KARACHI – The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a sharp downturn on Monday, with the benchmark KSE-100 index plummeting 4,654.77 points (-2.85%) to close at 158,443.42, as cross-border military escalation with Afghanistan severely dented investor sentiment.
Selling pressure intensified throughout the session, dragging the index to an intra-day low of 157,678.01 around 2:40 PM. The downturn was broad-based, with major sectors including commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies, cement, and fertiliser all trading deep in the red. Index-heavyweights such as HUBCO, MARI, PPL, and HBL saw significant declines.
Analysts directly linked the sell-off to the heightened geopolitical uncertainty. “The selling pressure is mainly due to the developments over the weekend, including geopolitical factors and cross-border tensions,” said Sana Tawfik of Arif Habib Limited. The sentiment was echoed by Waqas Ghani of JS Global, who noted, “Investors remain cautious amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty and brackly news-taking after recent gains.”
The market decline follows a statement from the military’s media wing detailing intense clashes along the Pak-Afghan border, which have raised concerns over regional stability. The bearish trend marks a continuation from the previous week, halting a sustained period of market advances.
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