KARACHI, April 17 -- The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a strong rally on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index climbing sharply as investor sentiment improved on expectations of easing tensions in the Middle East.

Read More: Positive momentum helps PSX gain nearly 1,400 points

The index reached an intraday high of 173,444.89 points, gaining 3,532.94 points or 2.08%, while also touching a low of 170,758.25, still significantly above the previous close of 169,911.95. Market participants attributed the upward momentum to renewed optimism surrounding diplomatic developments involving Iran and the United States.

Analysts noted that positive signals from US President Donald Trump, who suggested that a deal with Iran could be nea...