Pakistan, April 23 -- Pakistan's benchmark stock index, the KSE-100 Index, dropped below the 170,000 level on Thursday as bearish sentiment continued to dominate trading at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).

Read More: PSX turns bearish, loses over 1,576 points

During intraday trading, the index plunged by more than 2,700 points, falling to 168,828.24 compared to the previous close of 171,579.30. The sharp decline reflects heightened investor caution amid ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

Market analysts attribute the downturn largely to developments in the Middle East, particularly uncertainty surrounding potential talks between the United States and Iran. Rising tensions and stalled diplomatic efforts have contributed to...