Karachi, October 13, 2025 – The benchmark KSE-100 index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a dramatic fall of nearly 2,900 points in intraday trading on Monday, as escalating border tensions rattled investor confidence.
At 11:00 AM, the KSE-100 index was down by 2,899 points, reflecting panic-driven selling across major sectors including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration, OMCs, refinery, and power generation. Index-heavy stocks such as HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, PPL, POL, HBL, and UBL traded sharply lower.
Market analysts attributed the heavy sell-off to rising geopolitical risks following intense clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. They said that the index was under pressure as investors opted for profit-taking amid uncertainty and weak global equity sentiment.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), at least 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred and over 200 militants were killed during fierce overnight fighting after an unprovoked cross-border attack from Afghan territory. The clashes reportedly involved Taliban fighters and members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Last week, the market had already shown signs of weakness, with the index shedding 3.5 percent to close at 163,098.19 points amid declining volumes and reduced investor participation. Analysts warn that persistent geopolitical instability could extend the bearish momentum in the coming sessions.