KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) has stayed action by National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) against Jang Group?s Independent Newspapers Corporation Limited (INCL), Geo News reported here Friday.

SHC has issued a stay order in this regard.

It may be mentioned here that INCL has filed a case against NBP in the High Court.

It is being felt that NBP?s action INCL is in violation with the banking regulations in place.

It is also believed that pressure is being exerted on the high ups running financial affairs of the government to take action against Jang/ Geo Group because it had brought into light President Asif Ali Zardari?s alleged involvement in a corruption case.

Jang Group has been banned for some period from receiving government advertisements.

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Islamabad

National Women Day will be observed today (Friday) throughout the country to acknowledge the achievements of women in different field

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VANCOUVER: The International Olympic Council (IOC) has given the formal approval for including cricket in Olympic Games but it is not possible before the 2020 Olympics

Cricket has been included in the list of Olympic games at the IOC meeting held in Vancouver, Canada.

””They are recognised federations by us, which now means that they can take part in IOC events,”” said IOC director of communications Mark Adams, adding it could be seen as a first step towards becoming Olympic sports.

Cricket was part of the 1900 Olympics in Paris and has not appeared since, but it is set to feature at this year’’s Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, and was in the Commonwealth Games as recently as 1998.

The IOC, meeting in Vancouver, also said it would recognise the federations of sport climbing and power boating.

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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday invited the two winner sportswomen of South Asian Games to the Presidency and gave them cheques of one million rupees each.

The President awarded the outstanding sportswomen Naseem Hamid and Sarah Nasir, who brought laurels to the country by winning gold medals in athletics and Karate respectively for the first time in quarter of a century.

The athletics coach Maqsood Ahmad and Karate coach Mohammad Riaz were also invited. The President felicitated them and awarded them Rs one million cheques to each coach.

The President felicitated Naseem Hameed, South Asia?s fastest woman player and Sarah Nasir, the gold medal winner in Karate and said the nation was proud of them for their tremendous achievement in 11th South Asian Games.

Paying glowing tribute to the national flag hoisters at Dhaka, Zardari said the sportswomen?s glaring achievement would act as a model for other women and would boost the morale of other women of the country to excel in the field of sports.

The President advised the government to devise a policy framework whereby distinguished sportswomen above a certain threshold were also sent abroad for training and coaching to further improve their skills for competing in international sports events.
He stressed for adopting same policy for the coaches as well.

The President said other Pakistani winners of gold medals in South Asian Games and their respective coaches would also be appropriately rewarded.

He also advised the government that the outstanding sportswomen could be made sports ambassadors.

The cheque distribution ceremony was attended among others by Mir Ajaz Hussain Jakhrani, Minister for Sports, Lt Gen (R) Syed Arif Hassan, President Olympic Association.

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Pakistan News

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif Friday warned the government against delay in the appointment of judges.

He said that the confrontation between judiciary and government was triggering a new political tension, which could be harmful.

This he said while speaking to senior party leaders during consultation meeting at the Punjab House today.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Raja Zarfar-ul-Haq, Ishaq Dar, Javed Hashmi, Siaranjam Khan, Pir Sabir Shah, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, Zafar Ali Shah, Sartaj Aziz, Chaudhry Jafar Iqbal, Eshrat Ashraf, General Tirmazi and other party leaders.

The PML-N chief urged the government to end the rising political tension in the wake of delay in judges? appointment. The government, he said, should refrain from giving arguments on the verdicts of superior judiciary about NRO and other cases and instead implement the decisions.

?If the government wants to give any argument, the Supreme Court of Pakistan is the best forum for it,? he remarked.

The former premier further said that the government should utilities its resources to check the worst price hike, gas and power crisis, and other issues.

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DUBAI: Afghanistan?s battle against adversity during their rise up the cricket ranks has all the makings of a Hollywood script.

Now, after thei

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Islamabad

The exhibition titled ?Available Light? opening at the National Art Gallery here on Thursday showcases a dynamic portrayal of landsca

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday said the nation would soon hear good news on the restoration of 1973 constitution in its original form, which will be a milestone achievement of the government.

Talking to Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, Chairman of the Constitutional Reforms Committee at his Parliament House Chamber, the Prime Minister hoped that the Committee would soon finalize its proposals acceptable to all political forces of the country.

Appreciating the efforts of the Constitutional Reforms Committee, the Prime Minister said it would be a major step forward towards strengthening the democratic institutions.

Minister of Labour and Manpower Syed Khursheed Shah, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Syed Naveed Qamar and Advisor to PM on Information Technology Sardar Latif Khosa were also present.

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Pakistan News

SYDNEY: The third One-day International between Australia and West Indies here at the SCG was washed away by rain after the Windies were chasing a rather easy target of 226 runs to beat the Aussies who were leading the five-match series 2-0.

West Indies were six for no loss as they could play only six balls in their chase before the rain came for a two-hour delay and it refused to leave for long enough to ensure a result.

Play resumed at 9.20pm local time with West Indies facing a target of 151 off 24 but the weather closed in again after one delivery.

Now, both teams will head to Brisbane for the fourth match on Sunday.

The desperate tourists, who now have to win the final two matches to level the five-game contest, were hopeful of victory after Ravi Rampaul?s four for 61 restricted Australia to 225 runs in 49.5 overs.

The tourists gambled by bowling first after losing Kemar Roach to injury, but their back-up men stood up in hot and humid conditions at the start of the innings and windy ones towards the end as Australia made a disastrous start losing two early wickets for 30.

However, captain Ricky Ponting (22) and his deputy Michael Clarke (46) rescued their team adding 48 runs but soon Australia were reeling at 107-4.

Later, Michael Hussey?s brilliant 44 off 53 balls and later Ryan Harris” 18-run burst in the last over allowed them to post a modest total of 225 runs. Harris (21 off nine) hit Rampaul for three fours and a six. James Hopes also contributed a valuable 30.

Rampaul collected an impressive 4 for 61 while Dwayne Smith had 3 for 45 for the West Indies.

Australia made four changes. Shaun Marsh, Clint Mckay, Haddin and Watson were rested for this game. They were replaced by Adam Voges, Ryan Harris, Tim Paine and James Hopes.

West Indies made two changes as Wavell Hinds a made a comeback to replace Runako Morton and Darren Sammy replaced Kemar Roach.

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ISLAMABAD: While a large number of Pakistanis continue to believe that Aafia Siddiqui, now held guilty by a jury in the United States, was picked up i

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