PM Gilani heads to Qatar on three-day visit

TrendPK.com

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani heads to Qatar on a three-day visit on Monday to discuss Afghan peace efforts in the Gulf state and bilateral ties to further boost the cooperation, TrendPK reports.

This is the first official visit of any Pakistani Prime Minister in nine years as Gilani was invited by his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasim.

Officials said the two sides would discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in different fields, including trade, energy industries and agriculture.

Federal Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar are also accompanying the PM during his three-day visit to the ultra-rich state.

“He will meet among others the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani,” foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said.

“Pakistan is frontline ally in war against terrorism….The current regional situation including peace process in Afghanistan will be discussed with Qatari leadership,” Gilani told reporters at Islamabad airport before his departure.

He said Qatar supported Pakistan in its efforts for free trade with Middle East countries. TrendPK

Panasonic set for $10.23b loss

 

Panasonic said it would see its worst-ever net loss of 780 billion yen ($10.23 billion) for the year to March, blaming the strong yen, flooding in Thailand, and acquisition costs.

 

The company posted a net loss of 333.82 billion yen for the nine months to December, reversing a 114.70 billion yen profit in the corresponding period a year earlier.
 

Younis urges ban reduction for Amir

 

Former Pakistan captain and coach Waqar Younis has urged the International Cricket Council to review its five-year ban on young paceman Mohammad Amir.

 

Amir was released from jail on Wednesday because of good behavior after serving half his six-month sentence for spot-fixing during a test against England in August 2010.

 

Younis says Amir could only make a comeback if his suspension is reduced because “it s difficult for a fast bowler to keep himself fit if he is not allowed to play even club cricket.”

 

Amir s suspension from all levels of cricket will not end until September 2015.
 

PA session continues in rumpus

 

 

Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz demanded the Chief Minister to tell the name of VIP of Islamabad who hatched conspiracy against Punjab.

 

Raja Riaz said if Shahbaz Sharif is not involved in the scandal then the cases should be registered against those involved.
The ruling party and opposition benches started shouting at each other.

 

Raja said opposition will not allow continuing the proceeding forcefully after which the Speaker suspended the proceeding for 10 minutes and hold talks with the Opposition Leader and assured that the CM will attend the meeting on Monday.

 

The session started again but till last reports rumpus continued.
 

FA Cup final set to avoid clash with league games

 

The FA Cup final is unlikely to be played on the same day as any Premier League matches after all 20 clubs agreed to shift their fixtures to the following day.

 

Last May, for the first time in 50 years, the final was played on the same day as a topflight league program because the Champions League final was held at Wembley Stadium later in the month.

 

But the 20 club executives agreed Thursday to move their fixtures from Saturday, May 5, to the following day to avoid overshadowing the cup final, which will be pushed back 2 hours, 15 minutes to start at 5:15 p.m.

 

“We realize that it is not good for either competition to have our matches conflicting with the FA Cup,” Premier League communications director Dan Johnson said.

 

British broadcaster Sky TV, however, could enforce its contractual right to show a Saturday lunchtime league match. Also, an English club may change its mind about not playing on May 5 if it is involved in the Europa League final the following Wednesday.

 

It was also confirmed at Thursday s meeting that next season s Premier League will kick off on Aug. 18, six days after the end of the London Olympics.

 

The traditional English season-opener, the Community Shield, is set to be played in its usual slot on the Sunday before the Premier League starts despite falling on the same day as the Olympics closing ceremony.

 

However, the match between the Premier League champion and FA Cup winner will be played outside of London rather than at Wembley Stadium.
 

Gilani to inaugurate first Business Train today

 

The Business Train is being operated under public-private partnership. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani will inaugurate the train in Lahore today. The train will travel between Lahore and Karachi daily.

 

The luxury Business Train, comprising nine coaches, will complete its kourney from Lahore to Karachi in 18 hours with a fare fixed at Rs 5,000 per head.
 

Aitzaz ready for Swiss letter on SC directions

While talking to the media in front of the Supreme Court in Islamabad, the PPP leader said that let suspense persist till Feb 01 in the Prime Minister contempt of court case.

 

He said that he has moved some documents regarding the case in the apex court but it cannot be exposed before time.

 

He said that he would not move a writ petition to linger on the case; rather he would argue in favour of his stance.

Gold falls in local, intl markets

 

According to Sindh Gold Association, the price of one tola gold decreased by Rs 300 to close at Rs 58,100, while 10-gram gold price dipped by Rs 256 to reach 49,800.

 

In international market, gold price fell by $18 an ounce.

 

On the other hand, no change was recorded in silver prices.
 

KSE-100 index closes below 11,900pts

 

The market started the day with positive trend, however shares values fluctuated due to profit taking. The OGDCL sector remained under selling pressure despite the news of rise in POL prices.

 

Political uncertainty also affected the market and the market closed the day at 11,883 points with a decrease of 77 points.

 

Trade volume remained at 75 million shares.  
 

US to up armed presence in Middle East amid crises: report

WASHINGTON: The US military plans to send a large floating base for commando teams to the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran and intensifying fighting in Yemen, according to The Washington Post.

Citing unspecified procurement documents, the newspaper said the Navy is converting an aging warship it had planned to decommission into a makeshift staging base for the commandos in response to requests from the US Central Command.

Unofficially dubbed a “mothership,” the floating base could accommodate smaller high-speed boats and helicopters commonly used by Navy SEALs, the report said.

Special operations forces are a key part of President Barack Obama’s strategy to make the military leaner and more agile as the Pentagon confronts at least $487 billion in spending cuts over the next decade, the paper noted.

Mike Kafka, a spokesman for the Navy’s Fleet Forces Command, declined to elaborate on the floating base’s purpose or to say where, exactly, it will be deployed in the Middle East, The Post said.

Other Navy officials acknowledged that they were moving with unusual haste to complete the conversion and send the mothership to the region by early summer, the report said.

Navy documents indicate that it could be headed to the Persian Gulf, where Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, The Post noted. AGENCIES

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