Local bodies elections may be held in 2012

Secretary Election Commission called on the Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and apprised him on the preparation of reforms being undertaken by the Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure fair, transparent and credible elections in the country.

He mentioned the Election Commission of Pakistan Strategic Plan 2010-14 which has been prepared in consultation with all the stakeholders including all political parties, civil society and media. He informed the prime minister that the Computerized Electoral Rolls are being prepared in collaboration with NADRA and current door to door verification throughout Pakistan is underway until September 2011, and that final Computerized Electoral Rolls will be ready by April 2012.

Secretary Election Commission thanked the prime minister for extending full support to make Election Commission of Pakistan autonomous, independence and also to implement reforms agenda.

Regarding the Local Bodies Elections, the Secretary informed the Prime Minister that after the 18 Amendment, holding of Local Bodies Elections were also the responsibility of Election Commission of Pakistan and the Provincial Governments are being asked to make necessary legislation in this regard so that Elections could be held accordingly.

The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts being made by the Election Commission of Pakistan under the guidance of Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Hamid Ali Mirza in order to complete the reforms agenda.

The Prime Minister also directed that instructions should be issued to all the Ministries/Divisions to prepare a strategic plan for five years on the pattern of election Commission of Pakistan so that all Ministries have goals/objectives and sense of direction.

In terms of good governance, the Prime Minister observed that there was a need to create a mechanism at Prime Minister’s Secretariat to remove the disconnect between the national institutions of the state so they sit together and find out solutions pertaining to security, strategic issues and good governance. The Prime Minister said local bodies’ elections may be held in 2012 after the finalization of Computerized Electoral Rolls in April 2012.

Libya: Pro-Kadhafi forces fired 3 Scuds at Misrata

BRUSSELS: Forces loyal to defiant Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi fired three Scud missiles in the direction of Misrata during Monday fighting, a NATO spokeswoman told AFP on Tuesday.

Imran ready to become governor for peace in Karachi

Governor Raj was sole solution to the problem rather than military operation. On the direction of President Asif Ali Zardari and COAS Ashfaq Kayani, he was ready to become governor of Karachi.

He said this while talking to the News Trends. He asserted that Asghar Khan like people were in the country who have potential to cope with the challenging issues.

He said that Zulfiqar Chima was one of the best officers in Police but ‘Khadim e Ala’ sacked him for personal interests.

He said military operation would not bring fruits as political parties were involved in the incidents of terrorism, adding that Gen Kayani should play his role for proper restoration of peace in the hub of economy.

PM directs Malik to take steps for Dr. Aafia’s return

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has directed Interior Minister Rehman Malik to make all efforts possible to bring Dr. Aafia Siddiqui home.

A US court sentenced Dr. Aafia to 86 years in prison. The Interior Ministry has started pondering over various options, including an appeal against the US court verdict after the direction of PM Gilani on Friday.

Pakistan may request the US president to grant special remission in Dr. Aafia’s sentence. SAMAA

PM orders withdrawal of privileges of NAB PG

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday directed the Secretary Law to withdraw all facilities provided to National Accountability Bureau’s Prosecutor General, Irfan Qadir.

The Prime Minister ordered to implement Supreme Court orders in letter and spirit. He said A NAB chairman will be appointed soon after Eid.

A few days back the Supreme Court of Pakistan had declared the appointments of both Acting Chairman NAB and Prosecutor General as unlawful, and directed their immediate removal with further direction to the government to make fresh appointments for these slots within 30 days. However, Qadir was of the view that President Asif Ali Zardari was the appointing authority and only he could remove him from office.

It is pertinent to mention here that former chairman NAB Naveed Ahsan was also removed on the orders of the Supreme Court.

Irans Bushehr nuclear plant starts fuel-loading

Russia will begin loading nuclear fuel into the reactor of Iran’s first atomic power station on Saturday — an irreversible step marking the start-up of the Bushehr plant after nearly 40 years of delay.
Russian specialists and their Iranian counterparts are to begin loading uranium-packed fuel rods into the reactor on Saturday — a process that will take 2-3 weeks. Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko and head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation Ali Akbar Salehi are expected to attend the official launching ceremony.
Russia agreed in 1995 to build the Bushehr plant on the site of a project started by German company Siemens in the 1970s, but delays have haunted the 1 billion dollar project and diplomats say Moscow has used it as a lever in relation with Tehran.
The United States has criticised Moscow for pushing ahead with the Bushehr project at a time when major powers including Russia are pressing Tehran to allay fears that its nuclear energy programme may be geared to develop weapons.
But western fears that the Bushehr project could help Iran develop a nuclear weapon were lessened when Moscow reached an agreement with Tehran obliging it to return spent fuel to Russia. Weapons-grade plutonium can be derived from spent fuel rods.
The U.S. State Department said it did not regard Bushehr as a proliferation risk, but emphasised that broader concerns remained about the direction of Iran’s nuclear programme.

Piranha 3d Movie Reviews

The expectation bar “Piranha 3D” for a month now, but unfortunately we have yet to see more of the trailer because the studio is not screening the film to critics. Horror and action, suspense, bikinis, Oscar winner (Richard Dreyfuss), and Oscar nominee (Elisabeth Shue), and 3D penis cut off and the blood was fake, more than any other movie ever. Who can hate “Piranha 3D”? Never underestimate the critics of the film. Here’s what the reviews available, saying:

“The suspense is skimpy, such as a swimsuit in the new edition of this 3D Rude of parody Joe Dante’s Jaws, 1978, directed by Gore specialized French Alexandre Aja. And a broken spring in a lake in Arizona, and unleashes an earthquake slightly gnashers before the date on the procession unsuspecting concerts hotties. But the direction of the AGA lazy and rely on trivial trauma in digital form makes the film more than a stress test of time gloating actual commodity. ”

He described Kelly Brook, who plays Danny glamor model, a new edition of horror 3D 1978 as a “great movie fun, and B, with a lot of the breast, blood and Gore,” the drama, there are a lot of these components in this cheesy fun to keep fans horror satisfied.

Man hurls shoes at President Zardari in UK

BIRMINGHAM: A man threw two shoes in direction of President Asif Ali Zardari when the latter was delivering a speech at Pakistan People’s Party’s convention here on Saturday.

President Zardari was addressing a gathering of PPP workers at a convention here when a man – apparently a PPP worker – stood up and threw something towards the direction of the President as he (the man) criticized the latter for the UK trip.

According to an eyewitness who was present at the convention said ‘the man threw two shoes one after another in direction of the President when he was giving speech.’ Security personnel present there sprung to action and took the man into custody and took him outside, the eyewitness added.

This led the President to stop his address and immediately leave the place in a security cordon in his car waiting for him outside.

President Zardari is presently in UK on a trip which was widely criticized due to his leaving the country at a time when people in Pakistan are facing unprecedented floods that has killed over 1000 people and displaced millions.

Shooting at hospital injures five in Lahore

LAHORE: Several people were injured Monday in a shooting incident near a hospital in Lahore, local sources said.

Hospital sources said that the fight was for dominance over a canteen at Gulab Devi Hospital. Police that have cordoned off the area confirmed that it was an incident of personal enmity.

The shootout outside the hospital created a wide spread panic as people including patients inside ran for cover. Aijaz Ali, Hafiz Iftikhar, Nasir and two others were injured. They were shifted to the hospital.

Attackers escaped in a black car.

PM directs to ensure safe return of Pakistanis

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, expressing his concern over the plight of Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan, on Monday assured the disturbed families of the students that the government would do its utmost to get them safely back home.

The prime minister while taking notice of the issue, tasked the NDMA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the safe return of the 269 Pakistani students as well as the body of the deceased student from the city of Osh.

He further directed all the concerned authorities to clear all the bottlenecks to speed up the process of repatriation.

It was on the direction of the prime minister that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is flying three C-130 aircraft to Kyrgyzstan on Monday and Tuesday, to bring back the stranded students.

The aircraft will be carrying seven tons of blankets and tents and another seven tons of food and medicines, on the request of the Kyrgyz government, which will be handed over to the concerned authorities there.

It may be recalled that the Kyrgyz political situation has left one Pakistani student dead and around 269 stranded in the riot-stricken city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan.

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