Washington, Nov 11 : US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher has reportedly said that the US has seen a lot of real determination in the new Pakistani government to fight terrorism.

“Pakistanis were focused on how to deal with violent extremism,” the Daily Times quoted Boucher as saying after his last week’s visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He said that Washington’s goal was to work with Pakistan and Afghanistan in dealing with the common threat in their border region.

Islamabad - A Pakistani court on Tuesday extended the detention of a senior executive at a top currency exchange firm who is accused of being involved in the illegal transfer of millions of dollars abroad, officials and media reports said.

Munaf Kalia of Khanani and Kalia International was detained in Karachi, the country's commercial and financial hub, at the weekend by the Federal Investigation Agency after weeks of surveillance.

Islamabad - At least 13 Islamic militants were killed in clashes with government troops in north-west Pakistan, security officials said Tuesday.

Five insurgents, including their commander, were killed in a gunfight that broke out late Monday when the militants opened fire on security forces during a search operation in the Matta area of the restive Swat district, said Colonel Nadeem Ahmad, an army spokesman in the area.

The troops also destroyed a militant ammunition dump in the fighting that also left several rebels injured, he said.

Islamabad, Nov 11 : The International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s executive board’s meeting, which is scheduled to be held on Nov 22, is likely to approve a two-year 7.5 billion dollar bailout package under the stand-by arrangement (SBA).

The IMF will extend the loan under the newly created short-term liquidity facility (SLF), under which all the emerging economies with a strong record of implementing rigid macroeconomic policies, but caught up in the global financial crisis, are eligible for loans.

Lahore, Nov 11 : Policemen who are supposed to perform a 12-hour shift while standing alert at police pickets installed at exit and entry points of Lahore city, are shunning the “heavy” jackets as they weigh around 15-20 kg.

They complain that it was impossible to wear the jackets as they were too heavy to wear for 12 hours at a stretch.

Hence, they have decided not to wear them, thereby putting their lives at stake in a possible suicide attack, reported the Daily Times.

Superintendent of Police (SSP-operations) Shafique Ahmad had during a visit to Sagian Bridge ordered the provision of bulletproof jackets to the police squad.

Islamabad, Nov 11 : Former Pakistan prime minister Shaukat Aziz made as many as 50 foreign visits between 2004 and 2007, costing the national exchequer more than Rs one billion (Rs 100 crores).

Details of Aziz’s foreign visits provided by the country’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi show that in 2004, the former prime minister visited 11 countries – Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, UAE, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Maldives, India and China – that cost the national kitty Rs 92.02 million. With 81 people making up his entourage and a bill of Rs 24.57 million, the five-day visit to China proved to be the costliest for the year.