Pakistan, Aug. 27 -- The Pakistan Stock Exchange gained more than 800 points on Thursday after reopening following Eid Milad-un-Nabi. The benchmark KSE-100 index remained above the 178,000 mark during midday trading. The rise reflected strong buying across several major sectors as investors returned after the holiday.

The KSE-100 index climbed 805.08 points, or 0.45%, to reach 178,175.78. Buying gained momentum soon after the market opened. By 9:40am, the index had already advanced more than 1,100 points. It later reached an intraday high of 178,650.01.

The market had closed at 177,370.70 on Tuesday before Wednesday's one-day closure. Thursday's trading marked another attempt to establish the index above 178,000. The index also recorded...