Pakistan, June 4 -- The Pakistani rupee appreciated against the US dollar in the inter-bank market on Wednesday. At close, the local currency settled at 278.45, a gain of Re0.01 against the greenback. On Tuesday, the local unit closed at 278.46. Moreover, persistent strength in the dollar sent the Japanese yen sliding to the key 160 level on Wednesday, as hostilities in the Gulf erupted anew and bolstered demand for the safe-haven U.S. currency. The dollar was last 0.04% higher at 159.98 yen. The euro eased 0.09% to $1.1621, while sterling was down 0.07% at $1.3455. Meanwhile, oil prices climbed more than 1% in early trade on Wednesday. Brent futures rose $1.05, or 1.09%, at $97.05 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude ...