KARACHI:

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) endured a rollercoaster session on Thursday, as intense volatility saw bullish and bearish forces wrestle for market control. By the closing bell, the bears emerged dominant, dragging the benchmark KSE-100 Index down by 1,242 points, or 0.75%, to settle at 164,445.

Trading began on a strong note, buoyed by optimism over a 48-hour ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which helped ease geopolitical concerns and initially lifted investor confidence. The index surged to an intraday high of 166,865 points—up 1,179 points (+0.71%)—reflecting broad-based early gains, according to Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd.

However, sentiment reversed sharply in the final trading hour as profit-taking and sector-specific pressure trigge

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