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Rain, snowfall continues in upper parts of country

ISLAMABAD: The fresh string of rain and snowfall continues intermittently in upper parts of country including areas located in Kashmir, Balochistan, upper Punjab, and NWFP province, Geo news reported Sunday. The rain over western parts of country and snowfall over mountainous regions were forecast in most parts of country on Monday and Tuesday, met office forecast. The maximum rain – 55 mm – was recorded in Patin area during the last 24 hours, met office said. [...more]

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Country can’t be run by disobeying courts’ orders: Nawaz

BAHAWALPUR: Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Main Nawaz Sharif said the country can’t be run by violating courts verdicts and President Asif Ali Zardari has violated the promises. PML-N chief said while addressing a party workers’ convention here said Pakistan is passing through a critical phase and a revolution is needed to bring back the things on right track. We have no desire to come into power. Nawaz said Musharraf and Chaudhrys had tried to eliminate Muslim League. The dictator had killed Bugti, destroyed peace of Balochistan and divided Pakistan. He also admitted of selling Pakistanis. The democratic government see off him with a guard of honor and the remains of dictator is still exists. Nation is proud on restoration of judges and no dictator could harm democracy in the presence of free judiciary, he added. [...more]

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SC reserves decision in promotion case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has reserved the decision in the case of promotion in top bureaucracy on Friday and stated that if promoted officers want to express their views they could inform the court in a written form. A three- member bench of Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry heard the case. Attorney general continued arguments regarding eligibility of the officers. Chief justice has asked the attorney general to take care of public interest instead of government. Attorney general replied that Supreme Court has authority to review any administrative decision. Attorney general in his arguments said all officers of grade 21 were equally eligible for the promotion. The lawyer of one of the affected officer Ikram Chaudhry in his arguments said King law rules in the absence of democracy and law whereas law is the king in democracy. He said the authority practiced by prime minister in connection with the promotion of officers has proved that king law is exists here. The court has reserved the decision at the end of the hearing and said promoted officers could present their views within seven days through establishment division. [...more]

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Dozens of wanted criminals arrested in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Peshawar police said they have arrested a total of 80 anti-state persons including foreigners and 29 wanted criminals during separate raids from all across provincial capital and recovered from their possession drugs and arms on Wednesday night, Geo news reported. Police parties carried out raids against Lawbreakers in several parts of city while the recovered arms included 31 pistols, 507 rounds of bullets 9 kilogram cocaine and 24 alcohol bottles. [...more]

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Pak-Turk to start $20 b project on Islamabad-Istanbul rail link

ISTANBUL: Pakistan and Turkey agreed Monday to undertake a US $ 20 billion project to upgrade a railway link from Islamabad to Istanbul, basically to speedily transport cargo from Pakistan to Turkey and ultimately to Europe. This was decided in a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. The meeting continued for well over one hour as President Abdullah Gul said that three companies of his country were interested in construction of up-gradation project. President Zardari is on a four-day visit of Turkey to attend Trilateral Summit as well as Istanbul Summit on Afghan issue besides discussing bilateral matters with Turkish leaders. The five-year rail project envisages to curtail travel time between Islamabad and Istanbul, via Tehran, from the current 11 days to ultimately three-four days as a track between the two cities already existed but facilities available require up-gradation. Emphasizing that Pakistan and Turkey needed to intensify cooperation in various fields, with focus on economic ties, President Zardari said that Rail link of Pakistan with Turkey, via Tehran, would play a crucial role to achieve these objectives. “Transportation of cargo by Air has become expensive while sea trade is normally slow”, President Zardari said. “So the cargo rail link could provide a speedier option to expand economic ties between the two countries as well as with Iran”. A comprehensive presentation was given to the Pakistani and Turkish Presidents on the 6,566 kilometres Rail project from Islamabad to Istanbul, via Tehran, with 1,990 kilometres track situated in Pakistan, 2,570 kilometres in Iran and 2,006 kilometres in Turkey. “This rail link will strengthen Pakistan’s economy as well as people to people ties with not only brotherly Muslim countries but also onwards to Europe”, remarked President Zardari who floated the Islamabad-Istanbul cargo train idea last year when an experimental train was run on the route on his initiative on August 14. He also stressed that the areas around the rail track should also be developed so that benefits of increased trade could be passed on to the respective people. Zardari impressed upon business community of Turkey to not only enhance trade relations with Pakistan but also to take advantage of lucrative investment opportunities in his country. “I paid my first foreign visit to Turkey as PPP Co-Chairman after the martyrdom of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto”, the President said. “It reflects the importance the democratic government of Pakistan attaches to relations with Turkey”. Turkish President Abdullah Gul said that besides constructing Diamar-Bhasha Dam through its private sector, Turkey also planned to open branch of a Turkish bank in Pakistan, probably in Islamabad. Gul invited Zardari to a state visit of Turkey, which the latter accepted with visit to take place at a mutually convenient date. An Urdu-Turkish and Turkish-Urdu dictionary, compiled by an Ankara-based Pakistani, Dr. Furqan Hameed, was also presented to the two Heads of State. [...more]

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US to supply ”Shadow” drones to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The United States plans to provide Pakistan with a dozen unarmed drone aircraft that will help bolster its military as it takes on Taliban militants, US defence officials said. Details of the drones emerged late Thursday during a visit to Pakistan by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who was asked in an interview with Pakistani television if Washington would supply Islamabad with the unmanned aircraft. "There are some tactical UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) that we are considering, yes," Gates said. Defence officials in his delegation afterward confirmed funds had been set aside to secure 12 Shadow aerial drones for Pakistan. The Shadow drones, smaller than the armed Predator and Reaper aircraft, are about 11 feet (three metres) long and have a wing-span of 14-feet, with sensors and cameras feeding video images back to operators on the ground. The Pakistani military already had some less sophisticated drones for surveillance but would need to heavily invest in training specialists to be able to take advantage of the new hardware, said US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The US employs armed drones for missile strikes against Al-Qaeda and Taliban figures in Pakistan, fuelling anti-American sentiment and drawing public condemnation from the government in Islamabad. Pakistani officials have previously called for Washington to provide its military with armed drones. [...more]

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Consumers tensed over low gas pressure in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The domestic consumers of Sui gas in Peshawar are worried about the low pressure of gas. The worst affected areas included Gulshan Rehman Colony, Kushaal Town Colony, Civil Quarters, Technical College Colony and Dohra Road which witnessed suspension of gas supply from 4pm till late night on Wednesday, Geo news reported. Also, others areas in Peshawar narrating the almost identical stories which abandoned gas consumers in panic particularly amid rapidly declining mercury in Peshawar. Sui Gas Company (SCG) has also appealed to people to refrain from unnecessary usage of Sui gas so that the prevailing shortfall could be addresses, company sources told media. [...more]

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Govt to open IPPs to overcome electricity shortfall: PM

ISLAMABAD:Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Wednesday said the government has decided to open an Independent Power Producer (IPP) every month to overcome electricity shortage in the country. Replying to the point of orders in the Upper House of the Parliament, the PM said that PPP led government inherited the power crisis from the previous government. “We planned short term, medium term and long term measures to overcome electricity shortage. Under the short term measures it would take three months to overcome the power crisis, but now we have decided to open an IPP every month to slowly end power shortage.” He said, when the friends of Pakistan asked that in which sector they should provide assistance to Pakistan, we asked them to help us in the power sector. He said the power crisis is aggravated due to desalting of canals, adding that measures are being taken to overcome power crisis at the earliest. Regarding gas shortage in the country, PM Gilani said the government is considering to explore additional sources to meet the demand. Citing increase in price of sugar, he said there was shortage of sugar production in India and Brazil, the two major producers of sugar. The government is considering to timely import the sugar to avoid any expected crisis. [...more]

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Chief election warns action against exploit of official post

ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza has clarified that if any government official gets caught exploiting his official position during by-polls, harsh action will be taken against him, Geo news reported. This, a statement said in a statement issued from his office on Monday. He has barred Tehsil Nazims, Town Nazims and Naib Nazims from announcement of any development scheme in concerned constituencies and will not donate money either. He vowed strict actions against Nazims over violation of EC’s rules. [...more]

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Forces kill 5 miscreants in central Kurram

PARA CHANAR: At least five miscreants were killed in clashes with security forces in the middle of Kurram Agency and unknown culprits gunned down tribal leader Malik Abdul Qayyum in Bajaur Agency on Monday. According to sources, the fierce skirmishes took place in Ghalo Ghandi locality situated in the center of Kurram Agency, which claimed lives of five suspected extremists while another 3 sustained injuries. Meanwhile, DPO Kohat Dilawar Khan old media four tribesmen were rounded up and a huge amount of illegal weaponry was seized from their possession amid raid conducted by security forces on the home of Khan Akbar located in Jirma area of Khwasi Banda. He said the arrested suspected tribesmen were actually hailing from Kurram Agency while 5 vehicles were also recovered from them. Malik Fayyaz Khan has been designated the head of Peace Committee in Mahmond Agency following the death of former head Malik Qayyum – died in a bomb attack. [...more]

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