PESHAWAR: Three policemen, including an officer, were killed when some miscreants fired rockets and mortar shells at the Arbab Tapu check-post in the jurisdiction of Matani Police Station in the wee hours of Wednesday.The platoon commander, Sub-Inspector Nooran Shah, along with Constables Faqir Muhammad and Zardad Khan, was on duty at the Arbab Tapu check-post between Peshawar and Darra Adamkhel when five mortar shells and rockets hit the picket around 3:00 am.The rockets killed all the three policemen and destroyed the small building located on the main Indus Highway, around 25 kilometres from the provincial capital. The policemen retaliated but the attackers managed to flee. The mutilated bodies of the cops were later taken to the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines where their collective funeral prayers were offered.Sub-Inspector Nooran belonged to the Ghazi area of Haripur district and was recruited in the force in 1990. He was an expert in firing heavy weapons and had volunteered to be posted in the most troubled area of the provincial capital. He was transferred to the C Division Urban police station a week back, but he wished to continue working in the volatile area to better utilise his skills of firing heavy weapons.Faqir belonged to Jamal Garhi area in Mardan while Zardad was a resident of the nearby Matani village. There are reports that 24 policemen from the Matani police station had been absent from duty since they were posted to the volatile area. The total strength of the police station is 86, out of which several others have been transferred and a few have been left to maintain law and order. A large number of police officials have been killed and several others paralysed while serving in Matani, where posting is considered a punishment.The militants are continuing their attacks on the police although heavy contingents of the Frontier Corps and the Frontier Constabulary have also been deployed in Matani and the surrounding villages. The area has almost become a war zone where the villagers have to take arms and patrol their streets to counter the terrorists’ attacks in the absence of security personnel.
source: http://www.thenews.com.pk
Three cops die in Peshawar check-post attack
SC upholds death penalty for Sarabjit
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday dismissed Indian national Sarabjit Singh’s review petitions for non-prosecution and upheld the Anti-Terrorism Court’s (ATC) verdict of awarding death sentence to the Indian spy.The three-member bench, comprising Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, Justice Mohammad Qaim Jan Khan and Justice Zawar Hussain Jaffery, decided this while hearing three criminal review petitions of Manjeet Singh alias Sarabjit Singh.Earlier, the court had directed its office to inform the counsel for Sarabjit Singh to appear before the court. However, the counsel, Rana Abdul Hameed, failed to appear in the case due to which the court dismissed the review petitions for non-prosecution.The court, however, observed that it had found no grounds for hearing the review petitions. Sarabjit Singh filed the petitions against the death sentence awarded to him for his involvement in three bomb blasts in Pakistan.Singh, a resident of Bhikiwand, Amritsar, was arrested on August 30, 1990, from the Kasur border area. According to the prosecution, Singh had confessed that he was trained by the Indian Military Intelligence (IMI) and RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), to conduct multiple bomb blasts in Lahore, Kasur and Faisalabad in which 14 persons were killed and 89 others wounded.A Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court sentenced him to death on October 3, 1991. Singh challenged his conviction in the Supreme Court which, on September 27, 2005, dismissed the petitions as appeal was time barred for 620 days. Another bench had earlier upheld his death sentence.His firsts review petition had already been dismissed whereas his other three identical review petitions were dismissed on Wednesday. In the Yakki Gate case, the spy was accused of planting an explosive device near a fruit shop belonging to Mohammad Hanif that resulted in the death of three persons.In its detailed judgment upholding the death sentence, the apex court had held that the conviction awarded to the Indian spy was well deserved and did not warrant any leniency. Later, on March 6, 2008, the then president Pervez Musharraf had rejected Singh’s mercy petition and signed his death warrant, but his hanging was put off after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had intervened in the case.
source: http://www.thenews.com.pk
Shah Dauran probably killed: Iftikhar
PESHAWAR: Stopping short of an outright confirmation, the NWFP government says it has received reports about the killing of a senior Taliban leader and serious injuries to two others in Swat.Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Wednesday said Fazlullah’s deputy Shah Dauran was reportedly killed and two top commanders of the Taliban sustained injuries in recent military strikes in Swat. He said that a search for the body of Shah Dauran continued after reports that he had been buried by his companions. The minister did not provide the details, saying the government would feel no hesitation in sharing the facts about the death or arrest of the top command of the militants with the general public through the media.During his routine briefing on the Malakand situation and the internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Swat, Buner and Dir, the minister said except for some union councils, the whole Buner had been cleared of the militants, where the government would make formal announcement for the return of the IDPs to their hometowns. “Security forces have been facing some resistance from the militants in Chagharzai, Gagra and some parts of Daggar, where the local people might be asked to vacate their houses ahead of the final round of the current operation,” he added. The minister said some 420 registered IDP families had gone back to Buner, where they would be provided ration and other essential items. Mian Iftikhar said an important meeting was chaired by NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti on Wednesday to review the problems being faced in the restoration of basic facilities like electricity, gas and telephone in the operation-hit areas of Malakand. “After complete revival of these basic facilities, the IDPs would be formally advised to go back to their respective home towns in Swat and Dir,” he added. To a question, he said the provincial government was quite satisfied with security forces’ operation against the militants in the Malakand Division, adding the government had honoured the peace deal and implemented the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 in good faith, but the militants rather expanded their presence to adjacent Buner and Dir districts.Responding to another question, Mian Iftikhar said former commissioner Malakand Syed Mohammad Javed was being interrogated on certain charges. “I have to say nothing except that the former commissioner is being interrogated on certain charges,” he added.About the displaced persons from South Waziristan, the minister said some 43,000 displaced people had settled in Tank, Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu districts, but no proper camps had been established for these IDPs so far. He said verification of the data of in-camp and off-camp IDPs from the Malakand Division was going on and the Nadra had received some 615,423 registration forms till now. “Some 236,411 IDP families have been verified so far, including 25,338 registered in camps,” he added. The minister said cash cards had been provided to the IDPs in Nowshera and Swabi districts. He said to-date cash cards worth Rs 646.20 million had been released.
source: http://www.thenews.com.pk
Sindh to get 32,000 cusecs extra water daily
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Zardari has barred the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) from storing more water in existing reservoirs to provide additional water to Sindh till the prevailing dip period is over, sources told The News.“Sindh will get extra 32,000 cusecs daily owing to stoppage of Tarbela storage besides enhanced discharges from Punjnad, Chenab and Mangla dam waters,” sources privy to a high level two-day meeting exclusively on water issue disclosed here Wednesday.The president “convinced” the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), Punjab and Wapda on increasing discharges to Sindh from the present 116,000 to 148,000 cusecs daily with Punjab getting to 101,000 cusecs a day water release against its 150,000 cusecs demand, the sources maintain.The decisions were finalised without direct participation of the representatives from Punjab, NWFP or Balochistan as the authorities claim to have taken Punjab into “confidence” through telephonic conversation.An official spokesman has confirmed the immediate increase of water releases to Sindh province by 32,000 cusecs per day and non-participation of irrigation representatives from any other province except Sindh. President Zardari had called the meeting in Karachi following the whole irrigation system from Tarbela upstream to Kotri barrage collapsed and the provinces’ demand were cut down by 40 per cent with immediate effect. All five Irsa members, the governor and chief minister Sindh, the Wapda chairman, the information minister Sindh, the relevant irrigation authorities from Sindh and others but none from rest of the three federating units were invited to the two-day session.Moreover, Sindh will get a relief of 32,000 cusecs bringing its water share to 148,000 cusecs against its indent of 170,000 cusecs daily, a nominal shortage of about 12 per cent against Punjab’s 32 per cent till the dip period prevails.Sowing of cotton and rice crops in both Punjab and Sindh is under way and in these circumstances southern Punjab would be the hardest hit area. The Water Apportionment Accord (WAA) 1991, the only consensus water agreement among provinces, provides that both major federating units, Punjab and Sindh, would share equal shortage with rest of two, Balochistan and NWFP, exempted from such condition.“Wadpa has been asked to maintain the water storage at Tarbela only up to 1,376 feet against its dead level of 1,369 although eight of its 16 power units tripped due to mud influx just a few days back.”The dip period started ten days back with Irsa deciding to provide water to the provinces in accordance with their indents thus causing a collapse of the system from top to low riparian. According to earlier projected figures, there should have been at least 350,000 cusecs per day water availability nowadays whereas in reality it is less than 159,000 cusecs.“The meeting has decided unanimously that a relief of 32,000 cusecs should be given to Sindh province owing to the fall of system due to cloud cover at Glacier and there was no disagreement,” said Irsa official spokesman Khalid Idrees.The spokesman said Guddu barrage upstream would have at least 95-100 thousand cusecs per day thus minimising the chances of losses to the crops in the province. When asked about absence of the three provinces, the official said Punjab, which is a major stakeholder in irrigation, was consulted on telephone before taking the decisions.
source: http://www.thenews.com.pk
Sindh water shortage to be overcome: Zardari
KARACHI: President Asif Zardari has said water shortage in Sindh would be overcome by reducing, and if necessary stopping, flows in Taunsa-Punjnad.He said this in a meeting here on Wednesday. Sources said it was decided in the meeting that water would not be stored in Tarbela dam both due to problems in the dam’s turbines and water shortage in Sindh. The decision was taken to meet the requirements of the people downstream, officials said and added the meeting was informed that due to fall in the flow of the river Indus, the province was expected to face severe water shortage.Sindh Irrigation and Power Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said the issue of water shortage in Sindh was raised with the president in a meeting on June 20 on which the president called another meeting on Wednesday to solve the issue. The meeting was attended by officials of the Ministry of Water and Power, Irsa and Wapda.On the occasion, Zardari reiterated the commitment to serve the people as per the vision of Benazir Bhutto and ordered the authorities to ensure that the ‘land grant policy’ should benefit women in particular as the basic concept behind it was women’s empowerment through sustainable development.He also directed initiation of a study on Manchar lake to find ways to clean the polluted water. “We must not pollute the sea with acid water,” he said. The high-level meeting also discussed construction of highways and it was decided to start work immediately on Karachi-Hyderabad motorway (M9) at a cost of Rs8 billion. Work would start in October and is expected to be completed by the end of 2011 while a comprehensive package for Larkana was also approved by the president amounting to over Rs24 billion which would include Larkana city roads.A special meeting on fisheries was also held on Wednesday as a follow-up to the president’s visit to the European Union (EU). It was decided that the Karachi Fish Harbour will be upgraded in accordance with EU requirements.The president directed the Sindh government to accelerate the production of fish in rural Sindh. It was also decided that a welfare plan will be designed for the fishermen of the province to ensure better income opportunities for the fishermen community. It was decided that the fishermen who were facing great loss because of closure of fishing will be compensated through the Benazir Income Support Programme.President Zardari was briefed on various ongoing projects related to the fisheries sector in Sindh with an estimated cost of Rs4 billion. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, Provincial Ministers Dr Zulfikar Mirza, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Agha Siraj Durrani, Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, and Zahid Bhurguri. Also present were Sardar Asseff Ali Deputy Chairman for Planning Commission, Federal Minister for Fisheries, Secretary General Salman Farooqui, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Water Resources and Agriculture, Adviser to the CM Sindh Jameel Soomro, the chief secretary Sindh, federal and provincial secretaries.
source: http://www.thenews.com.pk
Disarm or be crushed, Malik tells terrorists
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Wednesday said terrorists still had time to lay down their arms, or else they would be crushed with force.“I am asking the terrorists to lay down their arms, as they don’t deserve amnesty because they have broken the hearts of several mothers. But they still have a chance,” the minister said while talking to reporters outside the Parliament House.He said the Punjab government had been informed about the possible terrorist activities in the southern part of the province.The government, he said, was striving hard to improve the law and order situation and the writ of the government would be established at all costs.Replying to a question, he said Pakistan needed funds for capacity building of the law enforcers. The law-enforcement agencies would get scanners to detect explosive material and manual checking would soon come to an end, he added.“We have achieved enormous success in Swat and other war zones due to the intelligence agencies. We must be proud of our intelligence agencies and the Pakistan Army,” he said, adding: “We have arrested two suicide bombers during the last three days one of whom wanted to blow up the Parliament House and the other to hit the headquarters of an intelligence agency.”He said Pakistan was committed to bring the Mumbai attacks culprits to justice but India should provide more information in this regard. “We have requested India to provide more information so that we could complete our investigation.” He said, “Defeat is not an option for us and not for the world in the war against terrorism. The investigation into the murder of Qari Zainuddin is under way. The IDPs would also get every facility upon their return to their respective areas. Some of the families have returned to Swat and Buner,” he said. Our correspondent adds: Meanwhile, addressing the National Assembly Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that 1,592 terrorists had been killed so far in the military operation. He said 138 law enforcers had been martyred so far and 414 injured. Thanking the opposition members for reposing confidence in the security agencies by withdrawing their cut motions against the Interior Ministry, he said that it had established a good precedence.Referring to the operation in Malakand and Swat, the minister said the areas had been secured and after reviving the infrastructure, the return of IDPs would start very soon. He said that both the president and the prime minister had made the world realise that the nation was united in the war against terror. “Due to the efforts of the president and the prime minister, the Chinese government has provided $290 million for capacity building of our security forces.”Referring to the Dera Ismail Khan incidents, the interior minister said most of these incidents were sectarian in nature. He, however, said that the entire administration of D I Khan would be changed and that he would personally visit the area next week. Earlier, in a rare gesture of unity on security issues, the opposition in the National Assembly withdrew 96 cut motions on the demands for grants for the Interior Ministry.Chief whip of the PML-N Sheikh Aftab told the Lower House that the opposition had decided to withdraw the cut motions in view of the government’s assurance that it was according top priority to law and order in the country.Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani acknowledged the gesture and expressed his gratitude to the opposition. On Wednesday, the House also completed the second phase of the passage of the budget by giving approval to the demands for grants for the next fiscal and now the Finance Bill would be taken up for final approval today (Thursday).After the passage of the Finance Bill on Thursday, the House would take up the supplementary budget of the current fiscal on Friday and with its approval the budget session would come to an end.In two days, the National Assembly approved demands for grants of the federal ministries amounting to Rs 1.556 trillion. On Wednesday, it approved grants worth Rs 102.21 billion for the ministries of foreign affairs, industries and production, petroleum and natural resources, ports and shipping, interior, and water and power.The House also offered Fateha for those who lost their lives in the military operation. Earlier, during the debate, the opposition members criticised the performance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and said that the Foreign Office had failed to give a clear roadmap for improving Pakistan’s relations with the neighbouring countries. They said India was a threat to Pakistan and was involved in promoting insurgency in Balochistan and the tribal areas. They alleged the proposed Pak-Afghan transit trade agreement was against the national interests.Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Ammad Khan said the Foreign Office had been successful in promoting a soft image of Pakistan as a modern, democratic Islamic state. He said that new Afghan transit trade agreement had not yet been finalised and the government would take input from the political leadership before signing it by the end of this year. Earlier in the day, the minority members staged a token walkout in protest against the fact that they were not provided representation in the constitutional committee.
source: http://www.thenews.com.pk
Forex News
Forex NewsIn the following article, I would like to tell you about forex news. As you know there are many ways that you can go online and learn about forex so that you are able to be a successful trader in the forex market. However, there is another way that you can take a more in depth look into forex trading by viewing forex news. Forex news is a way that you can learn what is going on in the forex market, it doesn’t necessarily pertain to the forex market in general as far as tips and techniques, but it does give you an outlook on what events are taking place in the market as well as the information that may pertain to a certain stock in the market. You never really know what the forex news is going to be so it is important that you take the time to give it a look each and everyday so that you are not left out in the dark on something that could pertain to the stocks that you are trading or the forex broker that you are working with.Locating Forex NewsYou will notice that when you look on these forex news sites that you can find the forex news in articles as well as in blogs and other forms of communication. There are also some forex news sites that have forex news flashes were the forex news that has just came in will come across the screen so that you know right away that it is there and so that you can read the information to see what is going on in the market. Also on the forex news sites, you will be able to actually enhance your capabilities of trading by actually following online courses and you will be also be able to maximize your chances of making profits by taking a shot at the different markets and especially in the forex market in general. These forex news sites also allow you an insight on the fundamental analysis of the forex market and provide you with the latest information that you need in order to know all about the analysis’s that are taking place in the forex market. If you know that a technical analysis is indeed your favorite tool, then you will find the information that you need on these sites to make trading a little bite easier. If you find that you are interested in foreign exchange market and you want to learn more about the trading tips of the forex market is general then you should make sure that you follow up on the forex news on a daily basis, you can also subscribe to a RSS feed so that you are able to learn all about the forex news.Forex News and YouWhen it comes to choosing a news site, it is important that you find a site that is update with the latest news. You don’t want to take information from a site that is not updated because you will be taking the risk of getting false information or forex news that is outdated and no longer relevant to the forex market. You are also going to want to find a forex news site that is going to tell you about the news that is relating to the field of trading that you are trading in. You may be trading futures or options, so you are going to want to read about information about that type of trading. If you are really into getting the forex news you should subscribe to getting the news directly sent to you by your email address so that you don’t have to worry about logging into the site every time that you want to read the news. Other than the news, you are going to want to make sure that you always are thinking about ways that you can become better at trading and you can do that by reading up on information that is pertaining to the forex market such a tips and guidelines and maybe even technique. No matter how intelligent you are when it comes to the forex market, it is important that you still take the time to brush up on your skills so that you are not prone to getting rusty over the period of time that you are trading. Even the most professional traders are known to take the time to go back over things that are important to know when it comes to the forex market.
source: http://www.forexcult.com
