Pakistan raised the stakes in nascent peace overtures with India today, saying it would destroy its nuclear arsenal if its South Asian rival did the same.

India has given a “positive” reply to Pakistan’s invitation for Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to visit, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Islamabad today.

INDIA test-fired a short-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear weapon yesterday, and neighbour Pakistan immediately announced it had tested a similar missile.

INDIAN-RULED Kashmir ended the first stage of state assembly elections yesterday against a backdrop of violence and in the shadow of a tense confrontation between nuclear powers India and Pakistan.

A military aircraft left for the Afghan capital Kabul today to bring a batch of 30 Pakistani supporters of the Taliban who have been freed by the Afghan government at the request of Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf, a senior Pakistani official said.

India today claimed that one of its diplomatic staff has been abducted in Islamabad by Pakistani intelligence personnel, apparently in retaliation for the arrest of a Pakistani diplomat earlier in the week.

Pakistan is offering to hold talks with India about a mutual withdrawal of troops from their border.

Afghan guerrillas have undermined huge armies time and again, but the Taliban and its long-staying guest, Osama bin Laden, face big troubles if they take to the hills of southern Afghanistan to wage a guerrilla war.