Iran test-fires cruise missile in navy war drills

TEHRAN: Iran on Monday successfully tested a Ghader ground-to-ship cruise missile on the last day of navy war games near the Strait of Hormuz, the official news agency IRNA quoted a navy spokesman as saying.

“This missile built by Iranian experts successfully hit its target and destroyed it,” Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi was quoted as saying.

He said it was “the first time” a Ghader missile had been tested.

The Ghader missile, also known as the Qader, is said to have a range of 200 kilometres (120 miles), which is generally considered medium-range or even short-range for a cruise missile, even though IRNA described it as “long-range.”

Mousavi earlier told the ISNA news agency that “the Ghader is an ultra-modern missile with an integrated, ultra-precise radar whose range and intelligent anti-detection system have been improved over previous generations.”

Mousavi said the navy was to test two other types of missiles later Monday, a surface-to-surface Nour missile also with a range of 200 kilometres, and a Nasr anti-ship missile with a shorter range.

The Ghader is said to be entirely built by Iran.

The Nour and Nasr missiles are based on Chinese designs.

The Nour, also known as the Noor, is based on China’s C-802 missile. Mousavi said the Nour missile to be fired “has been improved with its anti-radar and targeting system,” according to ISNA.

An Iranian Nour missile was reportedly used by the Iran-linked Hezbollah militia in Lebanon to disable an Israeli warship during a 2006 conflict.

The Nasr anti-ship missile is based on China’s C-704 missile and has a range of 35 kilometres (22 miles). Iran has them mounted aboard patrol boats.

Mousavi was quoted as saying that Syrian military observers would watch the tests.

Iran’s navy started its 10 days of war games near the Strait of Hormuz on December 24.

They are due to finish Monday after the missile tests and an exercise practising “a new tactical formation” to be used to close the strait if so ordered, Mousavi was quoted as saying Sunday by the ISNA news agency.

On Sunday, the Iranian navy successfully tested “an anti-radar medium-range missile,” Mousavi said.

Iranian leaders and military officials have warned that additional Western sanctions could push them to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil flows.

Those warnings became more strident in recent days, with Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi vowing last Tuesday that “not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz” if more sanctions were imposed.

The United States, which bases its Fifth Fleet in the Gulf, has said it will not tolerate a closure of the strait.

Concern over the situation increased Saturday when US President Barack Obama signed into law new measures targeting Iran’s central bank and financial sector.

The extra US sanctions aim to squeeze Iran’s crucial oil sales, most of which are processed by the central bank. They will make foreign firms choose between doing business with the Islamic republic or the economically mighty United States.

Iran’s currency, the rial, slipped to a record low Sunday on that news.

The state news agency IRNA and an Iranian website tracking the currency said it slid to around 16,000 to the dollar.

The European Union is also mulling an embargo on Iranian oil purchases, and a decision could be announced at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting at the end of the month.

Iran, the second-biggest producer in OPEC after Saudi Arabia, depends on oil sales for 80 percent of its foreign currency earnings. AGENCIES

Over 600 CNG stations closed in KP

TrendPK.com

PESHAWAR: In protest against current hike in fuel prices and other government steps, the CNG Owners Association on Monday shut down more than 600 filling stations of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, TrendPK reports.

They said the stations were closed in connection with the indefinite strike against raise in petroleum prices, low gas pressure at filling stations, import of CNG cylinders and ban on fixing CNG kits in commercial vehicles.

The strike came after a three-day closure of CNG stations in Punjab and Balochistan provinces where filling station owners observed shut down on Sunday, creating innumerable problems for commuters and ruining the business of transporters. TrendPK

PM Gilani calls Sindh cabinet’s meeting

KARACHI: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is arriving in Karachi to review the prevailing law and order situation in Karachi.

The Prime Minister has called a meeting of Sindh cabinet at Chief Minister House to discuss the situation on Monday.

Earlier, President Zardari held a meeting with PPP ministers and decided to resolve the issue of Karachi in political manner within one week.

The meeting also discussed matters regarding MQM’s return to the coalition government.

President Zardari directed Federal Minister Khurshid Shah to meet the MQM leaders and address their concerns.

According to sources, President Zardari will make a visit to Karachi next week.

On the other hand, a three-member committee set up by President Zardari to address the Karachi situation met at Governor House in Karachi.

The committee comprises of Governor Ishratul Ebad, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Home Minister Manzoor Wasan.

The committee decided that heirs of those killed in recent wave of unrest would be given compensation.

Karachi: PM meets Sindh Governor

Karachi, trendpk :- Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said that the challenges being faced by the country demand resolutions through collective wisdom which is the basic objective behind the governments reconciliation policy. The Prime Minister was talking to Governor Sindh Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad and Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah here at the Governor House on Thursday night.

The Prime Minister said that the unity demonstrated by all the political parties in the National Assembly today was manifestation of the political leadership concerned for the welfare and betterment of the people and the country. The same spirit, he added, needs to be followed by all provinces of the country. The Prime Minister said that he had already declared his resolve to solve the problems of the common people in the year 2011 and would take along all the stakeholders in the larger national interest. Earlier the Governor and Chief Minister Sindh apprised the Prime Minister on the law and order situation in the Sindh Province, as well as, the progress on various development projects in that province.

Security Stepped up in Lahore on Salman Taseer’s Burial

LAHORE, trendpk: Funeral prayers of Punjab governor Salman Taseer will be offered at Governor House Lahore this noon.

Taseer, who was shot dead by a guard in Islamabad on Tuesday, will be buried at Cavalary Graveyard.

Security has been stepped up and over 1000 security men have been deployed in Lahore.

The dead body of Salman Taseer, has been airlifted to Lahore and his funeral prayers will be offered after Zohar prayers today. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and top political officials of the country will attend the funeral.

The dead body of the assassinated governor of Punjab was taken to his residence in Lahore, later the remains shifted to Governor House in Lahore.

Earlier, the dead body of the governor of Punjab, after post mortem at PIMS hospital in Islamabad, was airlifted to Lahore through C-130 airplane. Federal ministers Babar Awan, Rehman Malik and Qamar Zaman Kaira reached Lahore with the body. The dead body was received at airport by Salman Taseer’s son Hassan Shahzad, Chief Minister of Sindh Sayed Qaim Ali Shah and Fariyal Talpur.

Punjab Govt wants to occupy Governor House: Taseer

Governor Punjab Salman Taseer said that Punjab government wanted to occupy Governor House.

Talking to media in Lahore, the Governor said that he was not going to anywhere, he was in Lahore but some channels and newspapers were presenting and publishing wrong stories. He said that he advised Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif to run his government without any fear of government fall. He said that he was surprised at the working of Geo and Jang group, and Ansar Abbasi was writing biased reports.

Justice Ejaz sworn-in as CJ LHC

Lahore, News Trends :-

Justice Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry has taken oath as the Chief Justice Lahore High Court at the Governor House, trendpk.Com reported on Thursday.

Governor Punjab Salman Taseer has administered the oath to him.

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Law Miniter Rana Sanaullah, some cabinet members, LHC judges and a large number of lawyers attended the oath-taking ceremony.

It is pertinent to mention that Ejaz has replaced Khawaja Muhammad Sharif who got retired on Wednesday(yesterday).

PM Gilani calls cabinet meeting at Governor House, Lahore

Staff Report

LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has called a cabinet meeting on Wednesday at Governor House, Lahore.

According to details, the coalition government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had organized many cabinet meetings in the provincial capitals and it intends to organize more in Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar after Lahore.

The cabinet will discuss the proposed Rs. 50 per 40kg. increase in support price of wheat. The draft of the GST reforms bill may also be presented in the upcoming meeting for approval before sending it to Parliament.

The government intends to send the GST reforms bill in the National Assembly’s session starting from November 1.

The federal cabinet will also review progress on Pak-US strategic dialogue. SAMAA

Karachi: Sindh govt to launch grand operation

Sindh Home Minister Zufiqar Mirza has said that a list of sensitive areas has been finalized and soon a grand operation would be launched to cleanse Karachi of all the criminal elements.
Mirza said that all the political parties would be taken on board regarding the operation.
Mirza informed that a meeting has been called at the Governor House and both, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP) will be attending it.
Meanwhile, a police official was shot dead in Hijrat Colony earlier in the day, while another person was killed in Joharabad Colony. In the meantime, police and paramilitary units intensified patrols in West Zone police station areas including Moach Goth, Sayedabad, Balcoh Mohalla, Jahan Abad Old Goli Mar and Zamindar Hotel. The provincial government has also marked the abovesaid places as the most sensitive areas of the metropolis city.
Members of the Rangers paramilitary and police were patrolling Layari, a low-income southern neighbourhood and other sensitive areas where the violence has been concentrated, police said.

Tension ends between MQM and PPP

Tension has come to an end between the two political parties, MQM and PPP. Both the parties have agreed upon not playing a blame game with each other.
A meeting of core committee of MQM and PPP was held at Governor House Sindh which was presided by Governor Sindh Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ibaad. In the meeting, views were exchanged regarding the tension developed among two parties, political situation of Sindh and the peace situation. This meeting which continued for three and half hours between MQMs delegation chaired by federal minister Dr. Farooq Sattar and PPPs delegation chaired by Zulfiqar Mirza. Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ibaad listened to the view point of both parties and ended the tension between them. A press release which was released after this meeting stated that both the parties will remain in constant contact with each other. Representatives of both parties agreed upon not playing a blame game with each other.

Next Page »