KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) has received interest from international companies including the Shanghai Stock Exchange to buy a stake, the head of the index said on Monday.

The index has been searching for a strategic investor and in July invited companies to show interest in buying a stake of up to 40 per cent.

The PSX index is a merger of the Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad stock exchanges and was inaugurated earlier this year.

The integration was expected to help reduce market fragmentation and create a strong case for attracting strategic partnerships necessary for providing technological expertise and assistance.