Islamabad - Britain's foreign secretary said on Wednesday Pakistan is emerging as "cooperative force" in South Asia through its efforts to improve relations with neighbours.

"The foreign policy dialogue that is being pursued with Afghanistan, with India" is turning Pakistan outwards and making clear that the country is emerging as a cooperative force for stability in the region," David Miliband said after meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mamhood Qureshi.

Islamabad, Nov 26 : PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt met with Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Satya Pal last evening, and later told media persons that he hoped that the Indian tour (to Pakistan) will take place as per the schedule.

Ijaz said he briefed the Indian High Commissioner about PCB’s plans for the forthcoming Indo-Pak series. “I am hopeful that India will tour and we are preparing for it,” the Daily Times quoted him as saying.

Ijaz, however, refused to disclose any details of his meeting with the Indian High Commissioner.

Islamabad, Nov 26 : The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has reportedly approved ten new satellite YV channels.

The decision to give new licences was taken at PEMRA’s its 51st meeting here Tuesday.

The approved channels include Pakistan’s first health channel. The Authority also granted landing right to a TV channel for children.

Besides, two educational institutions – Hazara University, Mansehra and Ziauddin University, Karachi – were granted non-commercial FM radio licences.

According to the Daily Times, the Authority also approved 145 new cable TV operator licences.

Islamabad, Nov 26 : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that his government will consider a number of options to stop US drone attacks inside Pakistan.

A decision on how to counter these attacks would be made by the newly formed parliamentary committee on national security, he added.

“Let the committee hold its first meeting. We have a number of options that we can consider to counter these attacks apart from going to the UN,” the Daily Times quoted him as saying in a TV interview.

Islamabad  - Four people were killed on Wednesday in fighting between Taliban militants and local residents in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's North Western frontier Province (NWFP), police said.

The fighting broke out when around 50 militants attacked the house of a local mayor Abdul Malik in Matni area.

"The relatives of Mr Malik exchanged fire with the militants for over three hours and repulsed the attack," said a police investigator Riaz Khan.

Two Islamic insurgents and two locals were among the dead. The mayor, his wife and two more people were injured in the crossfire, he added.

Islamabad, Nov 25 : The fifth round of Home Secretary level talks between India and Pakistan on terrorism, drug trafficking and related issues commenced in Islamabad on Tuesday as a part of the composite dialogue process.

Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta led the Indian delegation, while Secretary, Ministry of Interior Syed Kamal Shah, headed the Pakistan delegation.

The talks would continue on Wednesday also.