Lahore/Peshawar/Washington, Mar. 8 : The latest terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan, underlines the violence and corruption at the heart of a nuclear nation, feel experts

What comes out clearly from the grainy CCTV footage is the nonchalance of the attackers, which borders on the chilling.

One sequence shows a man arriving on a motorbike in a deserted street. Two others with guns slung over their shoulders mount the bike, which drives off. They look like men confident of not being caught.

Even in a country increasingly inured to violence, there is bewilderment over the Lahore attack.

Why would anyone target players from a country with which Pakistan is on friendly terms? And how did the gunmen get away so easily?

Colombo, Mar. 8 : A businessman who founded a charity that raised two million dollars for Sri Lanka after the December 26, 2004 Asian tsunami, has pleaded for Australia''s cricket community to "do everything possible to help Pakistan".

Sri Lanka-born Harry Solomons''s plea echoed distraught Pakistan captain Younus Khan''s warning last week that without the availability of international exposure, Pakistani cricket could die.

"If something is not done quickly, maybe everyone [will go] to the IPL, ICL or county cricket," Younus told Cricinfo. com.

Peshawar, Mar 8 : The NWFP Government claimed it had made a breakthrough when it handed over 12 Taliban militants to the Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi, and assured it that Qazi courts would be set up by March 13. In return, the Taliban said they would allow the reopening of all roads.

The deal was reached at a meeting of representatives of the government, TNSM and the Taliban at the Circuit House in Gulkada.

Islamabad, Mar. 8 : Last Tuesday's terrorist attack on the visiting cricket team from Sri Lanka is forcing Pakistan to look inward, making it more difficult to blame the U. S., India or other outsiders for a growing threat within its own borders.

Wellington, Mar. 8 : New Zealand cricket umpire Billy Bowden has said the very thought of being inside the umpires' mini-van that was sprayed by bullets during the terror attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore last week, still sends shivers down his body.

Bowden said he could have been given duty for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka series, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed him for the South Africa-Australia series.

"It''s a sobering thought," stuff. com quoted Bowden, as saying.

Islamabad, Mar 8 : The wife of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's close friend has got a lucrative diplomatic posting abroad.

Observers alleged that Shehnaz Mazhar had won the position - a community welfare attaché in London - on political grounds.

Shehnaz is the wife of Pir Mazharul Haq, a senior minister in the Sindh cabinet and a close aide of Zardari.

"This is not a new appointment. It was made a couple of months ago," The Dawn quoted Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit, as saying.