Lahore, Sep 20: A long-delayed plan to send dozens of US military advisers to Pakistan to train the Pakistani Army in counter-insurgency could begin in a matter of weeks on a training base north of Peshawar under a new agreement.

The Los Angeles Times quoted Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen as saying that the US and Pakistan had cleared the remaining obstacles to the arrival of the advisers.

Washington has been urging the Pakistani military to accept the training team for months, the report said. However, Pakistan has resisted such advice, and asked for additional weaponry and equipment that the paper said “some US officials believe is best suited for its standoff with regional rival India”.

Islamabad, Sept. 19 : Pakistan today unveiled plans to acquire more nuclear plants and a satellite communications system.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced the setting up of a committee to work out modalities for the purchases after being briefed on strategic projects by top officials.

An official statement said the committee to "work out the modalities and financial arrangements before a formal decision is made on the purchase of nuclear energy plants and a satellite communication system."

Islamabad, Sept 19 : Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that in the wake of the recent, rather ongoing, US strikes on its soil, the rules of engagement between Pakistan and the US in the war on terrorism needed to be reviewed.

“We can also sit as a government and see if they need to be reviewed,” said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while complaining that Pakistan had not been informed about Wednesday’s attack in South Waziristan.

Karachi - The Pakistan rupee plunged Friday to a new record low of 78 against the US dollar on global financial jitters and domestic economic woes, traders said.

The rupee closed at 78.00-05 against the dollar in both the open and inter-bank markets as compared with 77.70-80 on Thursday.

Traders said lack of inflow of foreign currency and import pressures were the main reasons for creating a shortage.

They said the weakness in major global financial markets would further decrease foreign investors' interest in small emerging markets such as Pakistan, which is facing a myriad of economic problems.

Washington, Sept 19 : The US seems to be caught between India and Pakistan as far as upgrading the F-16 jets is concerned. While the US Congress has already okayed the programme, one major risk for the US involved in the exercise of letting the programme to go through could be straining the ties with India, Thomas Houlahan, the Director of “Military Assessment Programme” has written in an article.

He added that this risk is “offset, and possibly outweighed” by the risk of strained relations with Pakistan if the programme were to be sidetracked.

“The risk that the increasing capability gap between India and Pakistan may increase the possibility of war must also be considered,” the Daily Times quoted Houlhan as saying in the article.

Karachi, Sept 19 : The Sindh Government has reportedly served a notice on the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in Karachi to vacate the Hindu Gymkhana, and hand over its possession to the Sindh government without any compensation.

According to The News, the NAPA has been directed to vacate the Hindu Gymkhana premises within three months of the receipt of the notice.

Once the NAPA vacates the premises, the provincial Culture Department would allow the Hindu community to use a certain portion for their cultural and social activities, while the other portion would be used for setting up a centre for Sindh arts and crafts, added the paper.