Coalition partners back PM

 

The meeting discussed the current political situation of the country after Gilani’s indictment in the contempt case on Monday.

 

The leaders agreed that they would continue to work together for continuation of the political and democratic process in the country.

 

The coalition partners expressed complete solidarity with Prime Minister Raza Gilani.

 

The meeting was attended by Choudhry Shujaat Hussain, Asfand Yar Wali Khan, Farooq Sattar, Munir Khan Orakzai, Rehman Malik, Syed Khursheed Shah, Syed Naveed Qamar, Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and Raja Pervez Ashraf.
 

No Djokovic, no problem as Serbia eye Spain’s Davis Cup title

PARIS: Serbia shrugged off the absence of Novak Djokovic to reach the Davis Cup last eight with the 2010 champions confidently setting their sights on dethroning Spain in November’s final.

Janko Tipsarevic secured an unassailable 3-1 lead over Sweden in the World Group first round tie in Nis with a 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 win over Michael Ryderstedt.

Victory gave Serbia a quarter-final tie in April against the Czech Republic, but captain Bogdan Obradovic believes that with world number one Djokovic back in the side for that clash, his country can start dreaming of a second title.

“It’s never easy to play matches in which you are the odds-on favourite but the players dealt with the pressure really well against Sweden,” Obradovic told www.daviscup.com.

“With a bit of luck, we will reach this year’s final and hopefully take on Spain because we are confident that we can beat them on home soil.”

Tipsarevic had beaten Filip Prpic in straight sets in Friday’s opening rubber and had then played doubles on Saturday when Sweden had clawed their way back into the tie.

But despite those efforts, he had no problem in disposing of Ryderstedt.

“I want to thank my team for standing by me through the thick and thin and this is also the best home crowd we have ever played for,” said Tipsarevic.

“I hope some of these fans will be ale to make the trip with us to the Czech Republic because it will be a very open match.”

The United States, the 32-time champions, completed a 5-0 whitewash over Switzerland in Fribourg.

Ryan Harrison beat Michael Lammer 7-6 (7/0), 7-6 (7/4) and John Isner, who condemned Roger Federer to his first defeat in the tournament in nine years on Friday, saw off Marco Chiudinelli 6-3, 6-4.

The US will travel to France in the last eight. The French beat host Canada 4-1 with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga downing injury substitute Frank Dancevic 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 to clinch the tie and Gael Monfils then defeating Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4.

Austria made the quarter-finals — where they will tackle Spain — for the first time in 17 years with a 3-2 win over two-time champions Russia in Wiener Neustadt.

Jurgen Melzer secured the vital point, beating debutant Alex Bogomolov 6-2, 6-4, 6-1.

“I think it was one-way traffic,” said Melzer.

“Giving Austria the chance to play a quarter-final against Spain, that was our goal.”

Spain, playing without Rafael Nadal, who is skipping the tournament this year, had already made sure of their sixth successive appearance in the quarter-finals by taking an unassailable 3-0 lead on Saturday against Kazakhstan in Oviedo.

On Sunday, they completed a 5-0 rout with singles wins for Nicolas Almagro and Marcel Granollers.

The Czech Republic wrapped up a 4-1 win over Italy in Ostrava while last year’s runners-up Argentina were also 4-1 winners over Germany in Bamberg.

Argentina will have a home tie against Croatia, who beat Japan 3-2.

Ivo Karlovic pulled off his third win of the week to beat Go Soeda and give Croatia victory in Hyogo.

Croatia’s number three, who defeated Japanese number one Kei Nishikori on the first day, notched a 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-4 victory in the last of the best-of-five contest.

Earlier in the day, Australian Open quarter-finalist Nishikori evened the tie 2-2 beating Ivan Dodig 7-5, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3. AGENCIES

Canada, China duos win figure skating titles

COLORADO SPRINGS: Reigning Olympic ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and two-time world junior pairs champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China took titles at the Four Continents Championships.

Canadians Virtue and Moir, who won Olympic gold on home ice in Vancouver in 2010, edged Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White — reigning world champions and 2010 Olympic runners-up — in the free dance to claim the overall title.

Virtue and Moir won the free dance 111.24-107.25 over the US duo, defending Four Continents champions and winners of Saturday’s short dance, to claim the overall title by 182.84-179.40 in the high-altitude mountain venue.

“It was a great performance,” Moir said. “We felt really strong. It was kind of a test for us up here with the altitude, and we were definitely feeling it.”

Americans Davis and White were pleased with their effort if not their result.

“I could not be prouder of the way we fought through both programs. We really worked through it,” White said. “We wanted to work on expression, and we did that. I felt like our elements were pretty good.”

Sui and Han captured their first international senior-level pairs title by winning Sunday’s free skate final after taking the short programme on Saturday.

The Chinese couple scored 135.08 points in the free skate to win the overall crown with 201.83 points to 185.42 for US champions Caydee Denney and John Coughlin. Americans Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker were third on 116.47.

“This is our first time to win a senior competition and we’re happy and excited. Maybe tonight we can’t sleep,” Han said.

“Late in the program there were a little nerves, but we adjusted. The throws were successful and we’re very pleased.”

Sui and Han plan to defend their world junior crowns as well as compete in next month’s World Championships at Nice, France.

“We’re excited for this chance,” Han said. AGENCIES

Firdous Awan hopes court will do justice

TrendPK.com
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Monday said she hoped that the Supreme Court (SC) will do justice to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who has been accused of contempt of court for not implementing the court orders over a span of two years.

Awami National Party (ANP) Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan said his party will remain in coalition government regardless of the verdict.

Meantime, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, talking to the battery of reporters outside the apex court building, said he had offered a good counsel to the PM Gilani in this regard. TrendPK

Please click ‘Video’ button to watch leaders speak.

Contempt case: PM Gilani arrives at SC

TrendPK.com
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has arrived at the Supreme Court (SC) where he will be indicted on charges of contempt leveled against him for not implementing the court orders for over two years.

The PM Gilani arrived here along with some other Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders amid stringent security around Red Zone area of the federal capital, which has been sealed for all kinds of traffic and pedestrians alike.

PM Gilani was allowed to drive his car inside the premises of SC. The permission was granted by the SC’s Registrar late on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, the red zone area, sealed due to sensitive nature of today’s case, will stay sealed till PM Gilani’s return. Only the court’s crew will be allowed to enter the red zone during the proceedings of the case. TrendPK

New Maldives President expands cabinet

 

The new president of the Maldives is expanding his Cabinet to strengthen the coalition government ruling the Indian Ocean nation.

 

A presidential spokesman says six members from four political parties will be sworn in Sunday as ministers in the government led by President Mohammed Waheed Hassan.

 

Former president Mohamed Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party, however, has not responded to an invitation to join the Cabinet.

 

The Maldives has been rocked by political turmoil for nearly a week, since Nasheed resigned and was replaced by his vice president. Nasheed claims he was ousted in a coup, a charge the new president denies.

 

A senior U.S. diplomat who met with Maldivian leaders on Saturday said the Maldives wasn’t ready for early elections as a way out of its political crisi

Chatta elected chairman, Arbab president of PML-Likeminded

 

Humayun Akhtar Khan would be Secretary General of the party.

 

The meeting of general council of PML (Likeminded) was held under the chairmanship of Senator Salim Saifullah Khan to elect new leadership of the party for the tenure of next three years.

 

The meeting also elected Salim Saifullah for the slot of Chairman Steering Committee, whereas Kashmala Tariq was elected Information Secretary.

 

After elections, newly elected Chairman of Likeminded Hamid Nasir Chatta said while speaking to the general council that they have always promoted democracy within party. It is not the party of a particular family, but it is the party of the nation.

 

“We have rejected the ancestral politics. We chose our President from a smaller province, which reflects that the party is committed to give right to the entire province.”

 

He said that discussion on Baluchistan in the committee of US Congress is an unconstitutional act. It is in fact matter of embarrassment for the whole nation. He said that government took loans during four years which is more than the total debt the country had taken in sixty years.

 

Arbab Ghulam Rahim addressed the meeting through video link. He said that fair, free and impartial elections are not possible in presence of sitting rulers. He said that they will snatch the Sindh card from the PPP.

 

Humayun Akhtar Khan said that the 2012 is the general election year and the party would have to complete its preparedness for the polls within shortest span of time.

 

Earlier, besides election, general council discussed prevailing political situation of the country, conflict between national institutions, law and order situation, target killing in Baluchistan, threats to national integrity, corruption, dearness and drug scandal in Punjab in detail. –Online
 

Sovereignty hinges on economic autonomy: MQM

Four industrialists Feroze Alam Laari, Saeed Usman Ali, Muhammad Rehan Zeeshan and Sadiq Muhammad have announced joining MQM at a press conference at Muthidda Qaumi Movement Headquarters, Nine Zero, in Karachi.

 

MQM deputy convener Dr Farooq Sattar and other officials were also present at the press conference.

 

The industrialists said that only MQM chief Altaf Hussain can take the country out of the current political and economic crisis and they have become the part of MQM to join hands with Altaf Hussain.

 

Dr Farooq Sattar said that industry and trade are the key sectors of any country and national sovereignty depends on economic independence.

 

Sattar said that the days have gone when politics overwhelmed the economy.

 

More and more people are joining the MQM in order to strengthen and support the economic programmes of Altaf Hussain, he said.
 

Roadside bomb kills five policemen in Afghanistan

 

A roadside bomb hit a police vehicle on patrol in southern Afghanistan, leaving five policemen dead and one wounded, a senior police official said Saturday.

 

The bomb hit the pickup truck in Trin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan province, late on Friday, senior provincial police officer Gulab Khan told AFP.

 

“Five policemen were killed and one wounded,” he said.

 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but roadside bombs are frequently planted by Taliban insurgents fighting a decade-long war against NATO-led foreign troops and Afghan government forces.

 

Afghan police are particular targets for the insurgents, as the country prepares to take over full responsibility for security from some 130,000 foreign troops by 2014.

 

On Friday afternoon, a car was also hit by a roadside bomb in the Khinjak area of the provincial capital of Uruzgan province, killing one person and wounding two others, according to police spokesman Farid Ail.

 

Southern Afghanistan remains a key battleground between the insurgents and foreign forces despite a surge of US troops in 2010 and 2011.

 

Around 80 percent of the 3,000 Afghan civilians killed in 2011 were victims of attacks by the Taliban, who were toppled in late 2001 by a US-led invasion, according to a UN report released last week.

 

The Taliban announced last month that they planned to set up a political office in Qatar, widely seen as a move towards peace negotiations with Washington and its Western allies.
 

Suu Kyi continues election-campaign trip

 

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi hit the campaign trail near her hometown of Yangon on Saturday, travelling to the constituency where she is standing for parliament for the first time.

 

The democracy icon has already made two campaign trips outside the city ahead of April s by-elections, but this is her first day taking to the streets of the rural township of Kawhmu, where she is contesting the vote.

 

Hundreds of cheering supporters lined the roads as her convoy left Yangon, waving flags of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party and photos of Suu Kyi and her father, Myanmar s independence hero Aung San.

 

The NLD cannot threaten the army-backed party s ruling majority even if it wins all of the 48 available seats, but the vote has important symbolic value as the first time Suu Kyi has been able to directly participate in a Myanmar election.

 

“I hope they will be free and fair. There have been a few hitches but I hope that these will be sorted out,” she told AFP on Friday.

 

A widely-expected win for Suu Kyi would lend strong legitimacy to the country s parliament, which first convened early last year and is dominated by former generals who kept her in detention for much of the past two decades.

 

The NLD won a landslide victory in an election in 1990, but the then-ruling junta never allowed the party to take power. Suu Kyi was a figurehead for the party s campaign despite being under house arrest at the time.

 

She was released from her latest stint in detention a few days after a much-criticised election in 2010, and the upcoming polls are being held to fill places vacated by those who have since become government ministers and deputy ministers.

 

Ahead of the campaign day, Suu Kyi insisted her party — which boycotted the 2010 election — was taking nothing for granted.

 

“We will work very hard to win all 48 seats. It s not a matter of expectations, it s a matter of hard work,” the Nobel Peace Prize winner said.

 

Controversy surrounding the 2010 vote means the by-elections will be heavily scrutinised.

 

But the new regime has impressed even sceptics with its reform process, which has included welcoming the NLD back into the political mainstream and signing ceasefire deals with ethnic minority rebels.

 

The release of hundreds of political prisoners has been particularly welcomed by Western powers — which imposed strict sanctions on Myanmar — leading the United States to begin restoring full diplomatic relations.

 

On Monday, Washington also announced a waiver to allow it to support assessments in the country by international financial institutions including the World Bank.

 

Despite Myanmar s progress, the brief detention of a leading dissident monk on Friday sparked concern among observers, coming less than a month after his release from a jail term imposed for his role in a 2007 anti-junta uprising.
 

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