Stocks fall after suicide bomb attack

Karachi: Pakistan's stocks fell for the first time in five days after a suicide bomb attack on the home of a provincial government minister raised security concerns among investors.

Pakistan Telecommunication Co, the nation's biggest phone-service provider, fell 1.9 per cent to Rs17.32. Indus Motor Co, the assembler and seller of Toyota Motor Corp's vehicles in Pakistan, retreated 2.4 per cent to Rs201.54. United Bank Ltd, the third-biggest lender by assets, declined 0.9 per cent to Rs59.11.

"Buyers withdrew after the news of bombing," said Fareed Ahmad Khan, an equities strategist at Credit Suisse Group AG in Karachi. "Also, some investors booked profits as the market had risen over the past few days."

The benchmark Karachi Stock Exchange 100 Index lost 0.2 per cent to 9,266.04.