SBP foreign exchange reserves edge up by $25m to $17.21b

WEB DESK: The foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) witnessed a marginal increase of $25m, reaching $17.215b during the week ended June 5, 2026, according to official data released by the central bank on Thursday.

The overall liquid foreign reserves of the country registered a steady trajectory, solidifying Pakistan’s external accounts position amidst ongoing economic stabilization measures.

Financial analysts note that the continuous retention of reserves above the $17b mark for the central bank reflects structured management of external debt obligations and consistent dollar inflows through official channels.

Commercial banks hold $5.45b

According to the weekly report issued by the SBP, the total liquid foreign reserves held by the country stood at $22.672b.

Out of the total reserves, the share of net foreign reserves held by commercial banks was recorded at $5.457b, maintaining a stable position compared to the previous week.

Market observers highlighted that the central bank’s ability to shore up its reserves, even by a modest margin, indicates positive sentiment in the currency market and suggests that regular import payments are being balanced by robust worker remittances and export proceeds.

Path to economic stability

The steady maintenance of the foreign cash cushion remains central to Pakistan’s ongoing fiscal strategy. Economists believe that keeping the central bank’s reserves at this level provides the necessary leverage to stabilize the local currency, keeping the Pakistani rupee largely resilient against major global currencies in the interbank market.

Furthermore, the healthy reserve position is expected to strengthen Pakistan’s stance in upcoming engagements with international financial institutions, ensuring smoother rollovers of bilateral and multilateral debts in the upcoming quarters of the fiscal year.