24 Army personnel were killed and five others injured today when a bus carrying them plunged into a ravine in northern Pakistan, officials said.

Pakistan will achieve on Saturday a significant first in its history as a nation.

A Pakistani court has disposed off a contempt of court petition filed against the ISI chief and other senior officials by four civilian employees after the spy agency informed the judge that it had taken action to regularise their contractual employment.

Trying to fish in troubled waters, Pakistan’s parliament today passed a resolution condemning the hanging of Afzal Guru and demanded the return of his body to his family.

Seven persons were injured today when a bomb went off near the residence of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain in northwest Pakistan though he was not in the home at the time,the police said.

At least 15 militants and three security personnel were killed in a skirmish in the restive Kurram tribal region of northwest Pakistan today.

Close on the heels of the powerful military expressing concern at the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi, President Asif Ali Zardari has directed authorities to restore peace in Pakistan’s largest city and to take action against militants and sectarian elements.

A top Pakistani militant commander linked to al-Qaeda has praised terrorists behind attacks in India and said the country will become a major target of terrorist assaults once the US withdraws from Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban have mocked interior minister Rehman Malik by describing him as a “comedian”, with a militant spokesman saying a “serious person” should replace him for any dialogue between the two sides.

Pakistani Taliban will directly approach three political leaders, including PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, to become guarantors for the peace talks, as it renewed its offer of dialogue with the government.