Peshawar, May 22 (ANI): The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has sought the help of an elderly pro-Taliban cleric to initiate peace talks with the militants, party officials have said.

The political party approached Samiul Haq, also known as the Father of the Taliban, after emerging from elections as the largest party in the troubled northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reports The Express Tribune.

Islamabad, May 22 (ANI): Chinese premier Li Keqiang has arrived in Pakistan for an official visit from May 22-23, the Foreign Ministry has said.

It is the first visit of Premier Li Keqiang to Pakistan after he became premier of the People's Republic of China.

Rawalpindi, May 21 (ANI): Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said that the people of Pakistan have defied and defeated unfounded dictates of an insignificant and misguided minority in the general elections.

The Daily Times quoted Kayani, as saying that in the recently conducted general elections, the nation has amply demonstrated that it can withstand any challenge.

Rawalpindi, May 21 (ANI): Former Pakistan military chief and president Pervez Musharraf has been granted bail in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

The court ordered Musharraf to submit two surety bonds of Rs 1 million each, reports The Express Tribune.

Musharraf's lawyers argued that this was a political case and the responsibility of Benazir's security lay with the officers on duty, not Musharraf.

Former premier Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007.

Karachi, May 21 (ANI): The British government has contacted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan with regards to his concerns for the safety of party workers in Karachi, his sister has said.

Khan's sister, Aleema, said that her brother was concerned about the safety of the PTI supporters protesting in Karachi, since supporters and leaders were receiving threats, reports The Express Tribune.

Karachi, May 19 (ANI): Religious discrimination and acts like forced conversion of Hindu girls in Pakistan should be declared as crimes against humanity and legal action should be taken to curb it, speakers at a consultation on minority rights have said.

Karachi, May 19 (ANI): Pakistan's Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has demanded that a high level judicial inquiry be conducted into the events surrounding the murder of senior vice president in Sindh of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Karachi.

MQM deputy convener Farooq Sattar, while speaking at an emergency press conference, extended their party chief's condolence and condemnation message to the family of Zahra Hussain and PTI workers.

Islamabad, May 18 (ANI): The lawyer who had filed a petition in the judges' detention case has withdrawn his complaint against former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf.

The decision was taken by Advocate Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Ghumman a day before the hearing of the case on Saturday by the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court.

According to Dawn News, the case was to be heard at General Musharraf's Chak Shahzad farmhouse, which has been declared a sub-jail.

Islamabad, May 18 (ANI): The coming provincial government was ready to hold talks with the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) senior leader has said.

Pervez Khattak, who is soon-to-be Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said that they have no enmity with the Taliban.

Islamabad, May 17 (ANI): The Pakistan Foreign Office has said that it is expecting the peace process with India to gain pace after the installation of the new government.

The Dawn quoted Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry as saying that they are hoping that the dialogue process would pick up momentum in all areas.

The peace process has been on a virtual hold since the violations of the Line of Control in Kashmir at the start of this year.

Karachi, May 17 (ANI): A Pakistani-American man, who was kidnapped on May 14 has been recovered by the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) and Karachi police, following a joint operation carried out late night in Defence Phase-II area of Karachi.

The News quoted CPLC chief Ahmed Chenoi as saying, that Amir Hamza was kidnapped for a ransom of Rs 20 million.

He said that three kidnappers were killed while two others, including a woman, were arrested during the operation.

London/Brussels, May 17 (ANI): Condemning the brutal murder of Kashmiri nationalist leader Arif Shahid on May 13 the Kashmir National Party (KNP) will observe a five-day long hunger strike outside Pakistani High Commission in London from May 20 (Monday).

Shahid, who led the All Parties National Alliance (APNA), was killed by unidentified men outside his home in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Lahore, May 17 (ANI): Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has said that a Taliban supported government has come into power after strange elections where both the winners and losers have staged protests against rigging.

Qadri said that the Election Commission of Pakistan has held this general election by design. He said super powers needed to see the Taliban's friendly government in ruling as their withdrawal is scheduled in 2014, reports The Express Tribune.

New York, May 16 (ANI): Pakistan's newly elected premier Nawaz Sharif will face a number of staggering challenges, an editorial in an American daily has said.

Lahore, May 16 (ANI): Legal representatives of Google Inc. are expected to appear before the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday to explain the company's position in the YouTube case.

Last year, the video-sharing website was blocked by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) over a blasphemous movie - 'Innocence of Muslims'- that angered Muslims around the world.

Lahore, May 16 (ANI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has given a three day ultimatum to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to probe rigging in the general elections otherwise his party would launch protests across the country against the ECP.

The Daily Times quoted Khan, as saying that the ECP has failed to meet the expectations of the masses.

Islamabad, May 16 (ANI): Pakistan may face an international travel ban, including a possible ban on Hajj travel by Saudi Arabia, due to its failure to control a measles outbreak.

Dr Sania Nishtar, Minister for Information and Technology, Education and Trainings and Science and Technology, said that this was the second time a measles outbreak could not be prevented in Pakistan, and this, she warned, could lead to international isolation and a potential travel ban, reports The Express Tribune.

Lahore, May 16 (ANI): Former Pakistan army chief and president Pervez Musharraf, who is being tried in a number of cases of serious nature and detained at his farmhouse sub-jail, will leave the country before the swearing-in of the new government, according to PML-Z chief and MNA-elect Ijazul Haq.

Islamabad, May 16 (ANI): The brother of slain Pakistani minister Shahbaz Bhatti will speak in front of Pope Francis and some 120,000 members of new Catholic religious movements on Saturday, the Vatican has said.

Religious freedom advocate Paul Bhatti, a Catholic like his brother, is minister of national harmony and minority affairs and head of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance.

Islamabad, May 16 (ANI): British High Commissioner Adam Thomson has taken notice of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain's statements of separating Karachi.

Thousands of complaints were sent to the London metropolitan police after Altaf addressed his supporters in Karachi where he allegedly threatened PTI supporters who were protesting against rigging.