Malik says PM be lauded for appearing before court

TrendPK.com
ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Rehman A. Malik Thursday said several points were cleared during the past four years and the same will happen in future as well.

Talking to media on arriving at the premises of the Supreme Court (SC) which is currently hearing the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) Implementation case, he said the government appears before the bench in pursuance of the court order.

He said the PM Gilani’s decision to appear before the court should be appreciated, adding the institutions are working while staying in their respective domains.

Referring to the PM Gilani’s appearance before the court in contempt hearing, he said this is not a big deal; hence, it should not be much talked over. TrendPK

JUI-F files application for seats on Opposition benches

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), on Monday confirmed he has submitted an application to Speaker National Assembly to sit on the opposition benches.

Speaking to media representatives in Islamabad, he said the JUI-Fs parliamentary secretaries in the National Assembly and Senate have also tendered their resignations.The JUI-F pulled out of the PPP-led coalition government after Azam Swati, a federal minister from JUI-F, was sacked from the cabinet by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
During the past few days, the PPP has attempted to win back Fazlur Rehmans support. However, the JUI-F chief has refused to change his stance on the issue.However, JUI-F MNAs sat on the treasury benches at the start of the todays session.

JIU-F MPs Maulana Qasim, Haji Rozuddin, Maulana Abdul Malik and others took last seats of the treasury benches.

Later, while talking to trendpk.com.Com outside the Parliament House, JUI-F Senator Abdul Ghafoor Hiaderi said that an application for seats on the Opposition benches would be submitted within a day or two. Referring to RGST, he said that his party would oppose it, if the reservations over it were not addressed.

Facebook founder Time’s Person of the Year

NEW YORK: Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg was named Time’s “Person of the Year” for 2010 on Wednesday, joining the ranks of winners that include heads of state and rock stars as the person the magazine believes most influenced events of the past year.

Time’s “Person of the Year” is the person or thing that has most influenced the culture and the news during the past year for good or for ill.

In naming Zuckerberg, Time cited him “for changing how we all live our lives”.

In a posting on his Facebook page, Zuckerberg said that being named Time’s “Person of the Year” was “a real honor and recognition of how our little team is building something that hundreds of millions of people want to use to make the world more open and connected”.

“I’m happy to be a part of that,” the posting added.

Zuckerberg, who owns about a quarter

Nato smuggling case: SC orders arrest of container owners

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered arrest of the containers owners allegedly involved in contraband smuggling in Nato tankers and asked the Custom officials to produce one-year record of goods duty evasion.
The CJ directed Dr Moeed Pirzada, Director World Affairs Programme of Dunya News, to assist the court in this regard. The court directed Dunya News to produce the CD of the programme Dunya Today in which the smuggling scam has been unearthed.
A three-judge SC bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Ghulam Rabbani were hearing a suo motu notice on disappearance of goods from the Nato containers. According to reports, goods are routinely pilfered and sometimes an entire convoy of containers goes missing during transit through Pakistan.
The CJ lamented that despite a big network of police and Customs, smuggling is being carried out. He said an independent institution should probe the case.
The CJ deplored that tax money of Rs550billion is being evaded in the country and added that in presence of an upright Customs department not even a single ballpoint could be smuggled. He observed that it seemed as if FBR collects tax from salaried people of the society.
It is mention worthy that about 10,000 to 11,000 containers worth Rs220 billion with prohibited and non-prohibited luggage for Nato forces reportedly did not reach Afghanistan during the past couple of years because of corruption in the customs department, causing huge revenue losses to the national kitty. The issue cropped up during proceedings relating to seizure of a large quantity of liquor worth Rs80 million found in a container of Isaf contractor, Luner Products Company based in Afghanistan.

Australia’s Hazlewood misses India tour with back pains

MELBOURNE: Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will miss Australia’s test series in India due to a back injury, Cricket Australia said on Saturday.

Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson will remain on standby for the two-test series, which starts at Mohali on Oct. 1.

“During the past week, Josh Hazlewood developed low back pain while bowling in preparation for the upcoming India test series,” Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said in a statement.

“His symptoms were consistent with a low back bone stress injury and scans have confirmed the early stages of a low back stress fracture.

“As such, he has been withdrawn from the test series, as he will require a period of rest from bowling to allow the bone stress to resolve.”

Hazlewood, a 19-year-old right-arm fast bowler, played his lone one-day international against England this year and has

MPs average assets triple in 6 years: PILDAT

The assets of parliamentarians have tripled over the past six years, FATA MNA Muhammad Kamran Khans assets grew 42 times during the past one year.
According to a survey report released by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development (PILDAT), PPP MNA Mehboobullah Jahangir Khan Tareen the richest person with assets worth Rs. 3.28 billion. PML-N MNA Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is the second richest MP with assets worth Rs. 1.62 billion. Jahangir Khan Tareen is third with total assets worth Rs. 1.09 billon.
The study revealed, average assets of MPs are at Rs. 20.70 million in 2002, which jumped to Rs. 80.10 million by 2008.
Other parties are Pakistan Muslim League at 5, Awami National Party (ANP) at 6, Peoples Party Sherpao (PP-S) at 7, Muttahida Qaumi Movement at 8, Balochistan National Party at 9 and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal at 10.
PML-Ns Nuzhat Sadiq is the richest female parliamentarian. She owns assets worth Rs. 910.28 million. The Prime Ministers Advisor Asma Arbab Alamgir is the second richest woman.

Floods Continue to Devastate Punjab, Sindh

Floods triggered by heavy showers continue to devastate widespread areas of the country during the past many days. Thousands of affected families are awaiting help under open skies. As many as 40 villages have been affected by the floods near Rahim Yar Khan. The Army is carrying out rescue operations in the area and so has far transferred at least 22,000 people to safe areas.
Heavy rains were expected to lash areas already struck by the worst floods in 80 years. Chachar Sharif was witnessing a flow of 1,185000 cusecs while 1.1 million cusecs of water is flowing through Bhownk. According to ISPR, more than 9,000 people were evacuated by the Army in Bohang. A rescue operation headed by Maj. Farooq is underway to rescue people trapped in their houses.
Authorities in Sindh were busy evacuating villagers, warning that major floods in the next 48 hours threatened hundreds of communities. Nine percent low lying area of Padeen was flooded by water from the Indus River. 450,000 to 500,000 acres of agriculture land in katcha area located on both side of riverbed of Indus touching its embankments.
Sindh Provincial Ministers made a visit to Bandho the review the preparations made by the authorities to confront the challenges of the flood.
Floodwater submerged Kot Karam Khan, Nabi Shah and other adjoining areas after two safety dikes of Nabi Shah and Forooq Mazari broke open.

MQM says its workers’ houses are being attacked

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Rabitta Committee Wednesday claimed that terrorists of Qasba Colony, Banaras, Faqir Colony laced with modern weapons are looting and killing MQM workers and sympathizers by barging into their houses.

Addressing a press conference here, MQM leader Wasay Jalil said Urdu speaking people are being targeted in the city while houses of MQM workers and sympathizers living near Banaras Katti Pahari are being set on fire.

He said terrorists are resorting to fire by setting up bunkers in Muslimabad and Pirabad Society but added that police and Rangers are not taking any action against them. In this context he said, ‘The attitude of police and Rangers is very negative’.

Six killed in separate firing incidents in Karachi

KARACHI: Six people have been shot dead and several others injured in separate incidents of firing in different areas of Orangi and Korangi towns, Geo News reported on Wednesday.

According to police sources, the injured and dead were shifted to a hospital.

The death toll from firing and other violent incidents across the city during the past three days has mounted to 71.

LPG prices increase by Rs. 6 per kilo

ISLAMABAD: The price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has been increased by Rs. 6 per kilogram, while the latest hike in price is the fourth of increase in price during the past 90 days.

According to the LPG distribution association, the price of LPG has reached 52,372 per ton.

The domestic cylinder has been increased by Rs.69 while the rise in commercial cylinder price was Rs. 265.

In Lahore, new domestic cylinder”s price stands at Rs. 91 per kilogram, in Karachi Rs. 88 per kilogram, in Peshawar Rs. 100 per kilogram, while in Gilgit and Murree cylinders were selling at Rs. 100 per kilogram.

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