Pakistan stocks plunge over 5,000 points amid heavy selling pressure

KARACHI: Pakistan’s benchmark share index tumbled more than 5,000 points on Monday, extending losses throughout the trading session as investors reacted to mounting economic uncertainty and persistent selling pressure.

The benchmark KSE-100 index at the Pakistan Stock Exchange fell 5,149 points, or nearly 3 per cent, to close at 174,453 points.

The market opened sharply lower, with the index dropping 2,264 points to 177,339 in early trade. Losses deepened during the session, at one point dragging the index down 4,936 points to an intraday low of 174,667.

Selling pressure intensified in the latter half of the day, pulling the index down 3,796 points to 175,807 before it extended declines further to settle at 174,453 by the close.

Analysts attributed the downturn to sustained selling by investors, cautious sentiment and broader economic uncertainty.

Market participants are closely monitoring economic and political developments, with the direction of upcoming sessions likely to depend on policy signals and macroeconomic indicators, analysts said.

Meanwhile, the State Bank of Pakistan said in its latest data that the country’s gold reserves rose to 64.76 tonnes, valued at $10.374 billion.

The central bank’s figures showed that the value of Pakistan’s gold reserves increased by $1.279 billion in January 2026 alone. During the first seven months of the current fiscal year, the value of gold reserves rose by $3.5 billion. In June 2025, the country’s gold reserves were valued at $6.84 billion.