Davis has no immunity: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, has said on Wednesday that US embassy employee Raymond Davis did not enjoy complete immunity.

“US must keep in mind Pakistan’s sacrifices,” said Qureshi, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad after his meeting with US Senator John Kerry.

He said that his meeting with Kerry was on the wishes of US senator.
Criticizing the statements of party leaders, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), Qureshi said that his stance on the issue, Raymond Davis, was principled not personal. “I was briefed that Raymond has no complete immunity. I instructed foreign secretary to follow law.”

He said both the countries, US and Pakistan, need each other. TrendPK

Establishment Division to post 1233 employees in federal departments

Staff Report

KARACHI: The Establishment Division has promised to accommodate employees of five ministries, which are being transferred from centre to provinces.

Establishment Secretary Ismail Qureshi made this assurance at the meeting of 18th Amendment Commission headed by its chairman Mian Raza Rabbani.

Qureshi told the commission that transfer of ministries would affect 1, 233 employees, including 197 senior officials.

He said that all these employees would be appointed in federal organizations and departments. Trend Pk

Aisam, Bopanna through to semis in St. Petersburg tournament

Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan and Rohan Bopanna of India have made their place in the doubles semi-final of St. Petersburg Open Tennis Tournament. The pair defeated the Serbian opponents by 3-6, 7-6 and 10-1.
Earlier the pair made had made its place in the quarter-final of the tournament after a tremendous performance. They had won their match by 6-2, 2-4 and 10-3 to reach the quarter-final.

Talks possible if India accepts suggestions: Qureshi

NEW YORK: In the midst of speculation about an Indo-Pak bilateral in New York this week, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that any talks between the two countries needs to be ‘meaningful.’

At this stage, Qureshi noted that a bilateral was still worked out, and Islamabad had sent “some suggestions” through diplomatic channels to New Delhi about these talks.

Without going to specific details about these “suggestions,” Qureshi said that he was now awaiting a response from the Indian side.

“The talks can take place immediately if a positive response is received,” the minister said, noting that any meeting should produce results.

Pointing to disputes over Kashmir, Siachen and water, Qureshi said, “How can Pakistan talk to India without these subjects being on the table.”

Qureshi also refuted claims that Pakistan was putting

Pakistan fetes Grand Slam tennis star Aisam

LAHORE: Fans, relatives and tennis officials gave Pakistan’s first Grand Slam finalist a hero’s homecoming on Wednesday, hailing him a peacemaker and a role model.

Government and Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) officials draped Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi with garlands as fans chanted “long live Aisam” and “our new hero.”

Qureshi, 30, fell short of winning Pakistan’s first Grand Slam title but his unusual pairing with India’s Rohan Bopanna in the men’s doubles was praised against a backdrop of struggling peace efforts between Islamabad and New Delhi.

It also came as Pakistan cricket struggles to fight off damaging allegations of corruption.

Qureshi and his Czech partner Kveta Peschke went down to Americans Liezel Huber and Bob Bryan in the mixed doubles final of the US Open on Friday, before Qureshi and Bopanna lost to Bob and Mike Bryan in the men’s

Bopanna-Qureshi peace message leaves Bryans choked

NEW YORK: They lost their maiden Grand Slam final but the Indo-Pakistani team of Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi scored an emotional winner by leaving even their opponents “choked” with their message of peace on the eve of the 9/11 terror attacks” ninth anniversary.

Bopanna and Qureshi, who managed to tug at heartstrings here with their message of ”Stop War and Start Tennis, lost 6-7 (5) 6-7 (4) to top-seeded American brothers Mike and Bob Bryan in the US Open men”s doubles final yesterday.

Their message, however, had such emotional resonance that the Bryans said they would have been happy to root for their 16th seeded rivals had it not been a Grand Slam final. “We would have been rooting for them.

Great guys. It”s great to see another marquee team out there. They”re gonna gather a lot of attention for doubles. They”re going to be spokesmen for

Bryan brothers beat Qureshi- Bopanna in US Open doubles final

The Bryan brothers have won their ninth Grand Slam title, derailing the Indo-Pak Express doubles team of Pakistan’s Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and India’s Rohan Bopanna in the men’s doubles final at the US Open.
Bob and Mike Bryan captured their third title at Flushing Meadows and 65th overall with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) victory Friday in a match in which neither team broke serve. Improving to 9-for-9 in doubles finals this year, the Bryans made a record 17th Slam doubles finals appearance against the determined Grand Slam doubles final debutantes.
Ambassadors from India and Pakistan, neighboring countries with a decades-long history of tension, attended the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Bopanna and Qureshi have been playing together since 2003, though the story of their attempt to promote peace through sports has gathered more steam in the past few months.

Abducted Briton freed in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A British-Pakistani journalist abducted by suspected Islamist militants in Pakistan’s ethnic Pashtun tribal areas in March, has been freed, the British High Commission said on Thursday.

Asad Qureshi was abducted in March along with two former Pakistani intelligence officers when they were visiting the lawless region bordering Afghanistan while working on a documentary on militants for a British television channel.

“Yes, we can confirm that Asad Qureshi has been released,” a spokesman for the High Commission said.

He said Qureshi was being given consular assistance but declined to give further details.

A previously unknown militant group, the Asian Tigers, took responsibility for kidnapping the three, whom it accused of spying. The group demanded the release of Afghan Taliban commanders detained in Pakistan in exchange for them.

The

Abducted Briton freed in Pakistan – High Commission

ISLAMABAD: A British-Pakistani journalist abducted by suspected Islamist militants in Pakistan’s ethnic Pashtun tribal areas in March, has been freed, the British High Commission said on Thursday.

“Yes, we can confirm that Asad Qureshi has been released,” a spokesman for the High Commission said.

Qureshi was abducted in March along with two former Pakistani intelligence officers. AGENCIES

Blair postpones book party at Tate Modern

LONDON: Former premier Tony Blair has postponed a party at the Tate Modern art gallery celebrating the launch of his autobiography because of threats from protesters, his office said on Wednesday.

Anti-war demonstrators had planned to disrupt the reception on Wednesday evening and a group of celebrated artists including Tracey Emin and Vivienne Westwood had called on the gallery to cancel the “disgraceful” event.

Blair has also been forced to cancel a signing session for “A Journey” at a bookstore in central London.

“It has been postponed for the same reason as the book signing,” a spokesman for Blair said.

“We don’t want to put our guests through the unpleasant consequences of the actions of demonstrators.”

At the weekend, protestors hurled eggs and shoes at the former prime minister during a promotional event in Dublin.

Blair,

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