Mexican mayor found dead following abduction

The body of Zacualpan Mayor Jose Nava Altamirano was discovered in a state neighbouring the one where he was abducted, said Alfredo Albiter, spokesman of Mexico State’s Attorney General’s Office.

Albiter said armed assailants had stormed into a meeting between Nava Altamirano and farmers in Zacualpan, Mexico State.

But his body was found in the western state of Guerrero. His body was taken to a morgue for autopsy in the Guerrero city of Iguala. Nava Altamirano’s abduction Friday sparked a firefight that left one of the mayor’s bodyguards dead.

Photos of that scene show bloodstains on the wall of a warehouse-like structure where the mayor had been meeting with the farmers. Located about 175 kilometres south of Mexico City, the municipality of Zacualpan neighbours the resort city of Ixtapan de la Sal, whose mayor was gunned down in 2008. Mayors of some Mexican towns have been targeted in recent years after getting caught in the middle of drug turf battles. At least three drug gangs are battling for control of Mexico State’s drug routes.

Altaf welcomes restoration of LG system

The MQM chief in his statement issued from London that he offered congratulations to the Pakistan People’s Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for conducting successful dialogs and restoring the local government system in Karachi and Hyderabad.

He offered gratitude to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari for their efforts to establish peace in Karachi.

He said that decision taken about Sindh would prove a mile stone for the promotion of democracy in the country.

Earlier, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad issued the ordinance to restore local government system and cancel the commissionerate system in Karachi and Hyderabad on the night between Saturday and Sunday.

The decision came at a meeting between PPP leader Babar Awan, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad at the Sindh Governor’s House.

SC Orders Prisoners-relatives Meeting

ISLAMABAD, News Trends: The Supreme Court (SC) today ordered the counsel for the intelligence agencies to arrange a meeting between the eleven prisoners and their relatives after it was known that they have been under the custody of intelligence agencies.

Later, the hearing was adjourned till first week of January 2011.

A counsel for country’s sensitive agency on Thursday apprised the apex court that eleven missing prisoners of Adyala Jail had been arrested along with a number of terrorists from their hideouts in Army operational areas.

Raja Muhammad Irshad, counsel for Federation, Pakistan Army, Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, Military Intelligence, told a three-member bench consisting of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday that after Court’s direction a massive operation was launched and more than 20 terrorists including these eleven people had been arrested in the operational areas.

He said they were in safe and secure hands and would be charged under Army Act. He assured the court that their trial would be held in General Field Court Martial in accordance with law.

Recalled Japan ambassador to return to Moscow

TOKYO: Japan has ordered an earlier-than-expected return of its ambassador to Russia, who had been temporarily recalled amid a row over a disputed island chain, the Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday.

Kyodo said ambassador Masaharu Kono, recalled on Wednesday after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to one of four islands held by Russia but claimed by Japan, will return to Moscow around noon on Sunday.

The ambassador was not expected to return to Russia until after the Nov. 13-14 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Japan, and his earlier return is seen as an attempt to accelerate arrangements for a meeting between Medvedev and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan during APEC, Kyodo said. AGENCIES

Ishaq Dar and Ch. Shujaat hold key meeting

PML N leader Ishaq Dar held a meeting with PML-Q chief Ch. Shujaat Hussain on Wednesday. PML-N has demanded to review the decision of proposing both the names from PML-Q for constituting a parliamentary committee for judges appointment.
The meeting between Ishaq Dar and Ch. Shujaat took place in the chamber of Opposition Leader in the Senate Wasim Sajjad. Ishaq Dar, in the presence of Wasim Sajjad, objected the decision to give both names from PML-Q for parliamentary committee. He said that PML-N was also in the Opposition and why it wasnt consulted.
Talking to Dunya News, Ishaq Dar said that Ch. Shujaat and Wasim Sajjad have assured him to review the both names.

Taliban hold secret talks with Karzai

KABUL: Three Taliban leaders secretly met Afghanistan’s President two weeks ago in an effort to weaken the US-led coalition’s most vicious enemy, a powerful al-Qaeda linked network that straddles the Pak-Afghan border region.

Held in Kabul, the meeting included a wanted former Taliban governor and an imprisoned militant who were flown to the capital from the Pakistani city of Peshawar, according to a former Afghan official.

The talks were not directly linked to the Afghan government’s efforts to broker peace with the Taliban and find a political resolution to the insurgency. Rather, they were part of an effort to weaken the Haqqani network, the former official said over the weekend.

A western official confirmed that a meeting between President Hamid Karzai and Taliban figures had taken place, but did not know its full details or the names of all the

China refuses to change policy of stapled visa for Kashmiris

China said that its policy of issuing stapled visas to Kashmiris would remain unchanged, in crucial comments ahead of a meeting between prime ministers of the two countries.
Weeks after External Affairs Minister S M Krishna hoped that Beijing would maintain ‘neutrality’ on the affairs related to Jammu and Kashmir and respect India’s sensitivities on the issue, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said, Though China had friendly relations with India, its policy towards the stapled visas for residents of the state remained unchanged. The comments come ahead of this week’s meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of East Asia Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. The issue of stapled visa is likely to figure prominently at the talks.

Awan, Elahi hold key meeting

Staff Report

LAHORE: Federal Law Minister Babar Awan called on Punjab’s former chief minister and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi at his residence here on Monday.

The meeting between PPP and PML-Q politicians took place a day after PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif ruled out any possibility of merger of Muslim League factions in the presence of Chaudhry brothers and Sheikh Rashid.

Briefing media after the meeting, Awan and Elahi agreed on continuation of the present democratic system in the country.

Babar Awan said, “There is no place for arrogance in politics and that there should be respect for all parties whether inside or outside the Parliament.

“We met Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the past and we would continue to do so in future as well,” he remarked.

He said that he would convey to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani some good

Pagara likely to meet Nawaz on Oct 27

A much-awaited meeting between PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and head of Functional League Pir Pagara has been fixed. In his visit to Lahore, Pir Pagara will try to agree Nawaz Sharif to join new alliance of Muslim Leagues.
The meeting is expected on October 27. Nawaz Sharif is presently in London and it is expected that he would return back to the country before arrival of Pir Pagara to Lahore.
Talking about the meeting between Pagara and Nawaz, PML-N leader Khawaja Asif ruled out merger with All Pakistan Muslim League.

Younis Khan likely to replace Yousuf

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khans return from obscurity became a reality on Wednesday, after reports emerged that he may replace injured batsman Mohammad Yousuf in the national squad.
Younis has been out of the Pakistan squad since last year, after he was indefinitely banned as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took disciplinary action against seven players following the teams disastrous tour of Australia. The ban was later lifted but Younis has not been able to play international cricket due to PCB Chairman Ijaz Butts alleged stern stance against the former captain.
Butt, however, invited Younis to meet him in a bid to sort out their differences after former cricketers and politicians openly slammed the board chiefs handling of the situation. The meeting between the two is currently underway and reports emerging from the PCB headquarters at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore say that Younis is likely to make his return in the team at the expense of Yousuf.
Yousuf, part of Pakistans squad for the nine-match series against South Africa, reportedly pulled out of the on-going training camp in Lahore after sustaining an injury on the first day.PCB chief selector Mohsin Hassan Khan is due to hold a press conference shortly after the Butt-Younis meeting and the World Twenty20 winning captains inclusion in the squad is said to be the main agenda of the presser.

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