The Pakistani rupee registered gain against the US dollar, appreciating 0.06% during the opening minutes of trading in the inter-bank market on Tuesday. At 10am, the local currency was hovering at 279.83, a gain of Re0.18 against the greenback. On Monday , the local unit closed at 280.01. Internationally, the US dollar held to its losses on Tuesday after the Trump administration opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a move that threatens the central bank’s independence and faith in US assets. Investors were still trying to come to grips with news of the probe revealed late on Sunday, a move that drew condemnation from former Fed chiefs and marked a dramatic escalation in the US president’s campaign to pressure the central bank into cutting rates faster. The market reaction has been to sell the dollar and US Treasuries, while the unease also prompted some investors to seek safety in gold. However, the selloff was much more measured than the one that followed Trump’s sweeping tariffs last April. The euro was steady at $1.1663 in early Asia trade, having risen as much as 0.5% in the previous session, while sterling was similarly little changed at $1.3463, holding to Monday’s 0.47% gain. The Swiss franc drew additional safety bids and was a touch stronger at 0.7974 per dollar, while the dollar index was last at 98.92, having clocked its worst day in three weeks in the previous session. While the Trump administration’s latest move has done little to alter market expectations for two more Fed cuts this year, it raises questions about the central bank’s autonomy, a bedrock of U.S. economic policy and a cornerstone of its financial system. Fitch Ratings said on Monday it views the Fed’s independence as a key supporting factor for its AA+ U.S. sovereign rating. Oil prices , a key indicator of currency parity, edged higher on Tuesday, as heightened concerns surrounding Iran and potential supply disruptions outweighed the prospect of increased crude supply from Venezuela. Brent futures gained 28 cents, or 0.4% to $64.15 a barrel by 0101 GMT, hovering near a two-month high struck in the previous session. US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 28 cents, or 0.5%, to $59.78, its highest since December 8 hit earlier in the session. This is an intra-day update