KARACHI, July 17 - Hundreds of angry investors, upset by plunging Pakistani share prices, smashed windows of Karachi Stock Exchange and scuffles broke out during a protest to demand a temporary closure of the market.

"We are looking at the situation and there is no question of suspending the market," said Razi-ur-Rahman, chairman of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), as staff cleared broken glass from the trading hall floor.

A slump in investor confidence accelerated on Thursday, as stocks fell over 4% and the rupee dropped by 1.3% by midday due to fears of political uncertainty and dire economic challenges, including a double-digit inflation rate.

The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) benchmark 100-share index was down 4.13%, or 433.51 points, to 10,058.37 at 11:33 a.m local time. Volume was 30m shares and losers led gainers 204 to 14.

The KSE-index is down 14% since Monday after the relaxation of curbs on daily movements that had been tightened in late June to halt a precipitate fall in values.

From Monday, daily circuit breakers reverted to 5% up or down, having been amended to 1% down or 10% up in late June, a move that stifled trading volume.

This is definitely the funniest story of the day.

What's Urdu for Caveat Emptor?

So other people's misfortunes amuse you? Come on, this is the real world here...

Yes, other people's misfortunes do amuse me, especially when caused by their own stupidity and incompetence. snip

The correct response to a 4% drop in the index is of course a polite, yet stern, letter of rebuke to one's broker. They'll get the hang of it.

Having said that perhaps we have it all wrong. A public stoning or two may focus the minds down in the city.

Yes, other people's misfortunes do amuse me, especially when caused by their own stupidity and incompetence. If you want to invest in the stock market, it pays to make sure you know what the hell you are doing. I don't know enough about it, so I don't invest in it.

Smug arrogance. What makes you think this is caused by "stupidity and incompetence"?

Well, it's plainly obvious that stock market are volatile, that company values are highly subjective, and that it's actually very easy to lose money buying shares. People should accept responsibility for their own bad investment decisions.

OK, so by extension two things:

1. No one should ever buy (or sell for that matter) stocks.

2. If someone dies because they cross the road without looking, you would also find that funny.

If someone dies because they cross the road without looking, you would also find that funny.

1. I don't have a problem with people buying stocks, but they can't throw their toys out the pram if they lose money. If they want to make that kind of decision then they should perform due dilligence checks, and prepare themselves for the event that it might have been a bad decision.

2. I frequently end up clipping people with the handlebars on my bike because they tried to cross the road without looking. If they got hit by a bus instead of my bike then i'd just consider it natural selection, thinning down the number of complete retards in the world, which is no bad thing.

Stop trying to over-simplify in an attempt to give yourself some sort of moral high ground.

What? Have you been to pub or something?

How does claiming that people are stupid for making a duff investment and finding it amusing equate to laughing at somebody being killed?

Tut tut EDM...you're not your usual rational self this lunchtime.

1. I don't have a problem with people buying stocks, but they can't throw their toys out the pram if they lose money. If they want to make that kind of decision then they should perform due dilligence checks, and prepare themselves for the event that it might have been a bad decision.

2. I frequently end up clipping people with the handlebars on my bike because they tried to cross the road without looking. If they got hit by a bus instead of my bike then i'd just consider it natural selection, thinning down the number of complete retards in the world, which is no bad thing.

Stop trying to over-simplify in an attempt to give yourself some sort of moral high ground.

I'm not. We know nothing about these investors, yet you find their predicament amusing. We don't know what or how they invested - they may well have invested as the result of professional advice, or have given their money to "experts" to invest. That would be a more logical reason why they were throwing stones at the stock exchange, and why the "experts" are blaming the government. It's you who is over-simplifying things I think.

How do you know you aren't a retard?

No, he himself said that he finds it amusing when people suffer as a result of their own mistakes.

2. I frequently end up clipping people with the handlebars on my bike because they tried to cross the road without looking. If they got hit by a bus instead of my bike then i'd just consider it natural selection, thinning down the number of complete retards in the world, which is no bad thing.

If I recall recent non-financial news

1. You can kill folk with a bike, you don't need a bus
2. You will be jailed for it, not for life unfortunately
3. Expecting follk to get out of your (selfish) way harms your defence.

Hmmm...but you changed the context of his amusement from something quite reasonable to something clearly distasteful i.e. laughing at a fatal accident. Rampant extrapolation at best.

If I read it correctly he was suggesting pleasure/amusement at a fatal accident.

If I read it correctly he was suggesting pleasure/amusement at a fatal accident.

Not pleasure, just natural selection my friend. I wouldn't go down to their funeral laughing my head off about it, but at the same time I see little reason to show any sympathy, except perhaps for the driver who hit them, as they are the one that has to live with the consequences of someone else's stupid decision.

You're a right little nazi aren't you.

So what, are you saying that is someone put their hand in a lawnmower, maining themselves horribly, then you'd be like !oh, poor you, you should get compensation from that lawnmover company for making something so dangerous. Huggzzzzzzz."

Stuff like that is the whole problem with this country, if you make a dumb decision, then you have to accept the consequences. However, we seem to be going down a path where no one should ever be to blame for their own situation, which breeds irresponsibile behaviour.

Smug arrogance. What makes you think this is caused by "stupidity and incompetence"?

Exactly. If I paint my ***** orange, flavour it with carrot and put it in a donkey's mouth and the donkey bites it off, do you expect me to sue the donkey?
No. A man has to take the loss and put it down to a misadventure d'amour.

I despair at the lack of morality today, I really do.

OK, so by extension two things:

1. No one should ever buy (or sell for that matter) stocks.

2. If someone dies because they cross the road without looking, you would also find that funny.

There's no way you can make something that small look like a carrot.

Depends on who is was surely. Gordon Brown getting run over would be hilarious, especially if it was by a steam roller.

Perhaps the natural selection here isn't the punters who have lost money on their stocks, it is the people who recommended them getting a stoning. "Crime Passionel" applied to finance. I rather like it.

Can we get back on topic please? Right, no one is to stone anyone until I blow this whistle! Do you understand?! Even, and I want to make this absolutely clear, even if they do say 'failed rights issue'!

But surely it is God's will to cause this turbulence in the markets.

2. I frequently end up clipping people with the handlebars on my bike........
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Hilarious! How frequently? Every day? Sounds like your reactions and bicycle skills aren't what they might be. Do you wobble a lot? Have you thought about some little stabilisers? Definately a retard but thanks for the entertainment.

seem to recall Pakistani investors did exactly same thing last year but also set part of the stock exchange on fire!