KARACHI: Bike snatchers beat a youth to death, while armed assailants shot one washerman dead on Saturday, sources said. Armed bandits beat a youth, Bilal Awan, resident of Aligarh Colony, to death hitting him on his resistance with pistol butts in North Nazimabad, in a bid to snatch his motorbike KCA-3080, near KDA roundabout.

Armed men barged into the house of a washerman, Qudrat Ullah, 70, and shot him dead in Garden area. Police claimed that the victim was asleep when three or four armed men entered his house shot at him, killing him instantly.

Family members, on hearing gunshots rushed to the scene and found him lying in a pool of blood. They transported him to Civil Hospital thinking he was alive; however, doctors pronounced him dead. Police believe personal enmity was behind the murder.

ROBBERIES: More than 10 bandits barged into a soap factory in Khwaja Ajmer Nagri police limits, made around two dozen inmates their hostage at gunpoint and looted cash, watches and other valuables from them.

Robbers barged into the residence of Habib-ur-Rehman in Darakhshan police limits and looted Rs 100,000 in cash, prize bonds worth Rs 75,000, jewellery and other valuables. Two armed men deprived a cashier, Qudrat, of a soap factory of Rs 176,000 in Sector 11-F, New Karachi.

In other hold-ups, bandits looted cash, jewellery and other valuables from Aslam's house in Mominabad police limits; snatched cash and wristwatch from Khalique in Samanabad police area; looted cash, jewellery and other valuables from M Akram's house in Gulzar-e-Hijri police area.

Meanwhile, armed carjackers took away 12 vehicles, including cars and motorbikes from different city areas.

ARRESTED: The Gulshan-e-Iqbal police raided a flat at KDA Complex in Block II of their area and nabbed five activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement for alleged involvement in the cop-killing case of Friday. Those nabbed were identified as Aamir, Asif, Iqbal, Masood and Muhammad Ali. FIRE: A crockery shop in Liaquat Market, Malir, was gutted when a fire broke out.

QUETTA: Police seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including 84 light-machineguns, 40 sub-machineguns and 248 foreign-made rifles, in a raid conducted here on Saturday.

The police also arrested two suspects during the raid on a house in Killi Goharabad who were guarding the arms and ammunition, Inspector General of Police Balochistan Dr Shoaib Suddle told a press conference. He, however, did not disclose the names of the accused in view of further interrogation.

The IGP, flanked by Balochistan Home and Tribal Affairs' Secretary Azmat Hanif Orakzai, said that on a tip-off the police conducted the major operation in a house in the jurisdiction of Shalkot police station. He added that the weapons were recovered after carrying out digging in various rooms of the house. This is probably the biggest ever arms haul in the history of Pakistan, he claimed.

Shoaib Suddle said that the initial investigations connected the arms dump to a group of terrorists who were responsible for firing rockets and bomb blasts in the provincial capital and some other parts of Balochistan since April 2000.

The special team, conduting the raid, was led by IGP Dr Shoaib Suddle, while DIG police Hamayun Khan Jogezai, SSP Abid Ali and SP Sadar Abdullah took part. The IGP has announced cash awards for the police officials who ensured the successful raid.

The cache included two mortar guns 82 mm (Russian), one recoilless rifle 75 mm (Chinese), 84 light-machineguns, 40 sub-machineguns, 248 foreign rifles, 40 mortar shells 83 mm (Russian), 107 mortar shells 60 mm (Russian), 195 rocket launched shells (Chinese), 133 rocket boosters, 29,655 cartridges of different calibre, 106 boxes of sealed cartridges, 165 magazines of Kalashnikovs, 175 magazines of light-machineguns, two mortar cleaning rods, etc.

This seizure was ample proof of how the foreign sponsored terrorists are out to harm the peace and security of the country, the IGP said. He added that these arms were mostly Russian and had been smuggled into Pakistan for the purpose of sabotage with the support of outside intelligence operators.

Replying to a question, the IGP said that they had constituted three police teams to arrest the culprits involved in the life attempt on the editor of daily Jang Quetta, Majeed Asghar. The police are still without a clue although one month has passed since the incident when some unknown men opened fire with automatic weapons on the vehicle of Majeed Asghar, injuring his driver seriously. The editor, however, survived in attack.

KARACHI: Twenty-six activists of Jaish-e-Muhammad, including its chief Maulana Masood Azhar, have been arrested by the government, Brig Javed Cheema, Director General National Crisis Management Centre told The News on Saturday.

US President George Bush on Friday had hinted that Islamabad had arrested around 50 "extremists or terrorists". While praising President Musharraf, Bush said: "I am pleased to note that President Musharraf has announced the arrest of 50 extreme terrorists -- extremists or terrorists." "And I hope India takes note of that. He (Musharraf) is responding forcefully and actively to bring those who would harm others to justice."

Earlier, New Delhi had asked the Government of Pakistan to handover 30 suspects wanted for involvement in the December 13 attack on the Indian Parliament. The list includes names of Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar, several commanders of Kashmiri fighters outfits whom New Delhi wants to be repatriated to India, besides the five hijackers of the Indian airlines flight to Kandahar whom it alleges to have come to Pakistan.

Pakistan, while condemning the incident, had denied any involvement in the attack. Similarly, the APHC and other Kashmiri organisations had also denied any involvement in the attack. Brig Javed denied the Indian allegation that Maulana Masood Azhar had gone underground. "Maulana Masood has been put under house arrest under MPO (Maintenance of Public Order).

"Maulana had already been banned from entering the NWFP where he used provocative speeches against the government policy of supporting the US-led war on terrorism. Masood was inciting the local populace against the stated government policy."

His arrest has nothing to do with the December 13 attack on the Indian Parliament, Brig Javed said and added in fact Pakistan has been identifying and arresting sectarian terrorists and criminal elements among the fold of Jihadi organisations. Many people have been arrested in this regard, he said.

The interior Minister Lt-Gen (retd) Moinuddin Haider went to Afghanistan many a times to persuade the Taliban leadership to handover those wanted for terrorism in Pakistan. However, the Taliban regime turned down the requests.

Pakistan carried out a crackdown against sectarian organisations a few months ago in which many activists with terrorist connections were arrested and their weapons were confiscated.

Bush "urged President Musharraf to take additional strong and decisive measures to eliminate the extremists who seek to harm India; undermine Pakistan; and provoke a war between India and Pakistan and destabilize the coalition against terrorism," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

In a separate phone call to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Bush said "that the United States is determined to cooperate with India in the fight against terrorism," said McClellan.

In addition, Bush "reiterated his outrage over the December 13 attack" on India's parliament, which New Delhi accuses Islamabad's Inter-Services Intelligence of masterminding. The US leader told Vajpayee "it was a strike against democracy," the White House spokesman said in a conference call with reporters.

Bush also telephoned British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is set to travel to the region, to discuss the escalating tension between the two nuclear rivals and ways for Washington and London to defuse the situation, said McClellan.

Our Islamabad correspondent adds: US President George Bush expressed concern over the Indian military buildup, said an official spokesman. The spokesman said Bush appreciated Pakistan's policy of restraint and swift move against some terrorist outfits.

The two leaders discussed the regional security situation arising out of Indian military buildup and Delhi's offensive mood, which obliged Pakistan to deploy its forces to meet any challenge. It is learnt that Musharraf apprised Bush of the regional security scenario with emphasis on how seriously Indian leaders are trying to disturb peace in the area. He is said to have asked Bush to use his influence on India for exercising restraint, as war cannot resolve problems.