Pakistan, China ties to be strengthened in Wen visit

ISLAMABAD: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s upcoming visit to Pakistan is intended to reassure Islamabad that the two countries’ energy, military and economic ties will remain tight, despite Beijing’s growing relations with New Delhi.

China and Pakistan are set to deepen their strategic relationship. China wants to use Pakistan as a gateway to the Muslim world and as a new Silk Road for China’s energy-hungry interior, as well as a balance against India’s military rise.

Pakistan, in turn, plans to further rely on China for the bulk of its weapon systems, as a major investor for its ports and roads, and as a counter-weight to American demands and conditions in the fight against Islamist militancy.

Key to the maintenance of this seemingly happy relationship is China’s treatment of Pakistan as an equal to India.

US Envoy reminds of US support to Pakistan through thick and thin

US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Minter has said that the USA has always supported Pakistan through thick and thin, Dunya New reported on Thursday.
Speaking at the ending ceremony of the flight operation for the relief efforts of the flood victims, the US envoy said that US considers Pakistan as her strategic partner. He also said that US has proved its friendship with Pakistan by helping the flood-affectees. American Brigadier General Michael Logata said that 600 US personnel and 26 helicopters participated in the relief operation.
Corps Commander Peshawar Lt. General Asif Yaseen also spoke on the occasion and thanked the US government for helping the flood-affected people. Responding to a question Corps Commander said that the decision of launching operation in North Waziristan would be taken by Pak Army.

Obama signals tough stance on prickly India issues

NEW DELHI: Days ahead of his visit to India, U.S. President Barack Obama has signalled he will take a tough stance on prickly issues such as outsourcing, and limits on exports of sensitive technology.

Indian news agency Press Trust of India (PTI), which interviewed Obama on Wednesday, quoted him as saying it was “very difficult and complicated” to meet key Indian expectations such as ending a ban on U.S. exports of dual-use technology to India.

New Delhi wants the United States to allow exports of dual-use technology, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes and which was banned after India carried out nuclear tests in 1998.

“Our teams continue to work hard to reach an agreement that strengthens the international non-proliferation system while treating India in a manner that is consistent with our strategic partnership,” Obama told PTI news

Somali pirates hijack tanker in Indian Ocean

MOGADISHU: Somali pirates have hijacked a tanker nearly 600 nautical miles off Somalia, pirates and the European Union anti-piracy taskforce said on Saturday.

The taskforce, EU Navfor, said gunmen attacked the MV Polar, a 72,825 tonne Panama-flagged tanker with 24 crew members, overnight in the Somali basin.

The crew includes one Romanian, three Greeks, four Montenegrins and 16 Filipinos.

The tanker’s owner confirmed pirates were now in control of the vessel, EU Navfor said.

Somalia has lacked an effective central government for almost two decades and is awash with weapons. The mayhem on land has allowed piracy to boom in the strategic waterways off its shores linking Europe to Asia and Africa. AGENCIES

PM Gilani chairs important Federal Cabinet meeting in Lahore

Staff Report

LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will chair an important meeting of the Federal Cabinet in Lahore today.

The proposal of Rs. 50 per 40kg increase in wheat’s support price will be reviewed during the Federal Cabinet’s meeting to be held in Punjab’s Governor House.

The cabinet meeting will also review the approval of deregulation of the petroleum products, Islamabad’s fares bill, Hajj and Umra regulation bill and four-nation gas pipe line project.

According to sources, the GST Reforms Bill-2010 can also be presented before the meeting for the approval while the cabinet will be given a detailed briefing on Pak-US Strategic Dialogues. SAMAA

Bullish trend at KSE

Bullish trend was seen at the Karachi Stock Market on Friday. KSE 100-Index crossed the barrier of 10,500 points.
Business activity started with posit note and once market crossed 10,700 points barrier. The marker witnessed buying trend due to positive news about Pak-US Strategic Dialogue and improvement in financial positions of the companies. At the end of the day, KSE 100-index surged by 93 points and closed at 10,652 points. Business volume remained at 16 crore shares.

Obama’s plan to visit Pakistan holds greats significance: Holbrooke

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama’s pledge to visit Pakistan and invite President Asif Ali Zardari to Washington is vitally important in terms of strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations, US special envoy for the region Ambassador Richard Holbrooke told a group of Pakistani journalists Thursday.

Holbrooke spoke in the backdrop of a high point in US-Pakistan relations on Wednesday when during the top level Pakistani delegation’s visit for strategic dialogue, President Obama received the Pakistani delegation at the White House.

The special US envoy said President Obama reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to Pakistan’s economic and democratic development and committed to visit Pakistan in 2011.

The Obama Administration is helping both civilian government and the Pakistani army to grapple with flood recovery challenge, Holbrooke

Major postings and transfers in Army

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Ashfaq Kayani has promoted 8 Major Generals to the rank of Lieutenant General.
Few days ago, Khalid Shamim Wyne was appointed Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee. Lieutenant General Waheed Arshad has been appointed as the Chief of General Staff while Lt. Gen Hammed Haider was appointed as Commander Army Strategic Force Command.

Lt Gen Nadeem Taj has been appointed Commander 30 Corps Gujranwala, Lt Gen Tahir Mehmood as Commander 10 Corps Rawalpindi and Lt Gen Shahid Iqbal has been appointed as Commander 5 Corps Karachi.Lt Gen Yousuf has been appointed as Commander 31 Corps, Lt Gen Mohsin Kamal as military secretary GHQ, Lt Gen Javed Zia as quarter master-general, Lt Gen Zaki as IG Arms and Lt Gen Ayaz Saleem Rana as chairman Industrial Complex Taxila.

Lt Gen Raza Khan has been appointed as director-general Joint Staff Headquarter and Lt Gen Tanveer Tahir as IG Communication and Information Technology.

Russia, China to boost energy ties

China and Russia on Monday signed a joint statement to comprehensively deepen their strategic partnership of coordination.
The joint statement was signed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev after their talks in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing. The two heads of state also issued a joint statement on the 65th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Besides the joint statements, the two sides also signed an agreement on the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism along with commercial deals covering coal, nuclear energy and banking.
The deals included a protocol of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation of coal, a strategic cooperation agreement on peaceful utilization of nuclear energy, a letter of intent on investment between the China North Industries Corporation and RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminum producer, a contract on technology design for the No. 3 and No. 4 units of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in Lianyungang of east China’s Jiangsu Province, an additional agreement on buyer’s credit for export between Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Russia’s VTB Bank, as well as several agreements on energy cooperation.

Russia, China to boost energy ties

China and Russia on Monday signed a joint statement to comprehensively deepen their strategic partnership of coordination.
The joint statement was signed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev after their talks in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing. The two heads of state also issued a joint statement on the 65th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Besides the joint statements, the two sides also signed an agreement on the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism along with commercial deals covering coal, nuclear energy and banking.
The deals included a protocol of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation of coal, a strategic cooperation agreement on peaceful utilization of nuclear energy, a letter of intent on investment between the China North Industries Corporation and RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminum producer, a contract on technology design for the No. 3 and No. 4 units of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in Lianyungang of east China’s Jiangsu Province, an additional agreement on buyer’s credit for export between Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Russia’s VTB Bank, as well as several agreements on energy cooperation.

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