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| April 05, 2008 | Saturday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 27, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
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 Sindh Assembly MPAs take oath; election of Speaker on Monday KARACHI, April 5 (APP): Newly-elected 161 out of 168 members of Sindh Assembly Saturday took oath as MPAs at a special session of the Sindh Assembly. Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah administered the oath. The PPP has 92 MPAs in Sindh Assembly followed by MQM with 51 MPAs, PML(Q) 11, PML(F) 10, ANP 2 and NPP 3.The Sindh Assembly will elect Speaker and Deputy Speaker at a special session to be held on Monday at 5 p.m. The nomination papers for the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker could be obtained from Sindh Assembly Secretariat till mid day Sunday, followed by the scrutiny and the final list of candidates the same day at 3 p.m. PPP leader Nabil Gabol said that the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker will be elected unopposed but MQM leader Shoaib Bukhari told the media that MQM would contest both the seats. (First Posted @ 12:45 PST, Updated @ 16:35 PST)  PML-N, PPP evolve Punjab cabinet sharing formula: Shahbaz Sharif LAHORE, April 05 (APP): The number of ministries in Punjab has been reduced from 43 to 35, PML-N President Mian Shahbaz Sharif said Saturday after a joint meeting of the PML-N and PPP. He said the share of the PML-N in the provincial cabinet would be 22 and that of PPP 13, while the remaining eight departments would be merged into these ministries. The slots of Chief Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker would be retained by PML-N, he said. Replying to a question he said Nawaz League had reservations about MQM, and added that “there should be a transparent inquiry into May 12 incident of Karachi.” If MQM was not behind the killing of 50 innocent people then there should be no objection to conduct the probe in this regard, he maintained. Shahbaz Sharif said that coalition parties' leadership would decide about the abolition of Local Government System and revival of the old system in the province.He also stressed the need for restoration of deposed judges in accordance with the Murree Declaration. On this occasion, Ishaq Dar told journalists that all matters between the two parties were sorted out amicably. He further said the allied parties' leadership would finalise the nomination of Chief Minister, ministers, chairmen of standing committees and parliamentary secretaries. (Posted @ 21:40 PST) FPCCI offers 3,500 MW electricity from textile, sugar mills KARACHI, April 5 (APP): President FPCCI Tanvir Ahmed Sheikh Saturday urged Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to consider buying electricity from textile and sugar mills to overcome power crisis. The offer was made when a delegation of FPCCI called on the Prime Minister in Karachi. Tanvir Shaikh said the sugar mills can provide 1500 megawatts while the textile mills can add another 2000 MW of electricity on an immediate basis.. FPCCI President also urged the Prime Minister to ask State Bank to reduce mark up rates for making Pakistani exports competitive in the international market. Similarly, SBP's discount rates had been raised twice in a bid to check inflation and needed to be reduced because tight monetary policy failed to reduce inflation, he added. (Posted @ 21:46 PST)  Wheat support price to benefit all growers: PM Gilani KARACHI, April 5 (APP): Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said Saturday he announced wheat support price at the first available opportunity to ensure that it benefits the growers across Pakistan. Talking to a delegation of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) at Sindh Governor House, he said: “because Sindh crop was being harvested and not a single kilo of wheat was procured from here, we immediately announced support price which was otherwise due in September.” He said usually the support price is announced at the time of sowing of wheat in September. However, the previous government did not increase the support price of wheat at that time. “Now Sindh crop is ready. If the government would have announced the support price afterward, the beneficiary would have been Punjab and not Sindh and that would have been criminal,” he noted.PPI adds: Prime Minister Gilani asked exporters to improve quality of products so that Pakistan can venture into newer markets together with strengthening grip on existing ones. Special emphasis be laid to export value- added products, he added. He also said the government will provide infrastructure and facilities to make Pakistan a preferred destination for investment. He hoped FPCCI will continue to serve as think tank to fine tune government's policies and provide latest business pulse for policy formulation. Gilani said a comprehensive policy will be formulated for setting up new industries to generate employment opportunities. The government will also initiate measures in consultation with business community to control trade deficit, he added. (First Posted @ 17:10 PST, Updated @ 17:40 PST) Foreign Minister's first visit abroad is of China KARACHI, April 5 (APP): Foreign Minister, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s first visit abroad will be that of Peoples Republic of China. He will be visiting China from April 10 accompanying President Pervez Musharraf. He said China is a great, time-tested and all-weather friend of Pakistan. China has always sided with Pakistan and is also extending assistance towards our economic development. He said it was his inner desire that the first country he should visit (as Foreign Minister) should be China and Allah Almighty has provided this opportunity. (Posted @ 21:18 PST) Pakistan arrests eight alleged suicide bombers Bahawalnagar, Punjab, April 05 (PPI): Bahawalnagar police Saturday arrested eight alleged suicide bombers who had planned to kill former federal minister Ejazul Haq. Addressing a press conference a police spokesman said 40-kg explosive, suicide jackets, literature and CDs were recovered from the possession of the accused. He said that earlier, two of their accomplices were killed when the bomb they had planted in a motorcycle to kill Ejazul Haq exploded. He said officers and personnel of Bahawalnagar police were also a target of the accused. He said that the group’s mastermind Maulana Farooq Rajanpuri was said to be a class-fellow of late Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi of Islamabad’s Lal Masjid. (Posted @ 21:54 PST) Pakistan desires to solve Kashmir issue in accordance with historic stand: FM KARACHI, April 5 (APP): The country's Kashmir policy has been formulated after due consideration and it was, is and will be our desire that this longstanding issue is resolved in accordance with our historic stand, Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, said in Karachi on Saturday after visiting the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam where he placed floral wreaths and offered Fateha. Reciprocating Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s desire for early resumption of the composite dialogue process, Shah Mehmood said he had extended an invitation to his Indian counterpart and the dates in this connection are being finalized. (Posted @ 17:00 PST) Three Pakistani soldiers, five outlaws killed in gunfight QUETTA, Pakistan, April 5 (AFP): Three paramilitary soldiers and five outlaws were killed Saturday in a gunfight in Pakistan's Balochistan province, officials said. The shootout happened near the town of Dalbandin after the soldiers raided a house, acting on a tip-off, they said. “Three of our soldiers were killed and seven others were injured when criminals hiding in a house opened fire during a raid,” Frontier Corps chief officer Saleem Nawaz told AFP. “Up to five criminals died when soldiers retaliated and they have captured a body and a seriously wounded suspect,” Nawaz said. (Posted @ 13:35 PST) Pipeline blown up, gas supply to Uch Power Plant suspended DERA MURAD JAMALI, Pakistan, April 5 (APP): Gas supply to Uch Power Plant suspended after unknown miscreants blew up a 24-inch diameter pipeline in Chethar area of district Nasirabad, official sources said Saturday. The blast damaged a 3-feet long piece of the pipeline. Officials said suspension of gas did not affect the plant’s power production process. (Posted @ 12:55 PST) 
Indian PM to visit Pakistan soon: report NEW DELHI, April 5 (APP): Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Pakistan in the next couple of month, “Hindustan Times” quoting officials here said. No dates had been fixed, it said adding that Singh has a long-pending invitation to visit Pakistan . Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will soon visit Islamabad for having first contact with the newly elected government in Pakistan to review fourth round of Composite Dialogue. A couple of days ago, Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee telephoned his Pakistani counter-part Shah Mehmood Qureshi and agreed to resume Composite Dialogue at the earliest. He will also visit Islamabad soon. The expectations from Indian Prime Minister's visit were high. An agreement on settling the Sir Creek boundary has become possible, the daily added. (Posted @ 17:20 PST) Protesters in occupied Kashmir call for release of political prisoners from Indian jails SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, April 5 (AP) - Protesters threw rocks in occupied Kashmir and shops, schools and roads were near-empty Saturday after political parties called a strike to protest alleged mistreatment of political prisoners in Indian jails. The protesters converged in the main street near a mosque in Srinagar, chanting “We want freedom,” “Release the detainees.” They threw rocks at police and paramilitary forces who tried to prevent them from marching. Police fired tear gas after failing to disperse the crowd with bamboo sticks, a police officer said on condition of anonymity. At least three protesters and two policemen were injured, the officer said, adding five protesters were detained. Activists claim more than 1,400 Kashmiris are languishing in Indian jails, where prisoners are allegedly tortured and kept without trial. The strike, which kept most traffic off the roads and shuttered businesses in Srinagar, was called by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, head of the hard-line faction of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, the region's main separatist alliance. The strike was supported by the United Jehad Council, an alliance of several militant groups and a lawyers association. The separatist groups have wide support among Kashmiris. More than a dozen militant groups have been fighting in the Indian-controlled side since 1989, seeking Muslim-majority Kashmir's independence from predominantly Hindu India or its merger with Pakistan. At least 68,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the conflict. (Posted @ 16:20 PST) Bush arrives for summit with Putin MOSCOW, April 5 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush arrived at the Black Sea resort of Sochi Saturday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian news agencies reported. Bush flew in from Croatia for what is expected to be their last summit as respective heads of state, with Putin stepping down in May. The talks, which are also to include Putin's successor, Dmitri Medvedev, are expected to focus on US plans for a missile shield in eastern Europe which Russia opposes. (Posted @ 21:14 PST) Cricket-West Indies 294 all out v Sri Lanka Port of Spain, April 5 (Reuters) - West Indies were dismissed for 294 on the third day of the second and final test against Sri Lanka in Port of Spain, Trinidad on Thursday. Scores: West Indies 294 all out (Sarwan 57, Muralitharan 5-79); Sri Lanka 278 all out. (Posted @ 20:28 PST)
Pakistan, China enjoy strategic, close relations: PM Gilani ISLAMABAD, April 5 (APP): Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani Saturday said China was Pakistan's all-weather, time-tested friend with the two countries having strategic and close relationship in every field. In a meeting with a delegation of China Mobile Communication Corporation headed by its Chairman and CEO, Wang Jianzhou, he said the government wants major investors to make Pakistan as their destination. Wang Jianzhou said the company has invested US$700 million in Pakistan and another US$800 million would be invested by the end of this year when it would install 5180 new sites to cover 90% areas of Pakistan and provide jobs to 5,000 people. He also expressed interest for investment in education and environment sectors. (Posted @ 19:44 PST) 3 killed, 40 injured in bus-truck collision in Pakistan JALALPUR BHATIAN, Pakistan, April 05-(PPI): Three factory workers were killed and forty others wounded, 12 of them seriously, in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck near Bhobharra, in Punjab province, late Friday night. Police said the bus proceeding to Hafizabad collided with the truck and turned turtle. (Posted @ 18:40 PST) Top police officer killed in Baghdad BAGHDAD, April 5 (Reuters) - Gunmen Saturday killed police Brigadier-General Saadi Ruzuqi, spraying his car with bullets on the Mohammed al-Qasim highway in central Baghdad, police said. In Diyala province, gunmen killed four off-duty oil pipeline guards in their car near Khanaqin, near the Iranian border, and in another incident gunmen killed Christian priest Adel Yousif in a drive-by shooting near his house in the Karrada district of central Baghdad, police said. Separately, a roadside bomb hit a bus in eastern Baghdad, killing three people and wounding 16 others, police said. (Posted @ 18:32 PST) Bush says NATO open to all Balkan countries ZAGREB, April 5 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush told a crowd here on Saturday that NATO was open to all countries in the Balkans and stressed that Macedonia should join the military alliance as soon as possible. “The NATO alliance is open to all countries in the region,” Bush said in a speech to some 3,500 people, including leaders of Croatia, Albania and Macedonia, in St Marc's Square in the Croatian capital. “I regret that NATO did not extend an invitation to Macedonia at this week's summit,” he said, refering to a meeting earlier this week in Romania during which Albania and Croatia were invited to join the alliance. “America's position is clear, Macedonia should take its place in NATO as soon as possible.” NATO's leaders this week decided not to invite Skopje to the alliance until a long-running dispute with Greece regarding Macedonia's name was resolved. Bush was on a 24-hour visit to Croatia. (Posted @ 18:28 PST) Cricket-South Africa defeat India in second test AHMEDABAD, April 5 (Reuters) - South Africa beat India by an innings and 90 runs on the third day of the second test in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Scores: India 76 and 328 (S. Ganguly 87, Dhoni 52). South Africa 494 for seven declared ( Kallis 132, AB de Villiers 217 not out). (Posted @ 18:26 PST) Jinnah Awards to late Ahmed Ali Khan, Air Marshal (Rtd) Asghar Khan KARACHI, April 5 (PPI):- Jinnah Society which propagates principles, ideals, vision of the Quaid-i-Azam and confers one award each year to a distinguished citizen for outstanding services to Pakistan has selected late Ahmed Ali Khan, a former Editor of English daily Dawn, for Jinnah Award 2007 and Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan for Jinnah Award 2006. Ms Ameena Saiyid, secretary general of Jinnah Society said the awards will be conferred on May 30 at Karachi. Jinnah Awards were earlier conferred on Maulana Abdul Sattar Edhi, Hakim Mohammad Said (posthumous), Graham Layton (posthumous), Dr Ruth Pfau, Dr. Ishrat Hussain, and Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan. (Posted @ 18:22 PST) Man killed in landmine explosion in Dera Murad Jamali DERA MURAD JAMALI, Pakistan, April 5 (APP): A man was killed in a landmine blast here Saturday in the area of RD 38 police station, police said. A group of men ran in chaos after a raiding party of law enforcing agency launched search operation against criminals and anti social elements in the area, reports said. As a result a landmine planted by unknown miscreants exploded killing one person on the spot. (Posted @ 12:40 PST) One killed in Kurram Agency civilian convoy bomb attack ISLAMABAD, April 5 (APP): One person was killed and 18 others injured in a bomb attack on a convoy of locals in Sada area of Kurram Agency. Sources said that a convoy of 20 vehicles was proceeding to Peshawar from Parachinar when miscreants attacked it with a bomb and opened fire, killing one person and injuring 18 others, a private television channel reported. (Posted @ 16:45 PST) Iran rejects western incentives to suspend nuclear work TEHRAN, April 5 (AFP): Iran said Saturday it would not make any concession in exchange for incentives offered by the west to halt sensitive atomic activities. “Iran does not trade its rights in return for incentives,” government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters. “It is not reasonable to replace the (International Atomic Energy) Agency with some countries which themselves possess nuclear weapons,” he said. (Posted @ 15:55 PST) Sri Lanka says 16 killed in fresh fighting COLOMBO, April 5 (APP/AFP): At least 15 Tamil Tiger fighters and one soldier died as Sri Lankan security forces waged a major offensive against the rebels in the north of the island, defence officials said Saturday. Sri Lankan troops backed by artillery fire attacked rebel positions in the districts of Mannar, Vavuniya and Weli Oya, Sri Lankan defence officials said. All 16 were killed in clashes Friday but the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) denied in a statement that any guerrillas died and said they beat back a fresh onslaught from their territory. (Posted @ 12:50 PST) Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan blast KABUL, April 5 (AFP): A Canadian soldier serving with the NATO-led force in Afghanistan was killed when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, military officials said Saturday. The soldier's armoured vehicle hit “an improvised explosive device” in Kandahar province on Friday, the Canadian defence ministry said in a statement. (Posted @ 11:15 PST) US air strike kills three in Basra BAGHDAD, April 5 (AFP): At least three people, two of them children, were killed in a US air strike in Iraq's main southern city of Basra on Friday, an AFP photographer said. The strike was in the city's northern Al-Haiyaniyah neighbourhood which has seen fierce clashes between militiamen and Iraqi forces for the past 10 days. US and British militaries confirmed the air strike. (Posted @ 09:40 PST) 
Founder: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
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