News From Pakistan

[+]PALPA demands withdrawal of show-cause notices
      Tuesday, September 09, 2009

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Airline Pilots Association (PALPA) has demanded withdrawal of show cause notices issued under Removal from Services (Special Power) Ordinance 2000 of the military regime. An official communiquÈ sent to the management from PALPA demanded that the inquiries against the flying crew should be undertaken under routine aviation enquiry procedures PPM Chapter-XV which deals with the inquiries of the technical nature involving the aircraft and cockpit crew.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Tankers supplying fuel to Nato attacked
      Tuesday, September 09, 2009

QUETTA: Four oil tankers, supplying oil to Nato forces across the border in Afghanistan, caught fire in the Akhtarabad area of the provincial capital on Tuesday when they were attacked by unknown armed men. Confirming the attack, police told The News that the oil tankers were going to Afghanistan for supplying oil to the Nato forces. When the tankers were passing through the Akhtarabad area of Quetta, some unknown armed men, riding a motorcycle, attacked the oil tankers. The armed men opened indiscriminate fire with sophisticated weapons at the tankers. The police said one of the oil tankers caught fire, which engulfed the other three as well. Flames could be seen from miles, eyewitnesses said.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Provinces may be allowed to procure sugar
      Tuesday, September 09, 2009

ISLAMABAD: A high-level meeting of the four chief ministers, convened by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani today (Wednesday), is all set to allow the provinces to procure sugar after the upcoming crushing season in order to build up a buffer stock, it is learnt. “This is a political economy and political point scoring out of the sugar crisis will further aggravate the situation” was the consensus view of the secretaries of finance and commerce during a meeting held here on Tuesday, in which the issue of sugar came under discussion.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Cabinet to approve declaration of war to prevent new Kargils
      Tuesday, September 09, 2009

ISLAMABAD: To pre-empt Kargil-like military adventures in future, the ruling PPP’s draft constitutional package recommends the cabinet’s approval prior to the declaration of war and use of armed forces against any foreign country. The package also talks of the Federal Constitutional Court, besides recommending new appointment procedure for judges of the superior judiciary in line with the Charter of Democracy, but altering it to the extent that Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry could head the commission to be set up for the appointment of judges of the superior judiciary. The package also proposes a constitutional bar on judges to take oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) or any oath other than the one given in the Constitution.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Army leaves Bara as 24 militants killed
      Tuesday, September 09, 2009

BARA/PESHAWAR: A Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) commander was killed and three other people sustained injuries in shelling by gunship helicopters while four personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) were injured when their vehicle hit a roadside landmine in the Bara subdivision of Khyber Agency on Tuesday, the eighth day of the operation Bia Daraghlam (Here I come again). Security forces, however, said they had killed 24 more militants in shelling by gunship helicopters in Kamarkhel and Zawa areas of Bara. Separately, the Army troops’ surprising withdrawal from Bara on Monday night increased fear among the people of the possible return of the LI men and more revenge killings in the area.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Drone attack kills 10 in NWA
      Tuesday, September 09, 2009

MIRAMSHAH: A controversial casualty figure was reported when two US spy planes fired two missiles at a house in North Waziristan Agency close to the Pak-Afghan border on Tuesday night. One source said eight to 10 people were killed and an unspecified number of people injured when the pilotless planes targeted the house of Muhammad Ismail in Darga Mandai, five kilometres from the agency headquarters Miramshah.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Rs 2 bn Malakand development package soon: PM
      Tuesday, September 09, 2009

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said a special package would soon be announced for the rebuilding and development of the militancy-hit Malakand Division to rehabilitate the area and its people. Briefing the media after attending the provincial cabinet meeting, the prime minister said the package, approximately of two billion rupees, would be announced after consultation with the elected representatives from the area and taking all the stakeholders into confidence.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]MoIPC gets secretary, finally
      Tuesday, September 08, 2009

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (MoIPC) has finally got a secretary, but there is no indication of a minister taking over, The News learnt on Monday. Ahmad Mehmood Zahid, who was additional secretary Cabinet Division, has formally joined the ministry as its secretary, a source in the ministry said. He has replaced Sarod Lashari, who was transferred to the Ministry of Women Development on June 29 this year. Since then, this important post was lying vacant, further impeding the ministry’s functioning.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Zardari for setting up National Literacy Council
      Tuesday, September 08, 2009

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has proposed formation of a high-level National Literacy Council (NLC), convened by the prime minister, to ensure the launching of a well-coordinated and effective literacy drive throughout the country.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Balochistan seeks Rs 250 bn share in NFC award
      Tuesday, September 08, 2009

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan has asked the Centre to provide additional Rs 200-250 billion under the 7th NFC Award for the next five years by adopting multiple factors and giving 10 per cent weightage to the criterion of Inverse Population Density (IPD).

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)