Pakistani held in US deny charges

Pakistan born Imam and his son held in the US appeared before the court in Miami where they were indicted. Four charges were framed against 6 defendants. Khurram Waheed, the attorney for Sher Ali said while talking to the News Trends that charges were read out but no proof has been given.

Hafiz Sher Ali is prayer leader in a Miami mosque and his two sons have the US citizenship. The rest of the accused include Sher Ali’s daughter Amna and grandson Alam Zeb.

Executive Director of American Islamic Relations Council Nazar Hamza says the arrests have given rise to many apprehensions. The court adjourned the proceedings till May 23. The bail application of the accused will be considered in the next hearing.

Khuzdar: 25 hurt in clash over Eid prayer’s Imam

Staff Report

KHUZDAR: At least 25 persons have been injured in an armed clash over selection of an Imam (leader of the prayer) for Eid prayer’s in Khuzdar.

According to details, the people of Tehsil Karkh gathered at a local Eid Gah (vast Eid prayer spot) to perform Eid prayers, but before the start of the prayer, people split into two groups and started a clash over allowing a disputed Imam to lead the Eid prayer.

During the clash, both sides opened fire on each other and injured 25 persons. Later on, police rushed to the scene and controlled the situation.

Police arrested 12 persons on the charges of creating unrest and shifted all the injured to Civil Hospital, Khuzdar. Trend Pk

Afghanistan drops charges against Karzai aide

KABUL: The Afghan government has dropped corruption charges against a top aide to President Hamid Karzai who was indicted by a US-backed task force for taking a bribe, an official said Tuesday.

Mohammad Zia Salehi, a senior official in Karzai’s National Security Council, was arrested by the Major Crimes Task Force, a US-funded anti-graft body, in July after he was caught on a wiretap soliciting a bribe.

In return, Salehi reportedly held up an investigation into a company suspected of moving money for Afghan leaders, drug traffickers and insurgents.

At the time, Karzai ordered Salehi to be released, saying that his arrest was unconstitutional and violated human rights.

Rahmatullah Nazari, Afghanistan’s deputy attorney general, told AFP that Salehi had been cleared of the charges, seemingly on a technicality.

“Under Afghanistan’s laws,

Asif withdraws appeal against ICC ban

KARACHI: Fast bowler Mohammad Asif has withdrawn his appeal against the ban imposed on him by cricket’s world governing body (ICC) over spot-fixing allegations.

“Mohammad Asif confirmed earlier today that he has withdrawn his challenge to the provisional suspension imposed on him on 2 September 2010 pending determination of the charges brought against him under the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code,” the ICC said in a statement on Friday.

Asif along with former Test skipper Salman Butt and Muhammad Amir were provisionally suspended by the ICC after a British tabloid accused three Pakistan players of involvement in spot-fixing. AGENCIES

Indian PM orders probe against C Games Corruption

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has ordered a probe against the charges of corruption against the organizing committee of the recently concluded common wealth games held in New Delhi.
The charges, that surfaced just after the mega event concluded, include corruption during the preparations of the event, issuance of contracts, violation of rules and regulations and nepotism in assigning other tasks and duties. Taking notice of the charges, the Indian PM ordered an immediate inquiry.
According to the spokesman of the Indian PM, a three member committee has been constituted to probe the corruption charges which would be headed by former controller and auditor general V.K. Shonglu.
The corruption and misappropriation charges surfaced when only three to four months were left in the commencement of the mega game show.

Sohail Zia Butt out on bail

Lahore High Court on Monday released PML-N member and a close relative of Nawaz Sharif Sohail Zia Butt and suspended a 3-year term awarded to him by an accountability court.
Hearing a case seeking Sohail Zias release, Justice Ijaz Chaudhry ordered Butts release on a surety bond of Rs3million on health grounds. On Sept 3, an accountability court sent Sohail Zia Butt to jail to undergo three years imprisonment awarded to him by an accountability court in absentia in 2001 under Section 31-A of the NAB Ordinance in a reference of Rs 2 million embezzlement.
Zia was nabbed over the charges of defaulting on a Rs 70.2 million loan.

PCB to serve second notice to Younis

Staff Report

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to serve another notice to former skipper Younis Khan.

According to sources, the second notice will be a binding on Younis to respond to the charges against him.

“If Younis Khan did not contact the cricket board, he would be served a show cause notice,” it said.

The stylish batsman was among seven players who were banned or fined by the PCB for various reasons following the dismal tour of Australia early this year. SAMAA

Dr Imrans murder: Scotland Yard launch hunt for killers

The detectives probing the murder of Pakistan politician Dr Imran Farooq are looking for at least two killers.
Dr Farooq, 50, was a leading member of Pakistan’s Muttahida Quami Movement party and fled to the UK in 1999, claiming asylum. He was stabbed repeatedly before being bludgeoned over the head with bricks in North London.
Officers from Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command have taken on the murder case due to a possible political motive. The last murder which the unit investigated was the poisoning in 2006 of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko.
Dr Farooq had previously claimed that there was a bounty on his head and he was wanted dead or alive by Pakistani authorities for criminal and terrorist activities. He insisted that the charges were politically motivated.

Karzai makes promises to international conference

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai sought to convince an international conference in Kabul on Tuesday that his government could assume full leadership by 2014 and demanded greater control of aid money.

Karzai”s administration is under massive Western pressure to crack down on corruption, prove that it is serious about taking responsibility for security and can ultimately face down a spiralling nine-year Taliban insurgency.

The war is killing record numbers of Western soldiers and the Taliban control large swathes of the south even as the United States leads a surge of foreign troops to 150,000 in weeks under a counter-insurgency push.

“I remain determined that our Afghan national security forces will be responsible for all military and law enforcement operations throughout our country by 2014,” Karzai told representatives from 70 organisations and states.

Thousands of Afghan police, military and security forces, backed up by NATO forces, put Kabul under security lockdown to guard against any possible Taliban attack marring the conference at the heavily protected foreign ministry.

Karzai said the international community had committed enough money to see Afghanistan through the next three years and called for greater control of the multi-billion-dollar aid budget for his impoverished country.

“We all agree that steady transition to Afghan leadership and ownership is the key to sustainability,” he said.

“We are pleased that the international community in general and the United States, in particular, have committed to channel 50 percent of their assistance through the Afghan budget in the next two years.

“Our systems are strong and improving, and we are committed to working with donors to give them the confidence needed to channel resources through the Afghan budget.”

Since the Taliban regime was overthrown in 2001, only 20 percent of pledged funds — an estimated total of 40 billion dollars — had been channelled through the Afghan budget, leading to serious corruption among the rest.

The West is under increasing public pressure to justify their aid and military commitments to one of the world”s most corrupt countries where the war has killed at least 380 foreign soldiers so far this year.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who joined Karzai in chairing the conference, called on Afghans to take greater responsibility for all the country”s challenges.

“Let us also be clear — just as Afghans are taking greater responsibility for governance and development so must they take greater responsibility for security as well,” he said.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who held talks with Karzai late Monday, said transition to Afghan leadership could not be put off indefinitely but said much more work faced the Afghan government on corruption.

“The Afghan government is stepping forward to deal with a multitude of difficult challenges. We’re encouraged by much of what we see, particularly their work to improve governance,” Clinton told the conference.

“These steps are important. But much more work remains,” she said.

Afghanistan and the United States are trying to reach out to Taliban foot soldiers, offering them jobs and cash in exchange for laying down their weapons. Karzai has also called for peace talks with insurgent leaders.

Karzai won endorsement from Afghan leaders last month to start peace talks with insurgent leaders and called on the international community to back his efforts — despite at least initial scepticism from the United States.

“We hope those who have taken arms against our country will see the wisdom of pursuing their legitimate aspirations through peaceful means. We expect our international partners to endorse and support our peace initiatives.”

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen emphasised that the alliance would remain in Afghanistan even after Afghans take over responsibility for security.

Rasmussen said transition would be based on “conditions, not calendars” with NATO forces working to train Afghan police and army to take the lead in protecting the country.

“And when it happens, international forces won”t leave; they will simply move into a supporting role,” he said.

Turkey to put 29 on trial for al-Qaeda links: report

ANKARA: A Turkish court ruled Tuesday that 29 suspects detained last week on charges of links to the al-Qaeda network would stand trial, the local news agency reported.

The court remanded 14 of the suspects in custody while releasing the remaining 15 who will also be tried, the agency said.

The accusations against the suspects will become clear when prosecutors draw up their indictment and detail the charges. The suspects were rounded up in pre-dawn simultaneous operations Friday in the southern province of Adana, the country”s biggest city Istanbul, Antalya on the Mediterranean coast and the western province of Canakkale.

Police determined that six of the suspects detained in Adana had been to Al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan, Anatolia said.

Next Page »