! Daily Islam News Serivce

Govt gives nod to drop gas bomb on masses

2011-12-28T08:24:00.001-08:00

Islamabad : Federal government has approved 13-207 per cent increase in the tariff of natural gas from January 1.

The hefty increase in gas tariff would be the first gift of the new year 2012 the final notification of which would be issued by OGRA (Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority).

Gas tariff for residential and commercial consumers would be increased by upto 14 per cent.

Gas tariff for industries would be increased around 17 per cent while fertilizer sector would have to absorb the biggest increase of 207 per cent.

Gas tariff for power producers WAPDA and KESC would increase by 13.5 per cent.

The increase in gas tariff would push the retail prices of the CNG by over 38.5 per cent.

Pak upgrades air defences on Afghan border

2011-12-09T08:03:00.001-08:00

Pakistan has upgraded its air defence system on the Afghan border to make it capable of shooting down aircraft, after Nato strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, a security official told French news agency on Friday.

“Now we have a fully equipped air defence system on the Afghan border. It has the capability to trace and detect any aircraft,” the official in the northwestern city of Peshawar told AFP by telephone.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said the step had been taken to avert air incursions from Afghanistan and to respond to any future air strikes.

“The system has also been upgraded to immediately respond after detecting any aircraft or helicopter and to shoot it down,” he added.

Pakistan shut its border to Nato supply convoys on November 26, the same day as the deadliest single cross-border attack of the 10-year war in Afghanistan.

Blast kills 4 Rangers in Karachi

2011-12-09T08:02:00.001-08:00

The death toll in the blast on Friday morning that hit a Rangers van near Safura Chaowrangi in Karachi has reached to four as an injured succumbed to his injuries in hospital. The injured Rangers were shifted to CMH Malir for treatment.

According to sources, a bomb was planted near Safura Chaowrangi which hit a Rangers van usually stand at the place for security duty. As a result of the blast, three Rangers men were martyred immediately while four others sustained injuries who were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital Malir for medical aid. An injured succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. The explosion damaged the Rangers’ van.

Nato attack was preplanned: DG MO

2011-12-08T08:04:00.001-08:00

Director General Military Operations Major General Ashfaq Nadeem Thursday termed the Nato airstrike on Salala check posts in Pakistan on November 26 as a pre-planned attack.

Giving a briefing to Senate Standing Committee on Defence which met here under the chair of Javed Ashraf Qazi, the DG MO said that after the attack on the check post it was wrongly informed that Volcano check post had come under attack.

He also said that when the Company Commander rushed to the check post he saw that Nato helicopters had returned, which kept the firing assault on until the two check posts were completely destroyed.

"The bunkers were specifically targeted and destroyed," Maj. Gen. Ashfaq Nadeem told the Senate body.

He said that terrorists always hide inside ditches and cracks and they never come up on mountain peaks.

The DG MO said that it was puzzling as to whether the drone attacks in Afghanistan were the acts of Special Forces or ISAF.

Gen Kayani visits Kotri to witness training activities of troops

2011-11-30T07:27:00.001-08:00

RAWALPINDI, Nov 30 (APP): Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Kotri, Sindh, on Wednesday, to witness the training activities at Kotri Ranges. According to ISPR here, the training activities were focused at improving the skills and techniques of troops employed in special operations, particularly anti-terrorist operations. Earlier, on arrival, the COAS was received by Lieutenant General Muhammad Zahir ul Islam, Commander Karachi Corps.

SBP policy rate unchanged at 12% for macro-economic stability

2011-11-30T07:26:00.001-08:00

KARACHI, Nov 30 (APP): The monetary policy of the Central Bank will remain unchanged at 12 percent for the next two months to achieve macro-economic stability, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced here on Wednesday. “Central Board of Directors of the SBP at its meeting held under the chairmanship of SBP Governor, Yaseen Anwar in Karachi has decided to keep the policy rate unchanged at 12 percent after thoroughly considering the need to revive growth and emerging risks to macroeconomic stability,” it said in its announcement.

In its policy statement, the SBP said that in order to encourage depositors to invest in government securities through Investors’ Portfolio Securities (IPS) accounts it decided to promote competition in the banking system and to offer alternative sources of savings to the population.
It claimed that the option of maintaining saving deposits or investments in IPS accounts could provide stiff competition to banks forcing them to offer better returns on deposits.
“This in turn would incentivize savings and help lower the currency in circulation,” it added.
Moreover, it will improve the transmission of monetary policy changes to market interest rates, SBP’s Monetary Policy Decision said, adding that over the time this strategy would also diversify the government’s funding source, deepen the secondary market of government securities, and facilitate the issuance of corporate debt.
Following is the complete text of the Monetary Policy Decision:
The SBP reduced its policy rate by 200 bps, to 12 percent, in FY12 so far. The objective of adopting this stance is to support revival of private investment in the economy despite a constraining domestic and global economic environment.
The primary factors in support of this stance were the expectation of average CPI inflation remaining within the announced target in FY12 and a small projected external current account deficit.
In pursuing this stance SBP did acknowledge the risks to macroeconomic stability emanating from fiscal weaknesses and falling foreign financial inflows.
These include resurgence of medium term inflationary pressures and challenges SBP is facing in managing market liquidity and preserving foreign exchange reserves.
A reassessment of latest developments and projections indicate that macroeconomic risks have somewhat increased during the last two months. For instance, although the year-on-year CPI inflation stands at 11 percent in October 2011, the month-on-month inflation trends, averaging at around 1.3 percent per month during the first four months of FY12, show existence of inflationary pressures.
The sifting of commodity level CPI data reveal that the number of CPI items exhibiting year-on-year inflation of more than 10 percent is consistently increasing and almost all of these items belong to the non-food category. The government has also increased its wheat support price by Rs 100 to Rs 1050 per 40kg for the next wheat procurement season.
The Central Bank said that average inflation may settle around the targeted 12 percent for FY12, it is uncertain that inflation will come down to a single digit level in FY13. The main determinants of this inflation behaviour are government borrowing from the banking system and effects of high inflation on its expected path.
The energy shortages are also holding back the effective utilization of productive capacity and adding to the high inflation-weak growth problem.
On the external front, the earlier comfortable external current account position for FY12, which helped SBP in lowering its policy rate, has become less benign. The actual external current account deficit of $1.6 billion for the first four months of FY12 is now higher than the projected deficit for the year.
The main reason for this larger than expected deterioration is the rising trade deficit. In particular, the windfall gains to export receipts due to abnormally high cotton prices in FY11 have dissipated faster than anticipated.
This is indicated by slightly less than $2 billion per month export receipts in September and October 2011. At the same time, international oil prices of around $110 per barrel and strong growth in non-oil imports have kept the total import growth at an elevated level of close to $3.4 billion per month. Adding to the challenges faced by the external sector is the precarious global economic outlook.
A relatively larger external current account deficit in FY12 would require higher financial inflows to maintain foreign exchange reserves. However, during July-October, FY12, the total net direct and portfolio inflows were only $207 million while there was a net outflow of $113 million in official loans.
As a consequence, SBP’s liquid foreign exchange reserves have declined to $13.3 billion at end-October 2011 compared to $14.8 billion at end-June 2011.
Given the scheduled increase in repayments of outstanding loans in H2-FY12, realization of substantial foreign flows, especially the proceeds of assumed privatization receipts, euro bond, Coalition Support Funds, and 3G licence fees, becomes important for strengthening the external position.
A reflection of widening external current account deficit and declining financial inflows can be seen in the reduction of Rs 115 billion in the Net Foreign Assets (NFA) of SBP’s balance sheet during 1 July to 18 November, 2011. This implies that to meet the economy’s prevailing demand for money, SBP has to provide substantial liquidity in the system, at least to the extent of compensating for the declining NFA of SBP. As of 28 November 2011, the outstanding amount of liquidity injected by SBP through its Open Market Operations (OMOs) is Rs 340 billion. This is significantly higher than normal SBP operations and appears to have developed characteristics of a permanent nature at this point in time.
A dominant source of demand for money and thus liquidity injections by SBP is government borrowings for budgetary support from the banking system. Excluding the issuance of government securities of Rs 391 billion to settle the circular debt and commodity loans, the government has borrowed Rs 255 billion from scheduled banks and Rs 62 billion from SBP during 1 July to 18 November, 2011 to finance its current year’s budget deficit.
The growth in private sector credit has remained muted so far but may pick up in coming months as the desired effects of a cumulative decrease of 200 bps in the policy rate and reduction in financial constraints of the energy sector gather momentum.
In this context where government is the main user of the system’s liquidity and banks remain hesitant to extend credit to the private sector, SBP faces a dilemma. Efforts to scale down liquidity injections could have implications for settlement of payments in the interbank market, which is an important consideration given SBP’s mandate of maintaining financial stability.
There are three solutions to this predicament of reconciling price and financial stability considerations and supporting private investment in the economy. First, the government needs to ensure that all or major parts of budgeted foreign inflows materialize as soon as possible. This will alleviate pressure on the balance of payments and help inject fresh rupee liquidity in the system.
Second, sooner than later the government will have to initiate comprehensive tax reforms that broadens the tax base of the economy.
The last of these solutions is that SBP has been actively working to promote competition in the banking system and to offer alternative sources of savings to the population, SBP has been encouraging depositors to invest in government securities through Investors’ Portfolio Securities (IPS) accounts.
The option of maintaining saving deposits or investments in IPS accounts could provide a stiff competition to banks forcing them to offer better returns on deposits. This in turn would incentivize savings and help lower the currency in circulation. Moreover, it will improve the transmission of monetary policy changes to market interest rates.

German Chancellor phones PM; expresses solidarity with Pakistan

2011-11-30T07:23:00.001-08:00

KARACHI, Nov 30 : German Chancellor Ms. Angela Merkel telephoned Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday and expressed her personal and country’s solidarity and friendship with the people and Government of Pakistan. The German Chancellor expressed her condolences to the families of those who lost their lives during NATO/ISAF strikes against the border posts in Pakistan.

The Prime Minister thanked the German Chancellor and said that he was touched by her sentiments and Pakistan valued the love and friendship by Germany.

The German Chancellor expressed her desire that Pakistan’s participation in the Bonn Conference was of utmost importance to Germany and stressed upon that Pakistan’s representation was essential for making the conference meaningful.

The Prime Minister stated that Pakistan holds Germany in the highest esteem and attaches highest importance to peace, stability and sovereignty of Afghanistan.

However,the Prime Minister said that in the current scenario, in which Afghanistan’s soil has been used against Pakistan, both the Cabinet and the Government had decided that Pakistan’s attendance in the Bonn Conference was no longer possible.

The Prime Minister said that Pakistan had endured the largest number of casualties in the war on terror and had rendered the greatest sacrifices in its endeavours to support and secure Sovereign Afghanistan.
The Prime minister said that Pakistan’s public opinion was inflamed by the fact that the Afghan soil had been used against Pakistan killing 25 innocent soldiers and injuring many others.

The German Chancellor requested the Prime Minister to reconsider Pakistan’s participation in the Bonn Conference adding that Pakistan’s seat should not be left vacant. The German Chancellor insisted that Pakistan’s Foreign Minister should attend the Conference.

The Prime Minister regretted that he would not be able to oblige the German Chancellor in this regard.

The German Chancellor suggested that Pakistan’s Ambassador to Germany should be permitted to represent Pakistan in the Conference.

The Prime Minister said that since Germany and Pakistan had excellent relations in the past and also the German Foreign Minister was the first to express the solidarity with Pakistan and expressed condolences to the families who were killed in the NATO/ISAF attack, he would refer the matter to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security to take the decision.

The Prime Minister said that after the Parliamentary Committee on National Security’s decision he would contact the German Chancellor.

Pakistan boycotts Bonn conference over Nato attack

2011-11-29T09:48:00.001-08:00

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided that it will boycott an international conference on Afghanistan’s future in Bonn next week to protest against a Nato cross-border attack that killed two dozen of its soldiers and plunged the region deeper into crisis, officials said on Tuesday.

“Pakistan has decided not to attend theBonn conference as a protest,” a government official told Reuters after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Lahore.

The cross-border Nato air strike violated Pakistan’s sovereignty and the mandate of international forces in Afghanistan.

Islamabad has halted Nato supply trucks headed for the Afghan border with a warning that there can be no “business as usual” with the US.

It is pertinent to mention that Nato and the US government have apologised, calling the deaths of the 24 Pakistani troops tragic and has ordered an investigation into Saturday’s incident as the attack has angered Pakistan over what the army says was an unprovoked attack on its men.

Afaq Ahmed detained for 30 days

2011-11-29T09:47:00.003-08:00

KARACHI : The Chairman of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi Afaq Ahmed was detained for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

Earlier today, Anti-Terrorism Court of Karachi issued release orders of Chairman MQM Haqiqi Afaq Ahmed in kidnapping case of 2011.

Ahmed was arrested in 22 different criminal cases and was residing in prison since April 2004.

Afaq, who is in jail since April 2004 was granted bail by Sindh High Court on Sept 26, 2011 in last of cases against him, but authorities disallowed his release, detained him under Maintenance of Public Order MPO for one month.

On Oct 6, 2011 police through application informed court that Afaq Ahmed was identified as one of two absconders in kidnapping case lodged against him in 2001.

Applicant’s counsel argued it was politically motivated case since his client was not nominated in FIR. He contended case was registered in 2001 but applicant, who was imprisoned since April 2004 was arrested in present case only last month when he got bail or acquitted in all other cases against him.

Parliament’s joint session discuss Mohmand, memo matter

2011-11-29T09:47:00.001-08:00

Islamabad : Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday announced to summon a joint session of the parliament after the recommendations of the parliamentary committee on National Security to discuss Mohmand Agency incident and the controversial memo affair. He was chairing the meeting of federal cabinet here.

The Cabinet agreed that unilateral actions like Abbottabad incident and last Saturday in Mohmand Agency were “not acceptable”.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar briefed the Cabinet about the incident and described the ongoing diplomatic efforts to highlight the violation of Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty, which is also a violation of the international law.

The cabinet extended deepest condolences to the families of those who embraced Shahadat last Saturday in Mohmand Agency.

World debate on Halal meat on Dec 14-15

2011-10-09T10:38:00.001-07:00

LAHORE: An international conference on promotion of Halal meat will be held on December 14-15 in the city. Delegates from 16 countries are participating in the conference aimed at introducing Pakistani Halal products abroad.

Pakistan Agriculture and Meat Company (PAMCO) Chief Executive Officer Dr Hamid Jalil explaining the objectives of the conference said that it would be a unique moot which would include practical aspects of learning. It has been divided into two segments. On the first day, researchers will present their papers while the second day was allocated for field visits, he added.

The visits include a modern facility set up by PAMCO at $300 million with cooperation from Iran, M-3 HalalIndustrial Park at Faisalabad, National Institute of Food and Technology (NIFT), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and Halal laboratory at University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, so that delegations from different countries could see actual research work.

Zubair Mughal, Chief Executive Officer, Halal Research Council, added that the conference would provide a great opportunity for the Pakistani sector for recognition in the international market which would help boost exports from Pakistan.

50 suspects arrested in join raids in Karachi

2011-10-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

Karachi : Police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) in joint search operation, apprehended 50 suspects in Pak Colony area of the Karachi city on Saturday-Sunday night.

According to details, on a tip off, heavy contingents of police and FC personnel overnight cordon-off Pak Colony, Bara Board, Marble Market and closed all the entry and exit points to the area.

Police said that door to door search operation was conducted in the area as police received secret information about the presence of some criminals.

During the search operation, police arrested 50 suspected persons in two hours long operation. The detainees were shifted for interrogation and the innocent ones would be released soon, police sources said.

"The search operation was conducted in Pak Colony's areas surrounding Noor Mohammad lane and Ghulam Mohammad lane. Two hundred police commandos, 150 FC personnel and 150 police personnel were involved in the operation," police said.

Weapons were also recovered from the 50 suspects who were arrested.

Locals complained that police personnel usually apprehend innocent citizens during stepped up operation against the criminals and then demands bribes for release of apprehended innocent people. Locals demanded of the government to take notice of the incident pointing out that they were not against the nabbing of criminals but police must be ordered to show respect to the innocent citizens during operations and refrain from arresting them for extortion.

Heavy rain in Karachi, more forecast for Sindh

2011-09-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Many roads and streets in the city went inundated as heavy rains lashed Karachi on Sunday afternoon, creating traffic jams and widespread power outages in various areas.

The Met office has predicted more rains in Sindh today evening. It said Sindh received extra 180 millimeter rains during present monsoon season.

Kashmir, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and parts of Balochistan are likely to receive more downpours in next 24 hours.

Thatta, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar and other parts of lower Sindh are expected to receive heavy rain coupled with gusty winds today.

Thundershowers also sent the low-laying areas of the city in knee-deep rainwater. A number of roads including M.A Jinnah Road, Sharah-e-Faisal and Main University Road, Kharadar, Landhi, also went inundated, creating problems for motorists.

Areas near flyovers and underpasses were also badly affected, where the municipal administration deployed workforce and machinery to pump out the accumulated rainwater.

At least 10 people died of electrocution on Saturday in different areas of Karachi. Several injured bikers were rushed to different hospitals, as dozens of motorcycles skidded on slippery roads in different areas.

A number of areas in the city faced power outages with the first drop of rain. However, the pace of rectifying electricity faults remained painfully slow.

Hundreds of thousands of Karachiites — pedestrians as well as those in vehicles — remained stranded on flooded roads and markets for hours on Saturday after a spell of heavy monsoon rains — almost two inches in two hours — battered the metropolis in the afternoon.

Naeem Shah, the city’s chief meteorologist, forecast a spell of heavy rain, spread over three days beginning Sunday, across lower Sindh. He said another strong monsoon weather system, currently lying over central India. was heading towards Sindh.

He said that under the influence of this strong weather system, more widespread heavy to very heavy rains and thundershowers, accompanied by gusty winds, were expected in Badin.

Floods in Sindh: PM Gilani appeals for aid

2011-09-11T01:50:00.000-07:00

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Saturday urged the international institutions, world community and the people of Pakistan at home and abroad to extend full support and cooperation to the government in tackling the situation created by the devastating rains in interior Sindh. Addressing the nation on television and radio, he also appealed to the country’s political and democratic forces to fully cooperate with the government in helping the distressed Pakistani brothers in Sindh by keeping their political differences aside.

Prime Minister Gilani also mentioned the appeal made by President Asif Ali Zardari to the international community through the United Nations and called upon the world institutions and the international community to give immediate attention to the rain-affected people.

“We believe that the international institutions and the world community by giving serious consideration to the President’s appeal will take immediate steps on human grounds and speed up their efforts for the rehabilitation of affected people,” he maintained.

The Prime Minister in his address highlighted the devastation caused by the heavy rains and said “the affected people, currently at relief camps under the open sky, are waiting for immediate assistance.”

He said the scale of destruction caused by the rains was much higher than the initial estimates and the government also required international cooperation for actual assessment of the losses.

Prime Minister Gilani mentioning the past calamities and tragedies including the 2005 earthquake in Northern Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK); 2009 terrorist incidents in KPK and the 2010 unprecedented floods said the Pakistani nation faced those challenges with great courage and fortitude.

The whole nation then came out with great motivation to help their flood affected brethren, he said and appreciated the donor agencies and organizations, philanthropists, government and non-government institutions as well as armed forces for their effective role during the 2010 floods.

The Prime Minister also expressed his gratitude to the international institutions and the world community for extending their full help and cooperation during the 2010 devastating floods.

“Due to the current situation, I want to seek attention of all the countrymen and donor agencies that they by feeling the immediate needs of the rain affected people in Sindh should fully extend their financial and moral support to them,” he added.
“Each and every penny given for the relief and rehabilitation of the affected people will help in saving and improving the standard of their lives”, the Prime Minister remarked and also appealed to the expatriate Pakistanis to cooperate with the government for the relief of affected people.

The Prime Minister assured the Sindhi brothers and sisters that in this hour of trial, the whole Pakistani nation and their government was with them and will not spare any effort to address their miseries.

“Let us stand by shoulder to shoulder with each other in helping our calamity-hit and distressed fellow countrymen. Our unity is our strength and through this strength, we can face the devastation of rain”, he said.

The Prime Minister said that recent rains in Sindh were 142 per cent above normal in the area, which in the initial spell badly affected Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tandu Mohammad Khan and Tando Allah Yar areas of Sindh.

During the second spell, he said, the rains also badly affected Benazirabad, Omarkot, Khairpur, Jamshoro, Naushero Feroze and Tharpharkar areas.

He said that as a whole 21 districts had been affected by the recent rains and floods, which inundated 4.1 million acre of land, made four million people homeless while 141 precious lives were lost.

The Prime Minister said that 4,000 medical camps have so far been set up, where out of four million affected people 150,000 have been accommodated there.

He said the rains severely damaged standing crops on more than 1.7 million acres of land and our government without wasting a single minute started relief work in the affected areas and utilizing all the available resources for their relief.

He said the government has arranged 100,000 additional tents from the local tent manufactures during the next three weeks besides arrangements are being made to distribute 100,000 family ration bags among the affected families on daily basis.

The Prime Minister said that the federal government has so far provided a relief of more than Rs two billion to Sindh Government for flood-victims which includes tents, medicines, food, clean drinking water and other necessities of life.

He hoped that continuity in relief from the Federal Government to Sindh Government would reach to Rs seven billion by September 30.

He said that expenditures of rehabilitation of the flood-victims and reconstruction depends on the survey which would be conducted after monsoon. “I have directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to provide tele-health facilities in the affected areas.

The Prime Minister said that unprecedented rain spells due to climatic changes can make the situation worse and a challengeable task.

Prime Minister Gilani said that rehabilitation of the flood-victims is no doubt a big challenge and requires more unity, sacrifice and patience among us.

He said that as a nation once again we would have to prove our spirit of faith, patriotism and brotherhood. He said that the flood-victims besides their country men are looking for generous help of the overseas Pakistanis and friends of Pakistan.

“I feel contentment while referring that the governments of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had announced Rs two billion each assistance and provided tonnes of daily use commodities for the flood-victims,” the Prime Minister added.

Similarly, the Government of Punjab has provided 24,000 metric tonnes of rice, three mobile hospitals and other relief goods for the flood affected people of Sindh, he said.

The Prime Minister thanked the provincial governments and armed forces of Pakistan, who helped their Sindhi brothers in this critical hour.

He said the demonstration of assistance and sacrifices of our country men has recalled to memory the unprecedented assistance and sacrifices of the whole nation during the last year’s flood.

The Prime Minister said that on that occasion the people showed full demonstration of hospitality by providing food items, health facilities and shelter to the flood affected people.

He said that the large scale devastation of the last year floods could not defeat the courage of sacrifice and cooperation of our people.

Two PIA flights receive bomb threats‎

2011-09-07T09:33:00.001-07:00

Istanbul :Two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights received bomb threats on Wednesday, one of them made emergency landing in Istanbul, while a second one landed safely in Malaysia.

Reports said the bomb alert forced a Britain-bound plane of the PIA to make emergency landing at the International Ataturk Airport of Istanbul, a Turkish television says.

The HaberTurk television, citing unnamed aviation officials, said the plane received the threat while it was over Bulgaria, west of Turkey, and flew back toward Istanbul to land at the International Ataturk Airport.

It says the boeing PK-709 took off from Islamabad and was heading to Manchester, England. Some 378 passengers were on the plane.

The crew were reportedly made aware of the threat while flying over Bulgaria. They called the control tower at Istanbul to request permission for an emergency landing.

Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency said the plane was taken to a remote part of the airport, where the passengers were quickly evacuated.

Sniffer dogs were sent in to check for explosives. The aviation personnel of the International Ataturk Airport called bomb disposal squad which thoroughly searched the plane.

PIA spokesman said a second PIA flight from Islamabad to Kuala Lumpur, PK-898, also received a bomb threat. It landed in Kuala Lumpur and all 176 passengers disembarked safely.

Mashood Tajwar said the threat was received via two separate emails to PIA cargo office.

Car bomb blast kills 11 in Quetta

2011-08-31T02:06:00.000-07:00

A suicide car bomb blast killed at least 11 people on Wednesday and wounded 22 others celebrating Eidul Fitr in the southwestern city of Quetta, police said.

The bomb exploded in a car park next to a mosque where prayers marking the festival were taking place, senior police official Mohammad Hashim told AFP.

Quetta police chief Ahsan Mehboob said a bomb disposal team had concluded that it was a suicide car bomb, as he raised the official toll from 10.

“The death toll is 11 now as one of the wounded men died at the hospital,” Mehboob said.

“Remains of a badly mutilated body were found in the car. It appears that he was not wearing the explosives on his body but he had planted those in the car and detonated when he could not go beyond the parking lot,” Mehboob told AFP.

“Our security was alert, so he could not go beyond the parking, otherwise he might have caused a lot more casualties,” he said, adding that all the dead had been identified by relatives except the suicide bomber.

Quetta police official Hamid Shakil said two women and a seven-year-old boy were among the dead.

Several cars parked nearby caught fire from the blast and one house suffered blast damage, witnesses said.

Shawwal moon sighted, Eid-ul-Fitr on Wednesday

2011-08-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD: The moon for the Islamic month of Shawwal has been sighted and therefore Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated with traditional zeal across the country on Wednesday.

Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman, Chairman of Central Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan made the announcement during a press conference after the Committee's meeting held here at the Met Complex, University Road on Tuesday.

The members of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan, Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Karachi and officials of the Met Office and SUPARCO attended the meeting.

Meetings of all Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committees were also held at their respective headquarters.

Fiery Mirza quits all offices over Karachi unrest

2011-08-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

KARACHI: Senior PPP leader Dr Zulfiqar Mirza on Sunday tender resignation from Sindh Assembly and party office in protest against violence in Karachi and Rangers operation in Lyari area,.

He claimed that he was not taken into confidence by party leadership over the action kicked off in the PPP stronghold which is a hub of criminals and gang war activities.

Addressing a crowded press conference at the Karachi press club, Mirza said that Interior Minister Rehman Malik was “hand in glove with terrorists” and called him a “compulsive liar”.

He said that he had evidence against Malik which he would present to the president and the army chief. He went ahead to add that Malik was harmful for Pakistan.

Mirza said that his ministry had been changed due to blackmail and said that there existed a manipulated mandate in Karachi.

The two-hour-long press conference was unusual which analysts termed as ‘atom bomb’ in the current political scenario, creating more problems of the government as it was indirectly blamed for keeping mum of the misdeeds of various elements in power and alliance.

He brought with him the Holy Quran and a bag of documents. Putting his hand on the Quran and putting it on his head repeatedly during his press conference, he solemnly said that whatever he had said in the past and whatever he will say is absolutely right.

He said “I standby with every word of my statements, I have never uttered any wrong thing deliberately”.

The senior PPP leader said he was still a close friend of President Asif Ali Zardari and a loyalist of PPP. “I have no dispute with my party and have no personal interest”.

Mirza also spoke out against the MQM again. He called the MQM Chief Altaf Hussain a “killer” and called his party a terrorist organisation.

The former Sindh Interior Minister blamed the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for unleashing violence in Karachi and backing target killers, extortionists and other criminal elements.

During his press conference Zulfiqar Mirza revealed about a meeting that he had with the MQM chief in which Altaf Hussain allegedly said that the United States wanted to break up Pakistan and that the MQM would work with them to achieve this agenda.

He also accused the MQM of being responsible for the murder of journalist Wali Khan Babar and revealed the identities of five alleged target killers who were behind the killing.

He also alleged that the present Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) Ahmed Chinoy holds an important position in Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF) which is a welfare wing of MQM.

Mirza said “if anything happens to me then killers of Imran Farooq and Wali Baber should be held responsible”. He also said that if had been given a free hand, he would be able to bring peace in Karachi within 15 days.

Mirza tender resignation from his offices in protest against Rangers operation in Lyari area.

2011-08-28T04:49:00.002-07:00

KARACHI: Senior PPP leader Dr Zulfiqar Mirza said on Sunday that he would tender resignation from his offices in protest against Rangers operation in Lyari area.

He claimed that he was not taken into confidence by party leadership over the action kicked off in the PPP stronghold which is a hub of criminals and gang war activities.

Mirza is a close aide of President Asif Ali Zardari. He is also PPP’s Central Executive Committee member besides Vice President of the party’s Sindh chapter, and a senior provincial minister. Mirza said he would quit all his offices.

Mirza is likely to address a press conference this evening in Karachi alongwith local PPP office bearers who have also quitted party posts today in protest against the operation.

The operation by law enforcement agencies is underway in various parts of the city in which a large number of suspects are captured and presented before the court.

Also today, the Rangers carried out 8-hour-long operation in Lyari, eliminating two torture cells, arresting dozens of criminals and recovering heavy arms and ammunition from their possession.

However, the operation exposed fragmentation between PPP quarters as the federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik is supporting Rangers action in Karachi while Mirza is of the view that it should not be carried out in PPP areas.

Mirza had lashed out at Malik at the special Sindh cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Gilani a week ago, calling for Malik to be banned from entering the province.

He termed it federal government’s interference in provincial affairs.

On the other hand, PPP MNA from Lyari, Nabeel Gabol, while talking to a private channel today, also gave vent to his reservations, saying that the operation should be carried out in the entire city, not in Lyari alone.

“I can’t tolerate discrimination and atrocities with the people of Lyari,” he said, adding that Mirza would not take any step against party interests.

Mirza says he will resign over Lyari operation

2011-08-28T04:49:00.001-07:00

At least 10 die in car bomb attack on Nigeria U.N. HQ

2011-08-26T11:34:00.001-07:00

Abuja : A car bomb ripped through the United Nations’ headquarters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Friday, killing at least 10 people, security sources and witnesses said.

They said the car rammed into the office building before exploding in an attack similar a June assault on the Abuja police headquarters claimed by Boko Haram, a Nigerian radical Islamist sect.

“We have had 10 dead and there could be more,” said a medical official who declined to give his name.

The U.N. building was blackened from top to bottom and the remains of a car had fallen into the basement. Soldiers, firefighters and rescue workers swarmed over the area.

An Abuja-based security source said he suspected the attack was carried out by a Nigerian Islamist group, whose strikes have been growing in intensity and spreading further afield, or the North African arm of al Qaeda.

“This is very likely the work of Boko Haram and, or, AQIM (al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) and is a serious escalation in the security situation in Nigeria,” the security source said. “This is the worst thing that could have happened.”

Gaddafi forces bombard Tripoli airport, damage plane: TV

2011-08-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

DUBAI: Forces loyal to fugitive Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi have bombarded the capital’s airport on Friday, damaging a plane, Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV reported.

There was an exchange of gunfire between Gaddafi forces and rebel fighters near the airport, the channel said in a rolling banner headline.

Libyan rebels stormed Tripoli’s Abu Salim district, one of the main holdouts of forces loyal to Gaddafi in the capital, after NATO air strikes on a building in the area on Thursday.

PM urges civil bureaucracy to implement policies, ensure good governance

2011-08-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD:Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday called upon the country’s civil bureaucracy to play effective role in implementing government policies and ensuring good governance.“Despite having the best and most competent officers to run our ministries, divisions and key institutions, we have yet to make headway in effective implementation which is a key element of good governance,” the Prime Minister said while addressing Federal Secretaries at an Iftar dinner hosted by Secretaries Committee here.He said, “My personal observation has been that there is a yawning gap between formulating policies and their implementation. We must, under no circumstances, allow this to continue.”

He called for a paradigm shift in managing institutions and programs.“You will have to go out yourself to see the implementation on ground and ensure that all bottlenecks and impediments are removed.”

Gilani said there is a dire need to institute a mechanism of monitoring and evaluation which is a grey area.

He expressed optimism that bureaucracy will be able to come up with an effective monitoring and evaluation mechanism which will point out the gaps in performance and help in devising future strategies.

FBR extends dates for filing of returns

2011-08-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD : The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Friday extended the due dates for filing of Income Tax Returns for the tax year 2011.

According to a notification issued by Inland Revenue Wing, the date for filing of Returns of total Income/Statements of Final Taxation has been extended upto 30th September, 2011. Earlier filings of these returns were due on 31st of August 2011.

In addition, for filing of Returns of Total Income/Statements of Final Taxation that were due on 30th of September, 2011, the date has been extended upto 31st October, 2011.

This extension has been given in exercise of the powers conferred under section 214A of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2011, the statement added.

! Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits U.S. state of Virginia

2011-08-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Newyork : Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits U.S. state of Virginia, tremors felt in Washington, D.C. and New York,Cnn Reported