NEW YORK: Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi has reached the US Open men’’s and mixed doubles finals and hopes to win both in tribute to the 21 million flood victims in his homeland.

Qureshi and partner Rohan Bopanna of India, trying to foster peace between their rival homelands, advanced to the men’’s doubles final Wednesday by beating Argentina’’s Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zaballos 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.

The 16th-seeded duo will face US top seeds Mike and Bob Bryan in Friday’’s championship match, but Qureshi has already booked another title date. He and Czech partner Kveta Peschke have reached Thursday’’s mixed doubles final.

“The only motivation I have for these two weeks is to get these titles for the people back home,” Qureshi said. “I”m trying to send some positive news back home with the floods and everything.”

A flooding crisis began six weeks ago in Pakistan, the deluge devastation adding to the misery in an area already home to 1.7 million long-term Afghan refugees who have fled fighting in their neighbouring country.

Adding to the nation’’s woes has been the disgrace of cricket stars Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif, who were suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The three allegedly conspired to deliberately bowl no-balls at specific moments during last month’’s fourth Test against England at Lord’’s.

Pakistan was also forced to play a Test series against Australia in England in July after international cricket in Pakistan was effectively suspended following an armed attack on Sri Lanka’’s team bus in Lahore last year.

Qureshi has been quick to praise Bopanna’’s role in helping him try to win some glory for Pakistan’’s flood-hit people.

“I want to thank Rohan for helping me in doing this,” he said. “My partner has been great. I”m lucky to have him.”

Bopanna praised Qureshi for recovering from his mixed doubles semi-final Tuesday night to be at full strength to oust the South American duo and book a showdown with the Bryans.

“All credit to him. He had all his energy up,” Bopanna said. “It has been great to be friends on and off the court. I”m hoping I can help him take both titles back home and send some positive news to Pakistan.

“I”m really looking forward to the finals against the Bryans. To be the best you have to beat the best.”

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LAHORE: Pakistan’’s cricket chief on Thursday said three players under investigation in Britain for corruption can return home as no charges had been brought against them.

Pakistan Test team captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif have been interrogated by police over claims that they took money to deliberately bowl no-balls against England at Lord’’s last month.

“Since the players have not been charged we have informed Scotland Yard that they will be travelling back to Pakistan within the next few days,” Pakistan Cricket Board ( PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt said.

Seven players fell under suspicion after a newspaper sting targeting the Pakistan team’’s alleged spot-fixing, and Butt said a fourth player, Wahab Riaz, would stay in Britain to be interviewed by police.

“We have arranged for his interview as we will continue to cooperate and we want to get to the bottom of the matter,” Butt said.

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LONDON: Pakistan trio named in cricket spot fixing may come home before Eid, Geo News reported Thursday.

Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamir have been allowed to go home by Scotland Yard and they will be reaching here in 48 hours, Interior Minister Rehman Malik told Geo News.

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WARAH: Heavy rains on Kirthar mountains have created high tides in lakes and pools in the surround areas.

The administration has issued warning for evacuation of Warah city following surge in water level at FP dyke in Warah Tehsil.

Water level has risen to alarming levels in Hamal Lake, Kachry Lake, Badham Lake and Sarho Lake, said Sindh Irrigation Department.

DCO Qambar-Shahdadkot Yasin Shar said the first warning has been issued for evacuation of the city.

The hardships of flood-affectees have compounded due to torrential rains in Matli and Tando Bago while the breach at FP dyke has grown 145 feet wide.

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PESHAWAR: Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai Friday night announced that Shawwal moon was sighted in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and that Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated in the province on Friday.

Talking to media he said, 19 authentic evidences were received, confirming the sighting of Shawwal moon.

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Pakistan News

KARACHI: The supply of Atta by Sindh government at lower rates will stop from Friday.

Chairman Flour Mills Association Sindh Muhammad Yousuf Thursday told Geo News that the Sindh Food Department provided 220,000 tons wheat at the rate of Rs1760 per 100 kilograms to the flour mills which then made Atta available to the people Rs20 a kilo cheaper.

He said of the total allocated quantity of wheat, 120,000 tons was supplied for Karachi and 100,000 tons for interior parts of Sindh.

Muhammad Yousuf said the flour mills will now sell Atta at Rs30 per kg from Friday.

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NEW YORK: Pakistani tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi will feature in two different finals at Flushing Meadow?s ? the home of U.S. Open Tennis ? this week: Aisam has reached the finals in both the Men?s Doubles and Mixed Doubles categories.

Indo-Pak duo of Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi continue their exciting run at the US Open Men?s doubles event as they stormed into the finals on Thursday.

They defeated Argentines Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (5) 6-4 to set up a summit clash with top-seeded American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan in the finals.

He will be playing the first of those finals today (Thursday, September 9, 2010) ? US Open Mixed Doubles ? where Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and his Czech partner Kveta Peschke will play Liezel Huber and Bob Bryan of USA.

This is by far the best performance by a Pakistani in a grand slam tournament, and to be playing in two different finals in one of the most important (possibly, second only to Wimbledon) tennis tournament in the world is a major achievement.

In any doubles game credit should go equally to both players in the team, Aisam-ul-Haq has blossomed into a doubles player of great skill and merit and has been steadily improving his world standings in doubles tennis (now ranked No. 34 in World Doubles rankings).

His rise in this year?s US Open Doubles tournaments has been particularly heartening, and all the more impressive since he is playing both categories side-by-side.

In both the finals, Aisam will be playing against American Bob Bryan. In the Mixed Doubles Final, Aisam and his Czech partner Kveta Peschke will play against Bob Bryan and his fellow-American Liezel Huber, while in the Men?s Doubles Final Aisam and his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna will be pitted against the American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan.

His stellar streak, coming at a time when just about everything in Pakistan- from floods to cricket ? seems to be going terribly wrong gives some solace to Pakistani fans. The first of his Finals will be played later today (Thursday, September 9) and we wish Aisam and Kveta the very best of luck, as we do to Aisam and Rohan who will feature in the Men?s Final later this week.

Indian Tennis star Sania Mirza too congratulated Bopanna and Qureshi for their achievement over the popular Micro- Blogging site.

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MIANWALI: Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief Nawaz Sharif Thursday said time is over for President Asif Ali Zardari to make any offers to go along, adding ?a number of issues could have been resolved by now, had the government put my proposals to use?.

In his speech on the occasion of distribution of succour to the flood-affected people in Mianwali, Nawaz Sharif reiterated the demand of the government to give at least Rs100,000 to each family for its rehabilitation.

He said ?Watan Cards? have been issued from Mianwali, Bhakar and Layya while the project for the rehabilitation will be launched soon.

The PML-N Chief said he would go to every nook and corner of the country to personally supervise the rehabilitation work and will not sit in rest until the affectees are completely rehabilitated.

Later, talking to media he said if the government had formed the commission according to his proposal, the government itself would have been much at ease now.

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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed grave concern over the threats by a pastor in Miami to burn copies of Holy Quran on Sept 11.

Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that the president taking note of the distressing reports said anyone who even thought of such a despicable act must be suffering from a diseased mind and a sickly soul.

He said it will inflame sentiments among Muslims throughout the world and cause irreparable damage to interfaith harmony and also to world peace. The president called for doing all that it takes to stop such a senseless and outrageous act.

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KARACHI: The meeting of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee was underway for sighting of crescent (Moon) of Shawal/Eid-ul-Fitr-1431-Hijri on Thursday at Pakistan Meteorological Department, Gulshan-e-Jauhar, Karachi.

All Information about the position of Crescent (Moon) will be conveyed to the Chairman, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee on Cell # 0300-9285203 and land line # 021-5688307-021-9204761, 021-5684550 for final announcement.

The Chairman, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman, will announce the decision of sighting or otherwise subsequently on the basis of information received to this end.

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