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Forex Guide · Forex Basics

Forex market timings in Pakistan and India: the trading sessions

The forex market is open 24 hours a day, five days a week, but it is not equally active all day. Here are the sessions in Pakistan and India time, how they shift between summer and winter, and when each market moves best.

Qazi Forex Tips
By the Qazi Forex Tips team, led by Dr. Qazi Abdul Basit, Ph.D
Updated 23 October 2026
Dr. Qazi Abdul Basit
Dr. Qazi's takeIn his own words, from his lectures and teaching

A written plan you follow, and the patience to skip a trade when the setup is not there.

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When the market opens and closes

The week opens on Monday at about 2:00–3:00 AM Pakistan time (2:30–3:30 AM IST) and closes on Saturday at about 2:00–3:00 AM PKT, when New York closes on Friday at 5:00 PM local time. The exact minute depends on your broker's server.

Pakistan (PKT, UTC+5) and India (IST, UTC+5:30) do not change their clocks. India is always 30 minutes ahead of Pakistan.

The four sessions in Pakistan time

Each session is the local business day of its centre. Times are approximate:

  • Sydney: about 2:00–11:00 AM PKT from April to October, 1:00–10:00 AM from November to March.
  • Tokyo: 5:00 AM–2:00 PM PKT all year (Japan has no daylight saving).
  • London: 12:00 noon–9:00 PM PKT in summer, 1:00–10:00 PM in winter.
  • New York: 5:00 PM–2:00 AM PKT in summer, 6:00 PM–3:00 AM in winter.

In India, add 30 minutes to every time: London is about 12:30–9:30 PM IST in summer, New York about 5:30 PM–2:30 AM IST.

Forex sessions in Pakistan time in summer and winter, with the London–New York overlap. India: add 30 minutes.
Forex sessions in Pakistan time in summer and winter, with the London–New York overlap. India: add 30 minutes.

Summer and winter: why the hours move

The UK moves its clocks forward on the last Sunday of March and back on the last Sunday of October; the US moves forward on the second Sunday of March and back on the first Sunday of November. Since Pakistan and India do not change, London and New York start one hour later in our time during winter.

For one or two weeks in March and in late October the two dates do not match. In 2026, London changes on 25 October and New York on 1 November; in between, London runs 1:00–10:00 PM and New York 5:00 PM–2:00 AM PKT.

The best hours to trade

  • London–New York overlap: about 5:00–9:00 PM PKT in summer and 6:00–10:00 PM in winter (IST +30 minutes). The most volume and the biggest moves for EURUSD, GBPUSD and Gold.
  • London open: the first two to three hours of London (about 12:00–3:00 PM PKT in summer) often set the day's direction.
  • Tokyo session: quieter; JPY, AUD and NZD pairs move most. Many pairs and Gold range here, which suits range traders more than breakout traders.

Pick one or two windows that fit your day and trade only those. Results improve when you test your strategy on the exact hours you trade, for example in a replay simulator.

Big news in Pakistan time

  • US data (NFP, CPI, retail sales) at 8:30 AM New York time: 5:30 PM PKT in summer, 6:30 PM in winter.
  • US Federal Reserve decisions at 2:00 PM New York time: 11:00 PM PKT in summer, midnight in winter.
  • UK data at 7:00 AM London time: 11:00 AM PKT in summer, 12:00 noon in winter.

Spreads widen and price can jump in seconds around these times. Check the economic calendar each morning; read the NFP lesson for how to handle news.

When to be careful

  • Daily rollover at 5:00 PM New York time (about 2:00 AM PKT in summer, 3:00 AM in winter): spreads widen sharply and many brokers pause Gold for about an hour.
  • Monday open: price can gap from Friday's close.
  • Friday evening in Pakistan, as New York winds down.
  • Holidays such as Christmas, New Year and US holidays, when volume is thin.

Khulasa (Roman Urdu / Hindi)

  • Market Monday raat ~2–3 baje khulti hai aur Saturday raat ~2–3 baje (PKT) band hoti hai; India +30 minute.
  • Tokyo 5 AM–2 PM; London 12–9 PM (sardi 1–10 PM); New York 5 PM–2 AM (sardi 6 PM–3 AM), Pakistan time.
  • Behtareen waqt: London–New York overlap, garmi mein sham 5–9, sardi mein 6–10 baje PKT.
  • US news (NFP, CPI) garmi mein 5:30 PM, sardi mein 6:30 PM PKT; Fed faisla 11 PM / 12 AM.
  • Rollover (raat 2–3 baje) aur bari news ke waqt spread barhta hai: new trade se bachein.

Questions

What are the forex market timings in Pakistan?

The market opens Monday at about 2:00–3:00 AM PKT and closes Saturday at about 2:00–3:00 AM PKT. London trades about 12:00–9:00 PM PKT in summer (1:00–10:00 PM in winter) and New York about 5:00 PM–2:00 AM (6:00 PM–3:00 AM in winter).

What is the best time to trade forex in Pakistan?

The London–New York overlap: about 5:00–9:00 PM PKT in summer and 6:00–10:00 PM in winter.

What is the forex market time in India?

Add 30 minutes to Pakistan time: the overlap is about 5:30–9:30 PM IST in summer and 6:30–10:30 PM IST in winter.

When does the London session open in Pakistan?

At about 12:00 noon PKT in summer (British Summer Time) and 1:00 PM PKT in winter.

When does the New York session open in Pakistan?

At about 5:00 PM PKT in summer and 6:00 PM PKT in winter.

Is the forex market open on Saturday and Sunday?

No. It closes early Saturday morning Pakistan time and reopens early Monday morning. Prices can gap at the open.

What time is NFP in Pakistan?

NFP is released at 8:30 AM New York time, usually on the first Friday of the month: 5:30 PM PKT in summer and 6:30 PM PKT in winter.

Watch the video lessons

Video lesson · 12:35Best time to scalp forex and Gold in Pakistan and IndiaVideo lesson · 13:10How to read and analyse NFP news dataVideo lesson · 22:30Gold scalping on the 5-minute chart with Stochastic RSI

Education only, not financial advice. Trading forex, Gold and CFDs carries a high risk of loss. Contract sizes, spreads and leverage differ by broker; check your own broker's specifications.