New Delhi, Sept. 7 A 5.6-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of India, Afghanistan and Pakistan on Saturday.

The quake struck Afghanistan’s Hindukush region near the border with Pakistan, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The epicentre of the tremor was 66 kilometers south of Faizabad and it struck at a depth of 174 kilometers.

Peshawar, Sept.

Islamabad, Sept. 7 : Foreign and domestic leaders have hailed the election of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, as the president of Pakistan.

Zardari secured 281 of the 426 parliamentary votes and won a thumping majority in three of the four provincial assemblies.

The United States was among the first countries to congratulate Zardari.

Washington - The United States welcomed as a positive sign Pakistan's election of a civilian president and government, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday.

"The civilian government of Pakistan is something that we have welcomed after the free and fair elections. And now, with the new president, I think we have got a good way forward," Rice told reporters on the way to from Tunisia to Algeria.

Peshawar, Sept 6 : Twelve people were killed and at least 30 injured in a bomb blast on the outskirts of Peshawar in Pakistan on Saturday, when the explosion ripped through a security check post in a market area.

The blast took place on Kohat road, near Badaber area, and destroyed more than 15 vehicles, according to Dawn Television.

Shortly after the blast local Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

The terrorists had targeted a police check post, and the resultant blast destroyed two markets.

Washington, Sept 6 : Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Hussain Haqqani has said that Angoor Adda like actions by US forces in Pakistani territory would not be of any help to the war against terror, instead it would spark wrath and fury among the people.

“It doesn’t behoove America taking such unilateral actions especially, when no terrorist was caught,” The News quoted Haqqani as saying.