’s now up to Iran’s national security council to decide whether to move forward with the idea, which could lead to a spike in the cost of goods and services worldwide.

The price of oil jumped 4 percent shortly after trading began on Sunday night, but it quickly pared back as the focus shifted from what the US military did to how Iran would react. Oil futures were flip-flopping in Monday morning trading between gains and losses. They still remain higher than they were before the fighting began a little more than a week ago.

Pakistan’s State Minister for Finance and Railway Bilal Azhar Kayani denied rumors about a shortage of petroleum products in the South Asian country, stressing that his government was closely monitoring developments following tensions between Iran, Israel and the US to ensure stability.

“The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has directed all oil marketing companies to strictly maintain mandatory reserve levels in light of current global conditions, mitigating potential risks,” Kayani was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s Press Information Department.

“There is no cause for concern as petroleum product inventories are sufficient and supply operations continue smoothly across the nation.”

The statement came hours after President Donald Trump called for the US and other oil-producing economies to pump more oil as the White House sharpened its warnings to Iran against closing the Strait of Hormuz.

Global markets were trying to ascertain what lays ahead after the US struck on Sunday key Iranian nuclear facilities with a barrage of 30,000-pound bunker busting bombs and Tomahawk missiles.

Pakistan lacks adequate resources to run its oil- and gas-powered plants and mainly sources its oil from Arab Gulf nations.

Kayani reassured citizens that the Prime Minister’s office, Ministry of Petroleum and the Ministry of Finance were continuously monitoring the situation.

“We are fully prepared to address any uncertainties,” he said, adding the government was committed to ensuring the country’s energy security.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s stocks and currency markets tumbled on Monday as investors reacted to the United States’ (US) foray into the Israel-Iran conflict, traders and analysts said.

The benchmark KSE-100 index dropped more than 3 percent to 116,167 points, the lowest in more than six weeks, while the rupee continued to weaken against the US dollar in the seventh consecutive session on Monday.

The index has plunged by nearly 5 percent since June 13 when Israel first hit Iranian military and nuclear targets in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow, killing top generals and scientists among 78 people.

“Rising geopolitical tensions following a US strike on Iran shook investor confidence, causing the KSE-100 Index to drop by 3.2 percent,” Mohammad Waqas Ghani, head of research at JS Global Capital Ltd., told Arab News, adding that this was the fourth largest single-day decline in terms of points historically.

The attacks on Iran by the US, which followed Israeli strikes, have intensified the war and deepened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, sending jitters to markets across the globe.

Monday’s 3.2 percent fall was the worst since May 8 when the index had plunged 5.9 percent day-on-day, according to Ghani.

“The spike in global oil prices has further intensified concerns about Pakistan’s external account vulnerabilities,” he added.

Cash-strapped Pakistan, which is trying to revive its debt-ridden economy with the help of International Monetary Fund’s $7 billion program, spent $17 billion on oil imports last year.

Raza Jafri, head of research at Intermarket Securities Ltd., attributed the day’s fall to redemptions at mutual funds and possible margin calls.

“Regional tensions are the main reason behind the weak sentiment,” he said, adding that if there was no further escalation, the value buying was expected to come through.

RUPEE DROP

The ongoing tensions have also impacted the Pakistani currency that lost another 0.06 percent as the greenback closed at Rs283.87, according to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data.

The rupee is constantly falling and has devalued 0.3 percent since the start of Iran-Israel conflict.

“The rupee is feeling the heat of this war, very negligibly though,” Zafar Paracha, secretary-general of the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan, told Arab News.

“This stability in the exchange rate reflects the overall macroeconomic stability the country has achieved.”