Intra-day update: rupee registers gain against US dollar

The Pakistani rupee posted further gain against the US dollar, appreciating 0.07% during the opening hours of trading in the inter-bank market on Wednesday. At 10:30am, the currency was hovering at 281.13, a gain of Re0.19 against the greenback. On Tuesday, the local unit closed at 281.32. Globally, the US dollar hovered near a one-week low versus major peers on Wednesday as the US government entered a shutdown that is likely to delay the release of crucial jobs data. Government funding expired at midnight in Washington after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a last-minute interim deal. The dollar index, which gauges the currency against six counterparts including the euro and yen, stood at 97.814 as the deadline passed. It had fallen as low as 97.633 overnight for the first time since last Wednesday.