LAHORE: Six people have been killed and over 100 others injured in three blasts that ripped through a Yaum-e-Ali procession in Lahore on Wednesday.

Hospital sources confirmed deaths of 6 people while Police Commissioner Lahore Khusro Pervez said that over 100 people have been injured.

A police constable was also killed in the blasts, CCPO Lahore said.

The first blast that occurred in the middle of the procession at Karbala Gaame Shah was followed within minutes by two high intensity suicide blasts at Bhaati Chowk, police sources confirmed.

Commissioner Lahore said that the last two blasts were suicidal and that a head of one of the suicide bombers has been recovered.

Relief and rescue efforts kick started after blasts and dozens of injured, including women and children were shifted to different medical facilities including Meo Hospital.

Later, the participants of the procession and enraged people pelted police vehicles with stones and damaged public property. A TV footage showed a motor cycle and furniture burning with rising flames.

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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief Nawaz Sharif Wednesday expressed profound grief on the killings of innocent people in triple blasts that ripped through a Yaum-e-Ali (RA) procession in Lahore.

The Prime Minister said those playing with lives of innocent people will not be able to escape from the grips of law.

The President, PM and Nawaz Sharif in their separate statements termed the blasts as cowardly acts and expressed sympathies with the bereaved families.

The President and Prime Minister ordered inquiry into the incident and provision all necessary medical facilities to the injured.

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LAHORE: Several people received minor injuries when a cracker went off in the middle of a Yaum-e-Ali (RA) procession here at Karbala Gaame Shah on Wednesday, Geo News reported.

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Pakistan News

LONDON: Pakistan Cricket Board said Tuesday it would not suspend top players accused over a betting scam while the claims are probed, but reports suggest they will not play the rest of the tour in England.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has promised “prompt and decisive action” if the allegations made by a British Sunday newspaper are proven, insisting that corruption would not be tolerated.
Pakistani authorities have also promised severe punishment but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Tuesday it would not suspend any players while police investigated the players.
“Chairman Ijaz Butt just told me that since there is a case going on with the Scotland Yard we are not going to suspend any player,” a PCB spokesman said.
“He further said that this is only an allegation so far. There is still no charge or proof on that account. So at this stage there will be no action taken.”
According to British media reports, the players named in the News of the World allegations — captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Kamran Akmal — are unlikely to play in the series of one-day internationals against England.
The Pakistan team begin their preparation for the one-day series, which follows the Test series in which the alleged betting scam took place, with a practice match against English county Somerset on Thursday.
The first one-day match against England is on Sunday.
The News of the World, a British Sunday tabloid, alleged that a middleman took 150,000 pounds (230,000 dollars, 185,000 euros) to arrange for Pakistani players to deliberately bowl the no-balls.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper said it understood that the ICC had asked the Pakistan authorities for the four players cited in the allegations to be dropped from the squad, although no official request has been made.
Other British press reports said the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was adamant that the players at the centre of the allegations should be omitted from the one-day series.
Citing an ICC source, it also reported that the same players had been under investigation for months by their anti-corruption unit.

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CAPE TOWN: ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat says he would be at “a loss of words” if the ‘’spot-fixing” allegations against three Pakistani cricketers turn out to be true but rejected criticism that the scandal has highlighted the world body’’s failure to deal with corruption in the game.

Speaking at the Cape Town International Airport after a brief return to the country in the middle of a ‘’spot-fixing” scandal that has rocked world cricket, Lorgat said players have to help in preventing such cases.

“We have identified corrupt individuals and advised players to stay away from them. We need cooperation from the players. They must listen to us and also have discipline,” Lorgat said late last night.

“We have a lot of measures in place. These measures work by and large. There have been many approaches (to players) reported and followed up,” he said.

Lorgat said it was not the job of ICC to stop betting and it can only ask the players and officials to stay away from that.

“Betting activities will continue, our concern is if players and match officials are involved. Whatever happens outside the game is not our interest, but we will do anything possible to keep it out of the game,” he said.

Lorgat suggested that there was no evidence to prove that the Sydney Test between Australia and Pakistan early this year, which alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed said had been rigged.

“You must be wary because it was a very dysfunctional (Pakistan) team touring there, and you need evidence before you can prove allegations,” Lorgat said.

Asked if life bans for cricketers guilty of fixing matches would be a suitable deterrent, Lorgat said the ICC “will adopt a zero tolerance approach to people found guilty (of spot-fixing or match-fixing)”.

“The responsibility is on us to rebuild confidence in the game. We must implement additional measures if needed, but rest assured the ICC will do everything in its power to ensure that confidence is rebuilt,” he said.

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LONDON: Pakistan Cricket Board said Tuesday it would not suspend top players accused over a betting scam while the claims are probed, but reports suggest they will not play the rest of the tour in England.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has promised “prompt and decisive action” if the allegations made by a British Sunday newspaper are proven, insisting that corruption would not be tolerated.
Pakistani authorities have also promised severe punishment but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Tuesday it would not suspend any players while police investigated the players.
“Chairman Ijaz Butt just told me that since there is a case going on with the Scotland Yard we are not going to suspend any player,” a PCB spokesman said.
“He further said that this is only an allegation so far. There is still no charge or proof on that account. So at this stage there will be no action taken.”
According to British media reports, the players named in the News of the World allegations — captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Kamran Akmal — are unlikely to play in the series of one-day internationals against England.
The Pakistan team begin their preparation for the one-day series, which follows the Test series in which the alleged betting scam took place, with a practice match against English county Somerset on Thursday.
The first one-day match against England is on Sunday.
The News of the World, a British Sunday tabloid, alleged that a middleman took 150,000 pounds (230,000 dollars, 185,000 euros) to arrange for Pakistani players to deliberately bowl the no-balls.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper said it understood that the ICC had asked the Pakistan authorities for the four players cited in the allegations to be dropped from the squad, although no official request has been made.
Other British press reports said the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was adamant that the players at the centre of the allegations should be omitted from the one-day series.
Citing an ICC source, it also reported that the same players had been under investigation for months by their anti-corruption unit.

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LARKANA: The spate of devastations continued unabated in Sindh, as a bridge on saline nullah between Gaji Khavar and Dhamra was washed away inundating the road, Geo News reported Wednesday.

Two breaches in MNV Drain near Khairpur Nathan Shah have deluged further two villages. The surging flood tide reved up the threat to Juhi with people straining on self-help basis to plug the breach in MNV Drain.

At least three protective embankments were washed away in District Qambar Shahdadkot area of Gaji Khavar causing the entire area to be submerged under water and the breach in the saline Canal has overwhelmed at least 25 villages including Goth Jalbani.

The flood torrent is fast paced towards Naseerabad area of district Qambar Shahdadkot and towards Bada and Warah cities of district Larkana.

Warah?s Civic Action Committee leveled allegation that efforts are being made to inundate the city; against which, the city has raged into protest.

Bunds of Naseer Shakh are being buttressed to save Warah. However, the surging flood tide reved up the threat to Juhi with people straining on self-help basis to plug the breach in MNV Drain.

Also, the people have started to evacuate in view of imminent threat of flooding.

The floodwater is roaring towards Dadu tehsil of Kaine Shah with enhanced threat to Juhi. The union councils of the city are the prime target of torrent.

Thatta tehsil of Sajawal is under four to five feet of water for last three days now.

The water is receding on bunds of Bachalpur, Mud Mangli, Mekaro Dhoro and Lakhat near Nawabshah.

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ISLAMABAD: The report by Justice (rtd) Kazim has been presented to Supreme Court (SC); the apex court has directed issuing the report to media, Geo News reported Wednesday.

According to report, deceased Muneeb and Mughees were not dacoit or criminals; it is quite possible that deceased brothers may have committed some mistake unwittingly.

There was no case registered against the deceased brothers till the time of their murder, the report said.

Police personnel afforded people the chance to torture the brothers to death.

Justice (rtd) Kazim?s report demanded post-mortem of the bodies of the two brothers opening their graves.

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Pakistan News

ISLAMABAD: Justice Jawwad S Khawja said the new procedure for appointing the judges seemed impracticable, Geo News reported Wednesday.

Justice Javed Iqbal said the method is inchoate and may spawn a massive crisis and stands in conflict with the Charter of Democracy (CoD) as well.

The apex court?s 17-judge larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry heard today various constitutional petitions against Eighteenth Amendment with particular reference to the formation of judicial commission.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry said exclusion of words on freedom of minorities from Objective Resolution, was not a clerical mistake; instead, these words were wittingly abolished.

He added however the Parliament has done a good job by incorporating these words again in the Constitution.

Today Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq continued his arguments before the bench.

During the course of proceedings, the CJ addressed the AG, ?We don?t know to which extent, Objective Resolution or Article-2A can be invoked for the independence of judiciary.?

He sought the AG to take an overview of the Constitution to ascertain the article to lend strength, independence and through protection to the judiciary.

Justice Tassaddduq Jilani also remarked that it is imperative to be honest to history.

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KARACHI: Seven people sustained injuries when unknown men opened fire during a procession near Empress Market Saddar, Geo News reported Wednesday.

The firing incident took place when a procession of Yaum Ali (RA) was passing off Empress Market in Saddar.

The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

The incident was followed by aerial firing by unknown men from an old building in Saddar market.

CCPO Wasim Ahmed said that police and Rangers have surrounded the building and trying to carry out a search by entering into it.

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