Islamabad, Nov 7 : Pakistan has said that it would work closely with the next US administration to strengthen bilateral relations.

A statement issued by Pakistan Foreign Office said that the two countries had long enjoyed a strategic and friendly partnership, and that the bilateral relationship would deepen with Barack Obama heading US administration.

Islamabad, Nov 7: A leading human rights organization in Pakistan – the Defence of Human Right (DHR) has reportedly urged the federal government to locate and release the missing persons who were abducted by intelligence agencies during the previous regime.

DHR Chairwoman Amina Masood Janjua said that for the release of missing persons, she had written letters to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the chief of the army staff and the Military Intelligence (MI) Director General.

Islamabad, Nov 7: Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has reportedly expressed concern over the detention of Kashmiri leaders by Indian authorities, and called for their release.

Talking to reporters in Istanbul, Professor Ihsanoglu condemned the continued use of force against Kashmiri people in Kashmir, the Daily Times reported.

Karachi, Nov 7 : Former Pakistan cricket skipper Zaheer Abbas has said that star batsman Mohammad Yousuf’s move to join the “rebel” Indian Cricket League (ICL) was a huge loss to Pakistan cricket.

Yousuf (34) had joined the lucrative ICL on Wednesday, prompting the PCB to ban him from national and international cricket.

Lahore, Nov 7: Saudi Arabia has reportedly agreed to bail out cash-strapped Pakistan with ‘substantial oil supply’ on deferred payment and cash assistance.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide ‘tangible assistance’ to “ease” Pakistan’s balance of payment pressure’ and assured the visiting Pakistani delegation of investing more than one billion dollars in the livestock and agricultural sectors.

“Foreign Minister Shah Mehmoud Qureshi is expected to announce the Saudi package in Islamabad on Friday,” the Dawn News reported.

The Saudi leadership also said that they would increase hiring of Pakistani labour and would provide more financial assistance through the Friends of Pakistan initiative.

Kabul, Nov 7 : US Central Command chief Gen David Petraeus has reportedly said that the US’ missile strikes in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas had killed three of the top 20 Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders in recent months.

He, however, did not identify the leaders who had been killed in such strikes.

Petraeus’ statement is seen as a justification of the US strikes, especially in the wake of recent protests from Islamabad against such strikes, saying that they violated Pakistan’s sovereignty.