Islamabad, Dec. 25: Even as the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) sustained its state of high alert, there were reports of the fighter jets continuing aerial surveillance over the Chashma nuclear power plant and other sensitive sites.

Pakistan had put its airbases on high alert over fears of Indian `surgical strikes' following the Mumbai terror attacks.

According to the Daily Times quoting a NNI source, the Lahore, Sargodha and Chaklala airbases were put on `high alert' on Monday to get ready for a war-like situation.

Some news reports also indicated that blackout exercises in Mianwali over the next few days.

According to the paper's sources, PAF is prepared to deal with any aggression from India.

New York, Dec 25: The attack on NATO supplies provided the latest evidence of how extensively militants now rule the critical region east of the Khyber Pass, the narrow cut through the mountains on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The area encompasses what is officially known as the Khyber Agency, which is adjacent to Peshawar and is one of a handful of lawless tribal districts on the border. But security in Khyber has deteriorated further in recent months with the emergence of a young Taliban commander, The New York Times reported.

Escalating violence on the Khyber road has paralleled the rise of Hakimullah Mehsud, a young Taliban commander and lieutenant of Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the main Pakistani Taliban faction.

Rawalpindi, Dec. 25 : The Pakistan Crime Investigation Department (CID) has released the12th edition of its `Red book' that includes more than 43 names of the most wanted criminals.

The offenders of the high profile cases, linked with the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, life attempts of former president Pervez Musharraf and the former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, are listed in the Red book, the Daily Times reported.

Sources said that Rawalpindi police had been given 164 copies of the book that rated alleged Bhutto assassins as the five most wanted terrorists.

Lahore, Dec 25 : In the backdrop of the Mumbai terror attacks and growing international pressure on Pakistan to arrest the perpetrators of the carnage, Islamabad has claimed to have arrested an Indian national in connection with yesterday's bomb blast in Lahore, a move however denied by local police officials.

The accused has been identified as Munir alias Satish Anand Shukla, a resident of Kolkata.

Pakistani media reports have claimed that the arrested man had worked with the Indian High Commission in London earlier.

Fake identity cards and other materials were recovered from the man. Authorities have claimed that they intercepted phone calls of Shukla before arresting him.

Jamshoro, Dec. 25: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has vowed to defend the country `until the last breath', and said no compromise would be made with the nation's sovereignty.

"We will defend the country till our last breath," a former CCP cadet himself, Asif Ali Zardari said, while addressing the annual parents' day of Cadet College Petaro (CCP).

He also added that Pakistan was a great country and that freedom was its national ideology, the Daily Times reported.

Islamabad, Dec 25 : Pakistan will not ask India for consular access to the lone terrorist arrested after the Mumbai terror attacks until his nationality is confirmed.

Pakistan Prime Minister adviser on Interior Rehman Malik denied that the lone gunman arrested after the Mumbai terror attacks was a Pakistani, saying that NADRA records did not contain Ajmal Qasab's name.

"The investigation is still in progress, and the findings will be shared later on," he said.

Kasab was remanded to police custody on Wednesday for a further two weeks, and Indian police said a `lengthy charge sheet' was being prepared, the Daily Times reported.