Task Force to curb Gray Traffic, unauthorised SIMs
A high level meeting was held in the Ministry of Interior under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Interior, Senator Rehman Malik to examine the ways and means to curb Gray Traffic in Pakistan. Secretaries of Interior and Information Technology Ministries, Director General FIA, representatives of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and other government departments were present on the occasion. Different issues were discussed in the meeting including capacity of monitoring system which is presently only 30% and needs to go to the level of 100%. Ministry of Information Technology has been requested to pursue the matter for sanction of funds.
People have been advised that all those who have got more than the prescribed limits of SIMs should surrender immediately to PTA as a thorough scrutiny of the SIMs has been ordered and any body found in possession of those SIMs shall be proceeded with in accordance with the law.
It was decided in the meeting that the punishment/penalty for the violators would be enhanced from three years to seven years and fine from Rs. 10 million to Rs. 50 million besides making it non-bailable offence.
It was also decided that 20 million cash reward shall be given to anyone who will point out the Gray Traffic to the authorities and 10% of the recovery will also be given to the informer.
A Task Force has been announced whereby a team will be headed by Director, FIA Shahid Nadeem Baloch and sub task forces comprising of representatives from ISI, IB, PTA and local police will also be constituted.
The Task Force will submit, every fortnightly, report of their progress on the cases/raids to curb gray traffic.
It has also been decided by the Government that there will be zero tolerance for gray traffic in Pakistan and its progress/monitoring shall be jointly done by the Secretary Interior and Secretary Information Technology.
ICC Satisfied After Players Ban
ICC chief executive, Haroon Lorat said ICC is satisfied with the ban on three Pakistani players. He said that he was expecting the same from the tribunal and they have decided the case well. He added that tribunal was independent tribunal and the hearing was conducted in the unbiased way.
Salman Butt has been banned for 10 years, Asif for seven years while Amir has been banned for 5 years. The decision is welcomed by the ICC. Lorgat said that the team hearing the case was the experience team and they done total independent work and ICC is fully satisfied with the performance of the tribunal.
Lorgat said that he was confident that the players will get punishment for their doings. He added that they have done corruption in the game and they have to pay for it. He also said that corruption in the game will never be bear by any mean. He committed on zero tolerance.
The chairman of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) Ronnie Flanagan added that the investigation against the corruption was initiated far before the news was broke by the news of the world. He said that ACSU gather evidence against the players and completed the investigations against them. Now Asif and Salman Butt have a chance to reduce their punishment up to 5 years.
PCB Declares The Ban A Sad Reality
Former Pakistani captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir got the ban of 10,7 and 5 years respectively. They were suspended last year in August by ICC and were not able to participate in any kind of cricket. Amir is just 18 year old and he is facing 5 years ban. He said that the punishment of bowling two no-balls is too much.
PCB chairman was very sad after the ban on players and he issued a statement against England players. He later apologies from the English board. Butt said that integrity is the main concern in the cricketing world and PCB will never compromise on the integrity issue.
The trio is opened to appeal against the case in 21 days. Amir is committed to appeal against the decision but PCB is not supporting the players. They are following ICC code of conduct.
PCB was asked by ICC to show zero tolerance against the players. They want the players at domestic level to stay away fro corruption. Zero compromise policy worked for them and they remained champion through out the year. ICC also issued 30 days deadline to PCB to make good his matters. PCB has worked on the issues and not they are going in the right direction.
Pakistani tribesman to sue CIA over drone deaths
November 29, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
PESHAWAR: A Pakistani tribesman is to sue the CIA for 500 million dollars after his son and brother were killed in America’s covert drone war against Al-Qaeda, his lawyer said Monday.
Karim Khan from North Waziristan, the district on the Afghan border where the US campaign has stepped up in recent months, claimed his house had been hit by US missiles on December 31, 2009.
“That drone attack killed my son, my brother and a local man. We are not terrorists, we are common citizens,” he told a news conference where he and his lawyer Mirza Shehzad Akbar announced his plan to sue.
Pakistani intelligence officials said at the time that four militants were killed in the US missile strike in the Mir Ali area.
“According to Islamic law the punishment for blood is blood. If I have the means, I will take revenge for this attack,” said Khan.
“We need
national collegiate athletic association
June 11, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
LOS ANGELES – The NCAA threw the book at storied Southern California on Thursday with a two-year bowl ban, four years’ probation, loss of scholarships and forfeits of an entire year’s games for improper benefits to Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush dating to the Trojans’ 2004 national championship.
USC was penalized for a lack of institutional control in the ruling by the NCAA following its four-year investigation. The report cited numerous improper benefits for Bush and former basketball player O.J. Mayo, who spent just one year with the Trojans.
The coaches who presided over the alleged misdeeds — football’s Pete Carroll and basketball’s Tim Floyd — left USC in the past year. USC reacted with uniform outrage to the harshness of the sanctions, promising an appeal. I’m absolutely shocked and disappointed in the findings of the NCAA,” Carroll said in a video statement produced by the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, who hired him in January. “I never thought it would come to this.”
The penalties include the loss of 30 football scholarships over three years and vacating 14 victories in which Bush played from December 2004 through the 2005 season. USC beat Oklahoma in the BCS title game on Jan. 4, 2005, and won 12 games during Bush’s Heisman-winning 2005 season, which ended with a loss to Texas in the 2006 BCS title game.
Bill Hancock, the executive director of the BCS, said a committee will meet to consider vacating USC’s 2004 championship. While no action would go into effect until USC’s appeals are heard by the NCAA, Hancock said there would be no 2004 champion if USC’s victory is vacated.
“I take the same stance as our university,” new football coach Lane Kiffin said. “There is some guilt, but the punishment is too severe. That’s why the appeal process is taking place.”
China wants more dialogue on Iran issue
June 10, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under Breaking News
BEIJING: China, which voted for new UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, said Thursday that the punishment does not mean the door to a diplomatic solution is closed and called for renewed efforts at negotiations.
More here:
China wants more dialogue on Iran issue
President pardons convicted Rehman Malik
A bench of Lahore High Court earlier during the day dismissed an appeal by Interior Minister Rehman Malik against his conviction in two corruption references and restored a three-year imprisonment awarded to him but President Asif Ali Zardari exercising his special powers has pardoned him.
Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Baber informed that President Asif Zardari has granted pardon to Rehman Malik under the authority conferred upon him by the Article 45 of the Constitution. He added that the President pardoned the sentence on the advice of the Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
According to sources, the summary for the pardon was prepared by the law ministry.
Zardari will continue to pardon aides: Sethi
Senior analyst Najam Sethi speaking to Dunya news said that the courts would continue to sentence criminals and President Zardari would continue to exercise his power and grant them immunity.
He added that even if the Supreme Court convicts presidents close ally Babar Awan for the NRO case president Zardari would also condone his punishment.
Naveed seeks reason for ban
KARACHI: Pakistan all-rounder Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan legally requested cricket authorities explain why he was banned for a year and fined heavily, an official said.
“Naveed has sent a legal notice to us in which he has inquired about the reasons of his punishment and we will soon respond to it,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi said.
Naveed was one of seven Pakistani players who were handed bans and fines on March 10, following an inquiry into team defeats in Australia and discipline breaches on earlier tours of New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.
Pakistan lost all three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match on the tour of Australia between December and February.
Former captains Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were banned indefinitely “over infighting which brought the team down”, while Shoaib Malik and Naveed were banned for one year and fined two million rupees (24,000 dollars).
Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umer Akmal were also fined heavily.
On Monday, Yousuf announced he was retiring from international cricket to protest against the punishment.
Rizvi said players had been given reasons for their punishments and could appeal.
“We have already issued charge sheets and now the players can appeal to an arbitrator through the PCB governing board, and if the arbitrator asks us to give detailed reasons of punishments we will comply,” said Rizvi.
The players have 30 days from the date of receiving the charge sheets to appeal to a three-judge tribunal.
The PCB has also received a letter from Younus demanding detailed reasons for his punishment.
“We have also advised Younus to appeal and if the arbitrator asks for detailed reasons of his punishment we will follow the process,” said Rizvi.
Afridi was the first to appeal against his punishment.
Malik, whose engagement and wedding to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza is making international headlines, and the Akmal brothers have also hinted that they may appeal.
Iran agents free envoy nabbed in Peshawar
TEHRAN: Iranian agents have freed a diplomat from the Islamic republic who was kidnapped in Pakistan in November 2008, state media reported on Tuesday.
“Iranian intelligence agents, in a complex operation, have released Heshmatollah Attarzadeh, the Iranian diplomat who was abducted in Pakistan, and brought him home,” the official news agency said.
A separate report on state television”s website said gunmen had abducted Atarzadeh on November 13, 2008 in the city of Peshawar. He was on his way to an Iranian consulate when kidnappers killed his local guard.
The envoy”s release comes after Iranian agents in February captured Tehran”s most wanted Sunni militant Abdolmalek Rigi.
SC sends ex-FIA official to jail
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court has ordered arrest of former DG FIA Finance Ahmad Riaz Shaikh and sent him to jail.
The court has also ordered NAB to seized assets of Riaz Shaikh and submission of report within three days. The apex court has also restored the punishment of five years imprisonment and Rs. 20 million.
