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| July 16, 2007 | Monday | Jamadi-us-Sani 30, 1428 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
SJC has jurisdiction to commence proceedings against Chief Justice: Attorney General ISLAMABAD, July 16 (APP): Attorney General Makhdoom Ali Khan said Monday the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) had the jurisdiction to commence proceedings against Chief Justice of Pakistan if a Reference is filed against CJP under Article 209 of the Constitution by the Referring Authority. The AG appeared before the 13-member bench of the Supreme Court in the petition filed by Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry challenging the composition and powers of the SJC besides contents of the Reference, “If the Chief Justice will not sit in the SJC then his replacement is available in the Constitution,' he said after the bench headed by Justice Khalil- ur-Rehman Ramday asked if the CJP will not sit in the SJC then what will be the composition of the body. If there is no replacement of CJP in the SJC according to the Constitution then the Council would become non-functional if the CJP refuses to sit in it, which will mean a veto power of CJP in this regard, he argued. Makhdoom Ali Khan will continue when the full court resumes proceedings on Tuesday. Earlier, Sharifuddin Pirzada, counsel of the Referring Authority, sought permission from the bench to state : “Consider para 34 and section “g” of para 36 of the Reference as deleted, which relates to judicial misconduct of Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and provide ground for this misconduct respectively.” Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan opposed it. Earlier, Malik Qayyum resumed his arguments after a gap of three days and said that the SJC should not be struck down because this was the only judicial forum for accountability of the judges of superior courts. Justice Ramday said, “There is no dispute over accountability of Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chief Justice is not beyond the accountability. We will have to think about the composition of the SJC.” The Counsel of the Federation completed his argument on Monday. (Posted @ 19:06 PST)
Screening of SC building and chambers completed ISLAMABAD, July 16 (APP) - Attorney General Makhdoom Ali Khan informed the Supreme Court on Monday that the screening of the Supreme Court building and chambers and residences of judges to locate any bugging devices had been completed except for the CJP house. He said that similar screening in respect of the High Courts would be completed as soon as possible. The Attorney General also said that a comprehensive report about the matter would be submitted as per directives of the full bench. (Posted @ 19:10 PST)
Loya Jirga assigned task to bring normalcy in Malakand Division: Chief Minister PESHAWAR, July 15 (APP): NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani Monday announced the formation of a 130-member Loya (grand) Jirga to bring back normalcy and tranquillity to Malakand Division that recently suffered bomb blasts and attacks on security forces by the miscreants. He announced Rs.100,000 cash compensation for the victims of the recent bomb blasts; Rs.50,000 for seriously injured and Rs.25, 000 for minor injured. He said the names of the Loya Jirga would be finalized soon. The Jirga members promised to restore peace in the shortest possible time, he said and quoted MNA Maulana Asadullah as saying that he would bring back peace in 15 days. He said Loya Jirga will work at Malakand Division level. At district level, jirga will also be formed by the respective District Coordination Officers, he added. Besides, Peace Committees would also play their role in the maintenance of public order in their respective areas of jurisdiction. “The Chief Secretary and I will closely monitor working and achievements of the jirga and it will enjoy full backing of the NWFP government,” he told newsmen. The Jirga members, he said, laid great stress on restricting the movement of the security forces in Malakand division. He assured the jirga that no operation would be carried out in Malakand division sans approval of the Provincial Government. The Chief Minister said the jirga was told to curb activities of anti- social elements involved in attacks on video shops, barber shops and writing threatening letters to the girls' schools and colleges. The DCOs and DPOs have also been directed to ensure proper security to the video and barber shops. Similarly, attack on Police Stations would be considered attack on the loya jirga, he added. He informed the Jirga that security forces would not be put up inside universities, colleges, schools and hospitals in Malakand division but would be kept at isolated places in the districts where they have no direct interaction with the local people, he added. (Posted @ 19:52 PST)
Pakistan in talks to save peace deal ISLAMABAD, July 16 (AFP) –Pakistani authorities held crisis talks with tribal elders Monday to save a peace deal with pro-Taliban militants, as thousands of people fled the tense tribal region of North Waziristan, a day after the locals scrapped the peace accord they had struck last year with the government. A government representative met elders in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, “to find out the status of the pact after the reported statement by Taliban commanders that they are scrapping it,” a government official told AFP.. The talks also dealt with complaints by tribesmen that troops have taken up positions at checkpoints which were abandoned under the deal, and about unpaid compensation for previous military operations, local sources said. Bazaars were deserted on Monday as hundreds of families fled Miranshah for safer areas, and state-run Radio Pakistan went off the air when broadcasters joined other government officials in leaving the area, local residents said. Troops also stepped up security around the town's fort. Meanwhile the chief minister of North West Frontier Province, Akram Durrani, on Monday summoned a meeting of key clerics, tribal elders and lawmakers to discuss the security situation, his spokesman told AFP. (Posted @ 17:24 PST)
Bombs kill at least 85 in Kirkuk; 180 injured BAGHDAD, July 16 (Reuters) - At least 85 people were killed and 180 injured on Monday by a suicide truck bomb in Kirkuk, some of them trapped on a bus where they burned to death. Police warned the death toll could rise. The blast occured near an office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan of Iraqi President Jalal Talaban. “Tens of houses and shops were totally destroyed by the power of the explosion,” said Police General Torhan Abdul Rahman, the city's deputy chief of police. The truck detonated minutes apart from a car bomb in a busy Kirkuk shopping area that wounded two people, police said. A police officer was killed and four officers were wounded soon after, when a parked car bomb exploded in southern Kirkuk, police said. A fourth car bomb was discovered and made safe. (Posted @ 18:04 PST)
SC told 86 Lal Masjid-Jamia Hafsa detainees freed so far ISLAMABAD, July 16 (APP): Out of 243 detained inmates of Lal Masjid-Jamia Hafsa complex 86 have been released so far, Inspector General of Islamabad police Chaudhry Mohammad Iftikhar informed the Supreme Court on Monday. The remaining 160, who are involved in various cases, are still in jail, the IG told a two-member bench comprising Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Faqir Mohammad Khokhar. The senior police official said three injured who were discharged from PIMS after treatment were among the 160. He said that 22 other injured were still in PIMS and they were also required in cases. The bench directed the IG to expedite verification process of all the detainees and inform the court of the details of the charges against them by Wednesday. The court directed that till then the people should be held in protective custody. The court expressed displeasure over the lists of detainees provided to it by the authorities and said that under the law no one can be kept under detention for more than 24 hours and has to be produced before a court within that period. Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi, referring the IG's statement that the people had been held under Section 188, observed that so many people were arrested under a bailable offence. Three sisters of Maulana Abdul Aziz appeared before the court and on their request the bench ordered the district administration to hand the bodies of their mother, nephew and two other relatives to them after DNA tests for burial in the ancestral graveyard. At the time of that burial Maulana Abdul Aziz and other relatives be released on parole to participate in Namaz-e-Janaza and the last rites, the bench directed with the instruction that a parole application be moved in the office of the deputy commissioner. The bench also directed the district administration to provide full information to the affected families. Deputy Attorney General Tariq Mahmud Khokhar informed the court that there were six charred bodies which were beyond recognition. Chief Commissioner Islamabad Khalid Pervez informed the court that DNA tests of forty people had been conducted while DNA tests of the six bodies not recognized as yet would also be conducted. On the request of Taufiq Ahmed advocate, the court also constituted a Legal Aid Committee comprising members of Lahore High Court Bar Association and District Bar Association to provide legal assistance to the detainees in Adyala Jail. The bench directed chief commissioner Islamabad to ensure the committee members' access to the detainess in Adyala Jail for providing legal assistance. (Posted @ 21:10 PST)
Bush calls for Mideast peace conference WASHINGTON, July 16 (APP/AFP) - US President George W. Bush on Monday called for an international conference grouping Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and some Arab neighbors to revive Middle East peace talks. “The world can do more to build the conditions for peace, so I will call together an international meeting this fall,” Bush said in a speech, adding that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will chair the meeting. (Posted @ 23:56 PST)
Britain expels Russian diplomats amid Cold War clouds LONDON, July 16, (AFP) - Britain said Monday it will expel four Russian diplomats over Moscow's refusal to extradite a key suspect in the murder of ex agent Alexander Litvinenko, raising the specter of a Cold War-style standoff. The expulsions, announced by Foreign Secretary David Miliband, were the first in over a decade amid rising tensions between Moscow and the West fuelled by Litvinenko's radioactive poisoning in London last November. (Posted @ 23:35 PST)
Bush urges Hamas to quit violence, recognize Israel WASHINGTON, July 16, (AFP) - US President George W. Bush on Monday urged Hamas to renounce violence, and recognize Israel and “the legitimate Palestinian government”. “A Palestinian state will never be created by terror,” Bush said in a speech on efforts to revive Middle East peace talks. In a direct message to Hamas, Bush said: “You must stop Gaza from being a safe haven for attacks against Israel. You must accept the legitimate Palestinian government,” allow aid to Gaza, disarm militias, and recognize Israel. (Posted @ 23:14 PST)
Eight dead, others missing after bus slips off ferry in China BEIJING, July 16, (AFP) - At least eight people, including women and children, are dead and many others missing in eastern China after a crowded bus fell off a ferry into a river, state media reported on Monday. (Posted @ 22:54 PST)
Government wants to keep intact peace agreement with tribal elders ISLAMABAD, Jul 16 (APP) - NWFP Governor Lt. Gen. (R) Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai Monday said that the government is making efforts to keep intact the peace agreement with tribal elders of North Waziristan Agency to improve law and order situation in the area. Speaking in a PTV programme 'Hot Seat' the governor said “We will want to keep intact the peace agreement as it benefits all.” He said there were some reservations from both the sides, which could be removed through the dialogue. (Posted @ 22:38 PST)
UN chief condemns terrorist attacks in Pakistan; backs Musharraf UNITED NATIONS, July 16 (APP) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday condemned the terrorist attacks against Pakistani security forces over the weekend, and backed President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's efforts to stamp out extremism. “I am especially concerned about the situation in Pakistan and the loss of life and destruction of property there over the past week,” he told a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York. (Posted @ 22:06 PST)
Japan quake kills seven, leaks radiation KASHIWAZAKI, Japan, July 16 (AFP) - A powerful 6.8-magnitude mid-morning quake rocked Japan on Monday, killing seven people and injuring more than 750 more as it caused a radiation leak at one of the world's biggest nuclear plants. In the hardest-hit areas northwest of Tokyo, homes were reduced to rubble and a bridge was nearly cracked in two. The quake also sent small tsunami waves rolling into the Japanese coast. Water containing a “small amount of radioactive material” leaked from the massive Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility, where a fire raged for hours. “But the leakage is believed to be far below the levels that could affect the environment,” a spokesman said. As some 65 aftershocks struck throughout the day, thousands flocked to schools and other temporary shelters to spend the night. At least 753 people were injured in Niigata . Nearly 300 buildings were flattened and another 212 were partially damaged by the quake, which shook skyscrapers in Tokyo more than 200 kilometres from the epicentre. (Posted @ 20:04 PST)
New strong quake in Japan TOKYO, July 16 (APP/AFP) - A strong earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) off Kyoto, western Japan, a few hours after the 6.8-magnitude killer quake earlier in the day, the meteorological agency said Monday. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage following the tremor, government officials said. (Posted @ 21:16 PST)
Israel to release prisoners this week, Olmert tells Abbas JERUSALEM, July 16 (AFP) - Israel plans to release 250 Palestinian prisoners by the end of the week, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas as the two leaders met in Jerusalem on Monday.They held discussions for an hour in the presence of aides and then for nearly an hour one-on-one. The prisoners, the vast majority of them from Abbas's Fatah party, are slated to be released on Friday, a senior Israeli official quoted Olmert as saying. While welcoming the release, the Palestinians said the release of 250 prisoners out of the more than 11,000 currently held in Israeli jails was not enough. “The president demanded that political leaders be included among them,” chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told reporters in Ramallah after the meeting. (Posted @ 20:08 PST)
Cricket: Inzamam omitted from list of 20 central contracted players ISLAMABAD, July 16 (AP) - Pakistan's World Cup captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was not included Monday in the list of 20 players given central contracts for the next six months. “Inzamam's name was not recommended by the selection committee,” Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Naseem Ashraf told reporters in Karachi. “The selectors wanted to give central contracts only to those playing both forms of the game,” Ashraf said. Shoaib Malik, who replaced Inzamam as captain, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif and Abdul Razzaq were given top-tier contracts. Seven players _ Salman Butt, Mohammad Sami, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Danish Kaneria and Kamran Akmal _ were placed in B category, while Imran Nazir, Rao Iftikhar, Faisal Iqbal, Misbahul Haq and Yasir Arafat were given C category contracts. The contracts run until Dec. 31. (Posted @ 18:46 PST)
Cricket: Australian Lawson named as new Pakistan coach ISLAMABAD, July 16 (AFP) –Pakistan Cricket Board Monday named former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson as the new national cricket coach to succeed Bob Woolmer, who died during the World Cup in March. Lawson, 49, picked over two other Australians, Dav Whatmore and Richard Done,was awarded a two-year contract open for renewal “as we want a coach to lead us to the 2011 World Cup,” which will jointly be hosted by Pakistan, PCB Chairman Nasim Ashraf told a press conference. Pakistan have had 11 different coaches in the past 10 years, with three stints each for former great Javed Miandad and Richard Pybus, Pakistan's first foreign coach. Woolmer took over from Miandad in June 2004. (Posted @ 18:38 PST)
One Russian policeman killed, two wounded in gunfight in Dagestan MAKHACHKALA, Russia , July 16 (AP) - One Russian policeman was shot dead and two others were wounded Sunday by two suspected militants in the violence-wracked republic of Dagestan, officials said. Also Sunday, the former head of the Novolak district, Tamerlan Amayev, was wounded after a bomb exploded in a restaurant in Khasavyurt. (Posted @ 18:14 PST)
Bangladesh moves on two ex- PMs DHAKA, July 16 (AFP) - Bangladesh on Monday moved against the leaders of its two main political parties, both former prime ministers, as it intensified efforts to clean up the nation's famously corrupt politics. In a dawn raid, hundreds of police and special forces swooped on the Dhaka home of Sheikh Hasina Wajed and carried her off to jail on charges of extortion that she has repeatedly denied. Hours later, the government summoned Sheikh Hasina's bitter rival Khaleda Zia to appear in court next month to answer tax evasion allegations. Sheikh Hasina and Zia, dubbed the “battling begums”, ruled alternately from 1991 to 2006 and stand accused of misrule that brought the country to the brink of anarchy earlier this year. (Posted @ 17:18 PST)
US to pour $ 750 million into Pakistan's tribal areas: NY Times WASHINGTON, July 16 (AFP) The administration of President George W. Bush plans to pour 750 million dollars worth of aid into Pakistan's tribal areas in a bid to wrest it away from Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, The New York Times reported on its website late Sunday. But citing unnamed officials involved in the planning, the newspaper said some people were warning of the dangers of distributing so much money in an area where oversight is impossible. Who will be given the aid has quickly become one of the most contentious questions between local officials and American planners concerned that millions might fall into the wrong hands, the report said. (Posted @ 09:48 PST)
Viral fever claims 193 lives in Kerala THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India, July 16(AFP): India's southern coastal Kerala state is reeling from an outbreak of mosquito-borne Chikungunya viral fever infections that have claimed 193 lives, a minister said Monday. Health minister P.K. Sreemathy told AFP that the inland plantation districts of Pathanamthitta and Kottayam were the worst affected, accounting for 161 of the 193 deaths this year. (Posted @ 16:40 PST)
Ethiopia slaps life sentences on more than 30 opposition figures KALITI, Ethiopia, July 16(AFP): Ethiopia's high court on Monday sentenced 35 opposition leaders to life imprisonment for inciting rebellion, after the prosecution had asked for the death penalty. Those sentenced include Hailu two senior leaders of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party. Eight of the 38 defendants present received prison terms ranging from 18 months to 18 years. Four journalists were among the defendants. (Posted @ 16:36 PST)
Two suicide attacks in Afghanistan, guard killed KANDAHAR, July 16(AFP): A suicide attack on an Afghan private security company vehicle killed one guard on Monday, while a second bomber targeting a US firm blew himself up prematurely, police said. The Afghan security firm was escorting a logistics convoy for the US-led coalition when it came under attack in Girishk district of Helmand province. “One security guard was killed and four others in the vehicle were wounded. The second suicide attacker detonated his explosives-laden vehicle at some distance from a convoy of a US security company, USPI, in western Farah province Monday, police chief Abdul Rehman Sarjang said. (Posted @ 15:10 PST)
Saudi Arabia receives 16 Guantanamo detainees RIYADH, July 16 (Reuters) Saudi Arabia said Monday 16 Saudis were handed over after the United States had freed them from its naval base at Guantanamo Bay. Citing Saudi officials, Al-Arabiya television said there were 53 Saudis remaining at the prison. (Posted @ 14:57 PST)
Two Lebanese soldiers die in camp battle NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon, July 16(AFP): Two Lebanese soldiers were killed on Monday as the army continued to make advances in its eight-week-old battle to capture the Nahe al-Bared refugee camp. “Two soldiers were killed in the confrontations,” a military spokesman told AFP. The overall reported death toll from the clashes has now reached 188, including 99 soldiers Meanwhile, a small bomb exploded near a U.N. peacekeeping vehicle in south Lebanon, slightly damaging the vehicle. The incident occurred near Qasmiyeh on the main coastal road north of Tyre. (Posted @ 15:35 PST)
US launches big operation south of Baghdad BAGHDAD, July 16 (Reuters) Around 8,000 U.S. forces launched a fresh operation Monday targeting al Qaeda militants in farmland south of Baghdad, the military said. The operation, called Marne Avalanche, is designed to stem the flow of weapons and militant fighters into southern Baghdad, the military said in a statement. (Posted @ 11:50 PST)
Two US soldiers killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, July 16 (AFP) Insurgents killed two more American soldiers in Iraq over the past two days, the US military said Monday. A soldier was attacked during combat operations in the northern Nineveh province Sunday, while another died in a roadside bomb attack near Baghdad Saturday. (Posted @ 11:02 PST)
Five Iraqi soldiers killed by roadside bomb BAGHDAD, July 16 (Reuters) Five Iraqi soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in northeast Baghdad Monday, police said. One soldier was also wounded in the attack on their vehicle patrol in the Boubal-Sham neighbourhood, police said. (Posted @ 10:43 PST)
Australia detains Indian terror suspect freed on bail SYDNEY, July 16 (AFP) The Australian government Monday ordered an Indian doctor locked up in immigration detention just hours after a court granted him bail on a charge connected to the failed British car-bomb attacks. Mohammed Haneef, 27, who had been working as a doctor in Australia, had his visa cancelled and will be held in detention until the charge against him is heard in court, Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said. (Posted @ 10:08 PST)
UN inspectors confirm North Korean reactor shut down BANGKOK, July 16 (AFP) UN inspectors confirmed that North Korea has shut down its nuclear reactor, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said Monday. “Our inspectors are there. They verified the shutting down of the reactor yesterday,” International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei said during a trip to Bangkok. (Posted @ 09:22 PST)
Karachi Stocks down 256.99 points: KARACHI, July 16: At the close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 13945.24, down 256.99 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, July 16: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 61.03 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST)
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