Pakistan’s benchmark stock index, the KSE-100, plunged 3,129.83 points by 10:20am on Friday, reversing some of the strong gains recorded in the previous session.

The index declined 1.94 per cent from its previous close of 161,210.67 points, bringing it down to 158,080.84 points in early trading.

The fall comes a day after the benchmark staged a sharp recovery, closing Thursday in the green with a gain of 5,433.46 points.

Friday’s session has been marked by pronounced early volatility. The index dropped sharply around 9:20am, briefly recovered by 9:25am, and then fell again by 9:34am. It regained some momentum until about 9:40am before resuming a steady downward trajectory.

Among the most actively traded stocks so far:

• K-Electric: down 2.36pc to Rs7.86 on a volume of 17,217,331 shares.
• Cnergyico PK Limited: down 3.58pc to Rs6.73 on a volume of 13,663,326 shares.
• Unity Foods Limited: up 5.06pc to Rs9.57 at a volume of 12,651,079 shares.

Analysts at Topline Securities noted that the previous session’s 3.49pc surge was driven by strong institutional buying, which helped reverse what they described as the market’s recent overreaction to regional developments.

According to the brokerage, the return of institutional investors helped shift sentiment quickly, with confidence replacing caution following the earlier selloff.

Investors are now watching closely to see whether that positive sentiment returns to the market or if volatility continues to dominate trading in the sessions ahead.