KARACHI: First edition’’s winner India and South Africa are going to be the biggest threats to Pakistan’’s ambition to defend the Twenty20 World Cup title in the West Indies, feels former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq. “India and South Africa, I think, are the greatest threats to Pakistan’’s ambition to win the T20 World Cup. I am very impressed with the disciplined way South Africans play, while the Indians have some dangerous players with plenty of flair,” Inzamam said. Inzamam, however, said that the Pakistan squad is a balanced one and have the wherewithal to defend the title. “The way I see it this Pakistan team is well balanced and so strong for this format of the game. It shouldn”t lose to any team unless they self-destruct with internal issues,” said Inzamam, the country’’s most capped player.
WASHINGTON: The United States has handed over two upgraded P-3C Orion reconnaissance aircraft to Pakistan on Friday to help boost maritime security capability of the key member of the multinational task force. Pakistan received the surveillance maritime aircraft in Jacksonville, Florida, at a ceremony, attended by Vice Admiral Shahid Iqbal HI (M), chief of staff Pakistan Navy, Islamabad’’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani and senior US Naval officers. Being a critical anti-terrorism partner of the international community, Pakistan is currently commanding the Combined Task Force 150, having already fulfilled the responsibility three times. The area of responsibility of the CTF-150, which operates under the Coalition Maritime Campaign Plan, stretches from Strait of Hormuz to Red Sea, covering 2.4 million sq miles and bordering 14 nations along the Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Horn of Africa and Red Sea. Pakistan is due to get in phases a total of 7 P-3 C Orion aircraft that are being upgraded by global security company Lockheed Martin.
ISLAMABAD: Member of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance, Kashmala Tariq, Friday called for shelving the imposition of value added tax (VAT) for one year. She also received the support of PML-N MNA Shahid Khaqan Abbassi, who also advised the government against making a haste on the decision, which he felt may affect a common man. Meanwhile, the FBR officials failed to convince the members of finance committee on the imposition of VAT. They told the committee that sales tax would end following the enforcement of VAT while all excise duties would also be merged in it (VAT). Chairman FBR Suhail Ahmed said that the center would collect taxes on air, rail and sea travels. He said the government would collect additional Rs55 to Rs70 billion through VAT.
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LAHORE: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in his May Day message stressed the government for fulfilling its commitment after the approval of the 18th Amendment. He was of the view that government’’s policies could not be called people friendly until masses are not provided relief. Equal employment opportunities, education and health are basic rights and struggle to achieve will continue, he said
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ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday described the outcome of the latest Indo-Pak talks as more than expected and a step in the right direction, and said efforts will be made to build on it to bridge the trust deficit between the two countries. Responding to a question, he said, India was not stealing Pakistan’’s share of water and it is being wasted due to mismanagement. A day after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani met his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in Bhutan and broke the ice, Qureshi said he intends to establish contact with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna as soon as the Indian Parliament’’s budgetary session concludes on May 7. He said there was no need to accord any nomenclature like ”composite dialogue” to the talks that would be held shortly, but the intent is to discuss all outstanding issues like Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek and water sharing. “If all issues are to be discussed, whether you call it comprehensive dialogue, composite dialogue.. or whatever you want, that is not important. The spirit behind that is important, the spirit is right,” he said at a press conference here. Referring to the meeting between Singh and Gilani, Qureshi said the outcome has been “more than expected… it is a step in the right direction, a concrete development and we will build on it”. He pointed out that there has been a trust deficit between India and Pakistan and “we have to bridge it through confidence-building measures”. Acknowledging that the trust deficit cannot be bridged overnight, Qureshi said: “we have to be realistic and pragmatic. It will not happen in a day, it is a process. If we allow the process to continue, obviously with passage of time, the deficit will be narrowed down”. The two Foreign Ministers have been entrusted with the task of reducing the trust deficit, he said. Responding to a question, he said he could find many faults in India’’s approach and vice versa but the two sides needed to prevent further deterioration in ties.
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SRINAGAR: Protests were held on Friday in held Kashmir against the verdict by an Indian court awarding death sentence to three persons including two Kashmiris in a false case against them. While on the other hand three innocent Kashmir youth were killed in another act of terrorism by Indian army. People took to the streets in Nigeen, Nawhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Lal Chowk, Natipora, Batamaloo, Hyderpora, Sopore, Baramulla, Sadrekoot, Bandipore, Islamabad and other areas of the occupied territory. Clashes between the protesters and the Indian police personnel were witnessed at various places and several persons were injured when the police subjected them to violence. People raised anti-India and pro-liberation slogans. The authorities arrested veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani and lodged him in Humhama police station. He had to lead a march towards United Nations Observers’ Office, which the authorities intercepted in Lal Chowk. The APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who had to lead a demonstration in Islamabad town was placed under house arrest. Talking to media, the APHC Chairman deplored that India was not allowing the Kashmiris to adopt democratic and peaceful means to secure their right to self-determination. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq could not offer Juma prayers for the second consecutive Friday, today, due to restrictions imposed by the authorities. Over fifty Hurriyet leaders and activists including Mukhtar Ahmed Waza and Ghulam Nabi Zaki were taken into custody while other Hurriyet leaders, Nisar Hussain Rather and Muhammad Shafi Lone were subjected to torture by the Indian police personnel. Senior APHC leader, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi addressing a public gathering in Budgam denounced the puppet regime for its undemocratic and dictatorial policies. The Grand Mufti of occupied Kashmir, Mufti Bashir-ud-din, in a statement in Srinagar said that settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations was a must for peace in South Asia. On the other hand, Indian troops, in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred three innocent Kashmiri youth at Machil in Kupwara, today. In Brussels, the Chairman of Kashmir Centre Brussels, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo in a statement welcomed the announcement of Pakistan and India to resume the dialogue process at Foreign Ministers level.
ST. KITTS: West Indies Women were setback in their preparations for the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup, when Pakistan Women crushed them by eight wickets in their third and final T20. The Windies Women were restricted to 105 for eight from their allocation of 20 overs, and the Pakistani Women replied with 102 for two to win with seven balls to spare at Edgar Gilbert Sports Complex. Cordel Jack led the way for the Windies Women with 46, after they were sent in to bat on a hard, true pitch. No other Windies Women’s batter scored more than 20. Pakistan Women’s captain Sana Mir was her side’s best bowler with three for 17 from three overs. Opener Sajjida Shah then anchored the Pakistan Women to victory with five fours in 51 from 54 balls. West Indies Women have been placed in Group-A of the Women’s T20 World Cup with defending champions England, arch-rivals Australia, and sports rivals South Africa. Pakistan Women have been drawn in Group-B alongside 2009 runners-up New Zealand, as well as fellow Asian sides India and Sri Lanka. The Women’s T20 World Cup opens next Wednesday. All of the group matches will be contested in St. Kitts before the semi-finals in St. Lucia on May 13 and 14, and the Final on May 16 in Barbados.
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Daily incidents of violence such as rape, abduction, and torture of Christians appears to be coutenanced with official indifference in Pakistan. On April 28, in Quetta (Baluchistan), a Christian, Zul…
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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said the sacrifices rendered by the armed forces, police, law enforcement agencies and people in the fighting against militancy and extremism would not go in vain. In a message on the eve of Martyrs Day being observed by the army to pay tribute to the officers and Jawans who laid down their lives in fighting militants and extremists, the President said, “the whole nation salutes the valiant defenders of the country and stands behind them”. President Zardari said without the courage and sacrifices of the members of the armed forces and full backing of the people, it would not have been possible to defeat militancy and raise once again the banner of Pakistan in Swat and Malakand. The President also prayed for the souls of the martyred officers and Jawans and said the soldiers had written a new chapter in the history of country with their blood and the nation would never forget their sacrifices. He said the nation also owed gratitude to the families of the martyrs and said it was the sacred duty of all to do everything possible to rehabilitate the families and enable them cope with the challenges that face them.
KARACHI: Under Supreme Court’’s verdict, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has started operation against illegal parking of oil tankers in Shireen Jinnah Colony and development of permanent parking area. Earlier, on application of Oil Tankers Association (OTA) KPT had given them deadline of two days to remove the tankers. OTA had ensured the KPT that it would evacuate the land with in two days.
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