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Wednesday, 19 June 2013

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US applauds Pakistan’s genuine support for Afghan peace process -

WASHINGTON, June 18 (APP): The United States on Tuesday praised Pakistan’s “genuine and constructive” support for the Afghan peace process, as Washington welcomed the opening of the Afghan Taliban office in Qatar as an “important first step in the long and complex” process of reconciliation to end the conflict in Afghanistan. Commenting on the Taliban announcement of opening their office in Doha a development which coincides with transfer of security responsibility to Afghan forces across their landlocked country - a senior U.S. administration official said it represents an “important first step towards reconciliation .”

Upcoming CPC campaign a “thorough cleanup” of undesirable practices -

BEIJING, June 18 (APP): Xi Jinping, leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said Tuesday that the CPC’s upcoming year-long campaign will be a “thorough cleanup” of undesirable work styles such as formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance. “The main task of the campaign focuses on building work styles,” Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said at a high-profile tele-conference held to deploy the campaign, said Xinhua news.

Pakistan seeks talks to address issue of damage-dealing drone strikes -

UNITED NATIONS, June 18 (APP): Pakistan has called for steps to protect children in situations of armed conflict, while stressing the need for negotiations to address the issue of damaging effects unleashed by drone strikes. Pakistan believes that the use of armed drones violates sovereignty, causes civilian casualties, and puts communities at risk of reprisal attacks, Ambassador Masood Khan told the UN Security Council on Monday. "Drone strikes radicalize disaffected communities and increase the number of terrorists. Urgent and intense negotiations are needed to address the issue of armed drones," the Pakistani envoy said in a debate on Children in Armed Conflict.

George Mason University welcomes Pakistani NUST team -

FAIRFAX (Virginia), June 18 (APP): George Mason University on Monday welcomed a group of Pakistan faculty from National University of Sciences and Technology at the start of a three-week course that aims at sharing best practices in teaching and research.Dr. Peter N. Stearns, Provost and University Professor, Dr. Mark R. Ginsberg, Dean College of Education and Human Development, Prof. Anne Schiller,Vice President for Global Strategies, Siddique Sheikh, Member GMU Board of Visitors (director), Dr. Eirini Gouleta, Associate Professor International Education, and Dr Hmood Ur Rehman, Head, Department of Electrical Engineering, NUST, and leader of the Pakistani team, addressed the inaugural reception. Ambassador-at-Large Riffat Mahmood and Mrs. Shaista Riffat Mahmood also attended the event.As part of the continuing partnership, a George Mason University delegation would visit the NUST in a few months and attend a convention as well.

China rejects spy claims against Snowden -

BEIJING, June 18 (APP): A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman described as “sheer nonsense” claims that a former U.S. intelligence contractor who is hiding in Hong Kong was an agent of China.Spokeaperson Hua Chunying made the comment at a daily press briefing Monday after former U.S. vice president Dick Cheney expressed suspicion Sunday that Edward Snowden chose Hong Kong because he was an agent of China.“This is sheer nonsense,” Xinhua news quoted Hua.The 29-year-old former CIA-employee fled Hong Kong on May 20 after exposingtwo classified U.S. National Security Agency surveillance programs, one collecting U.S. phone records and the other mining Internet data.In Hong Kong, he provided The Guardian with top-secret documents that has led to a series of revelations about the extent of U.S. surveillance, to which several nations, including U.S. allies, have demanded explanations.

Sport News

Match officials for Champions Trophy semis announced

KARACHI, June 18 (APP): The International Cricket Council (ICC) Tuesday announced the match officials for the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy. England will take on South Africa in the first semi-final on Wednesday at The Oval.The on-field umpires appointed will be Kumar Dharmasena and Rod Tucker, with Bruce Oxenford and Steve Davis third and fourth umpires, respectively.
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Pakistan hockey training camp commences

KARACHI, June 18 (APP): Training camp of Pakistan probables in preparations for Hockey World League began here at Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) Stadium on Tuesday.Former Pakistan captain and Olympic half back Waseem Ahmed did not report for training as he was getting treatement after an accident, Manager/Chief coach Akhtar Rasool told APP during team’s afternoon training session.
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CNS Open set new mark with Rs 5.1 mln prize money

KARACHI, June 18 (APP): The 18th edition of Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Golf Championship will be staged at Karachi Golf Club from June 27 to 30, Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF) announced on Tuesday.“CNS will surpass Pakistan Open Golf prize money of Rs five million by one lakh”, Vice President of PGF Taimur Hassan Amin told APP.This is richest-ever prize money ever offered in a domestic golf event”, he added.

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COAS, Air Chief attend concluding session of Army War Games (Exercise Azm-e-Nau 4)

News - National
RAWALPINDI, June 16 (APP): Chief of Army Staff General (COAS) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Chief of Air Staff , Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafiq Butt, attended the concluding session of the Army War Games (Exercise AZM-E-NAU 4), which commenced at the National Defence University, Islamabad on June 3, 2013. Army War Game (Exercise AZM-E-NAU 4) was attended by a large number of senior officers of Pakistan Army, Navy and PAF. During the War Game, spanning over two weeks, strategic and operational plans were crystallized and validated for developing a comprehensive response, said an ISPR press release issued here.
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Lawmakers asks govt to avoid indirect taxation

News - National Assembly
ISLAMABAD, June 16 (APP): Resuming debate on the budget in the National Assembly on Sunday, lawmakers hailed most of the budget proposals and urged the government to avoid indirect taxation, broaden tax base and eliminate corruption in tax collection.Taking part in the debate, Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanvir Hussain said concrete proposals had been suggested in the national budget to put the country’s battered economy on the right track. He regretted that the cronies were appointed as heads of vital national institutions, who only minted money. He alleged that the last government had doubled the loans, with increasing the budgetary deficit. The Pakistan Muslim League-N government has taken various steps to rectify the situation, he added.He said youth would be provided loans to enable them to start their own business. The Income Support Programme budget has been increased by Rs 25 billion to continue helping the poorest of poor, he added.
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NA condemns terrorist incidents in Balochistan

News - National Assembly
ISLAMABAD, JunE (APP): The National Assembly on Sunday adopted a unanimous resolution condemning terrorist incidents in Balochistan, which had made the nation saddened and grieved. The resolution moved by Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid in National Assembly under Rule 158, said the House strongly condemns the cowardly and inhuman acts of terrorism in Balochistan, including targeting of residency of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Ziarat, kidnapping of five doctors from Loralai and a barbaric terrorist attack on Bolan Medical College and Hospital Complex, Quetta, killing innocent young students, medical staff and security personnel. This House expressed its heartfelt condolences with the families of those, who lost their precious lives in the incidents and prayed for early recovery of those, who received injuries.
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All resources to be utilized to improve literacy rate: Baligh-ur-Rehman

News - National

ISLAMABAD, June 16 (APP): Minister of State for Education Engineer Baligh-ur-Rehman on Sunday said the PML-N government would utilize all available resources to improve literacy rate in the country.Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House here, he said the government had prepared a comprehensive plan to pull the country out of crises and eduction for all was agenda of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government.Replying to a question, he said that the federal government would provide all possible assistance to the Balochistan government to improve law and order in the province.

Backlog of passports to be cleared within two weeks: Zahid Hamid

News - National

ISLAMABAD, June 16 (APP): Minister for Law and Justice on Sunday informed the National Assembly that the backlog of passports would be cleared within two weeks. Responding to a calling attention notice, he said,”We have issued around 850,000 passports while around 150,000 will be issued within two weeks.” He informed the House that around 20,000 passports were being issued daily to clear the backlog.He said the backlog of around 450,000 urgent passport applications had also been cleared.He said over 85,000 passports of Hajj applicants had also been printed and dispatched to the applicants. He said the directorate had also got printed ordinary and urgent passports of overseas Pakistanis and dispatched those to the foreign missions concerned.Zahid Hamid said now onward any applicant, who would apply for an urgent passport, would get it in a week’s time.

Rs 199.4 bln released for development projects

News - National
ISLAMABAD, June 16 (APP): The Planning Commission of Pakistan has so far released Rs 199.4 billion under its Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) against the total allocation of Rs 234 billion for the fiscal year 2012-13.According to the latest data released by of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, Rs 104.5 billion has been released for 346 infrastructure development projects and Rs 87.5 billion for 717 social sector projects.Similarly, up to June 14, Rs 2.4 billion has been released for 77 other projects and Rs 5 billion for the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA). It is pertinent to mention here that the total size of the PSDP for the year 2012-13 is Rs 360 billion, including Rs 99 billion foreign aid, which is managed by the Economic Affairs Division and Rs 27 billion special programmes, funds for which are released by the Cabinet Division or Finance Division.
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President felicitates Amjad Malik

News - National
KARACHI, June 16 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari has felicitated Amjad Aziz Malik onbeing elected as member of Association International De La Press Sports (AIPS). Amjad Aziz Malik, a Peshawar based sports journalist was recently elected as member of the Executive Board of the International Sports Press Association during AIPS 76th Congress at Sochi in Russia.
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18 killed in Quetta attacks

News - National
QUETTA, June 15 (APP): At least 18 people including Deputy Commissioner Quetta and eleven women students were killed in three explosions and firing in Quetta here Saturday. “11 students were killed when explosives planted inside the official bus of Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University exploded at Brewery Road area of the city,” DIG Operations Fayaz Ahmed Sumbal told APP. The explosion left as many as 18 students and teachers critically injured.The injured were rushed to the Bolan Medical College Hospital for medical aid which was on walking distance from the crime scene of the blast.Meanwhile, suicide bomber blew himself up inside the building of the hospital soon after Chief Secretary Balochistan Babar Yaqoob and CCPO Zubair Mehmood left BMC hospital after inquiring the health of the injured.The miscreants hiding inside the hospital building also opened fire on the officials leaving the hospital building.
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Prime Minister in constant touch with CM Balochistan

News - National

ISLAMABAD, Jun 15 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Saturday remained in constant touch with Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch over the unfortunate incidents.The Prime Minister received information about the unpleasant incidents in Balochistan on regular basis. The Chief Minister himself apprised the Prime Minister about the developments related to arrest of a terrorist and the outcome of security forces’ operation.Earlier, the Prime Minister had phoned Chief Minister Balochistan and assured him that the federal government stood by the people and government of Balochistan in this hour of trial.The Prime Minister categorically stated that the perpetrators of the Quetta bomb blasts were enemies of Balochistan and Pakistan. He also reassured the provincial chief executive of the federal government’s full support and cooperation. He informed that all the federal institutions had been directed to provide maximum support to the Government of Balochistan.

PM telephones CM Balochistan; assures full support

News - National
ISLAMABAD, Jun 15 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Saturday telephoned Chief Minister Balochistan Dr. Abdul Maalik Baloch and assured him that the federal government stood by the people and government of Balochistan in that hour of trial. The prime minister made the phone call to Balochistan chief executive in the wake of successive bomb blasts in Quetta.Talking to the chief minister, the prime minister categorically stated that the perpetrators of the Quetta bomb blasts were enemies of Balochistan and Pakistan. He asked Dr Baloch “to show courage and patience in this testing time”. Expressing complete confidence in the leadership of Dr Abdul Maalik Baloch, the prime minister said that he would come up to the trust people had reposed in his leadership by electing him as the chief minister through consensus.
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