Karachi, Apr. 3 : Controversial Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has managed to pass through the first of series fitness tests before the Pakistan Cricket Board declares him fit for the national duty against Australia.

According to The News, Akhtar looked in great shape during the test.

Chief selector, Abdul Qadir confirmed that Akhtar has cleared the first hurdle, but made it clear that he would need to fair well in all the endurance checks.

Islamabad, Apr. 3 : The Taliban's writ cannot be challenged, as a two minute mobile video has shown.

A teenage girl was whipped continuously by some Taliban fighters for venturing out of her house without her male companion in Matta District located in the Swat Valley.

According to The Nation, the video showed two men holding the girl's arms and feet, while a third one thrashed her continuously.

Lahore, Apr. 3 : Months of suppressive acts and attacks on educational institutions, teachers, and students has created a `shocking situation' in the Swat Valley with over 100 girls' school being destroyed completely, the United Nations has said.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Director-General Koichiro Matsuura said education suffered a lot due to the Taliban banning girls' from attending schools.

Matsuura said school buildings suffered huge loss due to the spreading `lawlessness' in the valley.

Peshawar, Apr. 3 : Information Minister of North Western Frontier Province Iftikhar Hussain has claimed that Talibanization on Pak-Afghanistan border is a Pakistan-supported agenda.

"Its strange that we put others in trouble and think all will be well here, if we kill them its Jihad, if we destroy their schools its Jihad, if we destroy their country it is termed jihad and if all this bounces on us than we wonder why it happened," the Dawn quoted Hussain, as saying.

Islamabad, Apr. 3 : Pakistan will raise the issue of drone attacks on tribal areas with the President Obama's special envoy on Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, during his forthcoming visit to Islamabad.

"Richard Holbrooke is scheduled to visit Pakistan next week and this issue (drone attacks) would come up for our discussions," The Nation quoted Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit, as saying.

Lahore, Apr. 3: Former Pakistan left-hand opening batsman Imran Farhat has that all Pakistani players attached to the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) are planning to quit the league.

Farhat also clarified that neither he nor any other Pak ICL player has given any assurance in writing to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that they would terminate the league’s contract.