ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Finance has issued a circular to various ministries containing suggestions for cutting down expenditures, on the directive of Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin.According to sources, the circular lays down suggestions for various ministries to cut their expenditures up to 20 per cent. It proposes reduction in a number of expenditures including those on petrol, newspapers, development, refurbishment, new vehicles, air conditioners and other items of luxury.
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India handed over evidence on Monday to Pakistan that it said linked Pakistani militants to the Mumbai attacks and demanded a prompt investigation, piling diplomatic pressure on its nuclear-armed rival.
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LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab, Mian Shahbaz Sharif Monday said a comprehensive strategy is being devised to ensure provision of better facilities of health care to the people besides improving the performance of hospitals and health department.He said this while presiding over a high level meeting to review Health Policy 2009 and provision of free medicines in hospitals here in CM House.The Chief Minister ordered to form a committee to review the provision of free medicines to the patients during the first 24 hours of their admission in emergency wards of hospitals across the province.
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SYDNEY: South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher has been bowled for 89 to deliver Australia an 118-run lead in the Third Test in Sydney.Boucher was all that stood between Australia and a healthy first-innings lead on day three of the third Test at the SCG. But Boucher failed to reach his century to leave his 9-327, with captain Graeme Smith unable to return to the field after retiring hurt.Australia now has an 118-run lead after posting 445 on the scoreboard. NSW debutant quick Bollinger has had a rough introduction, bowling without luck and taking 0-69 from 21 overs. The left-armer had a confident lbw appeal against Morkel turned down when the batsman was on 21 just before tea and angrily snatched his cap from umpire Billy Bowden. But Boucher had plenty of luck when a delivery by spinner Nathan Hauritz hit the stumps when he was on 27 but the bail was only partly dislodged and refused to fall. Boucher and Morkel have added 58 runs for the sixth wicket, which is effectively the seventh wicket. Captain Graeme Smith retired hurt for 30 on Sunday after a rising delivery from Johnson fractured his left hand and will struggle to hold a bat again in the match. Left-armer Johnson struck in the second over of day three as an attempted off-drive from Jacques Kallis on 37 finished in the safe hands of Matthew Hayden at first slip at 2-131. Thirty runs later AB De Villiers was run out by a brilliant throw by Johnson from mid-on for 11. Hashim Amla had anchored the innings with his 203-minute 51 but he was lbw to Victoria’’s debutant medium-pacer Andrew McDonald at 4-166. All-rounder McDonald has been effective on the low-bouncing pitch with 1-16 from 14 overs.
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A senior US diplomat on Monday urged India and Pakistan to work together to investigate the Mumbai attacks, saying those behind the carnage will only be found if the South Asian rivals cooperate.
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LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman said Monday it had not received any formal confirmation from the Cricket Sri Lanka about the tour to Pakistan. He said PCB was expecting to get formal schedule by Sunday, but it had not received anything yet. Some progress is expected during next 24 hours in this connection, the spokesman said.The spokesman added PCB also came to know through some media reports about visit of Sri Lankan team in two phases, but that has not been formally confirmed by the board.
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NEW DELHI: India on Monday handed to Pakistan what it said was evidence linking the country to the terrorists who attacked Mumbai in November, Indian government sources said.The material includes details of the interrogation of Ajmal Amir Iman, also known as Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, who was the lone surviving gunman and who India says is a Pakistani national.It also details the militants” communications with “elements” in Pakistan during the attack, recovered weapons and other equipment, retrieved global positioning system data and satellite phones.New Delhi would share the evidence with foreign ministers around the world and would brief foreign ambassadors in New Delhi, sources added.Indian officials said that the banned Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba trained and equipped the 10 militants who stormed Mumbai and they hailed from Multan, Okara and Faisalabad.
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ISLAMABAD: The United States assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, Richard Boucher on Monday urged India and Pakistan to work together to investigate the Mumbai attacks, saying those behind the carnage will only be found if the South Asian rivals cooperate.Boucher arrived here early Monday for talks with Pakistani leadership in a bid to defuse tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad sparked by the attacks.”Each side has pieces of the puzzle and they need to be known to each other,” Boucher told a press conference at the US embassy.”The two sides need to exchange information. People have to work with each other.”India on Monday handed over what it said was evidence linking terrorists who attacked Mumbai in November to “elements in Pakistan” — which Boucher described as a positive step.Boucher refused to reveal any details of the evidence he had seen, but said it was “clear that the attackers had links that lead to Pakistani soil.”He, however, said Pakistan’’s crackdown on Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a charity with links to LeT, showed the country’’s “commitment to eliminate sources of terrorism on Pakistani soil”.”There is determination here to follow up and find the groups that are responsible so they never do it again,” he said.Boucher was to head to India from Pakistan for meetings with leaders in New Delhi.
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ISLAMABAD: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor, Salim Raza called on President Asif Ali Zardari here on Monday.According to sources, issues relating to the banking sector and other economic challenges facing by the country were discussed in the meeting.
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BUENOS AIRES: Former world rally champion Carlos Sainz of Spain negotiated blinding dust and a collision with a motorcycle entrant to win the second stage of the Dakar Rally on Sunday for the overall race lead. Volkswagen driver Sainz beat Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel to claim his 10th Dakar stage win when he finished the dusty 237-kilometre stage from Santa Rosa de la Pampa to Puerto Madryn in Argentina in one hour 56 minutes 14 seconds. Mitsubishi’’s Peterhansel was 1:14 seconds behind, while Sainz” Volkswagen teammate Giniel de Villiers of South Africa was third, 1:56 back. Sainz leads de Villiers by 2.19 after the first two stages and is 3:51 ahead of Peterhansel. Dutchman Frans Verhoeven won the motorcycle stage in 2:14:48, just 41 seconds ahead of fellow KTM rider Cyril Despres of France. Frenchman David Fretigne was third on a Yamaha, 1:04 off the lead. Vancouver Island’’s Donald Hatton was 172nd overall in the motorcycle division. Marc Coma of Spain, who won Saturday’’s opening stage, retained the overall lead despite finishing 17th Sunday. He holds a 13:47 lead over Verhoeven and is 16:51 ahead of Fretigne. Starting from Buenos Aires on Friday, the 30th Dakar Rally - and the first outside Africa - features 177 cars, 217 motorcycles, 81 trucks and 25 quad bikes with drivers from 49 countries.
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