ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- In radio broadcasts and sermons, Taliban militants have been promoting themselves as Islamic Robin Hoods, defending Pakistan's rural poor from a ruling elite that they describe as corrupt and oppressive.

Mohammed Daoud, with his son Faisal, is among those who have embraced the Taliban's message.

That message has been resonating throughout the Pakistani countryside, where the culture is deeply conservative and the people are desperately poor.

In farmlands just 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the center of Islamabad, Mohammed Daoud and his 15-year-old son Faisal eke out a living by cutting grass for their four water buffalo. They feed their family of seven, earning the equivalent of around $50 a month by selling buffalo milk. Two months ago, Daoud said, the government bulldozed his family's house, probably because they were illegally squatting on property they did not own.

"Justice [in Pakistan] is only for people who have money," Daoud said, while slicing through handfuls of grass with a small scythe. "We are illiterate," he added, "but we are hoping that with Islamic sharia law, our lives will get better."

Across this overwhelmingly Muslim country, there is widespread hope that adopting a strict code of law based on the Koran will transform a society where corruption is rampant and where at least a quarter of the population lives under the poverty line. Watch why the Taliban's message would resonate

Enforcement of sharia law is the platform the Taliban have been using to justify recent land-grabs, such as last week's armed occupation of the district of Buner, some 60 miles from the Pakistani capital.

In an interview with CNN, Muslim Khan, the Taliban spokesman in the militant stronghold of Swat Valley, denounced the Pakistani government, calling the prime minister and lawmakers "un-Islamic."

"They're making money like in a supermarket," Khan said, adding that under sharia law both the rich and the poor would be treated equally.

Militants have slowly taken over territory in northwestern Pakistan by first targeting unpopular landlords and bureaucrats, according to Amnesty International, the human rights watchdog.

"Its systematic. The Taliban move into an area, they use local existing resentments. They often go in with the guise of being Robin Hoods," said Amnesty International representative Sam Zarifi. "They scare away some local thieves, they impose very, very quick justice, very harsh justice, and initially in some places they are even welcomed."

The Taliban's promise of Islamic justice would be welcomed in farm fields on the outskirts of Islamabad. Rows of wheat -- along with the posh villas of Pakistan's ruling elite -- are within sight of Islamabad's iconic white Faisal Mosque.

"In the present judicial system, even the innocent people are punished," said Sajeet Hussein, as he and a group of farmers shared lunch under the shade of a tree. The group explained that they were losing a court battle to stop the government from seizing their land, because they claimed they couldn't afford to bribe policemen and judges.

"Every part of the country should have sharia law, like in Saudi Arabia," said Hussein's brother Babar, who sported a long bushy beard. "Then poor and rich people will be equal."

"We love the Taliban," announced one Pashtun farmer who asked not to be named. He called the militants heroes.

Sports star-turned-politician Imran Khan summed up his response to the Taliban in Pakistan by saying, "The poorer section of society is joining them...this is now developing into a battle between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots.'

"What the Taliban are giving them is cheap -- in fact, free -- accessible justice at the village level," he added. "This is what Pakistan should be doing for its own people."

But if farmer Babar Hussein has his way, Taliban justice would mean taking away freedoms from Pakistani women, like the right to have a driver's license.

"Women should not even come

Who target the unpopular landlords first?

Who calls the Pakistani government as "un-Islamic"?

What is being surrounded by posh villas?

What does spokesman call Pakistani government?

Answer: Militants

Answer: unpopular landlords and bureaucrats,

Answer: Islamabad's

Answer: Muslim Khan, the Taliban spokesman

Answer: prime minister and lawmakers

Answer: Faisal Mosque.

Answer: unpopular landlords and bureaucrats,

Answer: "un-Islamic."

Answer: "The poorer section of society is joining them...this is now developing into a battle between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots.'

Summary:
Amnesty International: Taliban first targets unpopular landlords, bureaucrats .
Taliban spokesman in Swat Valley calls Pakistani government as "un-Islamic"
Islamabad's Faisal Mosque surrounded by posh villas of Pakistan's ruling elite .
Imran Khan: Battle shaping up as one "between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' "


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Iran has condemned the kidnapping of one of its diplomats in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, calling it an "act of terrorism," an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said. Pakistani policemen inspect a bullet-riddled car of a kidnapped Iranian diplomat on Thursday. "Pakistan should do its best to protect foreign diplomats and their residential places," the spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said, according to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency. At least four gunmen abducted Heshmatollah Attarzadeh near his home in Peshawar as he headed to work at the Iranian consulate, according to Pakistani police and Iranian diplomatic officials. His bodyguard, a Pakistani police officer, was shot and killed when the two men tried to resist, a Peshawar police official said. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also "strongly condemned" the attack, and informed Iran that the government "will take all necessary measures for his safe and early recovery." Attarzadeh is a commercial attache for the Iranian consulate in Peshawar. It is the second attack targeting a foreign worker in Peshawar in two days. An American aid worker was shot and killed outside the Iranian consulate in Peshawar on Wednesday. Stephen Vance worked for a non-profit foundation funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development that helped find jobs for people in Pakistan's tribal regions, according to a statement from his employer, the Cooperative Housing Foundation International. "Stephen had fully immersed himself in the community in which he worked," the statement said. "He dressed traditionally and even sent his children to local schools." Vance, 52, a native of California, is survived by his wife and five children -- all of whom lived with him in Peshawar -- CHF International official Bill Holbrook told CNN. The attacks come less than three months after gunmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying the senior U.S. diplomat in Peshawar, Lynne Tracy. She escaped unharmed. Peshawar is the capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, an area rife with Islamic extremists and the site of recent clashes between security forces and militants. In late June, Pakistan's military launched an offensive in the province -- the biggest push against extremists in the tribal region since the civilian government took power in March. Islamic militants vowed to retaliate. Since then, militants have launched several deadly attacks. Pakistan's new government has tried to negotiate a deal with militants as part of its efforts to bypass military might and achieve peace through talks.

Where was the diplomat going when he was kidnapped?

What day was the American aid worker killed?

He was traveling from his home to what destination?

Where was the American aid worker slain?

Where was the diplomat and his bodyguard killed at?

Answer: Pakistan

Answer: Pakistan

Answer: His bodyguard, a Pakistani police officer,

Answer: Pakistan

Answer: Iranian diplomat

Answer: Heshmatollah Attarzadeh

Answer: American aid worker

Answer: Wednesday.

Answer: American

Answer: near his home in Peshawar

Answer: Heshmatollah Attarzadeh

Answer: Iranian consulate,

Answer: outside the Iranian consulate

Answer: is the capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province,

Answer: home in Peshawar

Answer: Heshmatollah Attarzadeh

Answer: Pakistan

Summary:
Diplomat was kidnapped and his bodyguard killed in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan .
Authorities believe he was kidnapped while traveling from his home to consulate .
On Wednesday, gunmen shot and killed an American aid worker in Peshawar .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Less than a day after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency and scolded the country's media for being too "negative," police stormed the offices of a television station early Sunday, AAJ-TV's director of news and current affairs said.

Pakistani policemen patrol the streets of Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday.

Armed with guns, the two dozen police said they had orders to take the station's equipment, including a van that the station uses to broadcast live coverage, Talat Hussain said.

"We resisted," Hussain said. "We said show us the papers."

The police didn't have proof their demands were legitimate, he said, adding the officers said only that they had orders "from the highest authority."

"They said, 'We'll do it the nice way or the other way,' " Hussain said.

A brief scuffle between the policemen and about 40 journalists in the station followed, but no one was hurt, he said.

During the confrontation, two AAJ journalists were able to drive the news van away from the station, Hussain said.

Police later left the building, but remained outside, Hussain said.

The raid followed a government directive to the media, warning journalists that any criticism of the president or prime minister would be punishable by three years in jail and a fine of up to $70,000, Hussain said.

Earlier, in a Saturday night televised address to the Pakistani public aimed at explaining why he had declared a countrywide state of emergency and suspended the constitution, Musharraf was critical of the country's media, saying they had "added insult to injury."

"The media could not lend a helping hand to improve the situation," Musharraf said, describing "the situation" in Pakistan as fraught with tension and constrained by the spread of terrorism.

"I said frequently that the media should not be negative," Musharraf said.

Shortly after private networks reported Saturday that Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency was imminent, most media channels went off the air in an apparent blackout, although some flickered off and on. E-mail to a friend

President Pervez Musharraf said what about the media?

What was said by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf?

Answer: journalists

Answer: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf

Answer: being too "negative,"

Answer: they had orders to take the station's equipment, including a van that the station uses to broadcast live coverage,

Answer: "The media could not lend a helping hand to improve the situation,"

Summary:
Police say they had orders "from the highest authority" to take equipment .
News director: Police said "We'll do it the nice way or the other way"
Government warns of jail, fines if president or prime minister are criticized .
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf: Media have "added insult to injury"


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Militants set fire to a hotel at Pakistan's only ski resort Thursday, as security in the Swat Valley continued to deteriorate despite a month-old peace deal.

Pakistani soldiers on patrol in the Swat Valley, which is home to the country's only ski resort.

Militants forced their way into the state-run hotel in the northwestern tourist valley early Thursday morning, ransacked it and set it on fire, said Sardar Rehim Shahzad, district coordinator for Swat police.

The hotel, the only one at the Malam Jabba ski resort, sustained significant damage, he told CNN.

The resort is located near the Afghanistan border and about 300km (186 miles) from the capital city of Islamabad. It was shut down last summer after militants overran the area, keeping tourists away, Shahzad said.

Swat Valley, located in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), was once Pakistan's biggest tourist destination. Aside from the ski resort, it was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts and visitors to the ancient Buddhist ruins in the area.

In recent months, however, militants bent on imposing fundamentalist Islamic law, or Sharia, have unleashed a wave of violence across the NWFP which has claimed hundreds of lives, many of them security personnel.

The militants want women to wear veils, beards for men and to ban music and television.

After months of bloody battles, the government in May reached a peace deal with fighters loyal to the banned hardline Islamic group, Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM).

It is the latest attempt by Pakistan's new government -- headed by the party of the assassinated prime minister Benazir Bhutto -- to achieve peace through negotiations in the lawless tribal areas where Taliban and al Qaeda leaders are believed to have free rein.

Ahead of the peace pact, Pakistan's government released TNSM's former leader Sufi Mohammed, who had been jailed in 2002 after recruiting thousands of fighters to battle U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

He was freed after agreeing to cooperate with the government. Under the terms of his release, TNSM was also expected to lay down its arms and forgo violence.

But his son-in-law Fazlullah, who took over TNSM during his jail stint, vowed to continue his fight to impose fundamentalist Islamic law in the region.

What is the name of the Pakistan ski resort?

Where did militants set fire to a hotel?

Answer: Malam Jabba

Answer: a hotel at Pakistan's only ski resort

Answer: about 300km (186 miles)

Answer: Swat Valley

Answer: Militants

Answer: Militants

Answer: forced their way

Answer: Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi

Answer: into the state-run hotel

Summary:
Militants set fire to a hotel at Pakistan's only ski resort Thursday .
Militants forced their way into the state-run hotel in the Swat Valley .
The resort is located near the Afghanistan border, 300km from Islamabad .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- More than 1,300 pounds of explosives were packed into a construction truck that detonated outside an Islamabad hotel, killing 57 people, including two Americans and a diplomat, officials said Sunday. A truck burns at the gate to the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad before a larger, deadly explosion Saturday. Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the Saturday attack at the Marriott Hotel "is the biggest attack, volume-wise" in Pakistan in seven years. Two American military personnel who worked for the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad were among those killed, the U.S. military said. A Lithuanian and the Czech Republic's ambassador to Pakistan, Ivo Zdarek, also were among the fatalities, police superintendent Sheikh Zubair said. The suicide truck blast injured 266 people, including 11 foreigners, according to Malik.  Watch guards scatter after an explosion » British Airways temporarily suspended its flights to Islamabad as a result of the security situation, according to an airline spokeswoman who did not want to be named. A Sunday night flight has been canceled, and the airline is reviewing its operations for later in the week. British Airways operates at least three flights a week to the Pakistani capital out of London's Heathrow Airport. At a news conference in Islamabad on Sunday, Pakistani authorities released security video of the blast, showing a small explosion inside the truck before the larger, deadly explosion. Watch the truck bomb caught on tape In the video, a large truck crashes into the security gate, sending one security officer scurrying for safety. Then, as security guards approach the truck, the top of the vehicle explodes and the security guards flee. A small cloud of smoke appears above the truck, which is engulfed in flames minutes later. One of the security guards tries to put out the fire with a hand-held extinguisher, to no avail. The guards then walk away, and the camera freezes on the burning truck. Pakistani officials said the blast apparently disrupted electricity to the area, causing the closed-circuit television camera to malfunction. No arrests have been made in connection with the attack, Malik said Sunday, adding that militants in Pakistan's tribal regions are suspected of orchestrating the attack. "I am not in a position to tell you who has done it, but [in] all the previous investigations, all the roads have gone to South Waziristan," he said. South Waziristan is one of Pakistan's seven tribal areas where Taliban and al Qaeda militants are active. At the bombing site, video showed a deep crater in the pavement where the bomb detonated. More than a dozen cars were reduced to twisted steel. The crater was 24 feet deep and nearly 60 feet wide, Malik said. The blast also caused a natural gas leak that set the top floor of the five-story, 258-room hotel on fire, police said. The blaze quickly engulfed the entire structure.  Watch a witness describe walking over bodies » Most of the fatalities appeared to be drivers, who were waiting with their cars outside the Marriott, and hotel security guards, Geo TV's Hamid Mir said. The hotel, where a standard room costs more than $300 per night, is near the compound that contains the Parliament building, the prime minister's house, the Supreme Court and the presidency. The blast occurred about 7:50 p.m., after the breaking of the fast during the holy month of Ramadan, Malik said. Trees were felled by the explosion, which occurred hours after newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari addressed a joint session of Parliament and promised to root out terrorism.  Watch the scene the morning after the blast » A few hours after the attack, Zardari addressed the nation on television, saying he knows the pain of terrorism after his wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was killed in December on the campaign trail. "My heart cries tears of blood. I can understand your pain. I want to ask you to turn this pain into your strength," he said, describing extremism as "a cancer, which we will finish.

What is the name of the Czech Republic's ambassador who died in the hotel bombing?

Who is Czech Republic's ambassador to Pakistan?

What was the truck loaded with according to an official?

How many Americans died in the embassy bombing?

What was the number of Americans assigned to the embassy who were among the dead?

What did the Pakistani president say about the perpetrators?

How many explosives were found in the truck?

Answer: More than 1,300 pounds of explosives

Answer: Ivo Zdarek,

Answer: Ivo Zdarek,

Answer: 1,300 pounds of explosives

Answer: two

Answer: Two

Answer: two

Answer: "is the biggest attack, volume-wise"

Answer: 1,300 pounds

Summary:
NEW: Truck loaded with more than a half-ton of explosives, official says .
U.S. military says two Americans assigned to embassy among dead .
Pakistani president says of perpetrators: "These people are not Muslims"
Police: Ivo Zdarek, Czech Republic's ambassador to Pakistan, died in hotel bombing .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- No running water, no electricity, no fuel and little food. Pakistanis displaced by fighting demand government assistance during a protest Sunday in Karachi. International Red Cross officials are "gravely concerned" about the stark situation in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where a monthlong offensive against the Taliban has displaced more than 2 million civilians. Members of the International Committee of the Red Cross arrived in the Swat Valley this weekend for the first time since the onset of violence there. The organization evacuated more than a dozen people in need of urgent medical care and called for an immediate humanitarian response. "The people of Swat need greater humanitarian protection and assistance immediately," Pascal Cuttat, head of the organization's delegation in Pakistan, said Sunday. "The ICRC will do its utmost to meet those needs without delay. Given what we have already seen on the ground, we are mobilizing additional resources, but safe and unimpeded access to the area remains essential for our teams to deliver." Those who have left their homes tell of the whole valley being turned into a battlefield as citizens flee on foot, many of them with no shoes. Some fall ill from sun and heat exposure, particularly infants and those already weak and sick. According to the most recent United Nations numbers, about 2.4 million Pakistanis registered as displaced persons since May 2. Currently, the clashes are concentrated near Mingora, the valley's largest city. "People have been blocked for weeks," said Daniel O'Malley, who led the ICRC team. "There is no running water, no electricity, and food is scarce. There is no fuel left for generators and most medical facilities in the district are no longer functioning. Phone lines are down, so people have been cut off from the outside world and are anxious for contact with relatives who fled the area." The Red Cross team visited Khwazakhela hospital, one of the few medical facilities left in Swat Valley, to deliver supplies and found a small group of hospital staff members struggling to work without water, electricity or supplies, O'Malley said. "They simply cannot cope with the influx of patients," he said. The team evacuated 14 patients. Meanwhile, one soldier was killed in a roadside bombing, and security forces killed two militants in the Swat Valley over the last 24 hours, the Pakistani military said on Sunday. The military said an unknown number of slain militants were found in a training facility destroyed by security forces in Shangla district, and a government girls' school at Baiderra was torched by militants. The Pakistani military said on Saturday its security forces have taken back the city of Mingora from the Taliban, calling it a significant victory in its offensive.

What is scares according to the Red Cross?

Answer: Pakistan's Swat Valley,

Answer: Pakistanis

Answer: food

Answer: sun and heat exposure,

Answer: "The people of Swat

Summary:
Residents of Pakistan's Swat Valley need help immediately, Red Cross official says .
U.N.: Offensive against the Taliban has displaced more than 2.4 million people .
Red Cross: Food scarce; hospital struggling to operate without running water .
Residents say people fleeing valley are falling ill from heat exposure .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan election officials on Monday disqualified opposition party leader and former former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from participating in January parliamentary elections. Election officials say Nawaz Sharif's previous convictions bar him from standing for reelection. A spokesman for Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League told CNN Monday that Sharif had been barred by the election commission because of a previous criminal conviction. Sharif filed paperwork for his candidacy last week, although he had left open the possibility that he would boycott the election in protest of a state of emergency imposed by President Pervez Musharraf. Sharif, an outspoken critic of Musharraf, who ousted him from power in 1999, had said he wanted to keep all options open. Sharif returned to Pakistan last month, ending seven years in exile in Saudi Arabia. He had first returned in September, but Pakistani authorities deported him within hours of his arrival. Sharif was convicted of terrorism, hijacking and tax evasion after Musharraf seized power in 1999. He was released in 2000 in exchange for agreeing to 10 years of exile in Saudi Arabia. He retained his Pakistani citizenship, but has not been allowed to travel to Pakistan or directly take part in Pakistani politics. Musharraf, who quit as military leader and took office for a third term last week, has pledged to lift the state of emergency by December 16. He was criticized of using the emergency to crack down on political rivals and to purge the judiciary of those likely to block the approval of his reappointment as leader. E-mail to a friend -- CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.

Where was the returning officer?
Name the former Pakistani PM?
who was rejected
who was upheld
Who is a former PM of Pakistan?
who submitted papers for the elections
What was he submitting papers for?

Answer: Saudi Arabia.

Answer: Nawaz Sharif

Answer: Nawaz Sharif

Answer: Nawaz Sharif

Answer: Nawaz Sharif

Answer: Sharif

Answer: his candidacy

Summary:
Former Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif has his candidacy papers rejected .
Had submitted nominations papers for Pakistan's parliamentary election .
Returning officer in Lahore upheld ineligibility objections from other candidates .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan has arrested a suspected al Qaeda militant who intelligence officials say is tied to the London subway bombings in 2005, authorities there said Thursday.

The double-decker bus damaged by a bomb in central London on July 7, 2005.

Zabih al-Taifi was arrested in a village near Peshawar on Wednesday as part of ongoing security operations in the area, police and intelligence officials told CNN. Six others, both Afghans and Pakistanis, were also arrested.

The Metropolitan Police Service in London, also known as Scotland Yard, issued a statement refusing to comment on the arrest.

"Speculation around this reported arrest with alleged links to an ongoing terrorist trial is unhelpful and may be prejudicial to current criminal proceedings," it said.

The London blasts killed 52 people and wounded at least 900 others when bombs went off on three subway trains and a bus on July 7, 2005.

Security analysts say the village where al-Taifi was arrested in the North West Frontier Province has been the site of recent clashes between Pakistani security forces and militants.

CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.

Who was killed?
Where was al-Taifi arrested?
How many were killed?
how many wounded
Who is the militant?

Answer: 52 people

Answer: a village near Peshawar

Answer: 52 people

Answer: at least 900 others

Answer: Zabih al-Taifi

Summary:
Officials say arrested al Qaeda militant has ties to 2005 London subway bombings .
52 killed, 900 wounded from bombs on 3 subway trains and a bus on July 7, 2005 .
Zabih al-Taifi arrested in village near Peshawar in ongoing security operations .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan has arrested a suspected al Qaeda militant who intelligence officials say is tied to the London subway bombings in 2005, authorities there said Thursday. The double-decker bus damaged by a bomb in central London on July 7, 2005. Zabih al-Taifi was arrested in a village near Peshawar on Wednesday as part of ongoing security operations in the area, police and intelligence officials told CNN. Six others, both Afghans and Pakistanis, were also arrested. The Metropolitan Police Service in London, also known as Scotland Yard, issued a statement refusing to comment on the arrest. "Speculation around this reported arrest with alleged links to an ongoing terrorist trial is unhelpful and may be prejudicial to current criminal proceedings," it said. The London blasts killed 52 people and wounded at least 900 others when bombs went off on three subway trains and a bus on July 7, 2005. Security analysts say the village where al-Taifi was arrested in the North West Frontier Province has been the site of recent clashes between Pakistani security forces and militants. CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.

How many subway trains had bombs on them on july 7th, 2005?

Who do officials say has ties to 2005 London subway bombings?

Answer: Zabih al-Taifi

Answer: London subway bombings

Answer: Zabih al-Taifi was arrested in a village near Peshawar on Wednesday as part of ongoing security operations in the area,

Answer: Zabih al-Taifi

Answer: Peshawar

Answer: three

Answer: Zabih al-Taifi

Answer: Zabih al-Taifi

Summary:
Officials say arrested al Qaeda militant has ties to 2005 London subway bombings .
52 killed, 900 wounded from bombs on 3 subway trains and a bus on July 7, 2005 .
Zabih al-Taifi arrested in village near Peshawar in ongoing security operations .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan has indefinitely blocked travel for convoys, carrying food and military supplies to U.S. troops in Afghanistan, through a key mountain pass.

Armed militants pose next to a captured armored vehicle near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

But in a statement, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said, "We do not expect any impact on ISAF's ability to carry out operations."

The decision to suspend travel through the Khyber Pass in northwest Pakistan was taken due to security concerns, said Gula Jan, a security official in Khyber Agency, on Sunday.

The mountain pass links Pakistan to its neighbor, Afghanistan. It is in the Khyber Agency, one of seven semiautonomous tribal agencies along the Afghan border.

Because Afghanistan is landlocked, many supplies for NATO-led troops fighting Islamic militants there have to be trucked in from Pakistan. Officials said militants aligned with the Taliban and al Qaeda have carried several attacks there.

The Pakistani central government has little control in the area, and the area is believed to be a haven for militants.

On Tuesday, as many as 60 to 70 armed militants launched back-to-back assaults on convoys.

The militants seized 13 trucks -- 12 carrying wheat into Afghanistan as part of a World Food Programme convoy, and one transporting Humvees to the U.S.-led coalition, Khyber Agency officials said.

Jan said the decision to suspend travel came after local leaders met with representatives of some of the shipping firms. He said trucks will be allowed through the pass once the security situation improves, but did not specify a date.

Dozens of trucks idled by the side of roads Sunday in the Khyber Agency and in Peshawar waiting for the green light.

In its statement, ISAF said it has "multiple, robust and complementary lines of support."

It added that for security and geographical reasons, "the movements of civilian convoys destined for ISAF are coordinated with Pakistani authorities and border crossing points. The current temporary adjustments in convoy movements are as a result of this coordination."

CNN's Reza Sayah contributed to this report.

What organization expects no impact on ability to carry out operations?

What country sent a convoy into Afghanistan?

Which country suspends convoys going into Afghanistan?

Answer: the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan

Answer: the NATO-led International Security Assistance

Answer: Pakistan

Answer: 13 trucks

Answer: any impact on ISAF's ability to carry out operations."

Answer: Pakistan

Answer: Pakistan

Answer: 13 trucks

Summary:
NEW: NATO force expects no impact on ability to carry out operations .
Pakistan suspends convoys into Afghanistan through key mountain pass .
Route was used to carry food and military supplies to U.S. troops .
Militants seized U.S. humvees, food aid in ambush earlier this week .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's foreign ministry Wednesday rejected concerns raised by the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief that the country's nuclear weapons "could fall into the hands of an extremist group in Pakistan or in Afghanistan." Mohamed ElBaradei, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief. fears for Pakistan's nuclear weapons. Mohamed ElBaradei's comments to Al-Hayat newspaper were "irresponsible" and "unwarranted," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said at a news briefing on Wednesday. "Pakistan rejects the statement by Dr. ElBaradei, Director General IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), hinting at the possibility of its nuclear weapons falling into the hands of extremists," according to a ministry statement. "As head of the IAEA, which is a U.N. body, he has to be careful about his statements which ought to remain within the parameters of his mandate. "His remarks also ignore the fact that the strategic assets of Pakistan are fully secure and under multilayered safeguards and controls exercised by the National Command Authority." In an interview published in Al-Hayat Tuesday, ElBaradei said that Pakistan's recent political instability makes it more sensitive to susceptible to problems in other Muslim countries. "The effects of any new war in the Middle East and the Islamic world could have repercussions, not only in Iran, but what I fear most is the effect in Pakistan, a nation with many internal problems," ElBaradei said. "I fear a system of chaos or extremist regime in this state, which has 30 or 40 nuclear weapons." Pakistan has been in a state of political upheaval since the country's opposition challenged President Pervez Musharraf's tight grip on power, pushing him to step down as military chief and lift the emergency rule he had imposed in early November. The country further spiraled into chaos after the December 27 assassination of leading opposition figure and former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto. In response to the IAEA director-general's comments, Pakistan's foreign ministry stressed in its statement that ElBaradei, "on several occasions, has been briefed about the structure and control mechanisms put in place to ensure complete safety of our nuclear assets." "Pakistan is a responsible nuclear weapon state. Our nuclear weapons are as secure as that of any other nuclear weapon state. We, therefore, believe statements expressing concern about their safety and security are unwarranted and irresponsible. "Pakistan attaches great importance to IAEA and has extended cooperation and assistance to the Agency on many important issues towards the fulfillment of its mandate. Our civilian nuclear program is under IAEA safeguards and we have always fully complied with IAEA obligations," the ministry said. E-mail to a friend

which country rejects fears its nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of extremists?

Whose nuclear weapons as secure as those held by other nuclear states?

which country declare Our nuclear weapons as secure as those held by other nuclear states?

who said I fear chaos in this state, which has 30 or 40 nuclear weapons?

What country rejects fears its nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of extremists?

Answer: "Pakistan

Answer: concerns raised by the U.N.

Answer: Pakistan's foreign ministry

Answer: "Pakistan

Answer: Pakistan

Answer: Mohamed ElBaradei,

Answer: ElBaradei

Answer: "Pakistan

Summary:
Pakistan rejects fears its nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of extremists .
Mohamed ElBaradei, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief, voiced his worries Tuesday .
ElBaradei: I fear chaos in this state, which has 30 or 40 nuclear weapons .
Pakistan: Our nuclear weapons as secure as those held by other nuclear states .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's foreign ministry said Wednesday that it has lodged a "strong" protest with the U.S. ambassador over missile attacks conducted on Pakistani soil by unmanned drones.

The aftermath of a suspected U.S. drone attack on a building in North Waziristan.

The ministry said it summoned Ambassador Anne Patterson to underscore that such attacks violate Pakistan's sovereignty and should be stopped immediately.

A statement from the ministry said Patterson was also told that the attacks have cost lives and undermined public support for Pakistan's counter terrorism efforts.

The ministry lodged its protests three days after a missile strike from a suspected U.S. drone on a compound in South Waziristan killed 20 people.

Pakistan has repeatedly raised objections to foreign nations violating its sovereignty to pursue terrorists. A U.S. ground operation in September that left several civilians dead rankled relations between the two countries.

Last week, Pakistan's parliament passed a resolution that condemned any incursion on Pakistani soil by foreign forces.

The resolution called for a review of the country's national security strategy and said the government needs to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The ministry said it handed Patterson a copy of the resolution.

The U.S. and NATO, which have troops in Afghanistan, have been seeking a way to effectively battle militants who launch attacks from Pakistan's swath of tribal areas along the border.

They have become frustrated with Islamabad over the years, saying it is not being proactive enough against militants -- a claim Pakistan denies.

The United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the capability to launch missiles from drones, which are controlled remotely.

In another development, suspected Taliban militants kidnapped three government officials from an administrative office in Pakistan's tribal region Wednesday, officials said.

The militants abducted two employees and a security guard from the Ambar district in Mohmand Agency.

Mohmand is in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, where U.S. and Pakistani officials have reported a presence of militants.

Earlier in the day, militants tried unsuccessfully to take control of a school in Mohmand and abduct about 100 students, authorities said. A shootout with Frontier Corps followed, in which one militant was killed and another arrested.

The Frontier Corps is a paramilitary force which uses recruits from Pakistan's tribal areas and is overseen by Pakistani army officers.

Also Wednesday, a suicide car bomber detonated explosives outside a police checkpoint in northwest Pakistan, killing two security personnel, officials said.

The Wednesday afternoon attack in the Bannu district of the North West Frontier Province also wounded a dozen people, military sources said.

The bomber targeted a check point near a military hospital, said the sources who did not want their names revealed because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

CNN's Reza Sayah and journalist Janullah Hashimzada contributed to this report

What country was talking to a US ambassador?

How many people were kidnapped recently?

Number of people killed in drone strike?

A missile strike from a US drone killed how many?

How many people died in a recent missile strike?

Pakistan summons what country's ambassador?

Who did Pakistan summon over missile attacks?

Suspected Taliban militants kidnap how many officials?

Answer: Pakistan's

Answer: three

Answer: three

Answer: a building in North Waziristan.

Answer: 20

Answer: 20

Answer: government

Answer: 20

Answer: U.S.

Answer: Anne Patterson

Answer: Ambassador Anne Patterson

Answer: three

Summary:
Pakistan summons U.S. ambassador over missile attacks .
Missile strike from a suspected U.S. drone killed 20 people .
Suspected Taliban militants kidnap 3 officials from in tribal region .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's military continued its assault Thursday on militants in Taliban-held areas, its chief spokesman told reporters.

Pakistani army trucks move military equipment into the troubled Buner district Thursday.

So far, 14 militants have been killed in the past 24 hours, Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said. The operation is still ongoing in the districts of Dir and Buner, which was recently seized by the Taliban in violation of an agreement with Pakistan's government.

Pakistani forces have completely secured Daggar, the main town in Buner and the scene of heavy fighting on Wednesday, Abbas said.

The Daggar operation resulted in the deaths of 50 militants, but freed 18 Frontier Corps personnel who had been abducted by militants, he said. Fifty-two of their colleagues are still believed to be held by their suspected Taliban kidnappers.

This week's military operation has resulted in more than 180 militant casualties since Sunday, while the military has suffered one death and one injury, according to Abbas. He said he hopes the operation will be completed by the end of the week.

Pakistan has asked the United States to supply its forces with helicopters, communication equipment and night vision technology, Abbas said Thursday.

Most of this week's casualties happened on Tuesday, when Pakistani fighter jets launched airstrikes, killing at least 70 militants in the Dir district, according to the Pakistani military.

The operation is part of the Pakistani army's intensified drive against the Taliban in its restive tribal regions. The Pakistani government has been criticized for not cracking down on militants along its border with Afghanistan. As a result, the U.S. military has carried out airstrikes against militant targets in Pakistan, which have rankled relations between the two countries.

The military campaign has apparently not stopped Washington from carrying out unmanned drone attacks on Pakistan's soil. A suspected unmanned aerial vehicle killed six people Wednesday night in the village of Kaniguran in the tribal district of South Waziristan near the border with Afghanistan, Pakistani intelligence sources said.

Pakistan has complained repeatedly about what it says are American airstrikes on its territory. The U.S. military in Afghanistan has not commented on the strikes, which typically target Taliban fighters in the border region. But the United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the capability to launch missiles from remote-controlled drones.

U.S. President Barack Obama is "gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan," he told reporters Wednesday night.

Speaking at a news conference capping his 100th day in office, Obama said the United States has "huge national security interests in making sure that Pakistan is stable" and doesn't end up a "nuclear-armed militant state." But he stressed he was more concerned about the ability of Pakistan's civilian government to "deliver basic services," and not "that they're immediately going to be overrun" by the Taliban.

Pakistan's recent military crackdown has led to an exodus of civilians from the region. At least 33,000 residents have left their homes in the midst of the recent fighting, according to Amnesty International.

Civilians fleeing from Lower Dir in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province join more than 500,000 people already displaced by the fighting, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said.

The Pakistani military completed its operation to eliminate and expel militants in Dir Tuesday, and is now focusing on the Buner district, Abbas said. About 300 militants entered Buner a few days ago, in violation of the Taliban's recent agreement to leave the district, he said.

Buner is about 60 miles from Islamabad, but Abbas said the militants pose no threat of entering the capital. The fighter jets pounded targets in Buner and the Swat Valley in an effort to block the militants' entry and exit points, according to Abbas.

CNN's Samson Desta, Ivan Watson, and Nasir Habib contributed to this report.

What has resulted in more than 180 militant casualties?

Who is "gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan"?

when says Barack Obama "gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan"?

where Pakistani military intensifies drive against Taliban?

Who was "gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan"?

What is the Pakistani military intensifying?

What did the Pakistani military intensify their drive against?

What did recent military operations result in?

Answer: U.S. President

Answer: This week's military operation

Answer: U.S. President Barack Obama

Answer: Wednesday night.

Answer: restive tribal regions.

Answer: U.S. President Barack Obama

Answer: its assault

Answer: the Taliban

Answer: This week's military operation

Answer: the situation in Pakistan,"

Answer: the deaths of 50 militants, but freed 18 Frontier Corps

Summary:
Pakistani military intensifies drive against Taliban in restive tribal regions .
Recent military operation has resulted in more than 180 militant casualties .
Has not stopped U.S. unmanned drone attacks on Pakistan's soil .
Barack Obama "gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan"


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's president has defended his government's recent ceasefire in the country's volatile Swat Valley in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, saying that many in the West have mischaracterized the deal. President Zardari also said that the cease-fire would not close girls' schools in the troubled region. The permanent ceasefire, which was brokered in late February between members of the Taliban and leaders of Swat Valley, has been criticized and called a major concession by the Pakistani government in an attempt to hold off Taliban attacks. The central government has long exerted little control in the area, but it launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush out militants from areas of the North West Frontier Province As retaliation for the military presence, the Taliban carried out a series of deadly attacks, beheadings and destruction of girls' schools. They also continued to gain ground, setting up checkpoints throughout the area. President Asif Ali Zardari addressed the international criticism in his Wall Street Journal article, published Wednesday. "We have not and will not negotiate with extremist Taliban and terrorists," Zardari wrote. "The clerics with whom we have engaged are not Taliban. Indeed, in our dialogue we'd made it clear that it is their responsibility to rein in and neutralize Taliban and other insurgents." The deal was brokered by Sufi Mohammed, a pro-Taliban cleric who in the past was arrested for leading thousands of fighters against the United States in Afghanistan. Mohammed made the deal with his son-in-law and Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah. In the article, Zardari also said that the cease-fire would not close girls' schools in the region. "We have not and will not condone the closing of girls' schools, as we saw last year when militants closed schools in pockets of Swat Valley. Indeed, the government insists that the education of young women is mandatory. This is not an example of the government condoning or capitulating to extremism -- quite the opposite," Zardari wrote. The cease-fire deal imposes Islamic law, or sharia, in the region. As part of the agreement, the Taliban is allowing boys' schools to reopen and the government to set up temporary quarters for the more than 200,000 Swat residents who fled. Women in the area interviewed by CNN said that they would not be able to go to the schools and that, under Taliban-imposed sharia law, they cannot even be seen in public without their husbands or fathers. Swat Valley, located in North West Frontier Province, was once one of Pakistan's biggest tourist destinations. It is near the Afghanistan border and is 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the capital, Islamabad. -- CNN's Stan Grant contributed to this report.

what Deal brokered in February between Taliban and leaders?

Answer: The permanent ceasefire,

Answer: members of the Taliban and leaders of Swat Valley,

Answer: "We have not and will not negotiate with extremist Taliban and terrorists,"

Answer: late February

Summary:
Deal brokered in February between Taliban and leaders of Swat Valley .
Central government has long exerted little control in the area .
Zardari: "The clerics with whom we have engaged are not Taliban"
"It is their responsibility to rein in and neutralize Taliban," he said .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's religious affairs minister escaped with a minor injury in an attack that killed his driver Wednesday. Hamid Saeed Kazmi (center) and his driver are helped into an ambulance at the site of the shooting. The attack took place at an Islamabad market, next to a police station, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan said. The minister, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, was shot in the leg but his injury was not serious, hospital officials said. The minister's driver, however, died in the attack, the APP said. Kazmi, 51, is the federal minister for religious affairs and member of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Security analyst Hasan Askari-Rizvi told CNN affiliate Time.com the attack shows that the serious security problems in the country remain. "If this type of attack can take place in the center of Islamabad," he said, "then nowhere in Pakistan is safe." Wednesday's attack comes a day after Pakistani officials claimed fighting in the northwest of the country left 43 militants dead and two commanders captured. The deaths came as a result of a military operation in Bara, in the Khyber Agency, according to the agency's Office of Political Administration. CNN's Samson Desta contributed to this report.

where was it next to
what happened to the minister
Where did the attack took place ?
Who was killed in the attack ?
Who was shoot in the leg ?
who is the minister

Answer: a police station,

Answer: escaped with a minor injury in an

Answer: Islamabad market, next to a police station,

Answer: his driver

Answer: Hamid Saeed Kazmi,

Answer: Hamid Saeed Kazmi

Summary:
Religious affairs minister, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, was shot in the leg .
Attack took place at an Islamabad market, next to a police station .
Minister's driver was killed in the attack .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani armed forces have killed 80 militants since launching an assault on a region recently held by the Taliban, the military announced Sunday. Displaced people from Buner district flee the fighting. Three soldiers have been killed and eight wounded in the crackdown in the Buner district in the northwest of the country, the military statement said. The Pakistani offensive started in the province last Sunday, after Taliban militants moved into Buner, a move that alarmed U.S. and Pakistani officials. Pakistani security forces also killed at least 16 militants late Friday and early Saturday in the Mohmand district, in the country's volatile tribal region, the country's military said on Saturday. The incident appears to be separate from the hostilities in Buner. However, it reflects the tensions in the region and could signal a spread of fighting resulting from the crackdown. In the incident, about 100 militants attacked a Frontier Corps post in the Mohmand Agency, or district, an area where militants hold great sway. Troops returned fire and killed the 16 militants, the military said. Mohmand is in the country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas that border a volatile region in war-torn Afghanistan and Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. Earlier this year, Pakistan had entered into an agreement with militants, allowing them to enforce Islamic law, or sharia, in parts of Swat Valley in exchange for ceasing violence. The Swat Valley is a broader area that includes several provincial districts, including Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Malakand, Upper Dir, and Lower Dir. But Pakistani officials say the armed militants' advance into Buner district violated the agreement and briefly halted peace talks between the two sides in North West Frontier Province. Representatives from Pakistan's government and the Taliban restarted their negotiations on Friday and were planning to have another session soon, a provincial spokesman said. The Pakistani government has been criticized for not cracking down on militants along its border with Afghanistan. As a result, the U.S. military has carried out airstrikes against militant targets in Pakistan, which have rankled relations between the two countries.

How many did the Pakistani security kill?

How many soldiers have been killed and wounded?

Answer: 80 militants

Answer: Three

Answer: Three

Summary:
Pakistani security forces kill at least 80 militants in country's tribal region .
Pakistani army has been waging a week-long crackdown on Taliban .
Three soldiers killed, eight wounded in crackdown in northwest of country .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani authorities have arrested four men in connection with the suicide truck bombing of a Marriott Hotel last month in Islamabad that killed more than 50 people, officials said Friday. More than 50 people died in last month's attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. The men appeared Friday before a magistrate in an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, police and Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency investigators said. Although they have not been charged, the magistrate is allowing police to hold them for a week while the investigation continues. The magistrate ordered them back to court on October 31. Authorities have not said how they believe these men are connected to the September 20 bombing. The men -- one of whom is a doctor -- were arrested at different times in different places, authorities said, but gave no additional details. They identified them as: Dr. Muhammad Usman and Tehseen Ulla Jaan, both from Peshawar; Ilyas Rana Muhammad, from a village near Faiselabad in Pakistan's Punjab province; and Hameed Afzal Muhammad, from Toba Taik Singh district, also in Punjab province. In addition to the dozens killed, some 250 people were wounded in the suicide truck attack, which sparked a fire that left the hotel in ruins. The hotel, located near the diplomatic section of Islamabad, had been popular among tourists visiting Pakistan. It was crowded the night of the bombing.

What hotel was targeted on September 20?

How many were arrested in connection with hotel blast?

Who have not said how they believe the men are related to the blast?

They were arrested on suspicion of what?

How many were injured in the September attack?

How many were arrested on suspicion of involvement in hotel blast?

How many were arrested on suspicion of involvement" in hotel blast in Pakistani capital?

How many were injured in the September 20 attack on Marriott hotel?

When was the attack on a Marriott hotel?

How many were injured in September 20 attack?

Answer: how they believe these men are connected to the September 20 bombing.

Answer: last month's

Answer: Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.

Answer: in Islamabad.

Answer: four

Answer: four men

Answer: Authorities

Answer: four men

Answer: wounded

Answer: truck bombing of a Marriott Hotel

Answer: 250

Answer: how they believe these men are connected to the September 20 bombing.

Answer: four men

Answer: four men

Answer: four men

Answer: some 250 people

Answer: last month

Answer: 250

Answer: the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.

Answer: 250

Answer: Marriott

Answer: connection with the suicide

Summary:
Four arrested on suspicion of involvement" in hotel blast in Pakistani capital .
More than  people died in September 20 attack on Marriott hotel, 250-plus injured .
Authorities have not said how they believe the men are related to the blast .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani authorities have arrested two top leaders of the Islamic militant group India blames for the November massacre in Mumbai, Pakistan's prime minister confirmed Wednesday.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Pakistani security forces had rounded up a number of militant figures.

The top military officer in the U.S. on Wednesday said he is "encouraged" by Pakistan's recent arrests of "significant players" in the Mumbai attacks.

U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said the arrests amount to "first steps" toward determining who plotted the three day siege last month that killed 160 people in Mumbai, India's financial capital.

"There are more steps to follow," he noted.

He also thanked India for showing restraint against Pakistan, which it has accused of harboring the terrorist groups behind the November massacre.

Zarar Shah, a top operational commander of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and Zakir Rehman Lakhvi, whose arrest had been reported Tuesday, were among the militant figures rounded up in recent days, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters.

Gilani would not confirm the detention of Masood Azhar, the leader of another militant group, Jaish-e-Muhammad. But he said his government has launched its own investigation into India's allegations that the gunmen who killed more than 160 people in Mumbai had links to Pakistan.

The acknowledgment came three days after Pakistani security forces raided an LeT camp near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, in the first sign of government action against Lashkar-e-Tayyiba since the three-day siege of India's financial capital.

Both LeT and Jaish-e-Muhammad were formed to battle Indian rule in the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir, and both were banned after a 2001 attack on the Indian parliament that brought the South Asian nuclear rivals to the brink of war.

The United States has listed LeT as a terrorist group with ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. According to the U.S. government, Lakhvi, 47, has directed LeT's military operations in southeast Asia, Chechnya, Bosnia and Iraq.

Pakistan's Defense Minister Choudhry Mukhtar Ahmed told CNN's sister network in India, CNN-IBN, that Lakhvi and Azhar had been arrested on Monday. Azhar has been in Pakistan since 1999, when he was released from an Indian prison in exchange for hostages aboard a hijacked Indian airliner.

Indian authorities say the sole surviving gunman in the Mumbai attacks told investigators that he was trained at an LeT camp near Muzaffarabad, along with the nine other attackers who were killed in the three-day siege. A Pakistani security official said the terror raids on banned militant groups are ongoing and have resulted in at least 15 arrests.

Who was arrested for Mumbai terror attacks?

Who was formed to oppose Indian rule in divided Kashmir?

Which US officer was encouraged by arrests?

Answer: group

Answer: LeT and Jaish-e-Muhammad

Answer: Zarar Shah,

Answer: battle Indian rule

Answer: U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen

Answer: Lashkar-e-Tayyiba,

Answer: a top operational commander of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and Zakir Rehman Lakhvi, whose arrest had been reported Tuesday,

Answer: U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen

Summary:
NEW: Top U.S. military officer encouraged by terror arrests .
Pakistan arrests militant leaders blamed by India for Mumbai terror attacks .
Zarar Shah, top commander of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, among those held .
Blamed militant groups were formed to oppose Indian rule in divided Kashmir .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani authorities have arrested two top leaders of the Islamic militant group India blames for the November massacre in Mumbai, Pakistan's prime minister confirmed Wednesday. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Pakistani security forces had rounded up a number of militant figures. The top military officer in the U.S. on Wednesday said he is "encouraged" by Pakistan's recent arrests of "significant players" in the Mumbai attacks. U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said the arrests amount to "first steps" toward determining who plotted the three day siege last month that killed 160 people in Mumbai, India's financial capital. "There are more steps to follow," he noted. He also thanked India for showing restraint against Pakistan, which it has accused of harboring the terrorist groups behind the November massacre. Zarar Shah, a top operational commander of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and Zakir Rehman Lakhvi, whose arrest had been reported Tuesday, were among the militant figures rounded up in recent days, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters. Gilani would not confirm the detention of Masood Azhar, the leader of another militant group, Jaish-e-Muhammad. But he said his government has launched its own investigation into India's allegations that the gunmen who killed more than 160 people in Mumbai had links to Pakistan. The acknowledgment came three days after Pakistani security forces raided an LeT camp near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, in the first sign of government action against Lashkar-e-Tayyiba since the three-day siege of India's financial capital. Both LeT and Jaish-e-Muhammad were formed to battle Indian rule in the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir, and both were banned after a 2001 attack on the Indian parliament that brought the South Asian nuclear rivals to the brink of war. The United States has listed LeT as a terrorist group with ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. According to the U.S. government, Lakhvi, 47, has directed LeT's military operations in southeast Asia, Chechnya, Bosnia and Iraq. Pakistan's Defense Minister Choudhry Mukhtar Ahmed told CNN's sister network in India, CNN-IBN, that Lakhvi and Azhar had been arrested on Monday. Azhar has been in Pakistan since 1999, when he was released from an Indian prison in exchange for hostages aboard a hijacked Indian airliner. Indian authorities say the sole surviving gunman in the Mumbai attacks told investigators that he was trained at an LeT camp near Muzaffarabad, along with the nine other attackers who were killed in the three-day siege. A Pakistani security official said the terror raids on banned militant groups are ongoing and have resulted in at least 15 arrests.

Who is the top commnander of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba?

What is the top US military officer encouraged by?

Answer: Zarar Shah,

Answer: Both LeT and Jaish-e-Muhammad

Answer: Pakistan's recent arrests of "significant players" in the Mumbai attacks.

Answer: top military officer in the U.S.

Answer: group

Answer: Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and Zakir Rehman Lakhvi,

Summary:
NEW: Top U.S. military officer encouraged by terror arrests .
Pakistan arrests militant leaders blamed by India for Mumbai terror attacks .
Zarar Shah, top commander of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, among those held .
Blamed militant groups were formed to oppose Indian rule in divided Kashmir .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani authorities have launched a massive crackdown on terror groups that they say were planning numerous suicide attacks, including in the country's largest city of Karachi. Pakistan security officials show seized weapons and ammunition in Karachi on Sunday after the arrest of seven alleged militants. At least 13 suspects were arrested Sunday and Monday, including three people carrying suicide jackets and explosives inside a bus station, a police official said. The three were seized early Monday after police raided a bus station in Sargodha, a city located about 120 miles (190 km) south of Islamabad in Pakistan's Punjab province. The suspects were plotting to attack two Shiite mosques, police stations, and a Norwegian telecommunications company in Punjab, according to district police officer Usman Anwar. Three other suspects linked to the plot were arrested hours later in Sargodha, he said. Those arrested early Monday included the Pakistani Taliban's chief in Punjab, according to Anwar. The Taliban in Punjab have direct ties to Baitullah Mehsud, the former head of the Pakistan Taliban, and have been accused of sectarian murders in Punjab. Pakistan and U.S. officials contend Mehsud was killed in an August 5 drone attack in Waziristan at his father-in-law's house. The Taliban claim Mehsud is alive but ill. Hakeemullah Mehsud has been selected as the new head of the Pakistani Taliban, a Taliban commander said Saturday. Pakistani authorities also said they thwarted planned attacks in the southern port city of Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and the capital of Sindh province. Seven members of a banned militant group with strong ties to al Qaeda and the Taliban were arrested Sunday along with suicide vests and a large quantity of ammunition, according to the city's police superintendent Mohammed Fayyaz Khan The group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, was planning to conduct attacks in Karachi, according to Karachi Police Chief Waseem Ahmad. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is considered a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department, and was banned by then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in 2001. It is described as Pakistan's "most extreme and feared militant group" by IHS Jane's, a provider of defense and security information. The banned Sunni militant group, which began in the 1990s, is a "key ally" of the Taliban and al Qaeda, according to Jane's. "However, many of its leaders and members have been killed or jailed in recent years and there is little evidence that it remains a coherent organization with centralized structures," Jane's said in an assessment released earlier this month. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is blamed for the attempted assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999, and the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007. The group also has also been linked to the March attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in the Pakistani city of Lahore. The recent arrests in Karachi and in Punjab are part of a broader crackdown on terror groups that have extended their reach outside Pakistan's volatile North West Frontier Province and adjacent tribal regions. That is where Pakistani security forces continue to battle a strong Taliban presence. Taliban militants maintained strongholds within 100 miles of the capital, Islamabad, before Pakistani security forces pushed them back this year. A month ago, Pakistani authorities unraveled a militant plot to target government buildings in Islamabad with suicide attackers, according to Interior Minister Rehmen Malik. Three bombers were detained, and along with them suicide vests packed with complex explosives surrounded by ball bearings that would kill anyone within 50 to 100 meters. "They had the live jackets ... they were staying in one house and they had hidden the suicide jackets not far from that (house) in the hills," Malik told CNN. "Obviously they had a plan in Islamabad because Islamabad is the icon of the country." He said they first planned to target parliament, then move on to other prominent government buildings in the capital city. Hitting back at the government would seem to be a high priority for the newly appointed leader of the Pakistani Taliban. Said to be a brazen and young commander

What did the arrest preventing happening in Karachi

Three Pakistan Tailban members where arrested wearing what

Answer: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, was planning to conduct attacks in Karachi,

Answer: numerous suicide attacks,

Answer: At least 13

Answer: Mehsud

Answer: Sri Lankan cricket

Answer: people carrying suicide jackets and explosives

Answer: southern port city of Karachi,

Answer: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

Summary:
Arrests averted attacks on Karachi, police chief says .
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi linked to Bhutto assassination, attack on Sri Lanka cricket team .
Police: Three suspected Pakistan Taliban members also arrested with suicide vests .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani fighter jets pounded Taliban targets in the country's northwestern region Tuesday, part of a wider military crackdown on militants inside its borders. A Pakistan army gunship flies over the troubled Dir region on Monday. The airstrikes killed between 70 and 75 militants in the Dir district and flushed out many more, military spokesman Gen. Athar Abbas told reporters. It is part of the Pakistani army's intensified drive against the Taliban in its restive tribal regions. The Pakistani government has been criticized for not cracking down on militants along its border with Afghanistan. As a result, the U.S. military has carried out drone attacks against militant targets in Pakistan, rankling Pakistan. But Pakistan's recent military crackdown has led to an exodus of civilians in the region. Between 15,000 and 30,000 residents have left the Dir district, which is less than 160 km (100 miles) northwest of the capital, Islamabad, according to an aid agency operating in the region. The Pakistani military on Tuesday completed its operation to eliminate and expel militants in Dir and is now focusing on the Buner district, Abbas said. About 300 militants entered Buner a few days ago in violation of the Taliban's recent agreement to leave the district, he said. Buner is about 60 miles away from Islamabad, but Abbas said the militants posed no threat to the capital city. Fighter jets pounded targets in Buner and the Swat Valley in an effort to block the militants' entry and exit points, he added. The general also released a recording of what he said was a conversation between a regional Taliban commander, Maulana Fazlullah, and some of his lieutenants. On the call, the purported Taliban leaders discuss how to stage an announced retreat from Buner last weekend while remaining in control of the territory. "Those who will remain there will stay apart, so that the world gets to know that Taliban have left Buner," one of the commanders says, according to the transcript. "Not more than two Taliban should sit on a vehicle. Moulvi Sahib will lead. Other vehicles will follow." Showing off for news organizations "is all right, but we have to implement a permanent plan," Fazlullah said. Pakistan's government insists that its military crackdown has growing popular support for taking on the Taliban -- an issue that has divided the Pakistani people, particularly in the Pashtun areas. "The government has been hesitant and divided in going after these guys, but public opinion -- judging by what I read in the Pakistani newspapers -- may be shifting," analyst Michael Krepon told CNN. "They have thought the Taliban is America's war, " said Krepon, a co-founder of the Stimson Center, a Washington-based think tank. "We led them to that conclusion with our drone attacks on Pakistani soil." But he warned that a Pakistani military operation against what is sometimes perceived as "going after its own people" will not be an easy task for the government. "The military will go into the field and reclaim territory, but it's not going to be pretty and it's not going to be easy," he said. Amnesty International's Asia Pacific director Sam Zarifi told CNN he thinks the test for Pakistan's government is not a military defeat over the Taliban, but "whether the schools will once again open, whether the health units will once again operate (in Buner)." He also warned that a Pakistani military operation could be worse than Taliban rule in Buner and other regions. "What people are telling us over and over again from Buner, from Swat, and other areas, is that they're very intimidated, very scared about life under the Taliban," Zarifi said. "But what really frightens them is the idea that the Pakistani military will launch operations." He said that local residents have told Amnesty in recent months that Pakistani military operations have "destroyed houses, destroyed markets, without in any way impacting the Taliban." "And that's what really frightens people," he said. "We

What was in the recording the General released?

For what reason was Pakistan criticized?

Where did Pakistan not crack down on militants?

What are the recording of conversation about ?

Where does the Pakistani operation take place ?

Answer: a conversation between a regional Taliban commander, Maulana Fazlullah, and some of his lieutenants.

Answer: not cracking down on militants along its border with Afghanistan.

Answer: along its border with Afghanistan.

Answer: not cracking down on militants along its border with Afghanistan.

Answer: Taliban leaders discuss how to stage an announced retreat from Buner

Answer: "Those who will remain there will stay apart, so that the world gets to know that Taliban have left Buner," one of the commanders

Answer: The airstrikes killed between 70 and 75 militants in the Dir district and flushed out many more,

Answer: Buner district,

Summary:
NEW: Pakistani military says operation completed against militants in Dir .
NEW: General releases recording of conversation he says is among Taliban leaders .
Pakistan criticized for not cracking down on militants along Afghan border .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani forces have killed as many as 200 Taliban militants in the past day in the Swat and Shangla areas, the military said Sunday. Pakistan has launched a massive military operation against the Taliban in the Swat Valley. CNN could not verify the account, because journalists are barred from the region. The military blamed the Taliban for injuring civilians as the offensive entered its third week. "Indiscriminate mortar firing and planting of IEDs [improvised explosive devices] in the streets and roads by the miscreants in the populated areas of village Thana, Malakand and Mingora, resulted into civilian casualties," the military said in a statement.  Watch more on crisis » The military eased a curfew on the region, allowing civilians to flee the fighting between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. (7 p.m. Saturday and 4 a.m. Sunday EDT). The United Nations refugee agency warned Friday of a "massive displacement" of civilians as the military wages its campaign with helicopter gunships, tanks and artillery.  Watch as CNN's Ivan Watson tours a refugee camp » In the last few days, an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Pakistanis have fled the military operation, according to U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman Ron Redmond, citing provincial government data. Another 300,000 Pakistanis were on the move or expected to flee the fighting. At least two soldiers were killed Sunday, and another died of wounds he suffered on Friday, the military statement said.  Watch why civilians have backed the Taliban to survive » The military has been releasing regular reports saying it has killed Taliban militants in the region, but it has produced little evidence of the successes it claims. Journalists have not been permitted to observe the offensive and the army has not shown the bodies of the dead militants. It is also not clear what effect the offensive is having on the overall fight against the Taliban in the region, as fears grow that they could threaten the stability of Pakistan, a nuclear-armed power and key U.S. ally.

Were many killed?
Where are the Taliban located?

Answer: 200

Answer: Swat and Shangla areas,

Summary:
Pakistani military says 200 Taliban fighters have been killed in 24 hours .
An unknown number of civilians have also been killed and injured .
Tens of thousands of civilians have fled as the military campaign intensifies .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani government officials announced Monday an agreement with the Taliban to allow strict Islamic law, or sharia, to be implemented in parts of North West Frontier Province.

Delegation members of pro-Taliban leader Soofi Mohammad at a meeting in Peshawar Monday.

It marks a major concession by the Pakistani government in its attempt to hold off Taliban militants who have terrorized the region with beheadings, kidnappings, and the destruction of girls' schools.

The government will recognize sharia for the entire Malakand Division, which includes the Swat district -- a two-hour drive from Pakistan's capital, Islamabad -- the chief minister of North West Frontier Province Amir Haider Hoti announced Monday in a news conference. Islamic law is already being practiced in the area, where the Taliban have control.

Hoti said the people of the region want sharia which will fill the "vacuum" left by a lack of access to Pakistan's judicial system. He said he hoped it would bring peace to the region, where Pakistani forces have battled militants aligned with the Taliban.

"Those who chose to take the path of violence because of this decision, I appeal to all of them to work for the sake of peace now," Hoti said.

"There is no accounting for the sacrifice of all the people of Swat and the Malakand division. How many children have been orphaned? How many parents have lost their children? How many young people have been martyred? In my mind, I don't think that anyone can take this any more."  Watch Pakistan's foreign minister discuss negotiating with the Taliban Â»

He also stressed that the recognition of Islamic law in the region "isn't something that hasn't happened before." He said previous agreements have been made regarding sharia, but were never implemented. He also said that the Islamic law will not go against basic civil liberties, although he did not explain how the government would make sure that provision would be upheld.  Watch the implications of the concessions to the Taliban Â»

Sharia is defined as Islamic law but is interpreted with wide differences depending on the various sects of both Sunni and Shia Islam.

So far, the Pakistani Taliban's interpretation of sharia has included banning girls from school, forcing women inside and outlawing forms of entertainment.

The agreement comes amid negotiations between Pakistani provincial officials and Taliban representatives, led by Sufi Mohammed. The Taliban on Sunday declared a 10-day cease-fire in Swat Valley, which Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said was a gesture of good will towards the government.

The Taliban's control of Swat is believed to be the deepest advance by militants into Pakistan's settled areas -- meaning areas outside its federally administered tribal region along the border with Afghanistan.

The negotiations in North West Frontier Province are the latest attempt by Pakistan's civilian government -- which took power last year -- to achieve peace through diplomacy in areas where Taliban and al Qaeda leaders are believed to have free rein.

But analysts as well as critics within the establishment have warned that Pakistan's previous dealings with the Taliban have only given the fundamentalist Islamic militia time to regroup and gain more ground.

Khadim Hussain, a professor Bahria University in Islamabad who studies Pakistani politics, said the government has effectively surrendered the areas to the Taliban, thereby setting the stage for two contradictory, parallel states in North West Frontier Province.

"If you leave them like that and you give ... a semblance of peace in a particular area, what does that mean?" Hussain said. "It means you're capitulating. It means you're surrendering the state to them. It means your submitting the state authority to them because they are running a parallel state."

He said the government's decision amounts to a marriage of convenience made under duress.

Swat has been overrun by forces loyal to Maulana Fazlullah's banned hardline Islamic group, Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM) which has allied itself with Taliban fighters. TNSM was once led by Sufi Mohammed, Fazlullah's father-in-law who is leading the latest negotiations. Sufi Mohammed was released from

Where did the Taliban agree to a 10-day cease-fire?

What did Critics says about previous dealings with the Taliban?

Answer: Swat Valley,

Answer: 10-day

Answer: warned that Pakistan's previous dealings with the Taliban have only given the fundamentalist Islamic militia time to regroup and gain more ground.

Answer: school,

Answer: to allow strict Islamic law, or sharia, to be implemented in parts of North West Frontier Province.

Answer: a two-hour drive from Pakistan's capital, Islamabad

Answer: Pakistan's previous dealings with the Taliban have only given the fundamentalist Islamic militia time to regroup and gain more ground.

Answer: strict Islamic law,

Summary:
Pakistani Taliban's interpretation of sharia includes banning girls from school .
Deal with the Taliban comes after a visit by U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke .
Taliban: 10-day cease-fire in Swat Valley is good-will gesture towards government .
Critics warn that previous dealings with the Taliban have allowed it to regroup .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani security forces say they have killed at least 16 militants overnight in the country's volatile tribal region. Pakistani security personnel patrol the Buner district. This appears to be separate from the hostilities in the military's week-long crackdown in northwestern Pakistan against a Taliban militant advance in the country's North West Frontier Province. However, this reflects the tensions in the region and could signal a spread of fighting resulting from the crackdown. The Pakistani offensive started in the province on Sunday and it came after Taliban militants moved into Buner district last week, a move that alarmed U.S. and Pakistani officials. In this latest incident, about 100 militants attacked a Frontier Corps checkpost in the Mohmand Agency, an area where militants hold great sway. Troops returned fire and killed the 16 militants, the military said. Mohmand is in the country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas that borders a volatile region in war-torn Afghanistan and Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. The military on Saturday released details about other incidents in the province that occurred over the last 24 hours. Troops conducted a successful operation against militants in the district, in the Ambela-Daggar area in the Buner district. They secured a key road and cleared roadside bombs, the military said. In the province's Upper Dir district, militants abducted and then released 10 troops and seized their weaponry and ammunition. And two civilians were wounded when militants lobbed hand grenades. In the province's Swat district, militants attacked a security forces checkpost on Khawazakhela Bridge and Sambat Ridge. In Langer, security forces and militants exchanged fire and forces found military uniforms that militants were using for terrorist activity. Three Afghan nationals were among five militants arrested while planting a roadside bomb. Earlier this year, Pakistan entered into an agreement with militants, allowing them to enforce Islamic, or sharia, in parts of Swat Valley in exchange for ceasing violence. The Swat Valley is a broader area that includes several provincial districts, including Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Malakand, Upper Dir, and Lower Dir. But Pakistani officials say the armed militants' advance into Buner district violated the agreement and briefly halted peace talks between both sides in North West Frontier Province. Representatives from Pakistan's government and the Taliban restarted their negotiations on Friday and were planning to have another session soon, a provincial spokesman said. The Pakistani government has been criticized for not cracking down on militants along its border with Afghanistan. As a result, the U.S. military has carried out airstrikes against militant targets in Pakistan, which have rankled relations between the two countries.

Who have the Pakistani army been waging a week-long crackdown on?

For how long has the Pakistani army been waging war on the Taliban?

What did the Pakistani security forces do in the country's tribal region?

Answer: Taliban militant

Answer: at least 16

Answer: week-long

Answer: at least 16 militants

Answer: 100

Answer: they have killed at least 16 militants

Answer: Taliban militant

Answer: Frontier Corps checkpost in the Mohmand Agency,

Summary:
Pakistani security forces kill at least 16 militants in country's tribal region .
Pakistani army has been waging a week-long crackdown on Taliban .
100 militants attacked a checkpost and Pakistani troops returned fire .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani soldiers and militants battled Saturday in the country's vast tribal region, with more than a dozen insurgents killed in airstrikes, at least four soldiers slain in skirmishes and a key village seized by troops, the military said. A Pakistani soldier pictured during operations against militants in June. The fatalities come hours after Pakistani troops launched a massive ground offensive backed up by air power targeting the Taliban in South Waziristan, a refuge and a power base for insurgents operating in Pakistan and along the Pakistani-Afghan border. The highly anticipated offensive, which comes after a wave of suicide attacks in Pakistan, also has prompted the exodus of tens of thousands of civilians, the U.N. refugee agency said. One military official said Pakistani troops seized control of Kotkai, where Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud has lived with fellow commander Qari Hussein, the mastermind behind some of Pakistan's deadliest suicide attacks.  Watch how the offensive began » Another military official said the airstrikes from jet fighters and helicopter gunships targeted militant hideouts in Kotkai and the villages of Badar, Barwand and Khisur, all strongholds of the Taliban and their late leader Baitullah Mehsud. The official asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media. There have been confrontations throughout the day between soldiers and militants. Along with the four slain soldiers, 12 have been wounded, the military said. Gen. Athar Abbas, the Pakistan military spokesman, said the ground offensive in South Waziristan was launched shortly after midnight after the military received clearance from the government. He said the region's eight entry and exit points have been sealed by troops. Pakistani officials say that about 10,000 to 15,000 militants linked to the Taliban or to al Qaeda operate in South Waziristan, a harsh terrain familiar to militants but difficult for others to navigate. About 28,000 Pakistani soldiers have moved into the epicenter of Taliban activity in the region to counter their activities, officials said. Elsewhere in Pakistan's tribal region, in the Mohmand Agency, at least eight militants and one soldier were killed Saturday when they exchanged gunfire near a military checkpoint, the military said. For months, the military had been targeting militant hideouts in South Waziristan and other hot spots in Pakistan's tribal areas. This year, troops launched a large operation targeting militants in the Swat Valley, in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. But despite these efforts, insurgents have continued to strike with relative impunity inside Pakistan, brazenly targeting government, police and security locations. The latest attack occurred Friday in the northern city of Peshawar, when a suicide car bomber detonated near a police station, killing 13 people, most of them civilians. The recent wave of deadly attacks has raised concerns about the ability of Pakistan's security forces to maintain control. The attacks heightened internal and international pressure on the government to take swift and effective action. In a high-level meeting Friday, army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani "gave a detailed briefing on the prevailing national security situation and its ramifications in the future," according to a statement from the prime minister's office. Those who attended the meeting condemned the recent attacks and "agreed that these elements pose a serious threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the state," the statement said. The attacks show "once again that the militants in Pakistan threaten both Pakistan and the United States," White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said. On Thursday, President Obama approved an additional $7.5 billion in assistance to Pakistan over the next five years.

Official says troops took which village?

Where are up to 10,000 militants operating?

How many militants are operating in South Waziristan?

About how many soldiers move into the epicenter?

How many Pakistani soldiers are involved?

How many Pakistani soldiers move into epicenter of Taliban activity?

Answer: Kotkai,

Answer: South Waziristan,

Answer: more than a dozen insurgents

Answer: a key village

Answer: 10,000 to 15,000

Answer: 28,000

Answer: 28,000

Answer: About 28,000

Answer: Badar, Barwand

Answer: One military official

Answer: 28,000

Answer: About 28,000

Summary:
NEW: Official says troops take village of Kotkai .
About 28,000 Pakistani soldiers move into epicenter of Taliban activity .
Up to 10,000 militants operating in South Waziristan, officials estimate .
Tens of thousands of civilians fleeing region, U.N. refugee agency says .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani troops have been moved to the Indian border amid fears of an Indian ground incursion, two Pakistani military officials told CNN on Friday.

File image of a Pakistani soldier

The troops were deployed from Pakistan's western border with Afghanistan, where forces have been battling Taliban and al Qaeda militants in North West Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Pakistan's armed forces have been on high alert in anticipation of a possible conflict with India following last month's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, which killed 160 people.

India believes the 10 men who carried out the attacks were trained at a terrorist camp in the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir.

A senior official said the troops had been moved from areas where there are no active military operations, and emphasized that troop levels have not been depleted in areas where soldiers are battling militants, such as the Swat Valley and near Peshawar, capital of the North West region.

In addition to the move, leave for all military personnel has been restricted and all troops were called back to active duty, the senior official said.

Asked for a reaction to the development, Husain Haqqani, Pakistani ambassador to the United States, said, "Pakistan does not seek war, but we need to be vigilant against threats of war emanating from the other side of our eastern border."

He said Pakistan's conduct since the Mumbai attack "has been consistent with international expectations. There is no justification for threats against Pakistan."

"Pakistan is also a victim of terrorism and will continue to act against terrorists," he added. "We are a country of rule of law and need evidence to prosecute anyone for the crime of terrorism."

U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the United States has been "in close contact" with India and Pakistan in probing the Mumbai attack and fighting terror. He is hoping that "both sides will avoid taking steps that will unnecessarily raise tensions during these already tense times."

In London, England, Pakistani envoy to Britain Wajid Shamsul Hasan countered the report, noting that winter redeployments are normal and that only police and not the army had their vacation canceled. While he criticized India's "coercive diplomacy" and regretted India's "war hysteria," he underscored the fact that the two countries don't want to go to war.

Tensions increased between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan following the November 26 attacks in Mumbai, where militants launched a coordinated strike against luxury hotels, a Jewish center and other targets.

India has criticized Islamabad for not doing enough to counter terrorism, and it has accused elements within the Pakistan government and military of complicity in fueling terrorism in the region.

On Thursday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi warned India to refrain from launching any strikes against Pakistan, according to a report in The Nation newspaper.

Another unnamed Pakistani military official told CNN that the Pakistani military has been taking precautionary measures to safeguard borders in the face of mounting military threats from India over the Mumbai attacks.

"Naturally, you have to take certain steps to stem that expected tide of Indian operations," he said, "You can't fight on both fronts so we have redeployed certain military elements from the western border to the northern border to meet Indian operations."

The official said that while Pakistan has tolerated U.S. missile strikes from Afghanistan into Pakistan, he believes the government and public would not stand for an Indian incursion.

In the Indian capital of New Delhi on Friday, three military chiefs briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the security situation.

An Indian officer said Indian soldiers have spotted Pakistani troop movements along the Line of Control in Kashmir. The Line of Control divides the disputed region between the area controlled by India and the area administered by Pakistan.

Indian defense spokesman Sitanshu Kar said India isn't carrying out a troop buildup along its western borders but "is monitoring the situation closely." He also said he is "not aware" of military reports about Pakistani troop mobilization along the Indian border.

"But we are keeping a vigil," Kar

What kind of an alert are Pakistan forces on?

Answer: India

Answer: Pakistan's armed forces

Answer: high

Answer: Indian border

Summary:
Pakistan has moved troops to border with India amid rising tensions, officials say .
Pakistan forces on high alert after terror attacks last month in Mumbai .
Indian defense spokesman: India "is monitoring the situation closely"
The two countries have fought three wars since 1947 .


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani troops have been moved to the Indian border amid fears of an Indian ground incursion, two Pakistani military officials told CNN on Friday. File image of a Pakistani soldier The troops were deployed from Pakistan's western border with Afghanistan, where forces have been battling Taliban and al Qaeda militants in North West Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Pakistan's armed forces have been on high alert in anticipation of a possible conflict with India following last month's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, which killed 160 people. India believes the 10 men who carried out the attacks were trained at a terrorist camp in the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir. A senior official said the troops had been moved from areas where there are no active military operations, and emphasized that troop levels have not been depleted in areas where soldiers are battling militants, such as the Swat Valley and near Peshawar, capital of the North West region. In addition to the move, leave for all military personnel has been restricted and all troops were called back to active duty, the senior official said. Asked for a reaction to the development, Husain Haqqani, Pakistani ambassador to the United States, said, "Pakistan does not seek war, but we need to be vigilant against threats of war emanating from the other side of our eastern border." He said Pakistan's conduct since the Mumbai attack "has been consistent with international expectations. There is no justification for threats against Pakistan." "Pakistan is also a victim of terrorism and will continue to act against terrorists," he added. "We are a country of rule of law and need evidence to prosecute anyone for the crime of terrorism." U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the United States has been "in close contact" with India and Pakistan in probing the Mumbai attack and fighting terror. He is hoping that "both sides will avoid taking steps that will unnecessarily raise tensions during these already tense times." In London, England, Pakistani envoy to Britain Wajid Shamsul Hasan countered the report, noting that winter redeployments are normal and that only police and not the army had their vacation canceled. While he criticized India's "coercive diplomacy" and regretted India's "war hysteria," he underscored the fact that the two countries don't want to go to war. Tensions increased between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan following the November 26 attacks in Mumbai, where militants launched a coordinated strike against luxury hotels, a Jewish center and other targets. India has criticized Islamabad for not doing enough to counter terrorism, and it has accused elements within the Pakistan government and military of complicity in fueling terrorism in the region. On Thursday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi warned India to refrain from launching any strikes against Pakistan, according to a report in The Nation newspaper. Another unnamed Pakistani military official told CNN that the Pakistani military has been taking precautionary measures to safeguard borders in the face of mounting military threats from India over the Mumbai attacks. "Naturally, you have to take certain steps to stem that expected tide of Indian operations," he said, "You can't fight on both fronts so we have redeployed certain military elements from the western border to the northern border to meet Indian operations." The official said that while Pakistan has tolerated U.S. missile strikes from Afghanistan into Pakistan, he believes the government and public would not stand for an Indian incursion. In the Indian capital of New Delhi on Friday, three military chiefs briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the security situation. An Indian officer said Indian soldiers have spotted Pakistani troop movements along the Line of Control in Kashmir. The Line of Control divides the disputed region between the area controlled by India and the area administered by Pakistan. Indian defense spokesman Sitanshu Kar said India isn't carrying out a troop buildup along its western borders but "is monitoring the situation closely." He also said he is "not aware" of military reports about Pakistani troop mobilization along the Indian border. "But we are keeping a vigil," Kar

What country moved troops to the border?

What country has moved troops to the border?

What caused Pakistan to move troops to the border?

Which country is monitoring the situation closely?

What nation moved troops to the Indian border?

Answer: Pakistan

Answer: Pakistani

Answer: Indian ground incursion,

Answer: Sitanshu Kar

Answer: India

Answer: Mumbai,

Answer: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Summary:
Pakistan has moved troops to border with India amid rising tensions, officials say .
Pakistan forces on high alert after terror attacks last month in Mumbai .
Indian defense spokesman: India "is monitoring the situation closely"
The two countries have fought three wars since 1947 .