Washington, Feb. 21: The US special envoy to Afganistan and Pakstan, Richard Holbrooke has expressed concerns that Pakistan's nuclear armaments may fall into the hands of militants.

In an interview given to a private television channel, Holbrooke said there is a `legitimate concern' about the issue, and the Obama administration has been informed about the potential threat by intelligence agencies.

"We have been assured by the American intelligence community that this arsenal is under the control of the Pakistan military. But it's an issue of high concern and it can't be ignored," The Nation quoted Holbrooke, as saying.

Washington, Feb 21 : The US missile strikes inside Pakistan's tribal areas is not only targeting al Qaeda militants, but also Tehreek-i-Taliban chief Behtullah Mehsud's and his fighters who are trying to topple the democratic regime in Islamabad.

The Barack Obama administration has expanded the covert war run by the Central Intelligence Agency inside Pakistan and the two missile strikes over the past week on training camps run by Mehsud represent a broadening of the campaign, the New York Times reports.

Washington, Feb. 21 : The special US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke has expressed his concern over the peace deal between the Pakistan Government and the Taliban in the Swat Valley, saying the Swat deal is `hard to understand.'

Holbrooke called Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to convey Washington's stance on the issue, The Daily Times reports.

He said Zardari has assured him that the peace deal was only an `interim arrangement' to stabilise the troubled region.

Krakow, Feb 21 : US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said that Washington could accept a political agreement between the Afghanistan Government and the Taliban along the lines of the truce in Pakistan.

Gates' comments at the close of a NATO meeting contrasted with those of Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, who said he was worried that the peace deal was tantamount to surrender by Pakistan.

Islamabad, Feb. 20 : The Pakistan Government has disapproved growing international criticism of the sharia-deal signed with Taliban, saying that speculations would not be helpful.

"Establishing peace, security and stability are matters of highest priority for Pakistan Government and it will use all necessary means to achieve these objectives,' said Abdul Basit, the Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman at the weekly media briefing.

Islamabad - A team of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is arriving in Islamabad next week to question the November
27 Mumbai terrorist attack suspects held by Pakistani authorities, an official said on Friday.

"The FBI team will interrogate the six suspects who are detained in Pakistan and charged in connection with Mumbai terror attack," a senior official in Pakistani foreign ministry told Deutsche Presse- Agentur dpa.