Islamabad

Eminent literati and one of NBF book ambassadors Shabnam Shakeel urged the government and non-government sectors as well as parents a

More: continued here

DAMBULLA: Asia’’s Test-playing nations begin their preparations for next year’’s World Cup when they contest the region’’s top one-day prize from Tuesday.
India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, who co-host the cricket World Cup in February-April, will be joined by Pakistan in a round-robin preliminary league with the top two teams contesting the final on June 24.
India go into the tournament in the central town of Dambulla hoping to make amends for their failure to reach the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.
A second-string side then lost twice to hosts Zimbabwe in a recent one-day tri-series also featuring Sri Lanka, exposing a weak bench that does not augur well for the World Cup.
India, who face Bangladesh in their first match on Wednesday, are without veteran Sachin Tendulkar, the world’’s most prolific Test and one-day batsman, who opted to rest ahead of a busy season.
Also missing is one-day regular Yuvraj Singh, who was dropped due to poor form after scoring just 74 runs in five World Twenty20 matches. In five one-day internationals this year, the left-hander has managed only 96 runs.
Pakistan, preparing to clash with holders Sri Lanka in Tuesday’’s opener, have recalled mercurial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for the first time since May last year when he was sidelined with a knee injury.
Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi leads a talented Pakistani squad which includes three promising batsmen in Umar Amin, 21, Shahzaib Hasan, 20, and Asad Shafiq, 24.
Sri Lanka, who won the last Asia Cup in Pakistan two years ago, have left out ageing batsman Sanath Jayasuriya and unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis for the tournament.
Jayasuriya, who turns 41 later this month, is the most experienced one-day batsman in the world with 444 appearances and second in the leading scorers” list with 13,428 runs behind Tendulkar’’s 17,598.
But a woeful average of 3.75 in six matches at the World Twenty20 forced his exclusion for the Asia Cup and raised doubts over the left-hander’’s future ahead of the World Cup.
Bangladesh hope to regroup on the slow Dambulla wickets after being beaten by England in both Tests on seam-friendly tracks at Lord’’s and Old Trafford.

More: continued here
Pakistan News

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has accepted the resignation of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Navid Ahsan, forwarded to him by P

More: continued here

ISLAMABAD: The report of a team of the FIA) about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, established by Interior Minister Rehman Malik, which has hither

More: continued here

KARACHI: A delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement(MQM) met President Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House here Monday and discussed matters relating to sectarian killing, development in the province and implementations of decisions of Core Committee and KESC tariff.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat ul Ibad Khan, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Interior Minister Rehman Malik were present on the occasion.

Federal Ministers Dr Farooq Sattar was leading the delegation which included Babar Khan Ghauri, provincial ministers, Dr Ahmed Saghir, Adil Siddiqui and Waseem Aftab. Talking to media after the meeting, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that President Asif Ali Zardari has said that he wants peace in the city at all cost. The President said that everybody wants peace in Karachi which is the economic hub of Pakistan.

Malik said that there was a consensus in the meeting that peace should be maintained at every cost in Karachi.

“President Zardari and myself had talked to MQM chief Altaf Hussain over the target killing in Karachi and we have decided to take severe action against the culprits”, he maintained.

We want peace in Karachi and whosoever, is involved in target killings will be arrested and taken to task. There is “zero tolerance” for criminals and anti-social elements.

He said that the government was tightening the noose around culprits and warned them to refrain from killing innocent people. This is not a mere threat, he noted.

He said the government has finalised its strategy to deal with criminals and terrorists.

He also warned banned groups to refrain from organising rallies or resorting to open advertising. Their activities will be banned, even if they are operating under the garb of new names, he opined.

Giving details of his meeting with the Chief Minister Sindh this morning, Interior Minister said that a fact finding committee has been constituted under Inspector General Police to gather information about target killings.

He said that SHO of the area has been directed to compile data of all prominent religious figures in his area and hold meetings with them to maintain religious harmony. Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistani Dr Farooq Sattar said that both PPP and MQM will work together to identify anti-Pakistan elements who have resorted to sectarian and ethnic killings in Karachi.

He said that anti-social elements had created law and order situation in the city last month by resorting to ethnic killings. This time, they have prompted sectarian killing to disturb peace in Karachi and affect economic activities, he added.

He said that President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed concern over the new wave of target killings in the city and issued orders that nobody should be spared in the efforts to control this situation.

President Zardari has expressed concern over the killings of doctors and issued orders to go after the culprits to their dens and eliminate the target killing from its roots, he added. Farooq Sattar said that the President has assured MQM delegation of his full support in this regard and said he wants peace in Karachi at every cost.

He pointed out both the sides have resolved to continue to work together for beating terrorists who the common enemy and also resolve problems facing the public.

He said MQM delegation also discussed issues relating to federal budget, sales tax on services and NFC allocations.

We also conveyed our point of view on the recent rise in KESC tariff and suggested for providing relief to Karachiittes in the shape of subsidy.

He said the President has agreed to the proposal and said that a meeting in Islamabad with Prime Minister and Finance Minister will take the decision in this regard.

Responding to a question, Farooq Sattar said it was decided that the meeting of “core committee” will be held on regular basis and Governor and Chief Minister will sit in these meetings.

More: continued here

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday asked the Finance Minister for a briefing on issues being faced by country’’s stock exchanges.

The briefing will be held after the president’’s return from Karachi. Different stakeholders will also be invited to the briefing, a press release said.

More: continued here

LAHORE: Several people were injured Monday in a shooting incident near a hospital in Lahore, local sources said.

Hospital sources said that the fight was for dominance over a canteen at Gulab Devi Hospital. Police that have cordoned off the area confirmed that it was an incident of personal enmity.

The shootout outside the hospital created a wide spread panic as people including patients inside ran for cover. Aijaz Ali, Hafiz Iftikhar, Nasir and two others were injured. They were shifted to the hospital.

Attackers escaped in a black car.

More: continued here

LAHORE

RESIDENTS of Wapda Town reportedly killed a robber when he was robbing a family near K-I Market Sunday noon.

Usman Ashraf along w

More: continued here
Pakistan News

JOHANNESBURG: The Netherlands got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start on Monday with a 2-0 victory over Denmark thanks to an own-goal and a late tap-in from Liverpool’’s Dirk Kuyt.
The star-studded Dutch are among the favourites to win the World Cup in the final at Soccer City on July 11, but Bert van Marwijk’’s side failed to impress at the same venue here as the pragmatic Danes defended well.
An own goal by Danish defender Simon Poulsen at the start of the second-half and Kuyt’’s 85th-minute effort was enough to give the Netherlands the three points.
Despite the Dutch boasting a forward line including Arsenal striker Robin van Persie supported by midfielders Inter Milan’’s Wesley Sneijder, Kuyt and Real Madrid’’s Rafael van der Vaart, the Danish defence held firm.
Kuyt had the first shot of the game on ten minutes when he fired his shot at Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen who controlled the ball after an initial fumble.
Just as the Dutch attacked relentlessly, so the Danes soaked up the pressure in front of a 83,465-strong crowd.
Denmark created a chance of their own on 27 minutes when Ajax winger Dennis Rommedahl’’s pass found Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner at the far post, but he headed wide.
The Dutch kept up the pressure, but the Danes were quick on the counter-attack.
With the second-half barely begun, the Danes got the worst possible start when Poulsen headed away a van Persie cross, but watched in horror as the ball rolled across the line off the shoulder of Daniel Agger on 46 minutes.
The Dutch were rarely tested with Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel bossing the midfield, but neither did the Netherlands pose much of a threat to the Danish defence until the game’’s last quarter.
Bendtner, who had not been expected to be fit enough to play, made way for Copenhagen’’s veteran Jesper Gronkjaer, while van der Vaart came off for Eljero Elia, who created the second goal.
The Dutch upped the ante in the last 15 minutes and after Elia hit the post, Kuyt was on hand to tap the ball past Sorensen.
The Dutch next face Japan in Durban on Saturday, the same day Denmark play Cameroon in Tshwane.

More: continued here

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) will complete the scrutiny of the MPs? degrees by the end of this month. Many sitting MPs are said to

More: continued here