Lahore, Jan 12 : Peace activists from Pakistan and India met at the Attari border to defuse the growing tensions between the two countries in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.

One-day peace moot between peace activists was held at Attari on Sunday, The News reported.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) chairman Asma Jehangir and Secretary General South Asian Free Media Association (Safma) Imtiaz Alam crossed over the Wagah border, and visited Amritsar on a peace mission, addressing a peace conference at Attari.

New Delhi, Jan 12 : A meeting of the State Transport Ministers will be held here today to solve the situation arising out of the truckers strike.

A State Transport Ministers'' meeting will discuss the prevailing situation and steps required to ensure uninterrupted movement of essential commodities across the country.

The Central Government will take up the issue of national permit with the States and would emphasise that it would help in smooth inter-State movement of goods.

As the strike entered the eighth day today, All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) Vice-President Amolak Singh Bhatia said: "The strike is on, and the solution lies completely in the hands of the Government."

New Delhi, Jan 12 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the plenary session of Petro-Tech 2009 here today.

The theme of the conference is "Energy Independence with Global Cooperation: Challenges and Solutions"''.

Countries like Iran, Libya, Sudan and Afghanistan are participating in the conference.

The conference got underway yesterday with the inauguration of an exhibition by Petroleum Secretary R S Pandey.

New Delhi, Jan 12 : Afghan President Hamid Karzai will meet Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh here today and hold discussion on the latest developments related to the terror strikes.

President Karzai arrived here on a two-day visit last evening against the backdrop of chill in Indo-Pak relations.

The Prime Minister is expected to share evidence about involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and other Pakistan-based elements in the Mumbai attacks.

According to sources, the two leaders will hold discussion on bilateral cooperation to defeat terrorism.

Srinagar, Jan. 11 : Buying the famous Pashmina shawl of Kashmir has been one of the major charms for anyone visiting the scenic valley or the State. But with a growing availability of cheap imitations of Pashmina shawls in the local markets, original Pashmina shawls'' future is at stake. 

For centuries the Pashmina shawls have been woven on handlooms from wool handspun from the shaggy coat of a goat, which lives in the heights of the Himalayas in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir state. 

Thousands of Kashmiris are associated with the ancient trade. Women mostly spin and men weave the delicate yarn into warm, soft scarves and shawls, which are often embroidered. 

Islamabad, Jan. 11 : Top Military officials in Pakistan have warned India that if it wages a war on Pakistan then it will have to face severe consequences, The Nation reported.

“India should not consider Pakistan as Gaza strip as Pakistan is a nuclear power and its armed forces were fully prepared to counter any aggression,” The Nation quoted a top military official as saying.

The Pakistan military leadership added that the movement of Indian troops and situation along the eastern border eastern border was being monitored.

However, the leadership admitted that India has an edge over Pakistan in the field of technology due to increase in its defence budget.