Stock market crashes over 2,600 points as investor panic grips PSX

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a severe downturn on Wednesday as the benchmark KSE-100 index plunged by more than 2,600 points within just one and a half hours of trading, sparking fresh concerns among investors and analysts alike.

The trading session, which marked the third business day of the week, opened on a negative note, with the market immediately shedding 440 points. As the session progressed, the decline accelerated sharply, pulling the KSE-100 index down by a staggering 2,606 points to reach 112,910 points.

Earlier in the session, the market tumbled below several psychological thresholds, falling past 115,000, 114,000, and eventually 113,000 points, leaving investors in a state of uncertainty and fear.

Within the first hour alone, the stock market had lost more than 2,000 points, with analysts attributing the steep decline to a combination of political uncertainty, concerns over economic reforms, and possible outflows from foreign investors.

By midday, the index had briefly recovered to 113,515 points, but remained significantly down by 2,017 points, indicating continued market volatility.