Islamabad  - Pakistani security forces have arrested an al-Qaeda operative believed to be linked with the July 2005 London terror attacks which killed 52 people and wounded hundreds more, an intelligence official said Thursday.

Zabi-ul-Taifi, a Saudi national, was seized along with six suspects Wednesday in a raid by paramilitary troops near Peshawar city, the capital of North-West Frontier Province.

"It was a swift operation and the foreigners were captured without any violence," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Karachi, Jan. 22 : Former Pakistan cricket captain and fast bowler Waqar Younis has said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should take firm steps against teams refusing to tour the country, if it wants international cricket in Pakistan to resume.

He said he was opposed to the idea of the PCB hosting Australia at a neutral venue after the Kangaroos had shown their reluctance to come to Pakistan, citing security problems.

Karachi, Jan 22 : Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif may even get a life ban for carrying opium, a leading sports medicine expert has said.

Danish Zaheer, the president of the Sports Medicine Association of Pakistan, said in an interview that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has strict regulations as far as possessing drugs is concerned, and Asif may face a minimum of four years'' suspension or a maximum of a life ban over the drugs offence.

New Delhi, Jan 22 : Pakistan High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik has said that Islamabad is committed to investigating the Mumbai terror strikes and wants to bring the peace process back on track.

Speaking to members of a peace mission from Pakistan at the Pakistan High Commission here, Malik said Islamabad has condemned the Mumbai terror attacks that have cast a dark shadow on Pak-India relations.

New Delhi, Jan 22 : A delegation of social activists, journalists and intellectuals under the banner of ''Peace Mission from Pakistan'', arrived here on Wednesday to ease tensions between the two nations

The South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) and the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) have joined hands in bringing this 24-member peace mission from Pakistan on a three-day visit to India.

SAHR and SAFMA believe the peace process can be reinforced through societal interaction the media and political leadership.

Peshawar, Jan 22 : Pakistani security forces have arrested seven militants during a raid on a militant hide-out in Peshawar, including a senior al Qaeda operative allegedly involved in the July 7 bomb attacks in London in 2005.

The arrested militant, Zabi ul-Taifi, was among seven fighters surrounded by Pakistani forces as they met in a house on the outskirts of Peshawar, The Telegraph reported.