PSX sheds over 2,000 points amid rising Middle East tensions

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened sharply lower on Thursday, with the KSE-100 Index shedding over 2,000 points amid rising geopolitical uncertainty after Iran rejected a US-backed ceasefire proposal. At 9:35am, the benchmark index was hovering at 156,251.57, down by 2,061.87 points or 1.30%. Selling pressure was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs and power generation. Index-heavy stocks, including MCB, MEBL, NBP, MARI, OGDC, PPL, POL, PSO and HUBCO, traded in the red. Iran rejected a US proposal aimed at ending the ongoing war, setting out five conditions for a ceasefire, including international recognition and guarantees of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that any halt to hostilities will occur solely on Tehran’s terms and timetable, state-run Press TV reported on Wednesday, citing a senior Iranian political-security official.