Market hours in local time

Trading sessions on the Pakistan Stock Exchange

PSX trading hours follow Pakistan Standard Time, with a split Friday schedule that differs from the Monday–Thursday routine. The exchange operates from Karachi, and all timings below are in PKT (UTC+5). Global spot forex, by contrast, runs on a 24/5 cycle, so currency-related exposure does not pause when the local equity market closes.

Worth reading alongside this: Tax on trading profits, and Is trading legal here.

Regular session: Monday to Thursday

On Monday through Thursday, the Pakistan Stock Exchange opens around 09:32 and closes at 15:30 PKT. This is the core window for equity trading, and most price discovery for listed shares happens inside it. If you are checking a gold-linked instrument or any other listed security, the session boundaries determine when an order can be placed and when it will sit until the next opening.

Friday split: prayer break changes the day

Friday trading is divided into two parts. The first session runs from about 09:17 to 12:00 PKT, followed by a break for prayers. Trading resumes around 14:32 and continues until 16:30 PKT. The split means Friday liquidity is not continuous: orders placed during the midday gap wait for the second session, and any news released in that window will be priced in only after 14:32.

Why session timing matters for price checks

The timings above are marked as requiring verification against the PSX website before relying on them for time-sensitive decisions. The exchange publishes its official trading hours at psx.com.pk, and the Friday schedule can be adjusted around public holidays or special announcements. A price seen outside the active session may be the last traded level rather than a live quote.

Global forex session and local market overlap

Spot forex operates 24 hours a day, five days a week. That means PKR-related currency movement can occur while the Pakistan Stock Exchange is closed, including overnight and during the Friday prayer break. Anyone tracking gold prices in Pakistan alongside currency exposure should treat the local equity session and the global forex session as separate clocks.

What to check before trading around session boundaries

Do PSX hours change on public holidays?

The facts here do not list a holiday calendar. The trading-hours page on psx.com.pk is the source to confirm whether a given date follows the regular Monday–Thursday or Friday schedule, or whether the market is closed entirely.

Is the Friday prayer break the same length every week?

The listed Friday sessions are approximate: around 09:17–12:00 and 14:32–16:30 PKT. Exact times should be checked on the PSX website before placing orders on a Friday, since the split schedule can be affected by announcements.

Does the 24/5 forex session follow PKT?

Global spot forex runs 24/5, but the fact does not specify its reference timezone. When converting forex activity to Pakistan time, the relevant offset is PKT (UTC+5), and the local session hours above apply only to the Pakistan Stock Exchange.

Can I trade PSX-listed securities outside 09:32–15:30?

Outside the stated session hours, the exchange is not open for regular trading. Orders placed after the close remain pending until the next scheduled session, whether that is the following weekday morning or the second Friday window.