Islamabad - At least nine people, including a policeman, were killed Saturday as the riots over the assassination of three ethnic political leaders continued for a third day in Pakistan's south-western Balochistan province. A police official said the bodies of six coal miners were found in outskirts of provincial capital Quetta.

"The attackers first kidnapped the poor labourers, shot them dead and dumped their bodies in the mountains in Marwar area," police investigator Barkatullah Khan said.

Islamabad, Apr. 11 : Days after announcing a ban on divorce, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has now barred men in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Bajaur region from shaving their beards.

Announcing the ban over the outfit's illegal FM radio station, the TTP's Bajaur Agency chief Faqir Muhammad said severe punishment would be handed out to those who do not follow the restrictions.

Islamabad, Apr. 11 : The North West Frontier Province (NWFP) government and the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) have agreed to keep the Swat peace deal intact, The Nation reported.

Representatives of the NWFP government, which included provincial information minister Iftikhar Hussain, Commissioner Malakand Division Syed Muhammad Javed and other top officials, held a meeting with the TNSM delegates.

Both the sides unanimously vowed to keep the peace accord intact in the greater interests of people of the region.

Islamabad, Apr. 11: The Swat Taliban has established its grip over new areas in the Buner region of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

A day earlier, the Taliban had announced that it would move out of the region.

According to sources Taliban fighters have also taken control of the shrine of Sufi saint Pir Baba in the region.

"They (Taliban) have taken control of vast areas in Buner. They are freely moving around while police and other law-enforcement personnel remain confined to their posts," the Dawn quoted a local living near the shrine, as saying.

Islamabad, Apr. 10 : Pakistan has refuted claims made by the United States about the presence of top Al-Qaeda leaders on its soil, saying it has not received any credible evidence regarding it.

"We have not come across any authentic intelligence which would indicate that Al Qaeda leadership is in Pakistan, and we do not attach importance to speculations," The Daily Times quoted Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Abdul Basit, as saying.

Islamabad, Apr. 10 : A multi-million dollar scam has been unearthed in Pakistan's Railway Ministry with top railway bosses confessing before the National Assembly Standing Committee that a Chinese company was awarded contracts on the basis of "fake performance certificates."