JOHANNESBURG: Lionel Messi was in irresistible form as Argentina took a 1-0 halftime lead over Nigeria in their Group B World Cup match at Ellis Park Stadium on Saturday.
Only some acrobatic saves from goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama prevented Nigeria from going further behind after defender Gabriel Heinze had scored the opener in the sixth minute.
Messi, the world’’s best player, brought a series of flying saves from Enyeama in the opening 45 minutes as the two-time world champions often threatened with their excellent passing and running off the ball.
It was a rasping Messi volley tipped over the bar by Enyeama that indirectly led to the opening goal.
From Sebastian Veron’’s corner unmarked left-back Heinze hurtled in late and headed powerfully past Enyeama to send the large contingent of Argentine fans wild.
The uninhibited Nigerians had their moments but spoiled their chances with errant finishing with Hoffenheim’’s left winger Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi going close on a couple of occasions.
Argentina’’s Newcastle United defensive midfielder Jonas Gutierrez picked up a yellow card four minutes before halftime with a scything tackle on Obasi.

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Karachi

In the sweltering summer heat, three members of a family refuse to break their 28 day hunger strike outside the Karachi Press Club and

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LAHORE: Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has said that Election Commission is not independent and consequently the electoral regulations are being flagrantly violated.

He was talking to media men during his visit to witness an exhibition of paintings by Jimmy Engineer here.

Imran Khan alleged that Punjab government is using all sorts of illegal means to win elections and that he will go to court against it.

He said Pakistanis are the ones on top when it comes to give charity but hit bottom in payment of taxes. It is because they do not have confidence in the rulers, he maintained.

The TI chief the local bodies will have to be made effective in order to strengthen democracy.

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Islamabad

Having the lowest forest cover even in South Asia is definitely a matter of grave concern but simply regretting this harsh ground rea

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LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif Saturday said the fake degrees of assembly members deserve condemnation but it is not an issue bigger than subverting the country or starting Kargil war.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of Youth Commission Conference here, the CM said: ?Politicians are not angels and that the inventor of fake degrees was a dictator who changed the law only for an hour to carry out horse trading?.

He said 50 percent of the budget allocations are eaten up by corruption, stressing the need for crushing this cancer.

Taking ?Sasti Roti? scheme as a challenge, Shahbaz Sharif vowed to make it a success.

The participants of the conference shared their suggestions for the betterment of education, health, law and order, bureaucracy and infrastructure.

They emphasized participation of public in the identification of problems and decision making.

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ISLAMABAD: Around 200 to 250 lawyers in the capital city went violent on Saturday and allegedly stormed the offices of police, damaged records, official vehicles at sector F-8 Markaz, apparently to protest against CDA for demolition of some chambers that encroached upon government land, a police spokesman said.

The lawyers made a mockery of the law. They roamed brazenly in police offices in forms of procession on public holiday, and allegedly physically thrashed the police officers, besides pelting stones and damaging office record as well as briefly occupying the offices of some officers, the police claimed.

According to details, the Capital Development Authority on Friday night demolished the chambers of lawyers erected illegally in the outer premises of ”Kutchery” (lower courts) in sector F-8 over the complaints of some citizens.

Upon this, the lawyers” community protested and allegeldy blocked the road adjacent to Kutchery and Margallah police station.

Some lawyers also allegedly burnt tyres and chanted anti-government slogans.

Station House Officer (SHO) Margallah police station Muhammad Hussain Lasi tried to negotiate with the angry lawyers, but they allegeldy thrashed him.

Moments later, they brandishing sticks and rods entered in area where the most of offices of Islamabad Police are situated, but were closed due to public holiday. They stormed the offices of SP City Sajid Kiyani, occupied and damaged record and furniture.

Meanwhile, the lawyers present outside the office of Superintendent Police, City allegeldy tortured gunman of SP (Saddar) Muhammad Anwer in the presence of Assistant Commissioner Industrial Area Umar Asad.

SP Saddar Liaqat Ali Malik, Sub-Inspector Sattar Baid and Assistant Commissioner Umar Asad managed to free the gunman from the angry lawyers and shifted him to hospital in critical condition.

Further investigations are underway. Police officers and people from various walks of life have lamented over this violent act of lawyers.

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SANGHAR: President SCBA Qazi Anwar has warned the establishment from being aggressive with the judiciary and said we would not allow this being done.

The government has no other choice but to write letter to Swiss authorities for reopening cases against President Asif Ali Zardari involving $ 60 million parked in foreign banks.

He was addressing a lawyers” convention organized by District Bar Association here today. He expressed anger over government’’s attitude towards the Supreme Court and said the rulers like a judiciary, which can be bought.

Qazi criticised appointment of a junior lawyer as Secretary Law. President SCBA blamed Law Minister for bribing lawyers.

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LAHORE: An accountability court on Wednesday extended physical remand of former President Bank of Punjab Hamesh Khan for 14 days to National Accountab

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KARACHI: Pakistan?s consumer price index (CPI), the key indicator of inflation, is likely to rise by 13.45 per cent year-on-year in May because of an

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KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Ali Mirza has vowed that no leniency will be shown to banned outfits and those spreading religious hatred.

He disclosed that he was extended threats when he refused to give permission for a public meeting to a defunct religious organization.

“I am among those who play on the front foot and not on the back foot”, he declared while adressing the post-budget press conference of Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at Chief Minister House here Saturday.

The Home Minister informed that record of banned outfits, gangs of dacoits and criminal elements released from jails is being collected while raids are being carried out in the city to apprehend those disturbing the law and order.

He declared that no one would be allowed to exploit religion for their vested interests.

Dr Mirza said that in recent days there had been target killings in the city and government has chalked out its strategy whereby record of elements released from jails in recent days is being gathered.

He pointed out that criminal elements get bails from courts.

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