Internal threats exist for democracy: Gabol

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The democracy has internal threats, said Pakistan Peoples Party leader, Nabeel Gabol, on Saturday.

While talking to SAMAA after attending the National Assembly session, Gabol said that the prevailing situation did not allow anyone to pass anti-democratic statements. SAMAA

Named players to miss Pakistan team practice

KARACHI: The three Pakistani cricketers who have been named in a spot-fixing scandal will not practice with their team in Taunton on Tuesday, manager Yawar Saaed said.

“The three will also be meeting with the Pakistan High Commissioner in London on Wednesday,” Saeed told the Geo Super channel.

The three players, test captain, Salman Butt and pace bowlers Muhammad Amir and Muhammad Asif, have been accused by a 35-year-old Pakistani man of taking bribes to fix incidents during the Lord’s test against England last week.

The man, Mazhar Majeed, who was arrested and then released on bail, is accused of trying to defraud bookmakers.

Pakistan play a warm-up match in Taunton on Thursday ahead of two Twenty20 and five one-day internationals against England.

Sources in the Pakistan team said it was decided to keep the three players away from the

Pietersen looks set to be dropped from England T20 squad

LONDON: Kevin Pietersen is set to be dropped from England’s Twenty20 squad, according to media reports on Tuesday.

Pietersen, part of the Twenty20 World Cup-winning side earlier this year and player of that tournament, wrote briefly on his Twitter account that he was “Done for rest of summer. Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too.”

The 30-year-old batsman added he had been signed by county club Surrey after leaving Hampshire.

The Twitter message was quickly deleted, with England due to announce later in the day their squads for the Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan which start on Sunday and the five one-dayers that follow.

A spokesman for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was not immediately available. A Surrey spokesman had no comment.

If confirmed, it would be the first time Pietersen has been dropped

LHC bars Amir Yar Waran from by-poll

Staff Report

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled PPP candidate Amir Yar Waran ineligible for contesting by-election in NA-184, Bahawalpur.

The electoral eligibility of Waran was challenged by Muhammad Jamil, who argued that Waran had submitted a fake graduation degree to take part in the last general election.

He said that Waran had to give up his National Assembly membership because of the fake degree.

In its verdict, the LHC disqualified Amir Yar Waran, saying he lied to the Election Comission and won the February 2008 general election on the basis of a forged degree.

In NA-184, the by-election will take place on Tuesday, August 24, 2010.

PPP MNA Amir Yar Waran had resigned from National Assembly on July 1, 2010. He was elected from NA-184 Bahawalpur. SAMAA

Bilawal”s speech fuels talk of political career

LONDON: The son of Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Ali Zardari is expected to make his first speech Saturday since leaving university in Britain, fuelling talk he is stepping up his political career.

Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, 21, is heir apparent to a dynasty whose most famous
figure was his mother, Pakistan”s former prime minister and the world”s first Muslim female premier, who was assassinated in 2007.

His grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founded the Pakistan People”s Party (PPP) in 1967 and became the president before being overthrown in a military coup and hanged in 1979.

Bilawal was studying at Oxford University when his mother was killed and, at the time, those close to him said he should be left to finish his education before moving into politics in earnest.

But now he has finished his history degree at Christ Church, seen as one of the most aristocratic of Oxford”s colleges, speculation is growing about what steps he will now take towards his political destiny.

Bhutto, who is already chairman of the PPP, is expected to speak before several thousand of its supporters at an event in Birmingham, central England, alongside his father who is visiting Britain.

The PPP has played down its significance, perhaps wary of criticism Zardari is facing that he should return to Pakistan in the wake of catastrophic floods which have killed up to 1,500 people and affected some four million.

“Bilawal will be there… most likely I think he will make a speech,” said Waheed Rasab, the PPP”s coordinator in Britain.

“The president is going to address the community because since the assassination of Ms Bhutto, every time he”s been to London he”s only seen a handful of people and there was a demand from the community”.

But Farzana Shaikh, a Pakistan expert at London international affairs think-tank Chatham House, said the son”s appearance was likely to be seen as an important event by PPP supporters.

She added that Zardari, long plagued by corruption allegations, was likely to “attempt to really embed Bilawal firmly within the Bhutto legacy” as well as using the event to boost his own standing, which is flagging in Pakistan.

“It”s fair to assume that he”s hoping very much by this gesture… to signal that in fact it”s all change and not just for the better but for the cleaner,” she said.

Other commentators suggest that the event will provide an opportunity for the PPP to raise funds from supporters based in Britain.

Bhutto, whose first name means “one without equal”, could soon be heading back to the country of his illustrious ancestors, despite having spent most of his life outside Pakistan.

If he does, he will be closer to fulfilling the role for which he has seemed destined since the day he was born.

His mother wrote in her autobiography that, after she gave birth to him, there was celebratory gunfire, drumming and cries of “Jiye Bhutto” (“Long Live Bhutto”) outside the hospital.

“The most celebrated and politically controversial baby in the history of Pakistan had been born,” she added.

Rain/thunderstorm forecast

KARACHI: The Met office has forecast a cloudy day with chances of rain/thunderstorm at a few places in the metropolis for next 24 hours.

The maximum temperature will remain in the range between 31 to 33 degrees Celsius.

Polling in Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lodhran ends

LAHORE: The polling for by-elections has ended off in Sargodha NA-68, Gujranwala NA-100 and Lodhran NA-155 constituencies of National Assembly in Punjab on early Thursday, Geo News reported.

Police together with Rangers” parties have been deployed in three districts owing to maintenance of law and order situation during polling.

Pakistan People”s Party (PPP) candidate Mazhar Ahmad Qureshi and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominee Shafqat Hayat Baloch are coming face to face in Sargodha, contesting elections on another seat of the National Assembly vacated over the issue of a fake education degree.

The National Assembly”s NA-68 seat was declared vacant due to the resignation of Syed Javed Hussian Shah, a PML-N MNA elected in the February 2008 general elections. He had to resign due to his fake degree and the Election Commission of Pakistan announced by-elections on the seat.

Syed Javed Hussain Shah had won the 2008 general elections by securing 80,174 votes. His opponent, Mazhar Ahmad Qureshi, bagged 56,959 votes, while Farakh Javed Ghuman got 38,516 votes.

As many as 19 candidates filed nomination papers for these by-elections. Out of these nomination papers, 10 candidates were rejected, while nine were declared ”valid”.

This constituency is spread over the areas of three tehsils of district Sargodha. A complete tehsil of Sahiwal, the total population of tehsil Shahpur, excluding Jhawarian Town and Jhawarian qanungo halqas, and Sillanwali tehsil, excluding Sillanwali II qanungo halqa and the Patwar Circles of Chak no 119NB, 122NB, 130NB, 132NB and 135NB of the Sargodha district.

Armed men set Sultanabad Furniture Market on fire

KARACHI: The spate of incidents of setting properties on fire being witnessed in many areas all the nightlong in Karachi on Wednesday, Geo News reported.

Armed miscreants set ablaze Furniture Market located in Sultanabad locality after resorting to indiscriminate firing.

According to fire fighting sources, fire fighter could not make possible their arrival at the fiery site after they received information due to intense firing in area.

However, six fire tenders reached on the spot and started rescue activities but 15 shops had been completely burnt to aches by the time fire was brought under control.

Meanwhile, unknown miscreants set on fire 12 carpet and garments shops located in Iran Shopping Center in Bufferzone locality.

Over one dozen garments shops were set ablaze in two cloth markets in Paposh Nagar locality while 19 furniture shops were set on fire near PIDC Furniture Market.

A Container Trawler in Liaquatabad, a roadside hotel in Bufferzone, three other shops and more than 12 pushcarts were set ablaze near Metropolitan Department.

Rangers and Police contingents arrived on the scenes but were simply helpless just like a common man.

Polling in Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lodhran kicks off

LAHORE: The polling for by-elections has kicked off in Sargodha NA-68, Gujranwala NA-100 and Lodhran NA-155 constituencies of National Assembly in Punjab on early Thursday, Geo News reported.

Police together with Rangers’ parties have been deployed in three districts owing to maintenance of law and order situation during polling.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Mazhar Ahmad Qureshi and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominee Shafqat Hayat Baloch are coming face to face in Sargodha, contesting elections on another seat of the National Assembly vacated over the issue of a fake education degree.

The National Assembly’s NA-68 seat was declared vacant due to the resignation of Syed Javed Hussian Shah, a PML-N MNA elected in the February 2008 general elections. He had to resign due to his fake degree and the Election Commission of Pakistan announced by-elections on the seat.

Syed Javed Hussain Shah had won the 2008 general elections by securing 80,174 votes. His opponent, Mazhar Ahmad Qureshi, bagged 56,959 votes, while Farakh Javed Ghuman got 38,516 votes.

As many as 19 candidates filed nomination papers for these by-elections. Out of these nomination papers, 10 candidates were rejected, while nine were declared ‘valid’.

This constituency is spread over the areas of three tehsils of district Sargodha. A complete tehsil of Sahiwal, the total population of tehsil Shahpur, excluding Jhawarian Town and Jhawarian qanungo halqas, and Sillanwali tehsil, excluding Sillanwali II qanungo halqa and the Patwar Circles of Chak no 119NB, 122NB, 130NB, 132NB and 135NB of the Sargodha district.

Degree of PML-Q MNA challenged in LHC

LAHORE: The bachelors degree of PML (Q) member of National Assembly Khadim Hussain Watto has been challenged in Lahore High Court.

More:
Degree of PML-Q MNA challenged in LHC

Next Page »