South Asian News Agency (SANA)

Government succeeds in stabilizing economy: PM

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:39:59 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said the Government’s long-term measures have succeeded to stabilize the economy. He said macro-economic stability has been restored and economy is back on its growth path. However, he stressed the need to leverage on new avenues for additional resource creation. The Prime Minister, while talking to [...]

No report on anyone rescued alive: Malik

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:38:10 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Federal Interior Minister Rehman A Malik said all the passengers and plane crew on board the ill-fated plane of Airblue, died in the crash on Wednesday. No one could escape the crash alive, he added saying the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out in an accident of that magnitude. Every aspect of the [...]

No need of any certificate about security forces, intelligence agencies role: Bashir

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:37:53 +0000

ISLAMABAD,(SANA): Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir has said that the elements blaming of Al-Qaeda leadership’s presence in Pakistan wanted to hold Pakistan responsible for the defeat of international coalition in Afghanistan. There is no need of any certificate about the role of government, security forces and intelligence agencies. He stated this during his talks [...]

CAA forms inquiry committee to probe plane crash

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:37:25 +0000

KARACHI, (SANA): The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has formed a six member team to investigate Wednesday into plane crash near Islamabad. An official of the CAA said here, that the inquiry team is led by Air Commodore Khawaja Abdul Majeed, president of the CAA’s Safety Investigation Board. He said that the inquiry committee has been directed to [...]

Pilot fatigue may be reason behind crash: PALPA

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:36:54 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA):President of Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA), Captain Sohail Baloch on Wednesday said Margalla Hills plane crash may be attributed to pilot’s fatigue. “The pilot may be suffering from accumulated fatigue because they are not given adequate leaves,” he told a private news channel. Captain Sohail Baloch said the route was not a [...]

President, PM dispatch personal helicopters for rescue work

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:36:21 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Soon after the crashing of the passenger plane in Margalla hills, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minster Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani have dispatched their personal helicopters to take part in rescue work. The passenger plane of a commercial air line Air Blue ED 202 has left Wednesday morning Karachi for Islamabad, however unfortunately [...]

DNA tests to identify crash victims

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:36:05 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Pakistani health officials said Wednesday they would have to use DNA tests to identify charred bodies plucked from the wreckage of an airliner that crashed into hills outside Islamabad. “Most of the dead bodies are in pieces, only body parts, some of them badly burnt… these can only be identified through DNA,” Mahmood Jamal, [...]

US envoy condoles over crash

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:35:31 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): U.S. Ambassador Anne W. Patterson has expressed her sincere condolences on behalf of the United States to the people of Pakistan and to the families and friends of those who died in Wednesday’s plane crash. In a statement issued here by the U.S. embassy, the ambassador shared her feelings of condolence with the [...]

Air blue, 2nd largest service operating from 2004

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:35:22 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Air blue is the second largest airline service of the country, which started its operation from 2004. Air blue is a commercial airline and 30% of its shares are with Pakistani owners. The company operated 30 flights daily out of which four flights are domestic and the remaining 27 are international. These international flights [...]

HEC summons meeting over fake degrees issue

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:34:40 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has summoned meeting of all universities’ Vice Chancellors over the matter of fake degrees, said sources Wednesday. According to the HEC sources, the decision to call meeting was taken after receiving universities’ reports over degrees. The meeting will review the pressure mounted on HEC for the verification of degrees. The [...]

Embassy of Turkey condoles on plane crash

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:34:01 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Islamabad on Wednesday expressed deep sorrow and grief over the plane crash in Islamabad and extended its condolences for the loss of lives, to Pakistan and its brotherly people. The Embassy also announced that there is no scheduled flight of Air Blue from Turkey to [...]

Four killed in Karachi building collapse

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:33:22 +0000

KARACHI, (SANA): A four-storey building collapsed in Karachi’s Orangi Town on Wednesday killing at least four persons. Seven persons have been rescued from the debris of the collapsed building, while 40 persons still trapped in the building rubbles. Around 50 persons were residing in the building situated at Friends More in Orangi Town, [...]

Islamabad is not an easy destination to fly into’

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:33:16 +0000

KARACHI, (SANA): The captain of the passenger jet that crashed in the hills of Islamabad on Wednesday was a top professional flying into one of the most testing airports for pilots, a colleague said. “Islamabad airport’s location is not an easy destination to fly into,” Hashim Raza Gardezi, a former colleague of Pervez Iqbal Chaudhry [...]

Help desk established to facilitate families of passengers of flight-202

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:32:30 +0000

KARACHI, (SANA): The private airline ‘Airblue’ has set up a help desk at Quaid-e-Azam International Airport to facilitate the families of passengers of its flight 202, which crashed in Margalla hills near Islamabad on Wednesday. The staff of the airline is providing details from the help desk about the passengers of the crashed plane. A list of [...]

Senate offers fateha for victims of crashed plane

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:31:51 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Senate session was adjourned after a brief meeting offering fateha for those who lost their lives in the air crash in Islamabad on Wednesday. Members belonging to different parties expressed grief over the tragedy and urged the government to take appropriate steps for relief and compensation. Chairman Farooq H. Naek expressed the confidence that the [...]

Names of crew members of private crashed airliner

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:31:34 +0000

KARACHI, (SANA): Six members of the crew killed in the crash of private airliner into Margalla Hills near Islamabad on Wednesday. According to list issued by the AirBlue, Pervaiz Iqbal Chaudhry was the captain while other members of the crew were Muntajib, Um-e-Habiba, Hina Usman, Naheed Bhatti and Shahzia Razzak.

Police seize relief material, detains, releases 60 persons

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:30:53 +0000

SRINAGAR, (SANA): In the Indian occupied Kashmir, police seized huge quantity of relief material raised by the people of Shopian for the residents of Srinagar, who were under curfew and restrictions for last one month, near Sonawar and detained nearly 60 youth. Policemen seized 40 relief-laden vehicles and detained people in Sonawar and Pantha Chowk areas [...]

Cop shoots injures two colleagues in Pattan

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:23:42 +0000

SRINAGAR, (SANA): A policeman shot at and injured two of his colleagues inside a camp of Special Operations Group (SOG) in Baramulla district. Constable Javaid Ahmad, who had a quarrel with his colleagues over some issue, opened fire and injured two constables of Special Operations Group inside camp in Pattan area of the district. Both the injured [...]

Human rights excesses in held Kashmir highlighted in London

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:23:21 +0000

LONDON, (SANA): Dr Angana Chatterji, co-convenor of the International Peoples Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Jammu and Kashmir narrated human rights excesses in Occupied Kashmir and called for bettering monitoring of the humanitarian situation in the valley. Dr Angana Chatterji, while addressing a composite gathering at Kashmir Centre London, said that the disturbing [...]

Kashmiri lawyers threaten valley-wide agitation

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:22:48 +0000

SRINAGAR, (SANA): In Indian held Kashmir, the Kashmir High Court Bar Association has threatened to launch a valley-wide agitation if the authorities do not release Bar President, Mian Abdul Qayyum and General Secretary, G.N Shaheen. The lawyers have vowed to continue courts boycott till July 29. The Bar has also decided to provide legal aid [...]

After normal day Tuesday, Kashmir shuts again

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:22:31 +0000

SRINAGAR, (SANA): After a normal day the other day, Kashmir valley again observed a complete shutdown on Wednesday in response to the call given by the Hurriyat Conference (G) spearheading the ongoing “Quit Kashmir Movement.” After offering nightlong prayers in various Masjids and shrines across the Valley on the occasion of Shab-e-Baraat, people stayed indoors [...]

Govt orders probe into protest deaths in occupied Valley

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:21:53 +0000

SRINAGAR, (SANA): The puppet regime in occupied Kashmir Wednesday ordered a judicial probe into the recent deaths of 17 innocent Kashmiris in clashes between anti-India protesters and security forces. It is worth mentioning that the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley was wracked by angry demonstrations since June 11, when a 17-year-old boy died after being hit by [...]

Oil hovers around 77 dollars in Asia

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:21:15 +0000

SINGAPORE, (SANA) : Oil extended losses in Asian trade on Wednesday, hovering around 77 dollars a barrel as waning consumer confidence in the United States affected investors’ appetite. New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in September, was down 43 cents to 77.07 dollars a barrel in morning trade. London’s Brent North Sea crude [...]

SECP receives overwhelming response to amnesty schemes

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:18:49 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) have received an overwhelming response to its amnesty scheme for regularization of belated returns and easy exit facility to dormant companies, which was launched on July 1, 2010 for three months. Under the Company Regularization Scheme (CRS) some 250 companies have regularized their defaults and [...]

Mobilink Super Engineer Competition Concludes

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:18:21 +0000

LAHORE, (SANA): Mobilink, Pakistan’s market leader in cellular services and part of Orascom Telecom Holding, held a prize distribution ceremony at Mobilink Office Islamabad, to conclude the “Mobilink Super Engineer Competition”. The title was won by students from Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology. Securing 1st position with their project, “Traffic [...]

Afghan bus hits roadside bomb, 25 dead: governor

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:17:37 +0000

HERAT, J (SANA): Atleast twenty five civilians were killed and another 27 injured when a crowded bus hit a Taliban-style roadside bomb in southwestern Afghanistan early Wednesday, an official said. The bus was travelling on a highway in the Delaram district of Nimroz province when the blast occurred, provincial governor Ghulam Dastgir Azad said. “The roadside bomb [...]

US braces for blowback over Afghan war disclosures

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:13:32 +0000

WASHINGTON, (SANA): Operatives inside Afghanistan and Pakistan who have worked for the U.S. against the Taliban or al-Qaida may be at risk following the disclosure of thousands of once-secret U.S. military documents, former and current officials said. As the Obama administration scrambles to repair any political damage to the war effort in Congress and among [...]

Tonga commits troops to Afghanistan to create jobs

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:12:54 +0000

NUKU’ALOFA (SANA): The tiny Pacific kingdom of Tonga has agreed to send troops to Afghanistan, saying “it looks safer than Iraq” and that the fight against the Taliban will provide much needed jobs. A contingent of 55 Tongan soldiers is expected to begin service in Afghanistan in November, the first of 275 soldiers committed over a [...]

Butt puts his trust in Pakistan pace trio

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:12:18 +0000

NOTTINGHAM, (SANA): Pakistan captain Salman Butt has backed the seam bowling trio of Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul to carry on from where they left off against Australia when they face England. Pakistan go into the first of a four-Test series against England starting at Trent Bridge here on Thursday on the back of [...]

No survivors, as Airblue flight crash kills 152

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:04:13 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): A private plane ‘Air Blue’ flight from Karachi to Islamabad, carrying 152 people came down in Margalla Hills Wednesday after losing contact with the control tower of Islamabad airport, killing all the passengers onboard, officials said. It is worth mentioning that Interior Minister Rehman Malik early claimed that five injured were rescued from wreckages [...]

Cabinet meeting postponed; one day national mourning

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:56:18 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA) : The Federal Cabinet on Wednesday expressed shock and deep sorrow over the tragic air crash on Margalla hills and announced a day of national mourning. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, at its regular weekly meeting expressed shock over the crash and offered fateha for the passengers killed in [...]

NATO: 1 missing sailor killed in Afghanistan

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:21:59 +0000

KABUL, (SANA): A NATO official says that one of two sailors missing in Afghanistan since last week has been confirmed dead. The official says the body of the dead sailor has been recovered and family members informed. The official spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity out of a desire to protect any information that might [...]

Extra ordinary increase in Malik security

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:16:05 +0000

ISLAMABAD, July 27 (SANA): Federal police has made extra ordinary increase in the security of Federal Minister for Interior Affairs Rehman Malik after receiving new life threats from the terrorists involved in the terrorists activities in the country. According to well placed sources in the federal police, Rehman Malik received the latest threats following the [...]

Malik claims four private armies operational in Balochistan

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:15:06 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday claimed that four private armies were operating in Balochistan adding they were responsible for all violent acts in the province including the target-killing, attacking government installations and security persons. Talking to media at the Senate, he said the four armies included the BRA, BLF, [...]

Gilani for focusing on utilization of energy resources

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:14:37 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani called upon all the Chief Ministers to focus on effective utilization of available energy resources. The Prime Minister was talking to the Chief Ministers of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat prior to the review meeting on the decisions of Energy Summit held [...]

Terrorism to flourish across country if Southern Punjab operation launched: JI

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:14:14 +0000

LAHORE, (SANA): Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Syed Munawar Hassan said on Tuesday that if the operation was launched against militants in North Waziristan and southern Punjab, terrorism would spread to every nook and corner of the country. Talking to media after the inauguration of MIR machine in a hospital here, he said that innocent people [...]

Malik orders irrespective action against persons involved in target killings

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:13:52 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Interior Minister Rehman Malik has ordered the security agencies to stop incidents of target killing without any discrimination. Rehman Malik said that the additional continents of rangers and police have been deployed in the turbulent areas. Talking to reporters at the Parliament House, the minister said crackdown against the terrorists would continue [...]

Training workshop on ‘Reporting Gender, Social Development Issues’ today

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:13:28 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): A three-day long training workshop for student journalists on ‘Reporting Gender and Social Development Issues’ organized by Allama Iqbal open university will start today which will continue till Friday. The workshop will be held at the Allama Iqbal Open University’s Mass Communications Department in collaboration with Action-Aid Pakistan. Member National Assembly Sherry Rehman [...]

Reference against Sindh Home Minister for harassing HEC Chairman to be filed’

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:13:11 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Chairman Standing Committee on Education Abid Sher Ali has said that a reference will be filed against Sindh Home Minister Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza for harassing HEC Chairman Javed Laghari within two to three days. Talking to media at Lahore airport after coming back home from Dubai, he said the verification process of degrees [...]

Imran slams Sindh govt for Karachi target killings

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:12:20 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has expressed his extreme concern over the grown and growing incidence of target killings in Karachi. In a press statement on Tuesday, he billed it as a collective failure of the three mainstream political parties including Pakistan Peoples’ Party, Awami National Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement [...]

Incessant rains lashes parts of country, inundate villages

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:11:33 +0000

ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI, (SANA): Most parts of the country including the federal capital, Karachi and other provincial metropolis received continued downpour that inundated most parts of the country on Tuesday. Report compiled from different areas reveals that the continued rains brings cool breez and normalcy amid scorching heat. The fresh spell of monsoon rains [...]

Extra ordinary increase in Malik security

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:11:17 +0000

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): Federal police has made extra ordinary increase in the security of Federal Minister for Interior Affairs Rehman Malik after receiving new life threats from the terrorists involved in the terrorists activities in the country. According to well placed sources in the federal police, Rehman Malik received the latest threats following the measures [...]

Training workshop on ‘Reporting Gender, Social Development Issues’ today

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:10:50 +0000

Pakistan unanimously elected on Executive Board of AIBD

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:10:31 +0000

MACAU, CHINA, (SANA): Pakistan was unanimously elected on the nine-member Executive Board of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) for a period of two years on Tuesday during the 36th annual General Conference. Murtaza Solangi, Director General Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation represented Pakistan in the conference. Laos proposed Pakistan to be elected on the [...]

Iran vows to defy new sanctions

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:09:41 +0000

TEHRAN, (SANA): Iran vowed on Tuesday to press ahead with its nuclear programme as it condemned tough new sanctions aimed at forcing it to resume talks with world powers about its controversial atomic drive. The European Union slapped fresh sanctions on Iran’s key energy sector on Monday in a bid to halt its sensitive uranium enrichment [...]

Australia orders inquiry into leaked Afghan war files

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:08:38 +0000

SYDNEY,(SANA): Australia Tuesday ordered an internal defence inquiry into thousands of leaked US military documents relating to the Afghan war to see whether they posed a risk to operations. Prime Minister Julia Gillard, whose government has some 1,550 soldiers in the troubled country, said she was concerned about what she called a “national security-style material leak”. “This [...]

Cases against doctors in held valley lodged

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:08:01 +0000

SRINAGAR, (SANA): Police have registered a case against a dozen doctors of Government Medical College here after they staged a peaceful sit-in against human rights violations. Police registered an FIR (No. 11/2010) against them in police station Karan Nagar for various ‘offences.’ A senior police official said that a case has been registered against the [...]

Occupied Kashmir once again shut, tense

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:05:53 +0000

SRINAGAR, (SANA): After a day’s breather, Kashmir Valley again remained shut the other day in response to the Hurriyat’s strike call. Restrictions remained imposed in parts of downtown here even as protests broke out in uptown areas. Nearly a dozen persons were injured in the clashes between protesters and forces. Protests broke out at Rambagh [...]

Now lawyers in occupied Kashmir go on hunger strike

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:05:29 +0000

SRINAGAR, J (SANA): The High Court Bar Association the other day started hunger strike against the arrest of its president Mian Abdul Qayoom and secretary G.N Shaheen and to invite attention of world community towards “atrocities committed against lawyers and people of Kashmir.” The Bar said that the arrest of Qayoom and Shaheen was an attempt [...]

Occupied Kashmir resumes normal life for now

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:04:52 +0000