|
| May 05, 2008 | Monday | Rabi-us-Sani 28, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
|
 Bye-elections postponed again till August 18 ISLAMABAD, May 5 (APP): Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday postponed fresh/bye-elections till August 18, this year, said a press release. The holding of fresh/bye-elections to vacant seats in the National Assembly as well as Provincial Assemblies of four Provinces, polling for which was scheduled to be held on June 18, 2008. “In view of the Report received from the Home Secretary, Government of NWFP regarding law and order situation prevailing in that province, the forthcoming budget sessions in the National/Provincial Assemblies and overall security environment, the Election Commission has deferred (the polls) for a period of two months,” said Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad, Secretary, Election Commission. He further said that the revised schedule will be issued in due course. He clarified that the candidates who have filed nomination papers with the Returning Officers concerned need not file their nomination papers afresh. (Posted @ 16:50 PST)  Zardari condemns second postponement of bye-elections Islamabad, May 5 (PPI)- Asif Ali Zardari, Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party, has condemned the postponement of bye elections to the vacant National and Provincial Assemblies seats by two months. He will meet Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to bring to his attention the Party's serious reservations over the postponement. In a statement Asif Zardari wanted to know the real reasons behind the postponement saying that the reasons cited by the Election Commission did not appear credible. He pointed out that holding of bye-elections within sixty days of a seat falling vacant was a constitutional requirement under Article 224 (4) of the Constitution. As such the postponement for the second time was intriguing, as it was in conflict with the constitutional requirement, he said. He said that the PPP was ready to field its candidates in the bye-elections on June 3 and also on June 18. The Party had already invited applications from candidates for election tickets and made all necessary preparations in this regard. Even if the law and order situation was bad in any particular locality it provided no justification to postpone bye-elections throughout the country, he said. (Posted @ 19:14 PST) PML-N voices concern on bye-elections postponement ISLAMABAD, May 5 (APP): Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Chairman Raja Zafar-ul-Haq Monday expressed concern over the postponement of the bye- elections from June 18 to August 18 by the Election Commission. There was no reason to delay the bye-elections by two months, he told APP and added that the Election Commission put off the polls without any consultation with the party. “No one from Election Commission contacted PML-N leadership regarding postponement”, he said. PML-N spokesman Siddiqul Farooq said that the party would take up this matter at a meeting of coalition partners. (Posted @ 19:04 PST) Sherry criticizes delay in bye-election ISLAMABAD, May 5 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ms. Sherry Rehman, criticizing delay in the by-election Monday said neither Pakistan Peoples Party nor any of its allies were consulted before this decision. Talking to journalists here at the Parliament House, she said some undemocratic forces have become active to destabilise democracy in the country. She said meetings were being held today to discuss the situation arising out of the ECP decision. (Posted @ 20:30 PST) Pakistan bye-election postponement causes surprise ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 5 (AP) - Pakistan's election commission postponed polls to vacant seats of the national and provincial assemblies due in June for two months Monday, drawing protests from the country's governing parties, whose leaders were eyeing runs for parliament. A spokesman for President Pervez Musharraf rejected a claim that he was behind the delay. Sadiqul Farooq, a spokesman of Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party, accused Musharraf of trying to sabotage plans for Sharif's brother, Shahbaz, to contest a seat in the Punjab provincial assembly. Election commission’s secretary Kunwar Dilshad denied the president had any say in the timing of the vote. The presidency had “no input” into the commission's decision, presidential spokesman Rashid Qureshi said. He said it was unfortunate that “pointing to the presidency has become a political fashion.” A key Musharraf ally went further, claiming the delay was a ploy to give Shahbaz Sharif more time to try to remove legal obstacles to his taking part. “They (the ruling parties) are now postponing the elections. ... Postponement will give them advantage,” said Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, president of the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q party. (Posted @ 20:14 PST)  Judiciary's revival with consensus of coalition allies: PM Gilani MULTAN, Pakistan, May 5 (APP): The issue of reinstatement of superior court judges will be taken with the consensus of the coalition partners, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Monday. Talking to journalists after inaugurating the new building of the Islamic Studies Department at the Bahauddin Zakariya University he said Maulana Fazlur Rahman and other allies are members of the committee on independence of the judiciary and a decision would be taken with consensus. Replying to a question he said MQM enjoys a substantial political support in Karachi. That is why it has been included in the Sindh cabinet, and the PML-N has no reservations on this coalition. Gilani said law and order is our first priority as without it progress is not possible. Earlier, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation-stone of institute of veterinary sciences and the law Ccllege at the BZU campus. (Posted @ 17:10 PST) Removal of present judges will be opposed: Shujaat LAHORE, May 5 (APP): Opposition PML-Q would oppose removal of the judges who have taken oath under PCO. “We will not accept it even for one hour or one day, PML-Q President Ch.Shujaat Hussain said at a press conference on Monday. He refuted that he ever said that his party would bring resolution for restoration of Judges and insisted that he just talked about resolving the judicial crises on the basis of the policy adopted by his party. Leader of Oppositin in the National Assembly Pervaiz Elahi who was present on the occasion termed it a wishful thinking of Mian Nawaz Sharif that judicial crises will be resolved as desired by his party. He said that his party will announce candidates for all seats for the forthcoming by-elections. There is no question of any impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf, as the ruling coalition will never go for it, Shujaat said answering another question. “The ruling coalition will not even move for impeachment, for reasons you people are fully aware of, and you can hold me responsible if the rulers initiate such a move”, he said. (Posted @ 19:40 PST Updated @ 20:28 PST) Shahbaz Sharif files nominations for by-elections ISLAMABAD, May 5 (APP): President Pakistan Muslim League (N) Shahbaz Sharif Monday filed his nomination papers to contest by-elections from two provincial constituencies in Lahore PP-151 and PP-154. Talking to a private television channel after filing his nomination papers he said rejection of his nomination in general elections was an excess against him and hoped it would not be repeated again. (Posted @ 13:55 PST) Azad Kashmir hit by mild earthquake PESHAWAR, Pakistan, May 5 (APP): An earthquake of mild intensity was felt in Bagh, Azad Kashmir Monday, Seismological Network of Pakistan Meteorological Department said. The quake originated at 08:20 and its epicentre was about 250 kilometres northeast of Peshawar in Azad Kashmir. The quake’s magnitude on international Richter scale was 4.0. (Posted @ 13:00 PST) Mild tremors hit Balochistan PESHAWAR, Pakistan, May 5 (APP): An earthquake measuring 4.1 on international Richter scale jolted Awaran in Balochistan Monday morning. According to Meteorological Station Peshawar’s preliminary analysis, the earthquake originated at 09:18 hours and it epicentre lied about 1000 Kilometres southwest of Peshawar in Balochistan. (Posted @ 13:00 PST) Cricket- PCB chief withdraws lawsuit against Shoaib Akhtar KARACHI, May 5 (AFP): Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf said Monday he had withdrawn a defamation lawsuit against Shoaib Akhtar after the banned fast bowler made a public apology. Ashraf and the PCB sued Akhtar for three million dollars after he alleged in an interview the day after the ban that the board chief had demanded payments from the bowler's contract to play in an Indian domestic tournament. “I have withdrawn the defamation case as my honour was vindicated after Akhtar apologised publicly and retracted his baseless allegations,” Ashraf told AFP. “I forgive him as it was a matter of principle,” he added, with the PCB also withdrawing its suit. Local media said Pakistan's prime ministerial advisor on interior affairs, Rehman Malik, brokered the deal at a dinner in his house in Islamabad Sunday night where Ashraf forgave Akhtar. (Posted @ 12:55 PST) Taliban leader gives beard warning in Pakistan’s Khar KHAR, Pakistan, May 5 (AFP): A Pakistani Taliban leader has warned local tribesmen to grow beards within the next two months in accordance with religious teachings or face harsh punishment, residents said Monday. “Men must grow beards and stop shaving within the next two months,” residents quoted senior Taliban commander Maulvi Faqir Mohammad as telling dozens of people at a mosque in Khar, the main town in Bajaur tribal district. (Posted @ 13:40 PST) Myanmar cyclone death toll tops 10,000: foreign minister YANGON, May 5 (AFP) -More than 10,000 people have been killed in a tropical cyclone that struck Myanmar at the weekend, Foreign Minister Nyan Win told state television after briefing foreign diplomats, adding that his nation would welcome international aid. “Information is still being collected, and there could be more casualties,” he added. (First Posted @ 17:40 PST Updated @ 20:34 PST) India, Pakistan to play in Bangladesh tri-series NEW DELHI, May 5 (AP) - India and Pakistan will feature in a cricket tri-series in Bangladesh in June, the Indian cricket board said Monday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India said in a statement that India had accepted the invitation to participate in the limited-overs tri-series scheduled for June 8-14. All matches will be played in Dhaka's Mirpur locality. Fixtures: June 8: Bangladesh vs Pakistan; June 10: India vs Pakistan, June 12: India vs Bangladesh, June 14: Final. (Posted @ 20:28 PST) Sudan bombs Darfur school and market, 13 killed KHARTOUM, May 5 (Reuters) - Sudanese government bombs have hit a primary school and a busy market place in Darfur, killing at least 13 people, including seven children, two aid organisations said on Monday. The aid groups said a government Antonov plane bombed the village of Shegeg Karo in North Darfur on Sunday .“The primary school of 238 students was hit and one classroom was destroyed. It was in session,” it added. The groups said the market was also hit with six people reported killed and 20 shops destroyed. Darfur rebels said three other areas were bombed on Sunday but there were no reports of casualties. (Posted @ 20:08 PST) Sudan goods train mishap kills 14, injures 28 KHARTOUM, May 5 (Reuters) - A goods train derailed in Sudan's West Kordofan state killing 14 people and injuring 28 others, the railways authority said on Monday. The train was carrying students from the university of West Kordofan who were among the victims but did not specify why they were on the goods train. (Posted @ 19:50 PST) Security forces kill five in Somali food protest MOGADISHU, May 5 (AFP) - At least five demonstrators were killed and several others injured Monday when Somali security forces fired at crowds protesting rising food prices in the capital Mogadishu, witnesses said. (Posted @ 19:46 PST) Kashmiris' involvement in talks imperative: APHC ISLAMABAD, May 5 (APP): In occupied Kashmir, senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Prof Abdul Ghani Butt Monday emphasised that Kashmiris' involvement in talks process between India and Pakistan is imperative to bring about a just solution of the Kashmir dispute. He was talking to Kashmir Media Service after a meeting of the APHC executive held in Srinagar with Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in the chair. The meeting was also attended by Maulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal Ghani Lone, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Shaikh Abdul Aziz, Agha Syed Hasan Al-Moosvi and Fazl Haq Qureshi. Meanwhile. addressing a peace conference in New Delhi, the Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Yasin Malik said Indian troops were stepping up human rights violations with every passing day to suppress the liberation movement. The statement came as Indian troops martyred one more Kashmi youth at Wanabal in Kupwara. The police subjected demonstrators to brute force who were protesting against the anti-people policies of the puppet regime outside the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar on Monday. (Posted @ 19:44 PST) ADB releases $ 214 million for reconstruction of quake-damaged houses ISLAMABAD, May 5 (APP): The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Monday released $ 214 million to Government of Pakistan for the reconstruction of quake- damaged houses. The amount is the second tranche of a $ 400 million loan aimed at helping Pakistan meet rebuilding cost of about 585,000 rural houses damaged or destroyed in the earthquake. (Posted @ 19:42 PST) 'Japanese investors keen to set up Automobile City' KARACHI, May 05 (PPI): A delegation of Japanese investors during meeting with Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri Monday said they were keen to establish an Automobile City with an investment of $50m at Karachi or Gwadar port. They said Japanese businessmen were also interested in IT and energy sectors in Pakistan. (Posted @ 19:08 PST) Accidental blasts kill seven in Kabul; chopper hit by gunfire KABUL, May 5 (AFP) - Four children and three policemen were killed in accidental explosions in Kabul Monday while rebel gunfire struck a helicopter in Kunar province forcing it to land, officials and a witness said. In Garmser district meanwhile two ISAF soldiers were wounded in an attack. The four children were killed when an old weapon exploded as they were playing with it. Also, in Kabul three policemen were killed and several others injured when a rocket-propelled grenade was accidentally dropped and blew up as they were preparing to travel to an outlying area to eradicate opium poppy fields, the ministry said. An official said earlier 20 policemen were wounded. (Posted @ 18:50 PST) 64 politicians in eastern India resign after threat by communist rebels PATNA, India, May 5 (AP) - Dozens of local politicians in India’s Bihar state have resigned, saying their lives have been threatened by communist rebels active in the area, an official said Monday. The 64 district level workers belonging to the National Democratic Alliance, the ruling coalition in Bihar state, resigned Sunday. “We have resigned because our lives and the lives of our families were in danger,” Akhilesh Singh, a party worker of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, told The Associated Press on Monday. Last week, the rebels kidnapped 37 politicians and released them days later. The rebels accused the politicians of not doing enough to stop police abuses against villagers in the Gaya district of Bihar, one of India's poorest and most corrupt states. Singh, one of the politicians who was kidnapped, said the rebels had given them until Sunday to resign. On Monday, the state's chief minister ordered an investigation into the mass resignations. (Posted @ 18:10 PST) Olmert and Abbas meet after Rice bid to boost peace talks JERUSALEM, May 5 (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas met on Monday on the heels of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's latest bid to boost the Middle East peace process. A few hours before the Israeli-Palestian talks started, Olmert held a second meeting in less than 48 hours with Rice, who has urged Israel to take more concrete steps to ease movement and access for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. (Posted @ 17:35 PST) Palestinian dies in Gaza tunnel collapse GAZA CITY, May 5 (AFP) - A Palestinian man died on Monday and another was believed to have been buried alive when a smuggling tunnel between the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and Egypt collapsed, Palestinian medics said. Another five people nearly suffocated before they were dragged out of the ground, a doctor at the hospital in the border town of Rafah said. (Posted @ 17:25 PST) Two including police official shot dead in Swat MINGORA, May 5 (APP): At least two persons were shot dead including a police official in two separate incidents of firing at Rahat Kot and Malam Jabba areas, police said Monday. The police official Haroon Rasheed, resident of Mardan, was killed in Rahat Kot area of tehsil Kabal by unknown persons who opened fire while he was on way to his place of posting. Separately, unknown persons killed one Jamal Shah in the ski resort of Malam Jabba. (Posted @ 17:00 PST) Ten killed, 40 injured in Baghdad clashes BAGHDAD, May 5 (AFP) - At least 10 people were killed in overnight fighting between American forces and Shiite militiamen in Baghdad, six of them in Sadr City, the US military said on Monday. An Iraqi medic from Sadr City said t another 40 people, including women and children, were wounded. US military said six Shiite militiamen were killed in Sadr City and four in Mansur, a mainly Sunni district of west Baghdad. (First Posted @ 13:10 PST, Updated @ 16:00 PST) Fighting in northern Sri Lanka kills six rebels, two soldiers COLOMBO, May 5 (AP): A new round of fighting between Tamil rebels and government troops along the front lines of their civil war in northern Sri Lanka killed six guerrillas and two soldiers, the military said Monday. The sporadic fighting erupted Sunday in the Jaffna, Welioya, Mannar and Vavuniya battle zones, the military said. Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan was not immediately available for comment. (First Posted @ 12:05 PST, Updated @ 13:45 PST) Iran to reject incentives that violate atomic rights TEHRAN, May 5 (Reuters): Iran will not agree to any package of incentives offered by world powers that violate Iran's nuclear rights, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. “Incentives that in anyway violate our interests and our rights will not be supported by us,” spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a news conference broadcast and translated on Iran's Press TV when asked about a plan by six world powers to offer a new package to Iran. (Posted @ 11:20 PST) Five police killed in Chechnya bomb attack GROZNY, Russia, May 5 (AFP): Five policemen were killed when a home-made mine loaded with metal shrapnel exploded in the Russian province of Chechnya, a local police official told AFP Monday. “Yesterday evening in the Staropromyslovsky region of Grozny five interior ministry personnel were killed as a result of an explosion,” said Ramzan Edilov, the head of the Staropromyslovsky police department. (Posted @ 10:20 PST) Death toll for Yemen clashes climbs to more than 50 SANAA, May 5 (AFP): Nineteen Shiite rebels were killed in clashes with Yemeni soldiers in Saada province for control of a military camp Sunday, raising the death toll to more than 50, a local official said. Six soldiers were wounded in the fighting in the Haydan district village of Dafaa for control of the camp, said the local official, who requested anonymity. The clashes were sparked by an army offensive to recapture Dafaa military camp which has been in rebel hands for the past three months, the source said. (Posted @ 09:40 PST) Bolivian president rejects province's 'autonomy' vote SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia, May 5 (AFP): Bolivia's richest state of Santa Cruz was late Sunday celebrating a regional referendum result approving autonomy, despite a warning from President Evo Morales that the vote was “illegal and unconstitutional.” As thousands filled the main square in the city of Santa Cruz to triumphantly dance and wave the province's green-and-white flag, Morales went on television to sternly tell the province's opposition governor and citizens that he would ignore the result. (Posted @ 09:05 PST) Karachi Stocks down 283.69 points: KARACHI, May 05: At close of trading, he KSE-100 index was at 14673.13, down 283.69 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:13 PST) Forex update: KARACHI, May 05: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 66.8 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:13 PST)
Founder: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
|
