The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange gained 144 points, or 0.8 per cent, in early trade, today, to cross the 17,000 level, at 17,117, on fresh buying by funds and retail investors, after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said the government will announce measures to improve market conditions. But later, the Sensex pared its gains, to stand 77 points, or 0.5 percent in the green, at 17,050 in afternoon deals, a short while ago. Other Asian markets in Japan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Indonesia were down by between 0.1 percent and 1.1 percent, today, as concerns about the global economy and the debt crisis in Europe continued to weigh on investor sentiment.