PESHAWAR: Linking speedy and effective justice to the elevation of judges against vacancies, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has

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RAWALPINDI: Awami Muslim league Sheikh Rashid on Monday said that those killed in today?s armed attack were his childhood friends, not personal guards.

?My two friends died on the spot while the third one passed away in the hospital,? he told Geo on telephone.

Rashid said that the decision to kill him was motivated over fear of defeat.

?Thanks to Almighty that I am safe. I have won many elections and will fully take part in this election too,? he said.

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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Aghaz-e-Haqooq-Balochistan Package will help end the sense of deprivation among Baloch people.

This he said while speaking to Balochistan?s Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, who called on the president at Aiwan-e-Sadr today.

President Zardari said Balochistan would also get development opportunities at par with other provinces.

Following the meeting, Chief Minister Raisani briefed President Zardari about law and order situation in the province.

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Pakistan News

LAHORE: Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt has left here on Monday for Dubai to attend the meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Besides Ijaz Butt, other officials of the PCB will also participate in the two-day ICC meeting to be held from February 9.

Talking with media, Ijaz Butt said that he would point out the matter of not including the Pakistani cricketers in the IPL and record a strong protest on this.

The chairman PCB will return home on February 11.

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Authorities arrested six suspected Taliban militants with a suicide vest and hand grenades allegedly on their way Monday to attack a five-star hotel and kill Americans in Pakistan’s cultural capital, said police.

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Police say six suspected Taliban militants, one wearing a suicide vest, were arrested while heading to a five-star hotel in Pakistan’s cultural capital intending to kill Americans.

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ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Monday passed Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962, (The Banking Companies (amendment) bill 2009) moved by Minister for Finance, Revenue and Planning and Development Shaukat Fayaz Ahmed Tarin.

Makhdom Shahabudin tabled the amendment Bill in the House on behalf of Minister for Finance after it was presented by the Standing Committee for consideration.

The house also admitted four identical adjournment motions for discussions on target killings and law and order problem in Karachi. These were moved by Bushra Gohar, Ch. Muhammad Birjees Tahir, MarviMemon and Abdul Qadir Khanzada.

Responding to a calling attention notice, Minister for Health Makhdoom Shahabuddin said the Government was cognizant of the problem of efficient and safe disposal of hospital management and taking steps for the purpose.

He said two incinerators costing 59 million rupees are to be installed at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad to ensure disposal of hospital waste.

He said apart from fulfilling the needs of the Polyclinic Hospital, the services of these incinerators would also be offered to private hospitals on payment. He said these incinerators do not produce dioxin, which is harzardous for environment.

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NAGPUR: South Africa were eyeing victory after Dale Steyn picked a career-best 7-51 to trigger a dramatic India collapse on the third day of the first Test on Monday.
The right-arm quick polished off the last six India wickets for 12 runs in 7.4 overs after tea to bundle them out for 233 and help the visitors enforce the follow-on at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium in Nagpur.

Following on, India were tottering at 66-2, trailing South Africa by 259 runs on first innings with eight wickets in hand.

Murali Vijay was batting on 27 with Sachin Tendulkar on 15 when stumps were drawn for the day.

Steyn struck again in India’’s second innings, sending back Virender Sehwag for 16 while Morne Morkel pegged back the off-stump of the other opener, Gautam Gambhir (one).

India’’s slide began with the dismissal of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (six) in the first over after the tea break.

Subramaniam Badrinath’’s resistance in his first Test appearance was cut short in the next over when he chipped Steyn straight to short mid-wicket. His 56-run innings came off 139 balls and included seven fours.

The other debutant, Wriddhiman Saha was out off the first ball he faced from Steyn. Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra played on to their stumps before Harbhajan Singh was trapped lbw, giving Steyn his 13th five-wicket haul in 37 Tests.

The only positive for India was the 109-run knock by Sehwag who hit 15 fours and also shared 136 runs for the fourth wicket with Badrinath after India were reeling at 56-3.

But Sehwag was dismissed shortly after reaching his 18th Test century when he sliced a quite wide delivery from paceman Wayne Parnell (1-31) to cover where Jean-Paul Duminy took a well-judged catch.

Replying to South Africa’’s first innings 558-6 declared, India were off to a disastrous start, losing their three top-order wickets inside the first hour.

Steyn got rid of Tendulkar (seven) and Vijay (four) after Morkel (1-58) had dismissed Gambhir (12) to reduce the hosts to 119-3 at lunch.

Gambhir, coming into the series with eight centuries in his last 11 Tests, was out off the first ball he faced when he was caught by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

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RAWALPINDI: SHO Pir Wadhai Police Station has recorded the statement of Awami Muslim League Chief and seasoned politician Sheikh Rashid.

Sheikh Rashid escaped a life attempt earlier today, when unknown assailants opened fire at him outside his election office here Monday.

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Pakistan News

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb. 8 (UPI) — There are more private security contractors from Xe, formerly Blackwater, operating in Islamabad than capital police, a religious leader said.

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