The Nation News

Summer vacations from June 1 in Punjab

Online — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:14:03 PDT

Punjab Caretaker government has announced summer vacation from June 1 in the educational institutions of the province. As per notification issued here by Punjab government summer vacations will commence from June 1 due to scorching heat and the educational institutions will reopen from August 14. One-month summer camp will be held for 5th, 8th, 9th and 10th classes participation teachers ...

Chinese PM, Nawaz Sharif discuss bilateral ties

NNI — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:56:53 PDT

Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif held a meeting with visiting Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang in Islamabad on Thursday morning. Both the leaders held in-depth discussion on the ways to further strengthening of existing bilateral and strategic relations in various fields, sources said. Sources said the PML-N leaders Mian Shahbaz Sharif‚ Chaurdy Nisar Ali Khan ...

Bomb kills 12 in Quetta: police

Agencies — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:38:18 PDT

A bomb planted in a rickshaw tore through a vehicle used by security forces in Quetta on Thursday, killing at least 12 people, police said. The remotely detonated bomb containing around 100 kilos (220 pounds) of explosives targeted a truck carrying members of a government paramilitary force on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of restive Baluchistan province. "At least 12 people have been ...

Gwadar gateway to Central Asia trade: Li

Maqbool Malik — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and China Wednesday vowed to further consolidate their time-tested ties and signed a number of accords and MoUs, including the one for establishing an economic corridor that would provide air, rail and road connectivity to bolster bilateral trade between the neighbouring countries. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, on his first overseas trip since taking over in a ...

Pakistan raring to go against Ireland

AFP — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

DUBLIN - Pakistan are keener than ever to get back on the field for the first of two one-day internationals against Ireland on Thursday after their second ODI against Scotland on the weekend was a wash-out. As Ireland are the strongest team outside the Full Members - they are five places below sixth ranked Pakistan - it promises to be a more searching examination for the team as the countdown to ...

Pakistan yet to submit five more reports

Salman Abduhu — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LAHORE - The value-added textile sector as suggested the upcoming government of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that getting Generalized System of Preferences Plus status for Pakistan should be its top priority, as it will help strengthen the country economically. The industry circles demanded the new government to hire competent lawyers to plead Pakistan’s case in the ...

Merkel, Rousseff Forbes’ most powerful women

AFP — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

NEW YORK - German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped Forbes’s list of the world’s most powerful women for the third consecutive year, followed by Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff, the magazine said Wednesday. They were followed by Melinda Gates - who co-chairs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with her billionaire philanthropist husband - US First Lady Michelle Obama and former US ...

Obama’s strange defence

Jonah Goldberg — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

Although there’s still a great deal to be learned about the scandals and controversies swirling around the White House like so many ominous dorsal fins in the surf, the nature of President Obama’s bind is becoming clear. The best defences of his administration require undermining the rationale for his presidency. “We’re portrayed by Republicans as either being lying or ...

Altaf vows to ‘purify’ party

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

KARACHI - Muttahida Qaumi Movement Chief Altaf Hussain said that any kind of corruption and fund-raising would not be tolerated in MQM. He pointed out that party ‘purification’ process has been started and it will be continued till the completion of accountability of MQM workers and leaders. Talking to the MQM Coordination Committee, he said that party had zero tolerance policy ...

Karzai rules out Indian soldiers on Afghanistan’s soil

Agencies — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

NEW DELHI - Addressing media persons in New Delhi, visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday said Kabul has given a wish list to India, but did not specify what the list contains. He also ruled out deployment of Indian soldiers in Afghanistan. Karzai said: “We have a wish list that we have put before the government of India. It is up to the government now to provide us ...

Fast and Furious beats Gatsby

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LONDON - BBC - Action sequel Fast & Furious 6 races ahead of The Great Gatsby in this week’s UK and Ireland box office chart. The latest installment in the car-based franchise took more than £8.7m in its opening weekend, more than double the amount that Baz Luhrmann’s film made between Thursday and Sunday. Gatsby’s £4.1m tally puts it just ahead of Star Trek ...

X Factor 2013 reveals judges

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

NEW YORK - NB - Sharon Osbourne is to return to The X Factor as a judge for the new series in 2013. Osbourne, who last appeared on the show in 2007, will join Gary Barlow, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh. Dermot O’Leary will continue as a presenter for the ITV show. Speaking of her return Sharon Osbourne said: “I can’t wait to give Gary Barlow a big hug, sit next to the ...

Bangladesh panel blames building owner for disaster

AFP — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

DHAKA : The head of an official inquiry into the collapse of a Bangladesh factory complex said Wednesday the building’s owner was the “main culprit” in the disaster because he violated building codes. The cave-in of the nine-storey factory complex outside the capital last month killed more than 1,100 workers and highlighted appalling safety conditions in Bangladesh’s ...

US Senate panel passes immigration bill

Reuters — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

WASHINGTON : A Senate panel has approved legislation to give millions of illegal immigrants a path to citizenship, setting up a spirited debate next month in the full Senate over the biggest changes in immigration policy in a generation. President Barack Obama, who has made enactment of an immigration bill one of his top priorities for this year, praised the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ...

Non-professional PSF playing havoc with game: Jahangir

Mohsin Ali — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

ISLAMABAD - Former world squash champion and Pakistan's living legend Jahangir Khan has lashed out at Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) for wasting precious time on selection of the squad for the World Squash Team Championship instead of concentrating on physical and mental fitness of the top available players. Jahangir, who is considered as the greatest ever player in the history of the game, in ...

Clarke, Haddin say Australia ready to beat England

AFP — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

SYDNEY - Captain Michael Clarke and his deputy Brad Haddin Wednesday insisted Australia's disastrous series in India was history with the team fired up to win back the Ashes from England. Australia play five Tests against their arch-rivals starting in Nottingham on July 10, and several of the team are leaving this weekend ahead of the June 6-23 Champions Trophy in England. At a farewell event in ...

KSE gains another 290 points with rising volume

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

KARACHI - Stocks closed at an all-time high on Wednesday, led by oil and cement stocks on strong valuations. Sentiments remained positive after new government initiatives to deal with economic crisis and energy shortage on war footing. At local equity market, the benchmark KSE 100-share index surged 1.37 percent or 290.90 points to finish at the 21458.90 points level. Trade volume broke records ...

SNGPL takes action against defaulters

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LAHORE - The SNGPL’s sub-committee of the Board of Directors on receivables has declared M/S Chenaab Limited as defaulter of the company. “The Chenaab Limited had to pay the outstanding amount of Rs 104 million in installments. The consumer failed to honour its commitment towards settlement of arrears, therefore, gas supply has been disconnected and its name is added in the ...

ANP workers demand resignation of office-bearers over poll defeat

Riaz Mayar — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

MARDAN - Majority of the Awami National Party (ANP) workers of Mardan have rejected the inquiry committee constituted by the party leadership to search the reasons of defeat in recent elections. They demanded immediate resignation of all office-bearers for their failure in the elections 2013. While talking to The Nation, ANP workers Fazullah Khan, Farid Khan, Sardar Khan and others demanded ...

Balochistan CM name to be finalised within a day: NP

Bari Baloch — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

QUETTA - A senior National Party leader stated on Wednesday his party, the PML-N and PkMAP could easily form government in Balochistan, and hence there was no need to induct other parties into new government. “The name of chief minister would be finalized within a day,” Mir Tahir Bezinjo told a news conference here. Asked if National Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and ...

Violence stings 5 more to death in Karachi

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

KARACHI - Five people were gunned down in separate incidents of violence here on Wednesday. A dismembered body of an MQM activist was found from a house in Chisti Nagar, Orangi Town in the remits of Iqbal Market police station. The body was found after people reported police about stink emitting from a house. The body was chopped into pieces and packed into a trunk. The victim was identified as ...

Man maims spouse in Abbottabad

Online — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

ABBOTTABAD - A man cut off nose and ears of his wife following a domestic quarrel in Khola Khayl area of Abbottabad here on Wednesday. The woman was admitted to Benazir Shaheed hospital. A domestic row was stated to be the reason behind the incident. Nevertheless sources said the couple used to quarrel and fight with each other. A has been registered and a search operation is underway to ...

Caretaker govt out to adjust regularised staff

Abrar Saeed — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

Islamabad - Overstepping from its mandate, the caretaker government has issued directives through Establishment Division to all the ministries and its allied departments and organisations to provide them with details of vacant posts with them so that officials regularised by the previous government under Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Act 2010 could be adjusted on these slots. Sources in ...

Militants kidnap four doctors in Lakki Marwat

INP — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LAKKI MARWAT - Unidentified armed militants kidnapped four doctors in the Ghazni Khel police station jurisdiction here on Wednesday. According to police sources, the doctors were going to Dera Ismail Khan for duty when they were intercepted by the militants. Police said that it has laid a siege on all the entry and exit points to prevent the miscreants to shift the doctors to tribal agencies.

Mush bail plea turned down in judges’ detention case

Shahid Rao — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

ISLAMABAD -An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday turned down the bail plea of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in the judges' detention case. Special judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi rejected the application after hearing arguments of Musharraf’s counsel and public prosecutor. During the proceedings, counsel for Musharraf, Ilyas Siddiqui, refuted the allegations levelled against his client, ...

Caretakers ‘flouting’ merit by promoting blue-eyed

Imran Mukhtar — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

ISLAMABAD - Despite its denial, the caretaker government seems all set to make best of its remaining days in power but only by blatantly flouting the merit and promoting the favourites only to serve the pockets of the outgoing bigwigs led by Caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso. As the caretaker setup has made a number of highly controversial transfers and postings even after the 2013 ...

PAF chief given briefing

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

ISLAMABAD - Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt visited the International Air Exercise Peace Falcons-2013, says a press release issued here on Wednesday. He was given a comprehensive briefing on the exercise. Saudi Air Chief Fayadh bin Hamid al-Ruwaili and Commander Turkish Air Force (TuAF) General Mehmet Erten also witnessed the exercise. The tri-nation exercise among Saudi Arabia, Turkey and ...

Ex-KPK law minister arrested from court premises

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa former law minister Barrister Arshad Abdullah was arrested on Wednesday from a session court in Charsadda after his pre-arrest bail application in a case for attacking a police station was cancelled. Police have registered a case against Abdullah for attacking Utmanzia Police Station on April 27 last to free an apprehended associate. The man was identified as Farid ...

MQM loses hope of gaining strength in Punjab

Jawad R Awan — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

lahore - Despite repeated efforts, MQM has failed to make a foothold in Punjab, which is evident from the fact that no candidate of the party from the province emerged victorious in the elections. According to a party leader based at the MQM headquarters Nine-Zero, the party fielded candidates from almost all the National Assembly and Punjab Assembly seats with local seat adjustments in South ...

Shahbaz seeks burden-less budget

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LAHORE - Former Punjab chief minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has asked the Finance Department to frame a people-friendly budget of the province for 2013-14. The former chief minister presided over a meeting at the PML-N Secretariat in Model Town which was attended by the secretaries of various departments including Finance, Health and Agriculture. The meeting reviewed the budget ...

Talks with Taliban prerogative of Pak govt, says Olson

Online — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

ISLAMABAD - US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson said holding of dialogue with Taliban is prerogative of the Pakistani government. Talking to media in Islamabad on Wednesday, Olson said any reservations regarding these proposed talks will depend on terms and conditions of the dialogue with Taliban. Terming recent general elections big success of the Pakistani nation in which democratic forces ...

ASF intercepts CM’s staff officer

Amraiz Khan — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

lahore-The ASF officials on Wednesday intercepted the staff officer of Punjab Chief Minister Najam Sethi at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore when he tried to get aboard the special plane of the CM with a gun. The staff officer was accompanying the chief minister and the plane was about to take off when the ASF officials stopped him after finding a gun in his luggage. The staff ...

PML-N demands early polls in AJK

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

MIRPUR (AJK)-Branding the PPP-led AJK government a product of ‘massively rigged’ 2011 elections, the PML-N AJK’s main opposition party has demanded immediately holding of general elections in the territory. Talking to media, AJK Legislative Assembly opposition leader and former AJK PM Raja Farooq Haider Khan alleged that the mandate of the AJK people was hijacked in 2011 ...

Zardari, Nawaz clear the air

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari and incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday agreed to forget the past bitterness and move forward, at their first one-on-one meeting following the PML-N win in the general elections. Following their meeting at the Presidency, Nawaz to the media that his party would need broader cooperation of all the political parties in tackling the major ...

Imran Khan leaves hospital after fall

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

Lahore - After 15-day hospitalisation, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan was discharged from Shaukat Khanum Hospital on Wednesday. He was shifted to his Zaman Park house where he would stay for three days before leaving for Islamabad. Although doctors have advised bed rest, PTI chief could go on with limited political activities. He will have to keep visiting the hospital for tests ...

Soldier killed in UK ‘terror attack’

Agencies — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LONDON - British Prime Minister David Cameron called an emergency security meeting on Wednesday after a man was killed near an army barracks in London, and two men were shot and wounded by police. Prime Minister Cameron said there were ‘strong indications that it is a terrorist incident’ and the UK would ‘never buckle’ in the face of such attacks. Media reports ...

SC suspends caretakers’ transfers, appointments

Terence J Sigamony — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Wednesday except the transfers made for the conduct of free and fair elections and running day-to-day business suspended all the appointments, postings and transfers carried out by the caretaker government. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, instructed the interim set-up not to make further appointments, transfers and ...

N hints at new accountability body

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LAHORE - ASHRAF MUMTAZ - The PML-N government would set up a new accountability body to ensure indiscriminate accountability of all those involved in corruption, the party secretary general said on Wednesday. Iqbal Zafar Jhagra told TheNation that the new body would replace the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). While in opposition, the PML-N had moved a bill in parliament for the ...

Elected candidates on 806 general seats notified

Sikander Shaheen — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday officially notified the returned candidates for 806 general seats for the national and provincial assemblies, following which their names are to be included in the official gazette. The names of the returned candidates for the 43 of the total 849 general seats are yet to be notified. The candidates were notified for the ...

FBI kills man linked to Boston suspect

Special Correspondent — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

WASHINGTON : An FBI agent shot and killed a man Wednesday morning in Orlando, Florida, who was being interviewed about his ties to the Boston bombing suspects, according to US media reports. The man, identified as Ibragim Todashev, 26, was from Chechnya, the reports said. CBS News senior correspondent John Miller, a former FBI assistant director, reported on “CBS This Morning” that ...

Imams pray at Auschwitz for Holocaust dead

AFP — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

OSWIECIM : Muslim leaders from across the globe knelt in prayer for the Holocaust dead at the Auschwitz's notorious Wall of Death on Wednesday, in an emotional visit to the Nazi German death camp in southern Poland. Imams from Bosnia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States offered traditional Muslim "salat" prayers facing south towards their holy city of ...

Fresh grads throng Numl job fair

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

A great number of students, who have recently graduated or appeared in their MBA and BBA exams, thronged to attend the 8th Annual Job Fair, which was arranged by the Department of Management Sciences at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad, on Wednesday. There were a total of 20 national, international and multi-national companies which set up their booths where they ...

Loadshedding watering woes

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

RAWALPINDI/QUETTA - ISRAR AHMED/BARI BALOCH - Water scarcity coupled with excessive electricity loadshedding has hit not only residents but educational institutions are also facing the brunt where students are in deep trouble. The water shortage amid hot weather conditions is getting worse with each passing day while the parents are requesting the education department to announce summer ...

Three more die of measles in Lahore

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

Lahore - Three more measles patients died at a Lahore hospital on Wednesday, taking the death toll to 59 in the provincial capital. So far 85 children have died of measles in the province. Muhammad Haris, 2, a resident of Chungi Amar Sadhu, Zoya, 2, of Ferozepur Road, and Muhammad Babar, 1, of Sargodha, breathed their last at Children’s Hospital. As many as 95 more patients were ...

PU deputationist refuses to go back

Arshad Bhatti — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LAHORE - Punjab University administration is reluctant to relieve a powerful deputationist despite request made by his parent department—Pakistan Television Corporation, TheNation has learnt. As per details, a Pakistan Television Engineer, Amir Mehmood Bajwa, of RBS-Kala Shah Kaku was appointed as Assistant Professor (BS-19) at PU Institute of Communication Studies (ICS) in 2012 ...

Lawyer shot dead in DHA

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LAHORE - Gunmen killed a 26 year-old lawyer in the Defense Housing Authority (DHA) in a drive-by shooting and escaped instantly, police said on Wednesday. The deceased, identified as Zain Ghaffar, left his house on Wednesday morning when seven armed men intercepted his car in the Phase-IV (Y-Block), DHA. The gunmen opened straight fire on the lawyer and fled away after ensuring death. The ...

Teen stabs mum to death

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LAHORE - A teenage boy stabbed his mother to death at their rented house in the Gulshan-e-Ravi police limits on Wednesday. The killer had escaped when the police reached the spot. The body was removed to the morgue for autopsy. Police said 16-year-old Hashim Ali repeatedly stabbed his mother Kalsoom Bibi after a brief altercation over some domestic dispute at the house on Wednesday afternoon. ...

Country sears

Our Staff Reporter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LAHORE - As no significant rain giving system is approaching the country, the weather is likely to remain oppressive due to high temperature during the day and at nighttime. Jacobabad remained the hottest city where temperature rose to 50 degree centigrade and Lahore sizzled at 47 Celsius, making Wednesday the hottest day of the current summer. According to the experts, seasonal low lies ...

PPP to bring new LG law in Sindh

Ramzan Chandio — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

KARACHI - PPP Sindh leaders have hinted that after forming the government it will engage future allies in dialogue to replace the existing 1979 local government ordinance with the new local government law in the province. Former minister for local government and one of the aspirants for the slot of Sindh chief minister, Agha Siraj Durrani during his media talk at PPP media cell on ...

Loadshedding duration can be reduced: Minister

The Nation Monitoring — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 PDT

LAHORE - Interim Minister for Water and Power Dr Musaddiq Malik stated on Wednesday immediate resolution to continuing prolonged power cuts in the county lied in enhancing generation through providing fuel to those powerhouses which have not been working to their full capacity. In an exclusive talk with BBC in Islamabad, the minister said at present, Pakistan was generating electricity ...