Lahore, Feb. 26 : Furious over the Supreme Court's decision to disqualify him from being a member of the Parliament, former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has termed the verdict `an edict'.

"This is not a court decision but an edict and the entire nation knows where this edict came from," The Daily Times quoted Sharif, as saying.

Talking to media persons after the apex court's verdict, he accused President Asif Ali Zardari of gambling over the issue.

Shanghai, Feb. 23 : Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the world is facing grave challenges imposed by non-state actors who are bent upon damaging world peace.

"We are not threatened by nations, but by the non-state actors," The News quoted Zardari, as saying.

Zardari said that the emergence of these elements, who have nothing to lose but everything to damage, was a new phenomenon, adding that Pakistan has been at the forefront of many worst international disputes and has managed to survive as a nation.

Lahore, Feb. 23 : Pakistan President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have asked Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and PPP leader Qasim Zia to stop making statements against the PML-N leadership and instructed them to observe restraint.

The Punjab Governor, however, has denied receiving any such instructions from Gilani.

"I have not received any such instructions from PM Gilani," The Nation quoted Taseer, as saying.

Zia, however, went to the extent of saying that no one could bar him from issuing any statements.

Wuhan (China), Feb. 22 : In a bid to strengthen ties with its long time ally, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the ports of the country were open to cater to the needs of Chinese cargo ships.

"We will encourage Chinese companies to come to Pakistan as Pakistan is geo-strategically located and provides them access to the rest of the world through our warm waters," The Nation quoted Zardari, as saying.

Beijing  - Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari visited central China's Hubei province on Saturday for talks on cooperation in agriculture, hydropower and trade.

Zardari was scheduled to meet Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo in the provincial capital, Wuhan, and tour the giant Three Gorges dam and power project on the Yangtze river, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

He would travel on Sunday to the economic hub of Shanghai, where he planned to focus on finance, banking and urban development, Chinese and Pakistani officials said.

Islamabad - President Asif Ali Zardari Friday left for China on his second official visit since assuming office last year to promote economic cooperation and seek Chinese assistance to meet energy crises faced by the country.

"The focus of the President's visit is promoting cooperation in the fields of agriculture and hydro-power projects as well as financial sector," Pakistan Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Abdul Basit said.