KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed heavy selling on Monday as domestic political uncertainty following the imposition of emergency and governor rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, coupled with regional geopolitical tensions involving Saudi Arabia, the Houthis, the United States and Iran, prompted investors to reduce their equity exposure.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index plunged by 1,964.87 points, or 1.18 percent, to close at 165,124.41 points against 167,089.28 points in the preceding session. During the trading session, the index touched an intraday high of 166,988.32 points and a low of 165,168.50 points.
The BRIndex100 closed at 18,163.38 points, declining by 218.82 points, or 1.19 percent, from the previous close of 18,382.20 points, with a total volume of 273.169 million shares. The BRIndex30 fell by 1,038.55 points, or 1.58 percent, to close at 64,837.53 points against 65,876.08 points in the preceding session. Total turnover on the index stood at 152.335 million shares.
Nawaz Ali of JS Global Capital Limited noted that political uncertainty on the domestic front and tensions in the region kept investors on the selling side. He observed that the imposition of emergency and governor rule in KPK prompted investors to trim their positions, while clashes between Saudi forces and the Houthis and uncertainty surrounding negotiations between the United States and Iran further depressed sentiment.
Total turnover rose to 362.954 million shares from 309.412 million shares on Friday, an increase of 53.542 million shares, or 17.30 percent.
However, the total traded value fell by Rs. 930 million, or 6.02 percent, to Rs. 14.508 billion from Rs. 15.438 billion in the preceding session. Market capitalisation contracted by Rs. 209.709 billion to Rs. 18.359 trillion from Rs. 18.569 trillion previously.
Market breadth was heavily tilted towards declining stocks. Of 500 active issues, 322 companies closed lower, 135 advanced and 43 remained unchanged, reflecting the widespread selling pressure across the ready market.
Treet Corp led ready-market turnover with 27.312 million shares. The stock closed at Rs. 24.09 against the previous close of Rs. 23.72.
LSE Financial (R) followed with 20.829 million shares. The stock closed at Rs. 1.19 compared with Rs. 2.19 previously.
WorldCall Telecom recorded turnover of 20.350 million shares. It finished at Rs. 0.97 against the previous close of Rs. 0.99.
In ready-market price movements, Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited emerged as the highest gainer, rising by Rs. 207.49 to close at Rs. 25,262.50. Khairpur Sugar Mills Limited followed, gaining Rs. 74.55 to settle at Rs. 820.02.
On the losing side, PIA Holding Company LimitedB recorded the largest decline, shedding Rs. 294.00 to close at Rs. 14,200.00. Khyber Textile Mills Limited followed with a loss of Rs. 95.81, settling at Rs. 1,688.92.
Among sectoral indices, the BR Automobile Assembler Index declined by 263.42 points, or 1.21 percent, to settle at 21,589.53 points, with turnover of 1.052 million shares. The BR Cement Index shed 204.72 points, or 1.78 percent, to close at 11,271.91 points, with 12.432 million shares traded.
The BR Commercial Banks Index dropped by 805.37 points, or 1.40 percent, to finish at 56,914.11 points, with turnover of 15.899 million shares. The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index lost 257.15 points, or 1.02 percent, to settle at 24,935.45 points, with 15.163 million shares traded.
The BR Oil and Gas Index declined by 191.05 points, or 1.29 percent, to close at 14,660.51 points, with turnover of 19.587 million shares. The BR Technology and Communication Index fell by 54.04 points, or 1.68 percent, to settle at 3,164.38 points, with 40.330 million shares traded.
Analysts expect the market to remain under pressure and potentially range-bound until clearer political and geopolitical signals emerge. Investors are likely to monitor regional developments and domestic political stability for indications of a sustained improvement in sentiment.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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