Armed men stormed into the home of a man from a rival family in eastern Pakistan early today and opened fire, killing the man and his wife, mother and four of his children, police said.

President General Pervez Musharraf today appealed to the international community to assist Pakistan with quake relief, the country’s state-run news agency reported.

Pakistani and Indian troops have traded sporadic gunfire along the line of control dividing Kashmir.

India has delivered to Pakistan a list of 20 other suspected terrorists it wants arrested and handed over.

Pakistan said today it had arrested the outspoken former leader of a militant Islamic group accused by India of helping orchestrate an attack on its Parliament that has taken the two countries to the brink of hostilities.

Elite Indian strike forces have moved closer to Pakistan’s border amid escalating tensions, following a suicide attack on India’s Parliament, the defence minister said.

Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf called India’s prime minister today to ask him to resume the stalled peace talks over the disputed Kashmir region.

A delegation of senior Pakistani officials will go to Afghanistan tomorrow to demand that the ruling Taliban militia hand over Osama bin Laden to the US, a top Government official said.