SC Summons Chief Secretaries in Reko Diq Case

Breaking News

ISLAMABAD, trendpk: The Supreme Court on Wedbesday summoned existing and former chief secretaries of Blaochistan in Reko Diq gold and copper mines case.

A four-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Muhammad Sair Ali, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday is hearing petitions against the leasing of the Reko Diq gold and copper mines in Balochistan.

The bench on Wednesday ordered the concerned parties to produce fundamental documents and the record of the contract before the court.

The bench on Tuesday accepted the miscellaneous application of 26 senators for becoming parties in the pending petitions against the leasing of the Reko Diq mines in Balochistan.

Senator Azam Khan Swati, along with Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, Dr Mohammad Ismail Buledi and others had pleaded to become party in the case.

PCB Concerned About Future Tour Program

PCB has some concerns about the future tour program. In the FTP Pakistan are left to play with limited countries and there is not much cricket for Pakistan against countries like India. In the FTP Pakistan has to tour West Indies for full tour and this will be first tour of Pakistan in six years. After that tour Pakistan will visit Zimbabwe to play series.

After foreign tour Pakistan will end the year by playing the home series against Sri Lanka and England. These series will be interesting. As there is no cricket in Pakistan so the series will be held at neutral venue. The venue for the series is yet to decide. The PCB’s chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed said that there is still gap in Pakistan tour program from now to 2012 and there is a still chance of Indian series to fit in it.

Subhan Ahmed said that they are negotiating with different cricket boards to get international cricket back in Pakistan. He said that security assurance is the main issue and the back of international cricket in Pakistan depends upon the security situation of Pakistan. The negotiations are on FTP program are going on between different board and it is hope that there will be some positive results of it.

Gas shortage: Gilani directs implementation of ECC distribution plan

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday issued directives for the implementation of the decision of Economic Coordination Council (ECC) regarding the equal distribution of gas.

Gilani convened a meeting of all stakeholders on Monday to consider ways and means for equitable distribution of energy shortfall across the country. The meeting reviewed the gas crisis hitting the country and its effects. The PM also ordered the concerned ministries to import LNG at the earliest and asked the gas companies to make efforts to check the gas theft and wastage. On the occasion, Punjab CM shahbaz Sharif thanked the Premier for taking interest in the issue and added that the meeting would help resolve the gas crisis facing the country. It is pertinent to mention that the PM summoned a meeting in the wake of the threat by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to start street protests against gas loadshedding in the province. Mr Sharif had accused the federal government and the gas companies of adopting a discriminatory approach in gas supply to the industrial sector in his province and threatened to stage a march on the Mall in Lahore along with labourers and industrialists to protest against the loadshedding decision that had forced a number of factories to close down.The countrys current average gas production stands at 4BCFD against total proven reserves of about 33 trillion cubic feet (TCF), enough to maintain current supplies for more than 20 years. But the shortfall is also estimated to increase to more than 2BCFD in 2013-14 and 5.08BCFD by 2019-20. More than 9 per cent of the gas production is lost to the system losses.

On the other hand, adding to the public woes Sui Northern announced that the CNG filling station of Lahore would remain shut form 8:00pm to 8:00am besides a complete closure on Tuesday. CNG association convened an emergency meeting over the schedule.

OGRA announces to keep petroleum products prices unchanged

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The prices of petroleum products are not being changed and they all will be sold on the same existing prices during next month, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has announced it on Tuesday night.

Earlier, it was informed and feared that the concerned authorities had decided to increase petrol price by Rs. 2.17 per liter and diesel price by Rs. 2.50 per liter.

OGRA’s announcement, to keep the prices of petroleum products unchanged, have proven all fears of price hike wrong and people have taken the sigh of relief. Trend Pk

Govt. decides to increase petroleum products prices at midnight

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The government has in principle decided to increase the prices of petroleum products in the up coming monthly price review on Tuesday (today).

According to sources, the concerned authorities have decided to increase petrol price by Rs. 2.17 per liter and diesel price by Rs. 2.50 per liter.

After the official announcement, these new increased prices of the petroleum products will be charged from midnight (00.00am) today. Trend Pk

Punjab’s industrial gas supply halted, millions lose daily wages

Staff Report

LAHORE: Under the National Energy Saving drive, the gas supply of many industrial zones of Punjab has been halted on Monday morning which is causing a huge lost to the millions of daily wages’ workers of the concerned industries.

According to Sui Northern Gas Company (SNGC) source, the gas supply of Lahore, Sheikhupura and Sahiwal regions’ industries will remain closed on November 29-30, and it would resume on December 1 at 6.00am.

The industrialists of the affected zones have rejected this ongoing two-day weekly gas break while saying that this weekly gas closure not only halts the industries, it also turns millions of daily wages’ workers jobless.

Under the weekly gas break schedule of SNGC, more than 2,000 CNG stations of Lahore, Multan, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad regions would remain closed on Tuesday. Trend Pk

Haj nears end, but Pak. Hajis’ troubles continue to multiply

Staff Report

JEDDAH: Haj proceedings are nearing the end today, but Pakistani Hajis’ problems continue to multiply amid the Manasik-e-Haj (Haj rituals).

According to details, many Pakistani Hajis are deprived of tents in Mina and they passed the whole day yesterday under open skies in the heat. They tried to contact Pakistani officials, but failed to get through to any concerned person.

A vast majority of Pakistani Hajis did not get any transport facility from the concerned authorities; finding no other way most of them traveled on foot from Mecca to Mina.

Pakistani Hajis were already troubled by costly residences situated far away from the Haram (Mecca). The lack of other facilities multiplied their problems further.

The Government of Pakistan assured the Hajis to solve their problems many times, but did not take any practical measure to

Dr Imran Farooq’s body to be taken by helicopter

Staff Reporter

KARACHI: The route plan for the funeral procession of Dr. Imran Farooq’s body has been changed by the concerned authorities; it has been decided that the corpse of the deceased leader of Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will be directly taken by a helicopter to Jinnah Ground, Azizabad, from the airport of Karachi.

Earlier on Friday, the local leaders of Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the officials of Karachi’s Quid-e-Azam International Airport finalized the security arrangements for the arrival of remains and the procession of Dr. Imran Farooq’s funeral.

To finalize the security arrangements, a combined meeting of the officers of Airport Security Force (ASF), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and MQM leaders, Babar Ghauri and Rauf Siddiqui, was held at the Civil Aviation Headquarter.

The meeting decided that on the morning of November 6,

Quetta: People’s stern protest against milk price hike

Staff Report

QUETTA: The people of Quetta have protested sternly on Wednesday against the ongoing milk price hike.

The lawlessness of the milk sellers of the city has sky rocketed and they have increased the milk prices by Rs. 4 to 6, without any prior notice or permission from the concerned authorities.

The residents of Quetta have complained that the milk sellers have increased milk prices three times during last three months and the government has no control over the prices of the necessities. Trend Pk

Saudi Prince writes to CJP over costly lodgings scam for Pak Hujjaj

Saudi Prince Bandar bin Khalid bin Faisal on Wednesday wrote a letter to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry revealing Pakistans religious ministry huge corruption in provision of residences to the Hujjaj at Makkah.
He addressed the CJP divulging that the Pakistani Hujjaj Committee rejected the Saudi offer pertaining to the residences for the 35,000 pilgrims for 3,350 riyals which was just 2 kilometers away from Haram and committed for the lodgings costing 3,400 to 3,600 riyals.
Taking the suo moto notice on the letter, the apex court directed the concerned ministry to file a reply in this respect within 15 days.

Next Page »