Bears returned to the bourse on the first trading session of March, as benchmark KSE-100 lost 271.59 points by the closing bell, to clock at 45,593.45 index level. OnMonday,political uncertainty- upcoming senate elections and CPI data primarily scared off investors. On Monday, as the campaign for the Senate elections in the country ended with effect from the midnight, the government and the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) have mounted last ditch efforts to gain maximum support and both are confident about their chances of victory. The market is keeping a close eye over the developments around the senate elections, as any political upset for the government in the senate elections will dampen the investors’ confidence. Market sentiments were also stifled after The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based monthly inflation increased by 8.7 percent on year-on-year (YoY) in February 2021 as compared to an increase of 5.7% in the previous month and 12.4% in February 2020, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported Friday. On month-on-month basis, it increased by 1.8% in February 2021 as compared to a decrease of 0.2% in the previous month and a decrease of 1.0% in February 2020.The CPI based rural inflation increased by 8.8% on year-on-year basis in February 2021 as compared to an increase of 6.6% in the previous month and 14.2% in February 2020. On month-on-month basis, it increased by 1.1% in February 2021 as compared to a decrease of 0.3% in the previous month and a decrease of 1.0% in February 2020. During the session, the index registered its intraday low at 45,092.80levelafter losing 772.22 points, as Index traded in a range of 925.65 points. The volume table was led byAzgard Nine Limited, TRG Pakistan andUnity Foods Limited. The scrips exchanged 31.77 million, 24.62 million and 21.2 million shares, respectively. The volume at Kse-100 stood at 176.29 million shares,while the all-share volumewas recorded at 368.39million shares. According to the National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limitedforeign investors were net sellers of worth $76,615 worth of equities.Among local investors, companies andindividuals led the selling chart, which offloaded $3.5 million, $1.08 million worth of equities. Meanwhile, Insurance Companies raked in $3.58 million worth of equities. Sectors that dented the index Commercial Banks with 103 points, Textile Composite with 27 points, Pharmaceuticals with 26 points, Power Generation & Distribution with 23 points and Technology & Communication with 19 points. Among the scrips, the most points taken off the index was by United Bank Limited which stripped the index of 39 points followed by Habib Bank Limited with 32 points, Bank Al Habib Limited with 18 points, Pakistan State Oil with 13 points and Mari Petroleum Company Limited with 12 points. However, sectors that continued to weigh up the index were Chemical with 22 points, Tobacco with 9 points, Fertilizer with 7 points and Synthetic & Rayon with 2 points. Among the scrips, the most points added to the index was by Engro Polymer & Chemicals Limited which contributed 18 points followed by Colgate-Palmolive (Pakistan) Limited with 12 points, Pakistan Tobacco Company Limited with 9 points, Lucky Cement Limited with 8 points and Azgard Nine Limited with 6 points.