Islamabad, Dec 27 : Pakistan has moved 20,000 soldiers near the Indian border due to increase in tension with New Delhi in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, according to the intelligence officials.

The Pakistan Army's 14th Division has been redeployed to the towns of Kasur and Sialkot, close to the Indian border, two Pakistani intelligence officials said on condition of anonymity.

The redeployment, which will relocate about one-fifth of Pakistani troops serving in the country's tribal areas, began on Thursday evening, CBC News reported.

Islamabad, Dec. 27: Experts in Pakistan have expressed fears that the arms and ammunition stolen from Aabpara Police Station can land into the hands of terrorists who can use them for incidents like the Mumbai terror attack.

Senior security experts and retired police officials believe that militants may try to replicate the Mumbai attacks with the sophisticated arms.

"The stolen weapons could go into the hands of terrorists who could use them against anyone they target. Law enforcement agencies need to recover these weapons as soon as possible because they are high in demand in such times," the Daily Times quoted Lt-Gen
(retired) Tallat Masood, as saying.

Islamabad, Dec 27: Fears are being expressed that Pakistan's former premier Benazir Bhutto's murder would always remain under wraps, as people privy to the proceedings and progress in the investigations say that unravelling of the mystery shrouding the crime could lead to startling revelations, if ever made public, with serious political implications.

The chances of Benazir's assassination remaining unresolved, like other high-profile murder cases in the country's chequered history, appears to be high, The News reported.

Islamabad, Dec 26 : Pakistan would not be the violent mess that it is if the country's leaders had ever united against Islamist militancy as they have against India over the past three weeks.

A leading Pakistani paper said in its editorial that these are tough words for us to swallow perhaps, but nevertheless true.

Terrorism has blighted this nation and other than die-hard security state loyalists few would argue that the growing menagerie of militants, terrorists and the like has served Pakistan's interests, at home or abroad, Dawn said.

Islamabad, Dec 26 : Pakistan has made some unannounced changes in their deployment of troops and has also scaled down its operations against Islamist militants in the north-west following tensions with India in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks.

Air strikes against militants in the restive Swat and Bajaur regions have been scaled down as some of the airpower had to be redeployed to the country's eastern border, the BBC quoted a senior Pakistani military official, as saying.

Islamabad, Dec. 26: An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the richter scale has hit the southwest coast of Pakistan early morning today.

"According to the US Geological Survey the quake of moderate density struck around 300 kilometers southwest city of Karachi at 2240 GMT on Thursday," the Dawn reported.

There were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties.

No immediate alert has been sounded from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, thus putting tsunami rumors to rest in the region.