PSX suffers panic selling as Imran Khan granted Bail

August 21, 2025 (MLN): Panic selling gripped the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday after the Supreme Court accepted bail pleas of former prime minister Imran Khan in eight cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots, snapping the market’s four-day bullish streak.

The benchmark KSE-100 Index tumbled to an intraday low of 149,229.46 points, marking a sharp decline of 1,361.54 points from the previous close, as jittery investors rushed to offload positions amid political uncertainty.

 By the afternoon session, the index was trading at 149,699.00 points, down 892.00 points or 0.59%, compared to the previous day’s close.

Earlier in the day, the benchmark had touched an intraday high of 151,249.62 points, gaining 658.62 points, before heavy selling pressure reversed the rally.

Market participants attributed the sudden downturn to heightened political volatility following the apex court’s ruling.

Traders said the development triggered widespread profit-taking, eroding investor confidence despite recent bullish momentum.

Analysts noted that political noise could further weigh on market sentiment in the near term, although long-term fundamentals remain intact.

Top losers were CHCC (-4.50%), THALL (-3.76%), UPFL (-3.38%), MEBL (-3.32%), and INIL (-3.23%).

On the other hand, top gainers were SEARL (+10.00%), EFUG (+5.78%), SRVI (+4.75%), PAEL (+3.78%), and PIBTL (+3.14%).

In terms of index-point contributions, companies that dragged the index lower were MEBL (-216.91pts), ENGROH (-110.84pts), LUCK (-99.78pts), HBL (-82.13pts), and MCB (-80.29pts).

Meanwhile, companies that added points to the index were SEARL (+97.27pts), SYS (+52.75pts), BAHL (+47.81pts), SRVI (+47.48pts), and OGDC (+39.21pts).

Sector-wise, KSE-100 Index was let down by Commercial Banks (-512.77pts), Cement (-201.52pts), Inv. Banks / Inv. Cos. / Securities Cos. (-118.39pts), Food & Personal Care Products (-52.33pts), and Automobile Assembler (-45.55pts).

While the index was supported by Pharmaceuticals (+63.14pts), Leather & Tanneries (+47.48pts), Insurance (+31.86pts), Cable & Electrical Goods (+27.75pts), and Oil & Gas Exploration Companies (+22.84pts).

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