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| June 15, 2007 | Friday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 29, 1428 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
US committed to further strengthening its vital relationship with Pakistan: Negroponte ISLAMABAD, Jun 15 (APP) US Deputy Secretary of State, John D. Negroponte Friday said the United States viewed Pakistan-US ties as a vital relationship and was committed to its further strengthening and expansion. John Negroponte, who is on a two visit to Pakistan, met with Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri here at the Foreign Office this afternoon. During the meeting Pakistan-US relations, counter- terrorism cooperation, and Afghanistan were discussed. The US Deputy Secretary of State also underlined the US interest in deepening Pakistan-US strategic dialogue, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. Foreign Minister Kasuri underlined the importance Pakistan attached to the strategic relationship with the United States. He highlighted expanding cooperation in diverse fields and affirmed Pakistan's commitment to further deepen cooperation in all areas of common interest. Kasuri reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to fight extremism and terrorism and highlighted the efforts being made to strengthen security by improving controls along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He underlined the importance of an effective Pakistan-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte expressed US appreciation for Pakistan's contribution to counter- terrorism and efforts for the promotion of peace and stability in Afghanistan. (Posted @ 21:16 PST)
Sindh budget is historic with outlay of Rs 236 bln: Chief Minister KARACHI, June 15 (APP) Sindh Chief Minister, Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim Friday termed the Sindh Budget for 2007-08 as historic budget with a total outlay of Rs 236 billion presented in the final year of the present government's five-year tenure. Addressing a press conference immediately after presentation of Sindh Budget 2007-08 here during the budget session of Sindh Assembly Friday, Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim said in the first budget of the present government the development allocation was to the tune of Rs 7 billion which has now shown a phenomenal increase to Rs 50 billion. The provincial allocation is to the tune of Rs 40 billion while Rs 10 billion is for districts, he added. “This is a historic budget for the Sindh Province,” said the Chief Minister. He pointed out that the next year's budget contains huge allocations for numerous development schemes for the province of Sindh. (First Posted @ 20:06 PST Updated @ 21:26 PST)
Boucher lauds Pakistan's key role in war against terrorism ISLAMABAD, Jun 15 (APP) Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher and Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao discussed matters of common concern at a meeting here Friday. They discussed in particular the Pakistan-Afghanistan Jirga Commission process and bio-metric system installed at the border and other measures taken to check illegal crossing, a ministry spokesman said. The US Assistant Secretary of State lauded the key role of Pakistan in the war against terrorism and hoped that bilateral relations would further strength, the spokesman added. The meeting, which was held in a cordial atmosphere, was also attended by senior officials, he added. Interior Minister Sherpao reiterated Pakistan's unflinching commitment to fighting and eliminating terrorism. He said that Pakistan and the United States were close allies in the war against terror. (Posted @ 19:06 PST)
Seventeen killed in Pakistan bus plunge WANA, Pakistan, June 15 (AFP) At least 17 people were killed and more than 40 injured Friday when a passenger bus carrying around 60 people plunged into a ravine in northwestern Pakistan, officials said. The bus travelling from Karachi crashed close to Jandola as the driver lost control while negotiating a sharp bend on the mountain road and the bus fell off a 100-feet cliff, a local official said. (First Posted @ 01:12 PST Updated @ 17:34 PST)
11 Pakistani sailors go missing in Japan TOKYO, June 15 (AP) - Eleven Pakistani sailors have apparently gone absent without leave in Tokyo since two of the country's naval ships made a rare goodwill visit to Japan as part of a training cruise, an official said Friday. “They went out for sightseeing and then they disappeared,” a Pakistan Embassy official said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol. “We've asked (authorities) to apprehend them so they can be deported to Pakistan for violation of the law.” A Pakistani destroyer and supply ship docked in Tokyo on Tuesday, marking the second-ever port call by the Pakistani navy and the first since 1983. The naval exchange is part of the two countries' cooperation in anti-terror activities in the Indian Ocean. On Thursday, 11 low-ranked sailors went on shore leave in the Japanese capital but never returned for duty, the embassy official said. It was unclear what happened to the missing crew, but the ships left port on Friday without them. Japanese police and Defence Ministry officials could not immediately confirm whether the crew members were missing. Japan's Defence Ministry said about 600 Pakistani sailors were aboard the two visiting vessels. (Posted @ 01:10 PST)
Ex-Prime Minister Hasina barred from leaving Bangladesh for US, aide says Dhaka, June 15, (AP) - Bangladesh's military-backed government on Friday barred former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from leaving the country for the United States to see her children who live there, a close aide and media reports said. Domestic news agency bdnews24.com and local CSB News television reported that Hasina, who faces charges of extortion and taking bribes during her 1996-2001 term, was not allowed to leave the country. She had been scheduled to board a plane late Friday at Dhaka's Zia International Airport. ''She has postponed her planned visit since there's a travel ban,'' aide Motia Chowdhury told reporters outside Hasina's husband's home in Dhaka. (Posted @ 23:36 PST)
5 die in separate explosions in Somali capital: official Mogadishu, June 15, (AP) - Five people, including three children, were killed in separate explosions in the Somali capital Friday, an official and witnesses said. The three children died in an explosion in the south of Mogadishu, near the U.N. development program office, witness Aweys Mohamed said. (Posted @ 22:54 PST)
Sindh CM seeks apology from opposition for desecrating Quranic verses Karachi, June 15 (PPI) Sindh Chief Minister Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim addressing media after the budget session Friday at his chamber in Sindh Assembly, alleged opposition, by tearing down copies of budget speech, had desecrated the verses of the Quran and they should apologize for it. (Posted @ 22:18 PST)
No pressure on judiciary, courts functioning independently: Justice Rana Bhagwandas ISLAMABAD, Jun 15 (APP) Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Rana Bhagwandas said there is no pressure on judiciary and courts are functioning independently in accordance with the Constitution. The Acting Chief Justice said this Friday while responding to questions about functioning of the courts in the country after the roll signing ceremony of lawyers from various cities as advocate of the Supreme Court. Roll signing ceremony was held in the committee room of the Supreme Court. When asked about any pressure on the judiciary, the Acting Chief Justice said, “There is no pressure from any quarter.” To a question about word “good news” as mentioned by Justice Rana Bhagwandas at Karachi while talking to newsmen after his oath taking ceremony as Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan, he said “the nation would hear good news.” (Posted @ 21:20 PST)
Sindh Budget 2007-08 includes significant allocations for health sector KARACHI, June 15 (APP) Sindh Senior Minister, Syed Sardar Ahmed in his budget speech here Friday announced significant allocations for improving health care services across the province. The provincial budget for fiscal year 2007-08 includes an allocation of Rs 775 million for filling vacant posts in district headquarters and taluka hospitals. This was in addition to another Rs 100 million for appointment of doctors in rural health care facilities coupled with another Rs 500 million for refurbishment of 260 health centres in different rural parts of the province. (Posted @ 21:18 PST)
Election Commission says computerized voter roll has names of Jamali, son ISLAMABAD, Jun 15 (APP) Former Prime Minister Mir Zafar Ullah Khan Jamali and his son are already registered on the provisional computerized voter list of Dera Murad Jamali in Balochistan, Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Dilshad said Friday, clarifying a statement made by the former Prime Minister in the National Assembly. Kanwar Dilshad said that the Deputy Election Commissioner of Dera Murad Jamali had already informed Mr. Jamali about the factual position. Jamali had stated in the National Assembly that the voter lists did not contain his name and that of his son. (Posted @ 20:42 PST)
Hamas slams new PM appointment 'coup' GAZA CITY, June 15 (AFP) Hamas Friday slammed Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's nomination of a new independent prime minister as a “coup.” ”It is a coup against legitimacy and a transgression of all the laws,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said after Abbas tasked Salam Fayyad with forming an emergency government, having dismissed the Hamas-led cabinet overnight. (Posted @ 20:36 PST)
US says Iraq troop surge complete BAGHDAD, June 15 (Reuters) All U.S. troop reinforcements heading to Iraq to help restore security have now arrived, but it could take several more months before their weight is fully felt, the U.S. military said Friday. The United States has sent around 28,000 extra troops to Iraq for a fresh security push launched in mid-February. (Posted @ 20:04 PST)
Musharraf plans to hold free, fair polls: Munir Akram NEW YORK, June 15 (APP) Pakistan's U.N. Ambassador Munir Akram said Friday that President Pervez Musharraf plans to hold free and fair elections in the country, but warned that external pressure could threaten that process. “In advocating pressure for democratic elections in Pakistan, you are pushing an open door,” he said in a letter to The New York Times. “President Musharraf indeed plans to hold free and fair elections, open to all parties,” he declared. “External pressure and political agitation, ostensibly over the chief justice controversy, could threaten this process. All those who favour progressive democracy in Pakistan should eschew this course. The main beneficiaries of chaos will be extremists,” Ambassador Akram said. (Posted @ 19:58 PST)
Mideast Quartet backs Abbas over Gaza strife BRUSSELS, June 15 (Reuters) The international Quartet of Middle East peace mediators pledged full support to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Friday as he seeks to build an emergency government, a European Union spokeswoman said. “There was a clear message of support to President Abbas especially in this difficult time of forming an emergency government,” a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said after a teleconference with top officials from the United States, Russia and the United Nations. (Posted @ 19:52 PST)
Hamas frees detained Palestinian security chiefs GAZA CITY, June 15 (AFP) The armed wing of Hamas Friday released Palestinian security commanders who were detained during Hamas’s capture of the Gaza Strip. “The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades has extended an amnesty to all the commanders of the security forces and Fatah officials who were arrested,” Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the military wing said. He had said earlier on Hamas's Al-Aqsa television that General Jamal Kayed, head of national security, General Misbah al-Bheis, presidential guard commander, Tawfiq Abu Khossa, Fatah and national security spokesman, and senior Fatah official Majed Abu Shamala, had been arrested overnight. (Posted @ 18:44 PST)
Govt fine-tuning rules for holding fair, free elections: Chaudhry Shujaat ISLAMABAD, Jun 15 (APP) Pakistan Muslim League (PML) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said Friday that the government is fine-tuning rules of the game for holding free and fair general elections. In an interview with a local television channel, he said all arrangements for the elections were being made in a transparent manner to remove any chance of rigging at any level. “We want to take all stake holders into confidence to ensure that no one points a finger and blames the government for rigging or engineered elections as happened in the past,” he said. Referring to apprehensions being expressed by some political quarters about fairness of elections, he said the government was prepared for dialogue with all the political parties, including the Pakistan People's Party, to remove their reservations. He said the government was pursuing home-made decisions and would continue to follow pro-Pakistan policies for progress and development of the country. (Posted @ 18:28 PST)
Pakistan's opposition questions electoral roll drop ISLAMABAD, June 15 (Reuters) Pakistan's opposition questioned the fairness of a forthcoming general election Friday after a senior official said there would be 12 million fewer eligible voters than there were for polls five years ago. “Our estimates are that the total number of voters will be around 60 million by the time the list is finalised,” Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, secretary of the Election Commission, told Reuters. The opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said the drop had raised serious doubts about the fairness of the list being drawn up. “We have serious misgivings about the authenticity of the provisional list as, given the 2.28 (percent) annual population growth rate, the number of voters should have been around 85 million,” PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said. (Posted @ 18:18 PST)
Abbas names Fayyad new Palestinian PM RAMALLAH, West Bank, June 15 (Reuters) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Friday appointed independent lawmaker Salam Fayyad to serve as prime minister of an emergency government, Palestinian officials said. Fayyad was the finance minister in the unity government between Hamas and Fatah which Abbas sacked Thursday following Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip. (Posted @ 18:14 PST)
PM Aziz approves plan to upgrade Pakistan Railways ISLAMABAD, Jun 15 (APP) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Friday approved a business plan to transform Pakistan Railways into a more viable, efficient and business-oriented entity. The decision was taken by the Prime Minister while chairing a meeting at the PM House to review the challenges faced by Pakistan Railways and decide steps required to get it back on track. The Prime Minister said Pakistan Railways had the potential to significantly increase its contribution to the on-going development process in the country through re-orientation of freight business, better yield and assets management. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to expedite the reform process of Pakistan Railways and its conversion into a corporation. He said a combination of reforms and investments would help leverage the true potential of Pakistan Railways and convert it into a profit-making organization. (Posted @ 18:08 PST)
BAE bought plane for Saudi prince under arms deal: The Guardian LONDON, June 15 (AFP) Britain's defence giant BAE bought Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan an Airbus plane under a multi-billion pound arms deal and is still paying the costs of flying it, the Guardian newspaper said Friday. The latest allegation met with renewed denials of wrongdoing from BAE, which said it does not pay or receive bribes or “offer other improper inducements.” On Friday the Guardian said the top-of-the-range, four-engine Airbus 340, worth 75 million pounds, was painted in the silver and blue colours of the Dallas Cowboys, Bandar's favourite American football team and was given to him on his birthday in 1998. It quoted the prince's lawyers as saying that BAE bought and fitted out the airliner for the Saudi ministry of defence “pursuant to the al-Yamamah programme.” Under the deal, “BAE continues to be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the plane,” the lawyers were quoted as saying. (Posted @ 18:02 PST)
Bomb blast wounds six in southeastern Turkey DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, June 15 (AFP) A bomb exploded Friday in the centre of Diyarbakir, the main city in southeastern Turkey, wounding at least seven people including a soldier, authorities said. The device, hidden in the saddle of a bicycle and left near a bus stop, exploded at around 8:00 am, the local prosecutors' office said in a statement. The blast also shattered the windows of two shops and an apartment building, according to the television images from the scene. (First Posted @ 10:40 PST Updated @ 17:36 PST)
Two suicide blasts in Afghanistan, five boys killed KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, June 15 (AFP) Two suicide attackers blew themselves up in southern Afghanistan Friday, one of them killing five children and wounding two foreign soldiers, Afghan officials said. The five children, all boys aged about 12, were killed in the blast that ripped through a residential area in the town of Tirin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan province, a deputy provincial governor said. Two NATO soldiers were also wounded in the blast. Another suicide bomber struck hours later in the city of Kandahar, about 100 kilometres away, wounding five civilians, police said. (First Posted @ 02:02 PST Updated @ 17:34 PST)
US provides $ 200 million for PSDP ISLAMABAD, June 15 (APP) The United States would provide another instalment of US $ 200 million (Rs 12.4 billion) as direct budget support for Pakistan's Federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the financial year 2007-08. An agreement to this effect was signed here Friday by Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, Secretary for Economic Affairs, M. Akram Malik and US Charge d'Affairs, Peter W. Bodde and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Anne Aarnes on behalf of their respective governments. Based on Pakistan's current budget, this assistance will provide Rs. 3.9 billion for education, Rs 4 billion for Health, Rs 1.3 billion for clean drinking water and Rs. 3.1 billion for earthquake affected areas' reconstruction in coming years. Speaking on the occasion, W. Bodde said that the US government was proud of continue working with the government of Pakistan in improving the living standards of its citizens. (Posted @ 17:32 PST)
Indians find no clues to missing relatives in Pakistan NEW DELHI, June 15 (AFP) A group of Indian families who returned from a trip to Pakistan to search for relatives who went missing in a war 36 years ago said Friday they were disappointed with the visit. “We are not satisfied at all because we were shown only 10 to 12 prisons, all of them housing civilians,” said Reshma Advani, whose airforce officer husband went missing in the 1971 war between the two countries. Pakistan has repeatedly denied that it holds any Indian prisoners of war, but some families say they have heard of their relatives in jail from other Indian civilians who had been imprisoned there. (Posted @ 17:28 PST)
Booby trap kills four soldiers at Lebanon camp NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon, June 15 (Reuters) Four Lebanese soldiers were killed Friday by an explosion in a building booby trapped by militants at a Palestinian camp in north Lebanon, security sources said. Six more soldiers were wounded, one seriously, by the blast at the Nahr al-Bared camp, where the army has been fighting the al Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam group for nearly four weeks. (Posted @ 17:25 PST)
Blast kills nine people in Philippine south MANILA, June 15 (Reuters) At least nine people were killed and an undetermined number wounded when a crude bomb exploded inside a packed commuter bus in the southern Philippines’s Mindanao island’s Bansalan town Friday, a police chief said. The police bomb went off as the bus was leaving a terminal at about 6 p.m. (Posted @ 17:12 PST)
Arrests after Pakistan militant ambush kills 10 QUETTA, Pakistan, June 15 (AFP) - Police made more than a dozen arrests Friday after tribal militants shot dead 10 security personnel in Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, hours after a visit by US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher on Thursday Eight soldiers and one policeman were killed instantly and four people were wounded. One of the injured died in hospital overnight, said doctor Ghulam Haider of the Quetta Civil Hospital. Senior police officer Rahul Khan Brohi told AFP that 17 people had been arrested in raids overnight. “They are being interrogated,” Brohi said. More arrests were expected as raids continued Friday, he added. Security has been tightened in Quetta where police set up roadblocks and stepped up patrols. “We launched the attack to avenge the killings of our innocent people in military operations including bombing raids,” outlawed Baluchistan Liberation Army spokesman Beeberg Baluch said in a telephone call to Quetta press club. (Posted @ 02:05 PST)
23 participants of wedding party injured in road accident KHANPUR, Pakistan, June 15 (APP): As many as 23 members of a weddin g party going in a bus received serious injuries when the brake of the vehicle failed and it rammed into a trailer on the national highway at Jinpur Adda, some 28km from Khanpur late Thursday. The bus turned turtle after hitting the trailer, resulting in injuries to 23 passengers who were rushed to the local hospital. The condition of three injured is stated to be critical. (Posted @ 01:15 PST)
Four killed in Taiwan train crash TAIPEI, June 15 (AFP) - Four people were killed and at least 14 others were injured when two trains collided in eastern Taiwan on Friday, railway authorities said. (Posted @ 01:02 PST)
Soldier killed, 10 hurt in occupied Kashmir convoy attack SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, June 15 (AFP) – Suspected militants attacked an army convoy in Sopore Friday, killing a soldier and wounding 10 others. The attack sparked a “fierce gunbattle,” a police official said adding the injured were five security personnel and five bystanders. In a separate clash early Friday, Indian troops shot dead two militants on the outskirts of Srinagar, police said. (Posted @ 01:00 PST)
Four US soldiers killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, June 15 (AFP) - Insurgents killed four more American soldiers in Iraq, the US military announced on Friday, taking its losses to 35 for this month alone. Three soldiers were killed from wounds received in an explosion near their vehicle in Kirkuk on Thursday. Another soldier died of injuries from small arms fire during security operations the same day in the restive province of Diyala. (Posted @ 12:55 PST)
Cricket-Gayle to captain West Indies in one-day series BRIDGETOWN, June 15 (Reuters) - Chris Gayle will captain West Indies in three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches against England. He takes over from Daren Ganga, who has deputised for the injured Ramnaresh Sarwan in the current test series. Shivnarine Chanderpaul will be vice captain. West Indies one-day squad: Chris Gayle (captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (vice captain), Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Runako Morton, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Austin Richards Jr., Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Dwayne Smith. (Posted @ 11:50 PST)
Dozens of Taliban killed in Afghan battles KABUL, June 15 (AFP) - Battles between soldiers and Taliban have raged across Afghanistan in the past 24 hours with more than two dozen rebels killed and a teenage boy dying in the crossfire, the US-led coalition said Friday. One clash erupted when Afghan and coalition soldiers raided a Taliban compound in southern Afghanistan early Friday. The gunfight that followed “killed a few militants” and the teenager, the coalition said in a statement. In a separate battle, warplanes pounded rebel positions in the district of Sangin in Helmand province on Thursday. “More than two dozen enemy fighters were estimated killed during the nine-hour battle,” the statement said. In neighbouring Kandahar province, meanwhile, coalition forces opened fire on men who were positioning a rocket. “One enemy vehicle was destroyed and several enemy fighters were killed,” the statement said. And in Zabul Thursday, Afghan and coalition soldiers were attacked with machine-gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades while on patrol, prompting them to return fire. “A few enemy fighters were killed during the five-hour firefight,” the coalition said. (Posted @ 11:48 PST)
OIC hopeless to end Palestinian conflict - Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 (Reuters) - Malaysia criticised Palestinian factions on Friday over the escalating Gaza conflict and said the Organisation of Islamic Conference grouping, which it chairs, was helpless to end the crisis. Malaysia's foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar said President Mahmoud Abbas' dismissal of the Hamas-led Palestinian government would not help resolve the conflict. “It's like giving a good excuse to Israel and to those who say there's no need to implement the peace plan,” he said. “It will frustrate the goal to create a Palestinian state,” he added. “The OIC is in the state of hopelessness. We got limits to what we can do,” he told reporters. (Posted @ 10:37 PST)
Hamas will not declare state in Gaza: Haniya GAZA CITY, June 15 (AFP) -Hamas will not declare a “state” in Gaza where it overran its Fatah rivals, sacked Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya said early Friday, calling the move by president Mahmud Abbas to fire him and the rest of the Hamas-led government “premature.” ”The Gaza Strip is an indivisible part of the homeland and its residents are an integral part of the Palestinian people. No to a state in the Gaza Strip only because the state is a whole that cannot be divided,” Haniya said in an address televised live in the middle of the night. “President Mahmud Abbas took premature decisions that betray all agreements reached,” he said. (Posted @ 09:56 PST)
Hamas seize full control of Gaza GAZA CITY, June 15 (AFP) - Hamas seized full control of the Gaza Strip early Friday after days of ferocious gunbattles that have killed at least 113 people, hours after Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas sacked the government and declared a state of emergency. (Posted @ 09:53 PST)
Karachi Stocks down 23.99 points: KARACHI, June 15: At the close trading the KSE-100 index was at 13438.47, down 23.99 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 17:10 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, June 15: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.95 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 17:10 PST)
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