ISLAMABAD – Taking the bull of energy crisis by horns, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday announced a number of measures including five-day working week in government offices, making the business centres, marriage halls and other commercial entities time-bound and slashing the power use in government offices by half with ban on use of air-conditioners before 11am.
The Prime Minister also announced end to unscheduled loadshedding and reducing the overall scheduled loadshe-dding by 30 per cent to give immediate relief to the general masses.
Giving the broad outlines of the decisions taken at the National Energy Conference, participated by all the four Chief Ministers participated along with their teams of technical experts, the Prime Minister said that it was the elected leadership of the country which came up with a comprehensive and consensus roadmap for the country to overcome the serious power crisis facing the country.
Flanked by all the four Chief Ministers and Federal Ministers of Water and Power, Information and Petroleum and Natural Resources, the Prime Minister dispelled the impression that the government was having the capacity to produce power but was not doing it owing to financial constraints and posed a question that how a government could take steps to create troubles for itself.
He was all praise for the Chief Ministers for coming up with a prudent proposals for both short-term and long-term measures to manage this crisis and assured the masses that their representatives were putting in their best to come up with a lasting solution to the problems.
Starting with the power conservation measures, the Premier said that all the government departments starting with Presidency, Prime Minister House, Governors offices and residence and down to all government departments half of the lights would remain off, however, only authorised officials would use air-conditioners and that too after 11am.
He further said that all government departments would observe two holidays a week and this decision would be reviewed by July end. All the markets would be closed after 8.00pm except the pharmacies, bakeries and hotels. The marriage halls would be restricted to hold functions in the evenings not exceeding three hours span.
The use of any sort of illumination was banned with the immediate power supply cut-off to neon-sign boards and other commercial displays and switching off every alternate streetlight was approved.
Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/23-Apr-2010/PM-unveils-mega-plan-to-arrest-energy-crisis
PM unveils mega plan to arrest energy crisis
Govt. to address common men’s problems: Zardari
BAHAWALPUR: Recognizing the enormity of problems faced by the common men, President Asif Ali Zardari Thursday reiterated the government’s resolve to address these issues problems by utilizing all available resources while generating more.
“I know the problems are enormous, but the government will address these issues by increasing the country’s resources,” Zardari said while addressing a convention of the representatives, office bearers and the leadership of Peoples Youth Organization (PYO), Peoples Students Federation (PSF) and Peoples Labour Bureau (PLB) from Multan, Bahawalpur and D.G. Khan divisions here at Ashrafabad.
The President said the present government was developing a new relationship with the world including the United State, China and Europe, aimed at presenting a prosperous and dignified Pakistan.
“We, in line with the mission of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, will create a new Pakistan, where all problems are addressed and the people lead a happy life and with their own way,” he remarked.
President Zardari said he gets strength and guidance from the vision and philosophy of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, who never compromised on principles.
Source: http://www.geo.tv/4-23-2010/63635.htm
Five-day working week, markets’ closure at 8pm announced
Govt promises 33% cut in load shedding
* PM says progress in implementation of announced measures will be reviewed fortnightly
* Obama administration has assured Pakistani govt of assistance
By Irfan Ghauri
ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday unveiled a new strategy to deal with the power crisis in the country, announcing measures to save 500 megawatts of electricity daily, the settlement of circular debt amounting to Rs 116 billion, five-day working weeks and the closure of businesses at 8pm.
Addressing a press conference after the conclusion of the three-day ‘National Energy Crisis Summit’, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said the latest measures would not only help conserve 500 megawatts of power, but would help overcome unscheduled load shedding and reduce scheduled power outages by 33 percent. He also announced the establishment of a ‘Public Sector Energy Development Fund’ with an initial allocation of Rs 20 billion.
Around 500 megawatts are expected to be saved through various steps to be taken immediately, including the closure of commercial centres at 8pm, two weekly holidays, a 50 percent reduction in lights at government buildings – including the Presidency, Prime Minister’s House, governors’ houses and chief ministers’ houses.
The prime minister said that under short-term measures, 300 megawatts would be added to the system through 10 independent power projects, while another 1,300 megawatts would be added to the system by the end of year. He said another 605 megawatts would be added through rental power plants (RPPs).
The government would settle circular debt amounting to Rs 116 billion to resolve the financial problems of the power sector, and ensure that the debts do not accumulate again.
Under long-term measures, 21,000 megawatts of hydel energy, 30,000 megawatts of coal energy and 15,000 megawatts through other means would be generated to meet the country’s future energy requirements.
Gilani said progress in the implementation of the announced measures would be reviewed fortnightly.
Elaborating the short-term measures, Water and Power Minister Pervaiz Ashraf said 70 megawatts of electricity would be saved by halving the number of lights at government buildings and other public offices. He said air conditioners would be allowed only to officials in or above Grade 20 after 11am.
The minister said that 314 megawatts of electricity would be saved by halving the use of street lights; 70 megawatts by cutting off power to billboards, neon signs and commercial decoration lights; and 150 megawatts through staggered weekly holidays for industrial units. He said 250 megawatts of power would be saved through agricultural tube wells, which would not be provided electricity at peak hours. He said “a lot of electricity” would be saved through the closure of commercial markets at 8pm, while wedding halls would be allowed three-hour functions, and “the timings would be decided by the provincial governments”. He said all government offices would have two weekly holidays. The measures would remain in place until July 30 ... they will be reviewed according to the situation at that time.”
About power generation plans, the minister said the availability of gas was essential for power generation. He said 183 MMCF of gas were, therefore, being provided to the power sector to add 740 megawatts to the system: 240 megawatts through Guddu, 200 megawatts through PEPCO and 300 megawatts through other generation companies. He was optimistic that by the end of the year, around 1,305 megawatts of additional electricity would be made available through rental power projects and independent power producers. He said 300-650 megawatts of power being provided to the Karachi Electricity Supply Company (KESC) would be diverted to other areas.
US aware: Gilani said there was an understanding and realisation in the US over the seriousness of the electricity shortage in Pakistan, and he had been assured by the US administration of cooperation in this context. He said the government was “sincere and fully aware” of the sufferings of the masses and was taking practical measures to address the problems confronting the country. He said the government was focussing on providing energy to the industrial and agriculture sectors in a bid to ensure that the country’s economy was not affected.
The chief ministers of the four provinces who deliberated over the last three days at the energy summit also attended the conference.
Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\04\23\story_23-4-2010_pg1_1
Dialogue on A Common Destiny
LAHORE: Prominent academics, writers and analysts from India and Pakistan met here on Thursday at a closed-door seminar, titled “A Common Destiny”, the first of Aman Ki Asha’s series of discussions on issues of strategic importance.
A press release said the delegates agreed to the need for peace between the two countries and the importance of a sustained dialogue to resolve bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, terrorism, water-sharing, trade and investment.
They endorsed the Aman Ki Asha initiative of the Jang Group of Pakistan and The Times of India Group and recommended the following:
WATER: India and Pakistan face the common threats of climate change and global warming that are leading to a global water scarcity. At times of water scarcity, stress levels tend torise. The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, termed as a ‘peace treaty’, must be followed in letter and spirit.
VISA: One of the most effective ways of reducing conflict is to allow the people to meet. India and Pakistan must do away with the visa restrictions, including city specific visas, police reporting, the same entry-exit points, etc.
TERRORISM: India and Pakistan face the common threat of extremism and terrorism. The participants urged both the governments to take all the steps to comprehensively defeat this menace. Dialogue between the two nations should continue and not be hostage to the actions of the terrorists/spoilers.
INTELLIGENCE SHARING: To frustrate terrorist designs, there needs to be enhanced intelligence sharing between both the countries. The intelligence agencies need to talk and agree on a code of conduct.
DEFENCE: Both the countries must agree to renounce the use of force, overt or covert.
TRADE AND INVESTMENT: South Asia forms a natural trade and economic regional bloc. Trade and investment develop sustainable interests and interdependencies between trading partners, creating a stake in each other’s economic development and well-being.
To speed up the emergence of a South Asian free trade area, India and Pakistan should progressively reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade. This would be particularly valuable in the realm of textiles, as current restrictions effectively prevent Pakistan’s exports from reaching the Indian domestic market. Both the countries should welcome investments in each other’s countries and facilitate inter-and intra-regional trade.
INFORMATION: Enable the free flow of information between the two countries. The current bans on Indian news channels and publications in Pakistan and on Pakistani channels and publications in India must be lifted.
Lift the restriction on resident journalists in each other’s countries - according to the current exchange protocol, only two journalists from India and Pakistan are allowed to work in the other country.
YOUTH: More than half of our population is under 25 years of age. A skilled, trained and well-educated South Asia has the potential to be the global knowledge hub. Investing in this population is essential to realise the potential of our demographic dividend.
EDUCATION: Our education budgets need to be progressively increased to a level commensurate with the focus on education that this region needs. We must also ensure that history and other textbooks are objective, accurate and non-sectarian, and free of prejudice and bias.
We strongly support the South Asian University established by the governments and call upon the governments to ensure that the University is accessible to all the students in the region.
SOUTH ASIA AND SAARC: In this age of regional blocs, South Asia (Saarc) can play a dominant role in various issues, like: security, energy, water, environment, global trade, etc. This is in the strategic interest of both India and Pakistan.
Delegates from India included Salman Haidar, former foreign secretary, Prem Shankar Jha, writer and analyst, Amitabh Mattoo, professor, international relations, JNU, Admiral (retd) K Nayyer, and Admiral (retd) Laxminarayan Ramdas.
Participants from Pakistan included Dr Mubashir Hasan, former federal minister, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, former foreign minister, IA Rehman, director HRCP, Arif Nizami, senior journalist, Shafqat Mahmood, columnist and analyst, Razzak Dawood, businessman, Khaled Ahmed, senior journalist, and Amin Hashwani, businessman.
The discussion was moderated by former national security adviser Maj-Gen (rtd) Mahmud Ali Durrani, who is also a prominent figure in Track-II Dialogues between India and Pakistan. There will be a televised interaction between the delegates and the invited members of the civil society and the media on April 23.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=28452
Islamabad High Court revived
A notification issued by the law ministry on Thursday said: “In terms of Article 175 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as amended by the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010, the High Court for Islamabad Capital Territory is hereby established at Islamabad with immediate effect.”
The high court will start functioning after appointment of judges. Law Minister Babar Awan said that the chief justice and judges of the IHC would be appointed from all units of the federation.
Law ministry sources said that former IHC judges were expected to be reappointed.
“Staffers of the high court will also be summoned to their previous posts from the surplus pool following restoration of the court,” the minister said.
He said that besides IHC, the federal capital will have 10 special courts that would take up cases relating to environment, narcotics, labour, banking, consumer and others.
The Supreme Court last year declared the Islamabad High Court as illegal, saying it had been established under the Provisional Constitutional Order imposed by former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf of Nov 3, 2007.
In its July 31 judgment, the apex court had struck down the order of establishment of the IHC and reverted the judicial system to the status of Nov 2, 2007. All the judges who were part of the judiciary on Nov 2, 2007, had been ordered to return to original courts. All judges who were not part of the judiciary had been ordered to cease acting as judges.
The IHC employees had been ordered back to their original positions or to the federal surplus pool.
The Supreme Court, under Justice Hameed Dogar, had decided in favour of the establishment of IHC. But its creation was delayed because of a stay order issued by the Lahore High Court after its establishment was challenged. The IHC was to start functioning in Feb 2008.
Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/islamabad-high-court-revived-340
Iceland closes airports for first time due to volcanic ash
LONDON: Iceland will close two airports on Friday for the first time, a week after ash from an Icelandic volcano forced the shutdown of airspace over much of Europe and stranded thousands of passengers around the world, the Icelandic aviation authority announced.
The Keflavik International Airport and Reykjavík International Airport will be closed beginning early Friday morning, the aviation authority said, according to a statement on the Keflavik airport's website.
Though the ash cloud originated in Iceland, the country's airports have been spared from closure until now. Strong northwest winds had been blowing ash from the volcano, in the south of Iceland, out to sea and over Europe.
Elsewhere in Europe, most airports appeared to be open on Thursday and are expected to be open Friday.
That reduction in volcanic activity appeared to be the main reason that flights resumed operating in Europe on Wednesday, along with European countries relaxing their restrictions on flight, according to a spokeswoman for Eurocontrol, an intergovernmental body that manages European air travel.
Source: http://www.geo.tv/World.htm
IMF chief says global recovery still fragile
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn has warned governments to guard against complacency as the global economy recovers from its deepest recession in generations.
"Even if recovery is stronger and faster than expected, it's still fragile," Strauss-Kahn told reporters on Thursday. "The world is still a dangerous place."
The global recovery was "uneven," Strauss-Kahn noted. Emerging economies like China and India were powering ahead while the recovery in wealthier nations was much more sluggish, highlighted by high unemployment and still weak private demand.
The growing budget deficits of governments in wealthier countries were also a worry. Greece's debt crisis was serious, Strauss-Kahn said, but added there were no other euro-zone countries that the IMF was especially concerned about at the moment.
IMF and European Union officials this week began discussions with Greece over how to help the cash-strapped government. Strauss-Kahn said the government's tough budget cuts were extremely necessary and in Greece's own interest.
The IMF in a semi-annual economic report released Wednesday predicted global growth of 4.2 per cent this year. But industrial nations would grow just 2.3 per cent, while developing countries will add 6.3 per cent in 2010.
Strauss-Kahn credited global cooperation with helping to avert a depression in 2009 and said governments should continue working together as they overhaul financial regulation to prevent another credit crisis.
Key elements of financial reforms should be agreed on the international stage by the end of the year, Strauss-Kahn said, suggesting President Barack Obama might be pushing too quickly for his own reforms in the United States.
Strauss-Kahn also offered his backing to a controversial tax levy against banks to "secure some resources" to help governments wind down failing banks in a future financial crisis without putting taxpayer funds on the line.
Finance ministers from the world's leading economies will discuss the proposed bank levy and how to keep the economic recovery going when the IMF and World Bank hold their spring meetings this weekend.
Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/International/23-Apr-2010/IMF-chief-says-global-recovery-still-fragile
Australia, Britain issue travel warnings for India
NEW DELHI: Australia and Britain on Thursday warned tourists of the increased risk of militant attacks in New Delhi, joining Canada and the US, which have urged foreigners to avoid parts of the Indian capital.
The United States said Wednesday it had information of a “specific” threat to half-a-dozen of the city’s shopping areas and markets which it described as “especially attractive targets.”
The Canadian government said on its website that an attack could be carried out “in the following days or weeks in market areas” of Delhi frequented by foreigners.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its travellers’ website on Thursday to give information about the new warnings issued by the United States and Canada a day earlier.
Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Greater Kailash, Karol Bagh, Mehrauli and Sarojini Nagar are all believed to be possible targets for terrorist attack in the Indian capital, the website says.
Following this new advice, the Australian High Commission in New Delhi said Thursday it “strongly” advised Australians “to minimise their presence in market areas of New Delhi.”
The warnings come as thousands of athletes and tourists prepare to travel to New Delhi for the Commonwealth Games and only days after bomb blasts rocked Bangalore ahead of the Indian Premier League semi-finals.
The advisories were upgrades to previous general advice warning of attacks on prominent business and tourist locations such as Western-owned hotels.
A statement from the British High Commission on Thursday warned that “there are increased indications that terrorists are planning attacks in New Delhi.”
In February, a bomb ripped through a crowded restaurant popular with travellers in the western city of Pune, killing 16 people, including five foreigners.
Australia, however, has not upgraded the overall level of advice on India, continuing to urge travellers to exercise a high degree of caution while in the country. —Agencies
Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/07-australia-britain-issue-travel-warnings-for-india-ha-01
Egypt finds 2000-year-old bronze coins
CAIRO: Archaeologists unearthed 383 bronze coins dating back to King Ptolemy III who ruled Egypt in the 3rd century BC and was an ancestor of the famed Cleopatra, the Egyptian antiquities authority announced on Thursday.
The statement said one side of the coins were inscribed with hybrid Greek-Egyptian god Amun-Zeus, while the other side showed an eagle and the words Ptolemy and king in Greek.
Founded by one of Alexander the Great’s generals, the Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt for some 300 years, fusing Greek and ancient Egyptian cultures.
The coins were found north of Qarun lake in Fayoum Oasis 50 miles southwest of Cairo. Other artifacts were unearthed in the area included three necklaces made of ostrich egg shell dated back to the 4th millennium BC and a pot of kohl eyeliner from the Ottoman Empire.
The objects will all be displayed in the new Egyptian museum under construction near the pyramids of Giza.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=235610
IMF bows to demand
ISLAMABAD: The Interna-tional Monetary Fund (IMF) has relaxed the condition of the integrated enforcement of value-added tax (VAT) on goods and services in the federal and all four provinces from July 1, 2010, Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister Dr Kaiser Bengali confirmed here on Thursday.
From July 1, 2010 onwards Sindh would implement its own draft VAT legislation under which Sindh province would not only levy VAT on services but also collect VAT through its own tax collection machinery, he added. However, VAT on goods would remain the exclusive right of the federal government and its collection from Sindh would be done by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), he explained.
From July 1, 2010 the FBR would enforce VAT on goods as well as services covering federal government and other three provinces Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and its collection would also be performed by the FBR authorities, he added. The VAT Act was drafted keeping in view the British model, which is based on Unitary State and Pakistan being a federation, this model was not fit for it. To bridge this legal gap, there was a need to adopt a VAT model suitable in countries, which are federation and having federating units like India, Canada and Brazil, Dr Bengali explained.
From July 1, 2010 Pakistan may adopt Canadian VAT model, which allows the federal government and provinces to enforce and collect VAT individually and not collectively by one federal authority.
Its worth mentioning here that earlier the government of Pakistan had committed with the IMF that integrated VAT regime would be enforced on goods and services with its collection through FBR. However, with the finalisation of the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, the federal government accepted the right of provinces of taxing services by the provinces.
With the formal signing of 7th NFC Award, the province of Sindh was contesting for its right and demanding the federal government to allow the province of Sindh to enforce and collect VAT on services through its own tax collection machinery.
Although the federal authorities have tried their level best to convince the Sindh government to agree on enforcement of integrated VAT on goods and services through FBR, however, the strict stance of the Sindh government has compelled not only the federal government but also the IMF authorities to accept the demand of the province of Sindh.
FBR authorities strongly feel that only integrated VAT on goods and services is the best option, otherwise VAT could not be implemented.
FBR has prepared three scenarios for enforcement of VAT - National VAT, National and Provincial VAT and National VAT minus Sindh.
National VAT regime would be more suitable for the entire country as it would have single registration number for the business selling goods and services, there would be uniform tax scope, no origin or destination dispute, federal and provincial VAT to be mutually adjustable, no multiple taxation, single tax management to be done by FBR, low collection cost and whole of Pakistan would be considered as a single market.
National and Provincial VAT regime would have different features like multiple registrations at federal and provincial levels, there would be divergent tax scope, there are chances of inter-provincial disputes on origin and destination, no adjustment among federal and provincial VATs, there would be multiple tax burden on taxpayers, multiple tax management would be required at federal and provincial level and this would result in high collection cost as the country would be divided into multiple markets.
National VAT minus Sindh regime would have totally different features like dual registration, divergent tax scope, there would be disputes on origin and destination between Karachi and Islamabad and no adjustment with Sindh VAT, there would be double tax burden, high collection cost and duel market to exist in Pakistan, FBR analysis said.
Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\04\23\story_23-4-2010_pg5_1
Multivitamin prices go up by 20-25 per cent
Although prices were increased during the last one month, there are claims from manufacturers that no recent increase has been made in prices.
Pharma Bureau chairman Tariq Wajid told Dawn that almost all makers of multivitamins and even some local producers have raised prices by 25 per cent during the last one month.
He linked the price-hike to 40 to 400 per cent increase in the world prices of raw material in less than two years.
He said many companies are seeking new prices, while others are in the process. The increase was made after government’s approval.
When asked about increase in prices of other drugs, he said prices are rising nominally from time to time and these are increased as a hardship case.
Of 50,000 registered drugs, prices of 300-400 increased in the last eight years, Wajid said.
Many companies had made a sharp increase in prices in 2009, and they had sent their cases to the health ministry for a price-hike in the wake of rising prices of raw material, coupled with increase in cost after rupee devaluation against the dollar. At that time, many companies did not increase rates despite getting an approval for three to four per cent increase in 2001.
Some companies introduced new medicines after 2001, but kept prices unchanged, but later they raised prices in 2009 as they could not sustain surging cost of production.
Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association vice chairman Shakil Nagar said that some 13 companies, mostly multinationals, raised prices of multivitamins by 20-25 per cent in the last one month.
“As many as 100 multivitamins produced by these companies have become dearer,” he said that, attributing the price hike to rising raw material prices in world markets.
“There has been no price hike in other medicines for various diseases and even in regular household drugs,” Shakil said that, adding, he had asked the ministry of health to give a list of price increase in various multivitamins of various companies.
Chairman, Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), Mian Asad Shuja, also said that there had been no price increase in regular drugs while there has been an increase in prices of multivitamins.”
Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/business/multivitamin-prices-go-up-by-2025pc-240
150 US companies facing bankruptcy threat
WASHINGTON: At least 150 US companies facing threat of bankruptcy as Obama administration has announced amendments in financial reforms to tackle the situation.
US President Barack Obama said in a speech that the United States was doomed to repeat its economic crisis if his financial reform bid failed, calling financial institutions to "join, not fight" the drive.
In his speech, Obama outlined the need to push forward the financial industry reform, explaining at a speech in New York that the nation will be at risk if the US keeps the current framework. He seeks to swiftly push regulatory reform into law.
"It is essential that we learn the lessons of this crisis, so we don't doom ourselves to repeat it," Obama said.
Obama said he believed in the "power of the free market," but a free market was never meant to be a free license to take whatever you can get, however you can get it. And he urged Wall Street bosses to halt armies of lobbyists the White House says are being paid millions of dollars by the industry to hinder reform.
Source: http://www.geo.tv/Business.htm
T20 cup: Pakistan to depart for WI on Saturday
LAHORE: Pakistani team will leave for West Indies on Saturday to take part in the Twenty20 World Cup, Managar Yawar Saeed announced Thursday.
He said the team would take a flight to London from Lahore via Dubai on Saturday morning. The squad will stay in London for a day and will head to Saint Lucia on April 25.
Muhammad Asif, who is serving a life-long ban from entering Dubai, will not accompany the rest of team. He will leave for London on Saturday from national airline.
While Muhammad Sami, who failed to secure a visa for England, will leave for Saint Lucia via United States.
According to PCB, no member of the selection team will go to West Indies with the team.
Source: http://www.geo.tv/4-22-2010/63625.htm
Aisam Qureshi, Filip Polasek in Barcelona second round
KARACHI: Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Filip Polasek staged a dramatic comeback to enter the second round of Barcelona Open on Wednesday.
The Pakistani tennis star and his Slovakian partner beat local wild-card favourites Alberto Martin and Fernando Vicente 4-6, 6-2, 10-8 in the ATP championship.
The Spaniards broke Polasek’s serve in the third game to gain initial advantage but were broken back in the next game. Polasek then missed two crucial volleys in the ninth game to give away another serve break to Martin and Vicente, who made no mistake in closing the set at 6-4.
With the first set in hand, the Spaniards started the second strongly to go 40-0 up in Polasek’s first service game of the set. The Pak-Slovak duo fought back to take the next four and save their serve. Spurred by the home crowd, Martin and Vicente kept building pressure in the following games and managed to set-up break points in every game but were denied by the Pak-Slovak pair. Qureshi’s serve-and-volley game helped him and Polasek gain break advantages, which they duly converted to bag the second set 6-2.
Having saved nine break points and claiming the second set, Qureshi and Polasek had the momentum in their favour in the final set. The third set saw the control of the match see-saw in a super tie-break, which Qureshi and Polasek eventually won 10-8.
Qureshi and Polasek will face tournament second seeds Bob and Mike Bryan (US) in the pre-quarter-final round.
Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/sport/07-aisam-qureshi-filip-polasek-in-barcelona-second-round-ha-04
Scandal-hit Akhtar dreams of Pakistan World Cup win
KARACHI (AFP) – Injury-plagued paceman Shoaib Akhtar said Thursday he dreams of winning the World Cup for Pakistan next year, despite a series of setbacks and scandals that have kept him out of the game.
The 34-year-old paceman, who has not played for the Pakistan national team since May last year, took 6-52 in a domestic one-day match on Wednesday night, furthering his comeback campaign.
“I am fit and bowling in rhythm,” Akhtar told reporters.
“I know the problems I have faced in my career, but the dream to feature in the final of the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai is still alive and I want to help Pakistan win the World Cup in a year’s time.”
India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will host the tenth World Cup between February and April next year.
Akhtar’s 13-year career has been plagued by injuries and discipline problems, the latest of which ended in a record fine of seven million rupees (83,000 dollars) in February.
He was originally banned for five years in April 2008 on charges of violating the players’ code of conduct. The ban was reduced to 18 months by an appeals committee, which levied the massive financial penalty.
Akhtar appealed against the ban and fine in the Lahore High Court. The court suspended the ban, allowing him to play again, but upheld the fine.
“I don’t want to live in the past. Now I am fit and playing and have proved my fitness. My performance has never been in doubt, so it’s now up to the selectors when they give me a chance,” said Akhtar.
Akhtar was left out of Pakistan’s World Twenty20 squad last month and was also expelled from the list of contracted players.
Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Sports/23-Apr-2010/Scandalhit-Akhtar-dreams-of-Pakistan-World-Cup-win
Britney Spears seeks guidance from astrologer
NEW YORK: Pop diva Britney Spears, whose relationship with agent Jason Trawick is reportedly in trouble, has got in touch with British astrologer Russell Grant to know her future.
"I got an email from Britney Spears' office. Apparently she wants a reading. I need to check out its validity," contactmusic.com quoted Grant as saying.
This is not the first time Spears, 28, who has sons Sean Preston, 4, and Jayden James, 3, with ex-husband Kevin Federline has turned to Russell for advice.
"Britney has asked Russell for readings in the past and really values his advice," said a source.
Source: http://www.geo.tv/entertainment.htm
World Earth Day
Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/media-gallery/17-world-earth-day-ek-01
'Malik, Awan involved in Benazir's assassination'
ISLAMABAD: Terming Benazir Bhutto's death as murder, the Legal advisor to Benazir's chief protocol officer has alleged that the present Interior Minister Rehman Malik and current Law Minister Babar Awan were involved in Benazir's assassination.
However, he said that as the case is sub judice before the Lahore High court Rawalpindi bench for lodging second FIR in the case, "so we are not going to elaborate on every aspect of this case."
Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Asad Rajput alleged that the UN has established the fact that former president Musharraf was head of the entire assasination plot.
He maintained that the ex-chief minister of Punjab Pervaiz Elahi, Rehman Malik, Babar Awan, the head of the Intelligence Bureau, the FIA and the Rawalpindi police were all clearly involved in Benazir Bhutto's murder.
Aslam Chaudhry who is the chief protocol officer of Benazir alleged that both Rehman Malik and Babar Awan broke protocol and also sabotaged security during Benazir's rally at Liaquat Park in which she was assassinated.
Chaudhry stressed that it is obligatory for the government to initiate a crminial investigation into Benazir's assassination following the UN report. -DawnNews
Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/06-malik-awan-involved-in-benazirs-assassination-rs-01
PPP govt must be allowed to complete its term: Zardari
BAHAWALPUR: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) should be allowed to complete its five-year term, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Wednesday.
“I promise we will change the system. We will fulfil dreams and implement the manifesto set by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto,” the president said.
Addressing the workers of Ashraf Sugar Mills, the president said after the government of Zulfikar Bhutto, no PPP government was allowed to complete its term. Had the party been allowed to do that, Pakistan would have become economically independent by now.
Manifesto: He said the PPP implemented 80 percent of its manifesto after clearing the constitution of the amendments brought by dictators.
He said the PPP was engaged in a battle of ideas and wanted to serve and give rights to the poor, farmers and labourers. “We think Pakistan is the trust of the people but some think it is their property. We want to rule the hearts of the people,” he said.
The president said many fronts had been opened to remove the PPP government in the last two years but with the support of the people, who are the real power, all attempts were foiled.
He advised analysts who consider themselves authority on politics to contest and win election before offering political solutions. President Zardari said Benazir Bhutto was martyred but the PPP could not be eliminated from the hearts of the people. He said contrary to the perceptions of the people, the PPP has expanded the powers of parliament and made the institution stronger.
Zardari said the PPP does not believe in politics of revenge, adding that law would take its course and the people responsible for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto would be brought to justice. Referring to the enactment of the 18th Amendment, the president said the PPP had fulfilled its promise of restoring the 1973 constitution to its original form.
President Zardari said parliament was supreme, adding that he did not think that anyone could alter an amendment adopted unanimously by parliament. He also highlighted various achievements of the PPP government including the NFC Award, the 18th Amendment and the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package and dislodging a dictator without any bloodshed. app
Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\04\22\story_22-4-2010_pg1_1
How dare you probe
ISLAMABAD: Annoyed with its bureaucrat minion for having the audacity of doing the right thing by exposing a “dirty deal”, the Establishment Division punished an honest joint secretary of the Ministry of Minorities, Munir Ahmed Chaudhry, by making him an officer on special duty (OSD) writes Rauf Klasra.
His “crime” had been that he had conducted investigations into the dirty deal between the Evacuee Trust Board, Pakistan, (ETBP) and Defence Housing Society (DHA), Lahore. If the officer was expecting plaudits for his efforts then he was in for a rude shock because when he reported for duty on Wednesday morning, he found a directive waiting for him on his table, directing him to immediately report to Establishment Division as OSD.
Meanwhile, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Ch Nisar Ali Khan took serious note of the ETPB-DHA land transfer scam published in The News on April 21. Ministry of Minorities Secretary Javed Akthar has been directed to appear before PAC on Friday to explain the whole scam as how come the ETBP had transferred the Gurdwara lands to the DHA which was not allowed under the Sikh Act 1925.
The transfer of 575 kanals of Sikh Gurdwara land to DHA, Lahore, had even echoed in Indian parliament in December last year, and New Delhi had asked Pakistan to conduct investigations into the transfer of the minorities land to DHA. Consequently, the Ministry had appointed Joint Secretary Munir Ahmed Chaudhry to head a two member inquiry committee, which has now confirmed that the deal was dirty and should be reviewed to save Pakistan’s image.
This is first high profile case of punishment of any officer in recent days when an officer refused to fall in line and conducted the investigations without any fear, but he was made an example to send a loud message to the rest of the bureaucracy that whosoever would try to follow his conscience and try to save the public interests would be punished by the Establishment Division.
Earlier, Establishment Secretary Ismail Qureshi surprisingly came into action on Wednesday after reading the revealing investigations into the land transfer to DHA by ETPB in The News. Ismail Qureshi said to be very close to former ETPB Chairman Asif Hashmi, who is now facing serious charges, did not waste a minute to punish the honest officer, who according to his conscience and available record had given his findings that how the ETBP had violated all the rules and regulations to award the 575 kanals of land to DHA.
The finding of the report had established the irregularities in the whole deal and had demanded constitution of a high powered commission to further probe the matter after appointing the representatives of the Ministries of Minorities, Finance, Defence, intelligence agencies and FIA.
According to the transfer letter of Munir Ahmed BS 20 dated April 21, a copy of the same available with The News, the officer has been told that he has been immediately transferred and directed to report to the Establishment Division with immediate affect.”
In a bid to further punish the officer, who conducted the inquiry, Ismail Qureshi has even cancelled his earlier appointment as joint secretary Information Technology and Telecom Division as he has been told he would now serve as OSD in the Establishment Division.
Talking to The News, Minorities Ministry Secretary Javed Akthar defended the immediate transfer of joint secretary Munir Ahmed Chaudhry and said he was already under transfer and Wednesday orders had nothing to do with the publication of scam in The News. But when asked how an officer was made an OSD on the day the report was published in the newspaper, he repeated that it had nothing to with the findings of the inquiry report. When told that if this action had nothing to do with publication of this scam, then why was his earlier order to appoint him as joint secretary ministry of information technology were also cancelled by Ismail Qureshi, he did not even attempt to offer any response. Establishment Division Secretary Ismail Qureshi did not make himself available for comment despite repeated attempts to seek his version.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=28439
Rabbani warns against non-implementation of 18th Amendment
Chairman of the Constitutional Reforms Committee and PPP leader Raza Rabbani warned Wednesday that non-implementation of the 18th Amendment would be dangerous. The CRC had the right to devise a policy of judges’ appointment, but it preferred views of judges,” he said this in ‘Meet the Press’ program at Karachi Press Club. Under the 18th Amendment Bill, concurrent list was almost removed, he said, adding that except Criminal Law and Testimony Law, out of 46, 44 items would be transferred to provinces by June 2011. Rabbani said that provinces would also have the power to make legislation besides center. He added the President has transferred his powers to the parliament after the 18th Amendment.
Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/21-Apr-2010/Rabbani-warns-against-nonimplementation-of-18th-Amendment
Energy conservation: 2 weekly off days recommended
ISLAMABAD: Four committees formed to come up with suggestions for conservation of energy submitted its recommendation to the government for reduction of load-shedding from 8 to 4 hours.
The recommendations presented to the Federal Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf mainly suggested observance of two weekly off days, closure of businesses at 8:00 PM and elimination of electronic billboards.
The committee said the above steps could save 2,000 MW electricity.
Other recommendations included completion of wedding ceremonies in commercial halls between 8 PM and 12 PM in Karachi while in other parts of the country the allowed duration should be between 8 PM and 11 PM.
The option of advancing clocks by 1 hour was struck down on lack of agreement.
It was also included in the recommendations to undertake load-shedding of gas at CNG stations for one day a week with an aim to increase power generation capacity.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Finance has held out the assurance it will pay Rs116 billion to retire the circular debt within the next 15 days.
It was recommended that bottlenecks and irritants in construction of Bhasha Dam, Baunji Dam be removed and work be initiated in this regard as soon as possible.
Source: http://www.geo.tv/Pakistan.htm
US seeks Pakistan-Afghan reconciliation
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will attend the conference and the United States expects Pakistan to send either President Asif Ali Zardari or Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
“You can’t succeed in one unless you succeed in both,” said Mr Holbrooke who told a briefing in Washington that the United States also had mended its relations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
“There was a period where the waters got roiled a little bit, but that period is over,” he said while describing the Obama administration’s relations with the Karzai government.
President Karzai will visit Washington from May 10 to 14 and soon afterward will hold a peace jirga in Kabul for outlining the contours of a reconciliation offer to the Taliban.
Mr Holbrooke said the Kabul conference would be an affirmation of international support for the Afghan government and would replace a meeting of foreign ministers originally set for late May.
The US effort for mustering international support for the Karzai government contrasts sharply with its earlier retaliatory statements against Mr Karzai who at one stage threatened to join the Taliban if he didn’t get to control an election monitoring cell.
Since the Kabul conference will follow the jirga, the Afghan government is expected to come to the meeting with a blueprint for a future set-up. This may include some Taliban leaders as well.
But it is not clear if the new arrangement will protect Pakistan’s interests as well or it will reflect the Indian desire to continue to keep Islamabad out of Afghanistan.
Mr Holbrooke said the United States had made “enormous strides” in persuading Afghanistan and Pakistan to “work together more closely” but the two ‘detached twins’ still had their differences.
“I think everybody agrees that there’s been improvement in that particular area but that’s improvement from a very low base,” he said, adding that the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan was “still not where you’d want it to be”.
Although the two countries need each other to defeat terrorism; “they’re so different in every sense, including our relationship with them”, said the US envoy. “And the management of the inter-relationship is why we created the trilateral framework and why we want to resume it this summer.”
Mr Holbrooke conceded that others had legitimate interests in Afghanistan too, such as China and the three “stans” who shared their borders with Afghanistan.
Other actors in the Afghan game include Iran as well as states that do not border Afghanistan — all the way from the Gulf to India, Russia and the United States, he said.
“This is what makes Afghanistan so extraordinarily important and complex,” said the US diplomat.
While conceding the importance of each of these actors in determining Afghanistan’s future, Mr Holbrooke pointed out that Kabul and Islamabad were still the two key players and that’s why the Obama administration was working so hard to improve their ties.
According to him, there will be another trilateral meeting of the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan before the international conference. The last such meeting was held on May 6 and 7 last year.
“We had two trilateral meetings in the first few months of last year. Then we did bilaterals first with the Pakistanis, the Strategic Dialogue last month, and now upcoming with the Afghans. Then they go through their processes, they hold a conference, and then we go back to the trilateral,” said Mr Holbrooke while underlining US efforts to improve relations between Islamabad and Kabul.
“There is a real choreography involved here,” he concluded.
Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/us-seeks-pakistanafghan-reconciliation-140
Belgium goes closer to banning Islamic veils
BRUSSELS: Belgian lawmakers are expected to start debate over legislation to ban the face-covering Islamic veil in public spaces on Thursday, a day after French President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered similar legislation in France.
Belgium may become the first European country to ban the face covering Islamic veil. In March, a parliamentary committee backed a draft law to ban the veil. Now Belgium's full lower house takes up the bill, which has the support of all the country's major parties.
There are very few Muslim women in Belgium who wear the full-face veil. But the bill's main author, lawmaker Daniel Bacquelaine of the liberal Reformist Movement Party, says the legislation is critical for social integration.
"We think that this measure is essential to promote living together in our society. I think we need common values and human rights. And I think if we live together, we have to be recognized. It is not possible to encounter each other if I cannot see the other's face," he said.
Bacquelaine says banning the veil is also a security measure against potential Muslim radicals. He says it is not intended to stigmatize the Muslim community, but to promote women's rights.
Belgium is hardly the only European country mulling a veil ban. On Wednesday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered legislation banning the face veil in public spaces, despite misgivings it may be unconstitutional.
Presidential spokesman Luc Chatel said the ban should be generalized for all public spaces, but should not stigmatize Muslims. The legislation has drawn support from some Muslim lawmakers and women's rights groups. Other European countries have considered similar legislation, but have not gone so far.
Wearing the full face-veil is deeply controversial in Europe, not least among Muslims.
But immigration expert Marco Martiniello of the University of Liege in Belgium, says many Belgian Muslims are united in opposing a veil ban.
"Even in that part of the Muslim community in which there is no support for niqab and burqa, the reaction is quite negative toward that law because it is seen as an additional stigmatization," he said.
Martiniello believes the legislation is unnecessary. He says it reflects Europe's inability to deal with its booming, Muslim community.
"Each European country seems to have a problem in finding the right balance between allowing space to Muslims and Islam and avoiding opening a new (door) to radicals," said Martinello.
Source: http://www.geo.tv/World.htm
Iran to hold war games in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's state TV says the country's elite Revolutionary Guard will begin large scale military maneuvers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a move likely to heighten tension at a time when the West is at a deepening standoff with Iran over its nuclear program. The Wednesday TV report quoted the Guard's deputy chief Hossein Salami as saying the war games in the Persian Gulf and Hormuz were designed to "safeguard security" in the region. Salami said the three-day war games due to start Thursday will also seek to demonstrate Iran's role in a waterway through which some 40 percent of the world oil and energy supply passes.
Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/International/21-Apr-2010/Iran-to-hold-war-games-in-Strait-of-Hormuz
Power sector investment
ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has identified re-emergence of circular debt as a grey area and main hurdle in the way of investment in the country’s power sector, said an official on Wednesday.
The Manila-based bank has asked the government of Pakistan to resolve the issue on permanent basis, otherwise it would discourage investment in the power sector, he said.
“During the second day of the national energy summit held in Islamabad, the representatives of the bank briefed the government officials about the measures to overcome the power crisis, which has crippled the economy,” a senior official, who attended the meeting, told The News.
“The bank has also asked the government to emphasise on indigenous energy resources by exploiting oil & gas and coal reserves, as it will not only change the existing energy mix, but would also help reduce the power tariff,” he said.
Bank officials said the country has hydrogenation capacity of 6,500MW, which can be enhanced to 40,000MW on various sites of River Indus and Jhelum.
The countryís power distribution companies also need to improve their services, the officials said, adding that the thermal power generation system also needs improvement in its efficiency to enhance power generation. The bank also proposed the government to enforce Energy Efficiency Law.
In the wake of uncontrolled line losses, theft and inefficiency, the system is suffering huge losses of Rs45 billion to Rs50 billion per annum, they said.
The bank also pointed out deterioration in the power distribution company’s institutional sustainability and said that it could be resolved by bridging gap between the generation cost and the current power tariff.
Mentioning about the gas sector, the representatives of the bank mentioned about distorted gas sale price for fertilizer sector and stressed for immediate rectification of the same. They asked the government to divert substantial quantum of gas to the power sector to ensure cheap electricity.
While importing oil, it was proposed that the authorities should also consider other suppliers than the regular ones, as they can offer better price of the commodity to Pakistan.
The bank also suggested enhancement in the existing capacity of oil storage at the Karachi Port.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=235286
A feather in the cap: Iran, Iraq and BD
ISLAMABAD: The governments of Bangladesh, Iraq and Iran have expressed their desire to import wheat from Pakistan through government channel, sources told
Daily Times on Wednesday.
Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Nazar Mohammad Gondal expressed these views while presiding over a meeting to review the wheat procurement and progress in the export of surplus wheat.
The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) in its meeting on April 12 forecasted 23.87 million tonnes wheat crops in the current year. The government also has about four million tonnes carryover stock of the previous year and thus the total availability of wheat for the current year is 27.87 million tonnes. Total requirement of the country is 21.70 million tonnes at the rate of 124 kilogramme per capita/ annum. More than six million tonnes was surplus and some of it would be kept as strategic reserve and for seed, feed and wastage. In order to avoid any mishap regarding wheat availability in the country, the government had announced to export about two million tonnes of wheat. In the international market the wheat prices have come down and were recorded at about Rs 800 per 40kg but the government purchased wheat at Rs 950 per 40kg. In order to avoid expected loss in exporting wheat at lower prices, the government took initiatives of government-to-government contact particularly with Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The meeting was informed that these countries were willing to import wheat from Pakistan through the government channel. The government has contacted several countries for export of wheat, the sources maintained.
Official statement of the ministry revealed that Gondal informed the meeting that the efforts of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MINFA) and the Ministry of Commerce have yielded encouraging results.
About the procurement of wheat in the current season, Gondal reiterated the government’s resolve to guarantee the announced support price of Rs 950 per 40kg to the farmers. The minister said till Wednesday, the government procured 0.95 million tonnes of wheat so far in Punjab and Sindh by provincial food departments and PASSCO.
However, sources said that the farmers in Sindh and Punjab were getting Rs 800 to Rs 850 per 40kg. As the government has already four million tonnes previous year’s wheat stock, the farmers were facing trouble in getting bags (Bardana).
Sources said that the country has 4.5 million tonnes wheat storage capacity, which was full right now while the procurement of new crop had already initiated in Sindh and Punjab. Due to limited storage capacity, it would be difficult for the government to maintain huge stock of wheat for a longer period. To avoid expected loss to the stored wheat in open areas, it would be better to export wheat as early as possible, the sources maintained. The government fixed wheat procurement target at 7.5 million tonnes for the year 2010 against the initial target of 6.5 million tonnes last year but later procured 9.233 million tonnes.
According to schedule the procurement target for 2010 are Punjab 4 million tonnes against last year’s target of 3.5 million tonnes, Sindh 1.5 million tonnes against last year’s 1.2 million tonnes, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have to procure 0.3 and 0.1 million tonnes, respectively for the coming season. The procurement target for PASSCO has been fixed at 1.6 million tonnes against the last year’s initial target of 1.5 million tonnes. The minister informed the meeting that the decision of the cabinet to export surplus wheat was followed by formal contacts with certain countries with the help of the Ministry of Commerce. MINFA Additional Secretary Shahid Hussain Raja, Wheat Commissioner Dr Shakeel Khan, JS Food Jasmin Masood and PASSCO’s officials attended the meeting.
Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\04\22\story_22-4-2010_pg5_1
CAA losing $60,000 daily
LAHORE - Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Pakistan is also facing huge financial losses as the national and foreign airlines using Pakistan airspace have suspended their operation due to closure of airspace over UK and Europe.
A senior officer of CAA seeking anonymity said that just from Lahore and Karachi FIR (Flight Information Region) 225 to 250 flights had been using Pakistani airspace daily but now number of flights have minimised up to 50 to 60 after the suspension of operation.
He said that on April 17, number of these flights were 66 while on April 19, 50 flights from Lahore airspace and 42 from Karachi.
It is worth mentioning here that CAA charges $200 to $400 from every aircraft which uses Pakistan space as per the weight of the aircraft. An average loss of $60,000 is being faced by CAA daily as nearly 200 flights are not using airspace due to which an average loss was calculated as $60,000 by an analyst of CAA on Tuesday.
He said though PIA was also facing severe losses due to suspension of operation for UK and European countries but CAA could not also be exempted in this regard.
He said that thousands passengers were stranded at various international airports and airlines concerned were looking after them. He expressed hope that airspace on Wednesday would become better and operation could be started.
During last five days, 65 flights of PIA to Europe and UK have been cancelled and loss of revenue to PIA so far is around $10m which is likely to rise to $25m by the time PIA activates its flights to Europe and UK, he added.
Nearly 16,000 passengers in Pakistan, Europe and UK are stranded, waiting for restoration of flights. Few passengers have cancelled their flight itineraries. PIA has worked out a new route and operated flights directly to Toronto and across South of Atlantic and has successfully managed to operate four flights to Toronto from Pakistan.
Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Business/21-Apr-2010/CAA-losing-60000-daily
KSE-100 Index slips 51 points
KARACHI: The local stocks market witnessed profit taking on Wednesday as the benchmark KSE-100 Index decline by 51 points to close at 10,590.
Today’s trade began in the green zone but later selling in energy and banking sectors switched the Index into the negative mode. At one point the Index witnessed the intra-day low of 10,529 points. However, announcement of strong financial results by MCB provided support to the share market and the Index finished at the current level.
The market turnover was recorded at 145.5 million shares with Maple Leaf Cement topping the list of volume leaders at Rs5.08, up paisas 38.
On the other hand, KSE-30 Index slid 72 points to peg at 10,740.
Source: http://www.geo.tv/Business.htm
Team will not disappoint at Azlan Shah: Junaid
Talking to APP on Tuesday, he said that discipline in the team would be his first priority as he believed that was what the team needed the most.
“I will try my best to prepare a team that enters the field like a well-knit unit and plays to its full potential,” he said.
The training camp for Azlan Shah Cup starts from Thursday and Khawaja says he will be focussing on removing shortcomings in the team, both in the defence and the attack. “I reviewed the team’s performance during the World Cup and will coach the team keeping that in mind,” he said.
He said in the training camp players from Pakistan Whites and Junior team had also been called adding that 50 per cent players, called for the camp had an average age of 23 years. “Our effort will be made to select players who can play for the country for a long time,” he added.
He however, said that expectations should not be made from the team for a major rebound on the international circuit as it would take some time. “We should not hope for a miracle from our team as it will take some time to overcome the weaknesses,” he said.
Khawaja, who was junior hockey team coach prior to the new assignment said, he had accepted his new responsibility as a challenge and would like to put the national team back on the right track.
To a question he said that one of the reasons of team’s defeat in the World Cup was that it lacked consistency. “On the one hand our team defeated Spain, which is a strong outfit. It also gave tough time to Word Champions Australia in their pool match. But on the other, it conceded easy defeats to weaker sides like South Africa. All this shows is that our boys were not less talented rather they were inconsistent in their performance,” he remarked.
To another question he said that adjusting to Austro turf was a big challenge for boys who have played majority of their hockey on grass and sometimes even on cement. “Playing on an Austro turf is a sudden change for a player who has played eight to ten years on an ordinary ground. He finds it hard to adjust.”
Khawaja said that there were only ten Austro turfs in the country, while in Holland there were around five thousand and in Australia three thousand. “Look at the difference. We have to provide Austro turfs to our boys if we are to compete with the world,” he said. He however, informed that the number of Austro turfs would be increased up to twenty by next year.
The coach said that there was also a need to increase the number of hockey academies in the country. “At present we have 18 academies, while these should be at least eighty. Besides, there is a need to give incentives to players,” he added. —APP
Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/sport/team-to-fare-better-than-average%2C-says-junaid-140
Taxmen in India widen IPL probe
NEW DELHI: Income tax authorities swooped Wednesday on companies associated with the Indian Premier League as the government widened its probe of the cash-rich cricket tournament.
Tax raids were conducted on the Mumbai offices of Multi Screen Media and World Sports Group, the two companies handling the IPL's television rights, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
Premises of the Cricket Association of Bengal at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata were also searched "for IPL-related papers", the news agency added.
The Directorate of Enforcement, an investigative wing of the finance ministry, has registered a case against the IPL for possible violations of foreign exchange rules and regulations.
The income tax department has summoned IPL officials on Friday to hand over all tournament paperwork, including details on television rights, sponsorships and deals with franchises and players.
The tax investigation began after a government minister was forced to resign on IPL-related corruption allegations and claims from the political opposition that the league was a front for money laundering and illegal betting.
Angry officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have blamed IPL chief Lalit Modi for the controversy and sought his removal.
Modi is the driving force behind the success of the IPL, which has seen its brand value surge to 4.1 billion dollars in just three short years.
The IPL, which began in 2008, features the world's top cricketers playing a shortened format of the game known as Twenty20. There are eight franchises owned by India's wealthy businessmen and film stars.
Two more franchises will be added from the 2011 season.
Modi brought down junior foreign minister Shashi Tharoor by revealing on Twitter the ownership structure of a new IPL franchise from his home state of Kerala that showed a free stake had been gifted to a woman identified by Indian media as the politician's girlfriend.
Tharoor, a former top UN diplomat, was forced to resign on Sunday over allegations -- which he strongly denied -- that the stake was a kickback for his help in putting together the consortium that bought the franchise.
The furore led the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party to demand an investigation into the IPL, which it labelled "the Corruption Premier League".
Source: http://www.geo.tv/4-21-2010/63529.htm
SAfrica marks 50-day countdown to Soccer World Cup
Chief local organizer Danny Jordaan marked the 50-day countdown to the World Cup Wednesday, saying the tournament was one of South Africa's "most important defining moments." Jordaan said hosting football's showcase tournament was one of a series of "significant moments that have shaped the country we live in today," comparing it to Nelson Mandela's release from prison in 1990, and South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994. Jordaan was in Kimberley, in the country's Northern Cape province, with South African President Jacob Zuma to mark the 50-day countdown to Africa's first World Cup.
Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Sports/21-Apr-2010/SAfrica-marks-50day-countdown-to-Soccer-World-Cup
Pakistan's military might
Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/media-gallery/17-pakistans+military+might-ek-04
Rani is my favourite actress: Vidya Balan
MUMBAI: Indian actress Vidya Balan said Rani Mukherji is her favorite actress.
This is Vidya's first opportunity to shoot a film in Delhi. "I love to work with Rani since she's my favourite actress from the immediately-senior generation, I am happy to be sharing camera space with her."
Source: http://www.geo.tv/entertainment.htm
Shahbaz for equal power distribution among provinces
ISLAMABAD – The participants of two-day Energy Summit, including the four Chief Ministers, stressed the need for removing all the impediments in the way of optimal production of power sector and called upon the top management of the power sector to commission all their energies and resources to steer the country out of the prevailing electricity crisis.
On the opening day of the conference, Punjab Chief Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif came up with a nine-point formula including demand of equal distribution of power among the provinces, while Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani stressing the need for opting other sources of power generation like wind, tidal waves, coal and thermal. On short-term measures he suggested the Government must consider electricity purchase from Iran, which would be of great help in bridging the mounting power deficit.
Addressing on the inaugural session of the two-day conference presided over by Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf here on Monday, the Punjab Chief Minister stressed the need for immediate as well as long-term measures such as construction of new water reservoirs for overcoming power shortage.
The nine-point formula presented in the Chief Ministers conference on loadshedding in Islamabad envisaged equitable distribution of power among provinces, supply of electricity to industrial and agriculture sector on priority basis, complete ban on billboards, construction of Bhasha Dam, production of energy from coal, use of sugarcane trash (bagasse) for power generation, simplifying the official procedure for electricity generation projects in private sector, use of canal water for power generation as well as launching of a countrywide movement for energy conservation.
He said that public money was wasted ruthlessly and human blood was shed callously in Musharraf era but criminal negligence was shown towards such vital projects as Bhasha Dam. He said that had Bhasha Dam been constructed, the nation would not have been facing the prevailing excruciating situation. He said that the people could rightly question what the government had done during the last two years to tackle energy crisis. He said that on one hand energy was not available, while on the other there were reports of a further raise in power tariff under the pressure of IMF, the burden of which would be shifted to the consumers.
Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/20-Apr-2010/Shahbaz-for-equal-power-distribution-among-provinces
Nisar again stays away from Zardari
ISLAMABAD: Sticking to his decision to stay away from President Asif Ali Zardari for his frequent breach of solemn agreements, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan did not attend a historic ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in connection with the signing of the 18th Amendment into law on Monday.
According to his schedule decided earlier, Chaudhry Nisar was visiting his Rawalpindi constituency precisely at the time of this event and held an open Kutchery at Pir Bungla to listen to the problems of the area people, a source told The News. The opposition leader was not available for comments. Chaudhry Nisar has been busy in his constituency for the past three days and has inaugurated different development projects.
Nawaz Sharif, who was specially invited by President Zardari, and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were present at the Aiwan-e-Sadr function. Over six months back on October 25, 2009, Chaudhry Nisar had refused to accompany a PML-N delegation, led by Nawaz Sharif, to the Presidency, which had held a dinner meeting with Zardari and discussed a host of issues.
Despite insistence of his party leadership, he had then declined to see the president, saying that he would not meet a person, who did not honour the commitments and agreements made with the PML-N and other political parties.
The dinner meeting was held just two days before US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Islamabad. At the time, the opposition leader had told this correspondent that it was unfortunate that Zardari and his associates refuse to budge from hackneyed and failed strategies of using these meetings as a facade to get a new flicker of life to their continuously diminishing credibility and governance.
On the other hand, the opposition leader has always been part of the PML-N delegations that have been holding talks with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani. Besides, he also interacts with him inside the National Assembly when it is in session.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=28397