Police raid, seal sub-standard biscuits, snacks factory in Layyah

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LAYYAH: The local police raided a factory. involved in production of sub-standard biscuits and snacks, and sealed it after seizing a large quantity of low grade spices and sub-standard oil in Layyah today, TrendPK reported on Monday.

The Assistant Commissioner and District Health Officer of Layyah raided the factory, on public complaints, today and a large quantity of sub standard oil and spices taken into custody from the production house of low grade biscuits, snacks and sweets.

No one was found on the location as the factory staffers managed to escape before the raid. The Assistant Commissioner sealed the factory after registering a case against the culprits. TrendPK

Three US F-16 fighter planes arrive in Pakistan

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JAFFARABAD: Three more US made F-16 fighter planes have arrived in Pakistan today, TrendPK reported on Monday.

After arrival of these three planes at Shahbaz Air Base, an eighteen-plane squadron of 52-B fighter jets has also completed this day.

Two F-16 fighters after over hauling and a last fighter jet of F-16-D50 series has arrived in Pakistan from the US this day.

Earlier two years ago, the US and Pakistan signed agreement for 18, F-16 fighter planes and today those all planes delivery has completed with arrival of these last three jets.

These F-16s are the latest combat planes amongst their category of fighter jets. TrendPK

Israel names air force head amid Iran tension

JERUSALEM: Israel named 52-year-old former fighter pilot Amir Eshel as the next head of its air force, as speculation grows about an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

A military statement said Major General Eshel was selected by the armed forces chief, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, and that Defence Minister Ehud Barak approved the appointment.

He replaces Ido Nehushtan, who ends his four-year term in May.

Though commentators have cautioned against interpreting the appointment as an indication of Israel’s intentions towards Iran, the key post is being filled at a time of increasing regional tensions.

Israel’s chief of military intelligence said on Thursday that Iran has enriched enough uranium to build four nuclear devices and its strategic affairs minister warned that no Iranian nuclear facility was immune to attack.

Israel and much of the international community fears that Iran nuclear programme mask a weapons drive, a charge denied by Tehran.

The Washington Post last week reported that US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta believes there is a “strong possibility” that Israel will strike Iran’s nuclear installations this spring.

The Jewish state is widely believed to have the Middle East’s only, albeit undeclared, nuclear arsenal, which international experts believe contains between 100 and 300 nuclear warheads.

It has never confirmed or denied such reports.

In 2007, Israeli aircraft struck an alleged nuclear facility in Syria, although it never officially confirmed the raid.

Like Nehushtan before him, Eshel is currently head of the military’s planning and policy directorate.

He commanded Phantom and F-16 squadrons and fighter groups, ran air bases and served as air force chief of operations in the 1990s, according to Haaretz newspaper.

The son of Holocaust survivors, in 2003 Eshel led a formation of three Israel air force jets in a historic flight over Auschwitz death camp in Poland. AGENCIES

Obama says risky to attack Iran, wants diplomatic fix

WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: President Barack Obama has said that there were important risks to consider before any military strike against Iran and made clear he does not want to see more conflict in the oil-producing Gulf region.

In a television interview, Obama also said he did not believe Tehran had the “intentions or capabilities” to attack the United States, playing down the threats from Tehran and saying he wanted a diplomatic end to the nuclear standoff.

“Any kind of additional military activity inside the Gulf is disruptive and has a big effect on us. It could have a big effect on oil prices. We’ve still got troops in Afghanistan, which borders Iran. And so our preferred solution here is diplomatic,” Obama said.

His comments echoed concerns expressed by earlier by Iran’s neighbor Turkey that an attack on Iran would be disastrous.

Obama, who is up for re-election in November, has ended the U.S. war in Iraq and is winding down combat in Afghanistan amid growing public discontent about American war spending at a time when the economy remains shaky.

He said Israel had not yet decided what to do in response to the escalating tension but was “rightly” concerned about Tehran’s plans.

“My number one priority continues to be the security of the United States, but also the security of Israel, and we are going to make sure that we work in lockstep as we proceed to try to solve this, hopefully diplomatically,” he told NBC.

Iranian leaders have responded sharply to speculation that Israel could bomb Iran within months to stop it from assembling nuclear weapons, threatening to retaliate against any country that launches an attack against the Islamic Republic.

Iran says its nuclear program is meant to produce energy, not weapons.

But its recent shift of uranium enrichment to a mountain bunker – possibly impervious to conventional bombing – and refusal to negotiate peaceful guarantees for the program or open up to U.N. inspectors have raised fears about Iran’s ambitions as well as concerns about Gulf oil supplies.

‘DISASTER’

Although tough sanctions from the United States and Europe have begun to inflict economic pain in Iran, its oil minister asserted on Saturday it would make no nuclear retreat even if its energy exports ground to a halt.

Betraying nervousness about the possibility of a military strike on Iran, two of its neighbors – Qatar and Turkey – urged Western powers on Sunday to make greater efforts to negotiate a solution to the nuclear dispute.

Speaking at a security conference in Munich, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said an attack would be a disaster and suggested the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program could be ended very rapidly.

“If there is strong political will and mutual confidence being established, this issue could be resolved in a few days,” he said. “The technical disputes are not so big. The problem is mutual confidence and strong political will.”

He added: “A military option will create a disaster in our region. So before that disaster, everybody must be serious in negotiations. We hope soon both sides will meet again but this time there will be a complete result.”

Qatari Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Mohamed al-Attiyah said an attack “is not a solution.”

“I believe that with our allies and friends in the West we should open a serious dialogue with the Iranians to get out of this dilemma. This is what we feel in our region,” he said.

Turkey hosted talks between Western powers and Iran a year ago that ended in stalemate because the participants could not agree on an agenda.

VOLATILE REGION

Despite Obama’s stated preference for a diplomatic solution, he said from the White House on Sunday he would not take options off the table to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

“We’re going to do everything we can to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and creating an arms race – a nuclear arms race – in a volatile region,” he said in the interview.

Any military strike on Iran, which might include an attack on the oilfields of No. 1 exporter Saudi Arabia, could send oil prices soaring, which could seriously harm the global economy.

Tehran has warned its response to any such strike would be “painful,” threatening to target Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf, and warning it may close the Strait of Hormuz used by one third of the world’s seaborne oil traffic.

The elite Revolutionary Guards began two days of military maneuvers in southern Iran on Saturday in a show of force for Iran’s adversaries. On Sunday, the deputy of that unit said Iran was ready to attack any country whose territory is used by “enemies” to launch a military strike against it.

“Any spot used by the enemy for hostile operations against Iran will be subjected to retaliatory aggression by our armed forces,” Hossein Salami told the semi-official Fars news agency. The Gulf states that host U.S. military facilities are Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Experts currently estimate the longest range of an Iranian missile to be 1,500 miles, capable of reaching Israel and Europe. Las week, Israeli Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon said Iran had been working on a missile that could strike the United States, with a range of 6,000 miles.

Asked about that risk, Obama said there was little sign of a pending Iranian attack on U.S. soil. “We don’t see any evidence they have those intentions or capabilities right now,” he said. AGENCIES

Riaz blames Shahbaz, Hamza for factory collapse

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LAHORE: PPP Punjab leader Raja Riaz has blamed Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Sharif for today’s factory explosion in Lahore.

Interacting with journalist here on Monday, Riaz said it is unfortunate that Chief Minister Sharif is not attending the Punjab Assembly’s session despite promise of Rana Sanaullah and Speaker.

He said the Law Minister had assured that the chief minister would himself close the debate on drugs issue in the Punjab Assembly.

To a question, he said that how was a factory, which was sealed on paper, was running.

According to my information, the factory was allowed to start operation by Hamza Sharif, he added. TrendPK

Neighbours foil bid to kidnap girl in Multan

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MULTAN: An attempt by armed persons to kidnap a girl was thwarted by neighbours in Multan on Monday.

The kidnapping incident took place near New Central Jail in the remit of Mumtazabad Police Station in Multan.

According to reports, six assailants barged into the house of Sher Muhammad and tired to kidnap his daughter, Khalida. However, neighbours of Muhammad came to her rescue after hearing screams.

Five suspects fled the scene while one kidnapped, Muhammad Asif, was captured.

He was subjected to torture by the people.

Police also reached the house and arrested the suspect. TrendPK

Protest held in Karachi against murder of Domki’s family

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QUETTA: A protest was staged by Balochistan-based nationalist parties on Monday against the murder of wife and daughter of MPA Sardar Bakhtiar Domki.

Workers of Balochistan National Party (BNP) and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mohaz (JSQM) gathered outside Karachi Press Club and chanted slogans against the government and administration.

They called for immediate arrest of people involved in the murder of Domki’s family.

Baloch Human Rights Organization chairperson Nargis Baloch also strongly condemned the incident.TrendPK

Qamar announces end to electricity load-shedding across Pakistan

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ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Naveed Qamar has claimed that ongoing power cuts will come to an end on February 7

Speaking at floor of National Assembly, he said load shedding will be ended across the country on February 7 due to drop in line losses.

Such claims had been repeatedly made by Qamar’s predecessor Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also. But he too failed to overcome the problem and finally lost his ministry. 

It remains to be seen whether or nor Naveed Qamar lives up to his promise. TrendPK

Pakistan 256-7 v England – first day of Abu Dhabi Test

ABU DHABI: Pakistan were 256 for seven wickets at the close on the opening day of the second test against England at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.   

Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat.    

Scores: Pakistan 256 for seven (Misbah-ul-Haq 83 not out, Asad Shafiq 58; S. Broad 3-47) v England.

Scores: Pakistan 256 for seven (Misbah-ul-Haq 83 not out, Asad Shafiq 58; S. Broad 3-47) v England.

Scoreboard at the close on the opening day of the second test between Pakistan and England at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Wednesday.   

 Pakistan first innings:   
 Mohammad Hafeez b Panesar          31   
 Taufeeq Umar b Swann               16   
 Azhar Ali b Broad                  24   
 Younus Khan b Broad                24   
 Misbah-ul-Haq not out              83   
 Asad Shafiq lbw b Swann            58   
 Adnan Akmal lbw b Broad             9   
 Abdur Rehman b Swann                0   
 Saeed Ajmal not out                 0   
 Extras: (b-8, lb-1, nb-2)          11   
 Total: (seven wickets; 94 overs)  256   

Fall of wickets: 1-51 2-61 3-98 4-103 5-203 6-216 7-24, Still to bat: Umar Gul, Junaid Khan.   

Bowling (to date): Anderson 18-5-45-0 (nb-1), Broad 23-3-47-3 (nb-1), Panesar 33-9-91-1, Swann 18-2-52-3, Trott 2-0-12-0.   

England: Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior,Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Monty Panesar. AGENCIES

Road side saloon – Trend Pk VIDEO

Rehan Sheikh from Islamabad reports on the importance of road side saloon for the people middle class. (November 29, 2010)

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