KARACHI: The latest increase in prices of petroleum products will add to the problems of manufacturers who are already battling for survival in the wa

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KARACHI: Terming the current rulers as civilian dictators, former federal minister and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid urged the people to either take to the streets or prepare for death.

Speaking to newsmen at the Karachi airport on Sunday, he said PML-N and PPP are fighting ?nura kushti? while in fact they are same side of one coin.

He warned that Pakistan would become next Ethiopia and Somalia if water issue were not resolved. The nation gave nothing to the nation, he added.

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WASHINGTON: The US partnership with Pakistan is ?absolutely vital? but it extends beyond Washington?s security interest in the region to wide-ranging

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ISLAMABAD: The abductors of Afghanistan?s ambassador-designate to Pakistan Abdul Khaliq Farahi, who was kidnapped by armed gunmen from Peshawar in Sept 2008, Sunday released a video in which he was shown pleading to authorities to accept the demands of his captors.

Farahi, 53, was abducted by armed men from the Hayatabad area of Peshawar. His driver was shot dead by the kidnappers.

The diplomat, who hails from Afghanistan’’s western Farah province, served as the Consul General in Quetta after the fall of the Taliban regime in Kabul.

In April 2002, he was appointed as Consul General in Peshawar and served in the position for six years. In August 2008, he was named as Afghanistan’’s ambassador to Pakistan.

He was kidnapped before he could present his credentials.

“I am Abdul Khaliq Farahi. Dear listeners, as you know, a year and six months ago mujahideen arrested me from Peshawar. For the past one year and six months, I have been spending my days and nights in very critical conditions,” said Farahi, who has shown in the video wearing pants and a half-sleeve shirt.

“I appeal to my government and Afghan nation as well as the international community to make their last attempt and save my life. These people have accused me of working with misled and US representative government of Afghanistan and the punishment of this crime is death sentence,” he said.

After Farahi recorded his statement, an armed militant standing behind him began recording his own statement in aggressive tone.

Besides highlighting the successes and achievements of mujahideen, the militant said it was blessing of Allah that they captured Farahi.

“This man Abdul Khaliq Farahi is an Afghan national. He is in our jail now. He was Afghanistan’’s ambassador to Pakistan when he was captured by mujahideen. Pakistan too is a renegade country and is helping the US as a frontline state,” the militant said.

He said Farahi was in their custody for the 18 months but they did not make this public as they were holding secret talks with the Afghan government.” We were holding negotiations with the Karzai government and forwarded him our demands for the release of the ambassador. Our demands were legitimate and in the interest of Islam, mujahideen and the Afghan people.

“A week before this issuing this video, the mujahideen suspended their talks as Karzai and his government did not show any seriousness in the negotiations and refused to answer our questions,” he said.

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Pakistan News

PESHAWAR: At least 40 militants were killed and their 10 hideouts were destroyed on Sunday in aerial bombing carried out by security forces in Orakzai Agency.

According to sources, security forces backed by helicopter gunships pounded militant dens situated in Dabori, Ghalju and Khadzai areas. As a result of at least 40 militants were killed and several others injured.

In Orakzai offensive, so far over 550 militants were killed and their 75 hideouts were destroyed in more than five weeks.

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KARACHI: After eight long years of struggle and a consistent trend of getting in and out of the team, Mohammad Sami seems to have learned his lesson as he has started producing match-winning efforts with the ball.

Cricket fans would still remember heroics of this fast bowler in the Sydney Test earlier in the year, where he broke the strong top order of the Aussies at their backyard. Since then, he has been in the limelight for winning back his position in the team.

The hard work, put in by the fast bowler over the years, paid him dividends in the game against Bangladesh Saturday when he produced the magical spell of bowling in the death overs, thus giving Pakistan just the right kind of start in the ICC World Twenty20.

Sami grabbed three crucial wickets in the match at a juncture of time when two of Bangladesh?s most prolific batsmen were cruising along and threatening to defeat Pakistan at Saint Lucia.

The sparkling performance by the fast bowler, who is gradually making his mark at the international level in a bid to cement his place in the national side, clearly indicates how much the talent Pakistan has in the fast bowling department.

Moreover, it also shows the amount of confidence that skipper Shahid Khan Afridi has on Sami as according to sources, Afridi wanted Sami in the initially announced squad by the selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board, led by Mohsin Hasan Khan.

Sources said Saturday that Shahid Khan Afridi preferred Mohammad Sami on the Mr Reliable fast bowler Mohammad Asif in the first game of the T20 title defence campaign. And how professionally this bullock has responded, it was witnessed by the whole world.

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GUJRAT: Federal Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said Sunday that the UN commission report on the assassination of Benazir Bhutto was still incomplete.

?The Fact Finding Mission constituted by the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani will finalize its report in eight days, which will pave the way for arrest of real culprits,? he told newsmen in Gujrat. He said exposing the conspiracy of Bhutto?s slaying was essential.

The federal minister further said world powers would not let us reach a consensus on Kalabagh Dam. The load-shedding duration would decline in three to four years, he said, but added it would not completely end.

To a question, he said that those who had tasted defeat in the last general election were now making a fuss about creation of new provinces.

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Pakistan News

RAWALPINDI: The fact finding committee, constituted by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to investigate the hosing of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bh

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ISLAMABAD: Mian Nawaz Sharif, chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has called for a lawful solution of the judicial crisis erupted in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

He is currently on a private visit to England.

According to reports, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider contacted the PML-N chief on telephone and discussed with him judicial and political issues.

Speaking on this occasion, Nawaz urged the need to find an early solution of the crisis.

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WASHINGTON: The US partnership with Pakistan is ?absolutely vital? but it extends beyond Washington?s security interest in the region to wide-ranging

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