Sunni politician arrested as Iraq row festers

BAGHDAD: Iraqi authorities said Thursday they arrested a politician belonging to the party of Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, who is at the centre of a row after he was charged with running death squads.

The warrant against Hashemi, who denies the accusations, came shortly after US forces completed their withdrawal from Iraq and has pitted the Shiite-led government against the main Sunni-backed bloc, stoking sectarian tensions.

Riyadh al-Adhadh, deputy chief of Baghdad provincial council, was arrested while on his way to work on Wednesday in connection with funding insurgent groups, officials said.

“An insurgent group confessed that he is funding them and giving them orders,” a Baghdad security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Adhadh is a member of the Iraqi Islamic Party, a Sunni grouping that belongs to the broader Iraqiya coalition to which Hashemi belongs. Hashemi is a former leader of the IIP but has since split from the party.

The IIP confirmed the arrest, but condemned it as “an unprecedented escalation” and called for Adhadh to be freed.

Iraqiya has largely boycotted parliament and cabinet in response to what it claims are Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s centralisation of power, and has called on the premier to respect a year-old power-sharing deal or quit.

The bloc won the most seats in March 2010 elections, but was outmanoeuvred by Maliki’s alliance, which eventually formed the government after a prolonged impasse was finally broken in November of that year.

The row with Maliki erupted last month when authorities charged Hashemi and Maliki, a Shiite, said his Sunni deputy Saleh al-Mutlak should be fired after the latter said the premier was “worse than Saddam Hussein”.

Hashemi has been holed up in the autonomous Kurdish region for the duration of the crisis, and Kurdish officials have so far declined to hand him over to Baghdad.

On Tuesday, Iraq’s cabinet clamped down on Iraqiya’s boycotting ministers by decreeing they could not run their ministries while staying away from its meetings.

The United Nations and the United States have urged calm but their calls for talks involving all of Iraq’s political leaders have so far gone unheeded. AGENCIES

Liverpool Vs Fulham Football Highlights 2011

Liverpool Vs Fulham Football Highlights 2011: Liverpool beat Fulham by 1-0 in Anfield football stadium, England. This is their second consecutive victory after the new team manager Kenny Dalglish took the charge. With this fortuitous victory Liverpool moved up to seventh position in the Premier League table for the first time in their stuttering campaign.

The Fulham captain Mark Hughes had earlier delighted the supporters by bringing the ball into the Dee but Fulham’s John Pantsil made own goal soon after the break. It was the only goal of the match which was enough for Liverpool’s victory. Liverpool were expected to then dominate but the results were opposite to their expectations as Fulham looked the more offensive and disciplined side.

The captain of Liverpool side Steven Gerrard back after his three-match suspension but Raul Meireles was the most influential midfielder from Liverpool side.

In the first half of the match Raul Meireles passed ball to Fernando Torres, who gave pass to David Stockdale, but the assistant of referee had raised his flag for offside against the Spanish player incorrectly.

After this defeat Fulham, despite their woeful record of no victories at Anfield Football Stadium in 23 league matches, Fulham’s were not much worried about their bad performance and were playing happily against their direct hosts. Liverpool managed to maintain their place in the final Europa League spot.

Gilani is most corrupt person in Pakistan: Azam Swati

Lashing out at Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, former federal minister for science & technology Azam Swati termed him as the most corrupt person in the 63-year history of Pakistan.

Talking to media outside the Supreme Court, he dubbed both the President and the Premier as completely corrupt people:Both Zardari and Gilani are corrupt and dishonest people; and the latter has brought bad name to his parents by doing corruption. Replying to a question about the ongoing Federal Investigation Agencys investigation into the Hajj scam, Swati maintained that the apex court is well aware that FIA will not unveil those involved in Hajj corruption scandal and called its report FIA report dissatisfactory. Bring the accused to light; the nation should launch jihad against the prevailing corruption in the country, the self-assertive ex-minister said. He foresaw the fall of the incumbent government soon. Earlier, a four-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, resumed hearing of the case regarding corruption in Hajj arrangements.

During the hearing, CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry remarked that the Director General FIA has been on the mercy of the government as a temporary employee. The counsel of Swati in his statement said that Interior Minister Rehman Malik through a SMS got omitted the name of Rao Shakeel from the exit control list. The case has been adjourned the case till January 12.

Gas shortage: Gilani directs implementation of ECC distribution plan

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday issued directives for the implementation of the decision of Economic Coordination Council (ECC) regarding the equal distribution of gas.

Gilani convened a meeting of all stakeholders on Monday to consider ways and means for equitable distribution of energy shortfall across the country. The meeting reviewed the gas crisis hitting the country and its effects. The PM also ordered the concerned ministries to import LNG at the earliest and asked the gas companies to make efforts to check the gas theft and wastage. On the occasion, Punjab CM shahbaz Sharif thanked the Premier for taking interest in the issue and added that the meeting would help resolve the gas crisis facing the country. It is pertinent to mention that the PM summoned a meeting in the wake of the threat by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to start street protests against gas loadshedding in the province. Mr Sharif had accused the federal government and the gas companies of adopting a discriminatory approach in gas supply to the industrial sector in his province and threatened to stage a march on the Mall in Lahore along with labourers and industrialists to protest against the loadshedding decision that had forced a number of factories to close down.The countrys current average gas production stands at 4BCFD against total proven reserves of about 33 trillion cubic feet (TCF), enough to maintain current supplies for more than 20 years. But the shortfall is also estimated to increase to more than 2BCFD in 2013-14 and 5.08BCFD by 2019-20. More than 9 per cent of the gas production is lost to the system losses.

On the other hand, adding to the public woes Sui Northern announced that the CNG filling station of Lahore would remain shut form 8:00pm to 8:00am besides a complete closure on Tuesday. CNG association convened an emergency meeting over the schedule.

Manchester United Vs Tottenham Highlights (2-0) EPL 2010

Manchester United Vs Tottenham Highlights (2-0) EPL 2010 : Old Trafford Stadium is the venue, Manchester United Vs Tottenham highlights (2-0) of Barclays Premier League football match on 30-10-10, Kick-Off 17:30 UK Time. Wayne Rooney taking a few days off from football as the Red Devils try to adjust themselves back on the winning ways, but this weekend they have a tough test in the league since their opposition Spurs are playing some good football in the league and in Europe. Enjoy Man Utd and Tottenham Hotspur live match and highlights.

Match Kick-off time: Saturday 30 October 2010, 17:30 UK Time.
It was back in 2005 when Spurs almost made an upset in the Premier League when they scored a goal against United from a long range shot but the referee thought the ball didn’t crossed the line and the game ended 0-0. If we look at the current form of both sides, Rafael Van der Vaart in the heart of Tottenham midfield and Luka Modric both playing awesome. Gareth Bale is the outstanding new talent for the North London club as recently he scored a stunning hat-trick against Italian side Internazionale in the Champions League. Manchester United have their new striker Hernandez in good form as he recently on was target twice in the Premier League game at Britannia.

SCBA would act freely now, says Asma

Newly-elected president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Asma Jahangir has said that the premier Bar of the state would take its decision on its own and not to be exploited for political gains, Dunya News reported on Friday.
Talking to media reporters at Lahore High Court, she said I will send my suggestions to the Supreme Court to end corruption in the judicial system. I have not joined SCBA to pursue anybodys agenda, I am here to endorse what is right, an energetic Asma said. Referring to SC verdict, she maintained that she is opposed to some of them.

Appointment of NAB chief administrative issue: Gilani

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that appointment of NAB chief is an administrative and not a constitutional issue.
Addressing a ceremony after disbursing Watan Cards to the flood afectees in Charsadda, the Premier ruled out holding of both mid-term and local bodies polls.
The PM said that he has also been hearing for the last two years that the government is wrapping up but no such thing happened. We are running the government under huge pressure, had it been anyone else, how would have gone, Gilani said. Replying to a question, he deplored that investors are running for fear of the terrorists in the country. He termed drone attacks as counter-productive. Gilani maintained he will not appear in Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday (tomorrow).

Nisar rejects PM’s recommendations for NAB chief

Opposition leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has rejected the names floated by Prime Minister Gilani for the post of Chairman NAB, Dunya News reported on Tuesday.
Talking to media outside the Parliament House, Nisar said that in a letter he wrote to the Premier stating that both the proposed names for the said post are controversial and as such his party opposed the recommendations altogether.
The past was lying vacant since former chairman Naveed Ahsan’s resignation and the Supreme Court has ordered to fill the post within the next few days.
The opposition leader rejected the names because they were not impartial and demanded neutral names.

Govt to complete term, asserts Gilani

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday categorically stated that the incumbent government would complete its fie-year term.
Briefing the media in Islamabad, the Premier stated that a petition has been filed in the apex court seeking deferment of the hearing till complete review of NRO cases. The PM parried the questions about Presidents immunity, saying that the matter is subjudice in the court.
Dispelling the notion about the NRO-ed people, the PM stated I have not received any list of NRO beneficiaries as yet. The PM in a laughable way said that many people have betted on todays case hearing in the court.
Replying to a question about resignations by certain PPP ministers, the PM asserted that Jointly we have come – and jointly we will go.

PM announces Rs.05m for blind girl

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani announced to donate Rs 0.5 million for a girl from Chiniot who lost her eyesight due to negligence of doctors.

According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister House, the premier has instructed the administration of Sheikh Zaid Hospital to shift the girl from her hometown and treat on government”s expenses.

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