ISLAMABAD (February 09, 2010): President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday called for taking Pak-China bilateral trade and commercial ties to new heights as the two countries were friends and natural partners in the economic growth of the region.

MULTAN (February 09, 2010): Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that India-Pakistan talks at secretaries level is expected on February 18 or 25, as indicated by Indian government and we have a clear roadmap for talks with India, in which more tangible issues like the water dispute will take precedence over traditional fault lines like Kashmir.

OCCUPIED SRINAGAR (February 09, 2010): Seventeen Indian occupation soldiers were killed on Monday in an avalanche that slammed into a group of 70 combat troops at a high-altitude warfare training camp in occupied Kashmir, the army said on Monday. Army spokesman Colonel Vineet Sood said the avalanche struck in the Khelenmarg mountains, close to the Kashmiri ski resort of Gulmarg.

KARACHI (February 09, 2010): Pakistan is a peace-loving country that does not want to be engaged in an arms race and that its strategic as well as conventional capabilities are focused towards legitimate defence needs and promotion of peace. This was stated by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani here on Monday as chief guest at the induction ceremony of PNS Shamsheer at the PN Dockyard.

LAHORE (February 09, 2010): Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan has filed an application before the Lahore High Court (LHC) challenging ban on water and medical supplies to him under the garb of court order. The application was filed through counsel Barrister Syed Ali Zafar stating that the government once again stopped Dr Khan from going outside his residence even to visit his brother who was critically ill in the hospital.

ISLAMABAD (February 09, 2010): National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence in a meeting on Monday discussed the Pakistan Naval Academy (Award of Degrees) Amendment Bill, 2010 and unanimously passed it. The committee was given comprehensive briefing about introduction, restructuring regulatory and operational performance of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

ISLAMABAD (February 09, 2010): Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has strongly condemned the incident of firing on the election Office of President Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rasheed in Rawalpindi. The PM said violence has never been and cannot be the part of our political culture.

ISLAMABAD (February 09, 2010): Interior Minister Rehman Malik Monday reiterated that there was no Blackwater operating in the country. While responding to a point of order, the minister categorically denied that any foreign security agency was providing security to the President or Prime Minister.

ISLAMABAD (February 09, 2010): Federal Minister for Interior, Rehman Malik has blamed foreign forces for Karachi twin blasts on February 5, saying that involvement of foreign hand in Karachi bombing could not be ruled out on the basis of some evidence the law enforcement agencies have gathered from the spot.

ISLAMABAD (February 09, 2010): Members of the National Assembly on Monday strongly condemned Friday's twin blasts in Karachi and demanded of the government to take concrete measures for putting an end to target killings. Bushra of ANP, Chaudhry Muhammad Barjees Tahir of PML-N, Marvi Memon of PML-Q and S A Iqbal Qadri of MQM presented separate adjournment motions to start debate on the Karachi carnage by suspending the routine business of the House.