New Delhi - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday expressed deep shock and sorrow over the bomb attack in Islamabad in a letter to his Pakistan counterpart Yousef Raza Gilani.

Singh said India strongly condemned the act of terrorism and said the attacks were a grim reminder of the challenges posed by "destructive forces" which had pitted themselves against the values of democracy, pluralism and the voices of moderation.

Islamabad, Sept 21 : Czechoslovakian ambassador in Islamabad Ivo Zdarek was among the 53 people killed in yesterday’s fidayeen attack on a hotel, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani confirmed today.

Gilani said that the envoy’s dead body had been identified.

Meanwhile, even as the death toll reached 53, rescue operation at the Marriott Hotel was going on since early morning. Rescue workers and the fire brigade officials had controlled the fire, but temperature inside the building was still very high due to which entering in the hotel was very difficult.

Lahore, Sept 21 : The PML-N has described the newly elected Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s maiden speech at the joint session of the country’s Parliament yesterday as “long on words but short on deeds”.

Reacting to Zardari’s speech, PML-N leader Pervaiz Rashid said it was more of a “play of words”.

“It is not time for forceful words alone, but they must be matched with powerful actions as well,” the Dawn quoted him as saying.

Kabul - Afghan President Hamid Karzai "strongly condemned" the bombing of a hotel in neighbouring Pakistan and called for serious fight against terrorism.

Karzai "strongly condemned the massive explosion which hit the Marriot Hotel in Federal Capital of Pakistan killing at least 60 people and injuring dozens more," the presidential palace said in a statement.

Washington, Sept 21 : US President George Bush and both the Presidential candidates – Democrats’ Barack Obama and Republican John McCain – have condemned yesterday’s suicide bombing at a hotel in Islamabad killing 50 persons and injuring more than 200.

A statement released by the US Presidency said: “President Bush offered his sincere condolences to the families of all those lost in today''s vicious attack.”

Islamabad - Pakistani rescue workers on Sunday retrieved the body of Czech Republic Ambassador Ivo Zdarek from the wreckage of the Marriott hotel that was attacked by a suicide bomber, officials s