Load shedding to continue until 2018: WAPDA
The National Assembly Standing Committee for Water and Power meeting was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Ghulam Mustafa Shah.
Briefing the committee, Water and Power Development Authority Chairman Shakil Durrani said that Mangla Dam would be filled up to 1210 feet by the end of this year. This will enhance the water storing capacity of the dam by 0.8 million acres.
He said that hydro power cost Rs 1.05 per unit while the power generated by the IPPs cost Rs 10.18 per unit.
He said that hydro power generation saved Rs 41 billion for the national exchequer in 2010.
The WAPDA chairman said that load shedding cannot be overcome until 2018 and power demand would soar to 130,000 megawatt by 2030.
He said that India could not build dams on three western rivers, adding that the 16 kilometre long tunnel of Jhelum Hydro Project had been constructed.
During the meeting, Standing Committee for Water and Power member Sajjadul Hassan said that the power outage of 22 hours a day was unacceptable and the PEPCO office in Okara would be burnt, if load shedding were not stopped.
Kalat: Both kidnapped nephews of Jamali recovered
Both the kidnapped nephews of former Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali have been recovered.
Jamal-ud-Din Jamali and Ghulam Mustafa Jamali were kidnapped ten days ago who were finally recovered from near Kalat with the help of tribals of the area. Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali told that no ransom money has been paid to the kidnappers; rather his nephews have been released due to negotiations.
Independent Basit Sultan trounce PPP, takes PP-259
MULTAN: According to unofficial polling results, an independent candidate Basit Ahmed Sultan Bukhari won PP-259 seat, he got 32512 votes, Geo News reported.
PPP”s Samiullah Bukhari stood second with 30247 votes. While, vote count continued in other two national assembly and one provincial assembly seats.
The situation in Muzaffargarh became tense after killing of a polling agent in a firing incident during polling process.
The incident took place at Government High School Shah Jamal Polling Station, police said.
Pakistan Democratic Party candidate Nawabzada Iftikhar Khan has alleged that his polling agent was shot and killed by a PPP activist namely Amjad Khan, who was later captured and locked in a room.
Meanwhile, angry mob burnt tyres on the road and blocked the traffic. The police and PDP candidate reached the scene and arrested the culprits.
Results continue to pour in from different polling stations. Jamshed Dasti of
PPP was leading from NA-178, followed by Nawabzada Iftikhar of PDP and Ghulam
Mustafa Khar (Independent).
Opponents blaming each other for foul play at several places whereas situation became tense due to the presence of FC personnel at different polling stations in Vehari. Law Minister Punjab has announced to file a case against federal
interior minister.
The polling ended at 05:00pm in two National Assembly seats NA- 167 (Burewala) and NA-178 (Muzaffargarh) and two Punjab Assembly seats PP- 259 (Muzaffargarh) and PP-63 (Faisalabad).
District Coordination Officer Mahmood Aslam Wazir said that Rangers were deployed at NA-178 and PP- 259 to avoid any untoward incident. Police have arrested six FC officials in Vehari whereas 20 FC officials were present at different polling stations. The arrested FC officials said DIG Inayatullah Farooqi deputed them.
Meanwhile, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said deployment of FC in by-elections of NA-167 was unconstitutional and vowed that a case will be registered against Rehman Malik because FC was deployed on the directives of interior minister.
Provincial law minister has demanded the prime minister to take immediate notice of the situation.
According to DIG FC Inayatullah Farooqi, FC personnel were deputed to guard federal ministers.
Faisal Shahzad trained in Mohmand Agency: report
WASHINGTON: Faisal Shahzad was trained by the militant group in the Mohmand region and received $15,000 to carry out the New York attack, officials say.
A US newspaper claimed that the main suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing received several days of training in Pakistan”s Mohmand region and roughly $15,000 from the Pakistani Taliban to finance the attack, according to U.S. officials briefed on the case.
It appears likely that Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani American accused of leaving a vehicle loaded with fertilizer and propane tanks in Times Square on May 1, came up with the idea of the car bomb himself, one official said. Shahzad then apparently persuaded the militant group to give him assistance when he traveled to Pakistan”s border region in 2009 or early 2010, they said.
Shahzad has told investigators that he met with Hakimullah Mahsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, before returning to the United States to carry out the attempted bombing, two senior officials said. His claim has been repeated by at least one other source a suspect arrested in Pakistan with ties to the militant group, the officials said.
But U.S. intelligence agencies are still attempting to corroborate that a meeting occurred between Shahzad and Mahsud.
Officials have been able to corroborate that part of Shahzad”s story, one U.S. official said. But investigators are still trying to figure out why he went to Mohmand, which is several hundred miles north of the Pakistani Taliban stronghold in North Waziristan.
Investigators have been able to develop a better understanding of the financial support Shahzad received, with the arrest in recent days of three people two in Boston and one in Maine who may have been involved in the transfer of the funds from Pakistan, the officials said. It does not appear likely that they were aware of the purpose of the money transfers.
Voting for by-polls underway in 4 Punjab constituencies
LAHORE: Polling for by-elections began today for two seats of the National Assembly and as many of the Punjab Assembly in three cities of Punjab and will continue till 5pm, Geo News reported Saturday.
These seats were vacated after lawmakers elected from these seats resigned for having fake educational degrees. These constituencies include two National Assembly seats, i.e. NA- 167 (Burewala) and NA-178 (Muzaffargarh) and two Punjab Assembly seats, i.e. PP- 259 (Muzaffargarh) and PP-63 (Faisalabad).
There are 22 candidates running for NA-167 (Burewala), but tough competition is expected between Syed Mehdi Naseem Shah of the PML-N, Asghar Ali of the PPP and independent candidate Chaudhary Nazir.
In NA-178 (Muzaffargarh), a close match is likely between Jamshed Dasti of the PPP and former Punjab governor Ghulam Mustafa Khar, while Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan’s son, Nawabzada Iftikhar Ahmed Khan is also considered a strong candidate.
Eighteen candidates are running for PP-63 (Faisalabad), where PPP candidate Rana Aftab Ahmed and PML-N candidate Mian Ajmal Asif are expected to have a close contest.
In PP-259 (Muzaffargarh), nine candidates are on the field but independent candidate Makhdoomzada Syed Basit Sultan and PPP’s Pappu Laghari are likely to have a close contest.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has supplied polling bags containing ballot papers and other required material to all 753 presiding officers of the Faisalabad, Vehari and Muzaffargarh districts.
Provincial Election Commissioner Akhtar Hussain Sabir said on Friday that the election staff, including presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers, have been given necessary training for conducting the polls.
Giving details of the by-elections, he said a total of 288 polling stations had been established in NA-167 for 363,091 registered voters, 252 polling stations in NA-178 for 283,623 voters, 103 polling stations in PP-259 for 122,142 voters and 110 polling stations in PP-63 for119,445 voters.
Sabir further said that the Rangers will assist the local administration, police and election staff for maintaining a peaceful and congenial atmosphere at all polling stations.
6 Accused in Murtaza Bhutto murder case acquitted
KARACHI, Pakistan News : A local court on Friday acquitted six accused in leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto), Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case on Friday.
The accused included Mazhar Memon, Asghar Ali, Asif Ali Jatoi, Mehmood Bhallai, Ghulam Mustafa Chandio and Akhter Ali Mirani.
Mir Murtaza Bhutto, brother of former premier Benazir Bhutto, was killed in an alleged police encounter.
In September 1996, according to police, Mir Murtaza Bhutto and his companions were stopped near his residence in Clifton, Karachi. He was gunned down along with his eight party workers.
In this regard, Clifton police had registered a case in which the shootout was declared a police encounter.
The judgment in the case was reserved by Sessions Court-East judge Aftab Ahmed Khan after arguments concluded last week following years of hearing.
The accused are alleged to have opened fire on the police party stationed near 70-Clifton, which was supposed to inspect Bhutto’s convoy, on September 20, 1996. Bhutto along with many of his companions was killed in the mysterious shootout later in the evening.
6 Accused in Murtaza Bhutto murder case acquitted was first posted on December 5, 2009 at 7:45 am.
6 Accused in Murtaza Bhutto murder case acquitted
KARACHI, Pakistan News : A local court on Friday acquitted six accused in leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto), Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case on Friday.
The accused included Mazhar Memon, Asghar Ali, Asif Ali Jatoi, Mehmood Bhallai, Ghulam Mustafa Chandio and Akhter Ali Mirani.
Mir Murtaza Bhutto, brother of former premier Benazir Bhutto, was killed in an alleged police encounter.
In September 1996, according to police, Mir Murtaza Bhutto and his companions were stopped near his residence in Clifton, Karachi. He was gunned down along with his eight party workers.
In this regard, Clifton police had registered a case in which the shootout was declared a police encounter.
The judgment in the case was reserved by Sessions Court-East judge Aftab Ahmed Khan after arguments concluded last week following years of hearing.
The accused are alleged to have opened fire on the police party stationed near 70-Clifton, which was supposed to inspect Bhutto’s convoy, on September 20, 1996. Bhutto along with many of his companions was killed in the mysterious shootout later in the evening.
6 Accused in Murtaza Bhutto murder case acquitted was first posted on December 5, 2009 at 7:45 am.
Court Acquits Six Fellows of Murtaza Bhutto
December 4, 2009 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
KARACHI, News Trends : A local court on Friday acquitted six companions of slain leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto), Mir Murtaza Bhutto, of 13-year-old police encounter case.
The accused were included Dr Mazhar Memon, Ghulam Mustafa, Asghar Ali, Asif Jataoi, Akhtar Mirani and Mehmood Halai.
Talking to media after the announcement of the verdict, Dr Memon – one of the accused, said that he and his fellows were waiting for the verdict to prove their innocence since last 13 years. He said all the accused were falsely charged in the case and the court has given them the justice.
The judgment in the case was reserved by Sessions Court-East judge Aftab Ahmed Khan after arguments concluded last week following years of hearing.
Court Acquits Six Fellows of Murtaza Bhutto was first posted on December 4, 2009 at 8:15 pm.
PM Gilani Meets Nawaz Sharif at Nawabshah Airport
November 25, 2009 by Trend PK
Filed under Breaking News
NAWABSHAH, Pakistan News:PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday that dictatorship created problems instead of solving them. He told that views were exchanged on a number of issues during his meeting with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Talking to media during his visit to New Jatoi for condolence of veteran politician Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi’s sad demise, Nawaz said the present situation needed to be improved, adding that people of Pakistan wanted resolution of country’s problems. “The problems are solved by democracy and Pakistan’s real destination is democracy.” Commenting on his meeting with PM Gilani, Nawaz said these meetings were not personal and were intended to discuss national issues. He said progress should be made on issues agreed upon during the meeting. Nawaz praised Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi’s political wisdom and said that he was a very kind person.
Earlier, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif met at Nawabshah airport as Nawaz arrived at the airport to attend Rasm-e-Qul of Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi. Nawaz underlined the need to give equal rights to all provinces.
PM Gilani arrived at the airport after condoling death of Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi whereas Nawaz had just arrived there. Both the leaders held a meeting. Qamar Zaman Kaira, Naveed Qamar, and Syed Khursheed Shah were accompanying Prime Minister whereas Opposition Leader in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Ghous Ali Shah and Captain Safdar were accompanying Nawaz Sharif during the meeting. The parties discussed political situation, accountability bill and other issues. PM Gilani departed for Islamabad while Nawaz left for New Jatoi after the meeting.
PM Gilani Meets Nawaz Sharif at Nawabshah Airport was first posted on November 25, 2009 at 6:09 pm.
Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi Body Arrives in Karachi
KARACHI, Pakistan News: Ex-prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi’s body after arriving in Karachi from London have left to his ancestral town New Jatoi.
Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi’s body reached Karachi from London early morning on Monday and left for Nowshero Feroze by road, he added.
Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, Arif Jatoi (son) and others will be carrying the body along.
Zia Abbas said the funeral prayers of Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi will be held on Monday at 2:30 PM in Nowshero Feroze while the burial will take place in his ancestral graveyard.
Earlier, Namaz-e-Janaza of Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi was offered at Regent Park
Masjid London on Sunday.
Besides relatives of the deceased, the funeral prayer was attended by prominent political and social figures.
Member Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Rabita Committee, Saleem Shahzad, MQM London office- bearers and workers of the party also attended the funeral prayer.
Mustafa Jatoi passed away in London on November 20, aged 78.
He has left behind six sons and three daughters.
Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi Body Arrives in Karachi was first posted on November 23, 2009 at 3:27 pm.
