Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)witnessed a sharp retreat on Monday, as benchmark kse-100 index fell 406.80 points to clock at 43,333.76 level. On Monday, the benchmark index started the week on a negative note, and lost 444.92 points to mark its intraday low at 43,295.64. Investors’ sentiments dampened following simmering tensions between Indian and Pakistan. Market sentiments were throttled after Foreign Minister Shah MahmoodQureshi Friday said, he had credible information that India was planning a surgical strike against Pakistan to divert attention from its internal affairs and that it was trying to seek “tacit approval” for the move from its “partners”.Terming it a “serious development” he further elaborated that India is already “trying to seek tacit approval” from what Qureshi said were “important players who they consider to be their partners”. The selling pressure was also witnessed as trading activity was knocked by the rolloverweek, wherein phenomenal activities of offloading the stocks purchased earlier at attractive valuationkicked in. Moreover, the index was also weighed down following a retreat in heavy weight Exploration &Production sectors, as international oil prices declined more than 5% during the session. On Monday, Oil prices dropped about three per cent on as a fast-spreading new coronavirus strain that has shut down much of the United Kingdom fuelled worries over a slower recovery in fuel demand amid tighter restrictions in Europe.Brent crude slid $1.98, or 3.79 per cent, to $50.28 a barrel after rising 1.5pc and touching it’s highest since March last Friday. The volume at Kse-100 indexpartially decreased from 247.71 million shares from the previous session to 243.63 millionshares, however, the over-all market volumes surged from 482 million shares in the previous sessionto 516.46million shares. The volume chart was led by Worldcall Telecom followed by TRG Pakistan Limited and Invest Capital Investment Bank Limited. The scrips exchanged 36.56 million, 35.18 million and 31.02 million shares, respectively. Sectors, which dented the index were Oil & Gas Exploration Companies with 177 points, Commercial Banks with 92 points, Cement with 46 points, Fertilizer with 36 points and Automobile Assembler with 23 points. Among the scrips, the most points taken off the index was by Oil &Gas Development Company Limited which stripped the index of 69 points followed by Pakistan Petroleum Limited with 60 points, Habib Bank Limited with 33 points, ENGRO with 32 points and Pakistan Oilfields Limited with 31 points. However, sectors which lifted the index Textile Composite with 20 points, Leather & Tanneries with 14 points, Tobacco with 13 points, Engineering with 10 points and Technology & Communication with 6 points. Among the scrips, the most points added to the index was by Pakistan Tobacco Company Limited which contributed 14 points followed by Service Industries Limited with 14 points, Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited with 9 points, TRG Pakistan Limited with 9 points and Kohinoor Textile Mills Limited with 8 points.