ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has called upon the people to observe the Earth Hour on Saturday along with the international community by voluntarily switching off extra lights for one hour between 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. He also urged people to optimally utilize essential commodities like energy for the greatest good of greatest number of people. In a message on the occasion, he said, “The Earth Hour 2010 is being observed for the first time throughout the world on Saturday, 27th March, 2010 between 8:30pm to 9:30pm to impress upon the need to save energy and preserve environment for a better future.” He expressed pleasure that the Ministry of Environment has also decided to join the international community in observing Earth Hour at the appointed time. “Conservation of natural resources and essential commodities is critical to creating a sustainable environment. It is important that we conserve and use wisely essential commodities like energy particularly electricity so as to make it available for other worthwhile uses,” he added.
Written on March 27, 2010 | Posted in
2010,
International,
News
LAHORE: Quaid Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Mian Mohammed Nawaz Sharif has said the news regarding early presentation of constitutional package in National Assembly triggered panic and tension, Geo news reported. He said the 17th amendment should be repealed first of all while consensus upon selection of a new name of NWFP province will soon be reached. In an interview, he said he pays respect to ANP and Pakhtoon people. He linked dispense of provinces’ autonomy through consent of all provinces. My party and I believe in provincial autonomy, he said. “Democracy is the solution to all plights”, he added.
Written on March 27, 2010 | Posted in
NWFP,
News,
Pakistan
CAMP PENDLETON: A US military judge Friday threw out a bid to dismiss charges against a former squadron leader accused of a role in the 2005 killings of 24 Iraqi civilians. Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich is the last Marine still charged in the case as prosecutors have struggled to make the allegations stick. So far the other seven accused were either acquitted or had charges withdrawn before court martial. But judge Lieutentant Colonel David Jones said Friday the “motion to dismiss charges against the former aquad leader Sgt. Frank Wuterich is denied. “There was no improper influence flowing upwards or downwards,” the judge added. Wuterich faces multiple charges of voluntary manslaughter for his role in the deaths, which occurred after a deadly roadside bombing that claimed the life of a Marine in Haditha, 260 kilometers (140 miles) west of Baghdad, in 2005. Many of the victims were unarmed men, women and children.
Written on March 27, 2010 | Posted in
International
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has called upon the people to observe the Earth Hour on Saturday alongwith the international community by voluntarily switching off extra lights for one hour between 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. He also urged people to optimally utilize essential commodities like energy for the greatest good of greatest number of people. In a message on the occasion, he said, “The Earth Hour 2010 is being observed for the first time throughout the world on Saturday, 27th March, 2010 between 8:30pm to 9:30pm to impress upon the need to save energy and preserve environment for a better future.” He expressed pleasure that the Ministry of Environment has also decided to join the international community in observing Earth Hour at the appointed time. “Conservation of natural resources and essential commodities is critical to creating a sustainable environment. It is important that we conserve and use wisely essential commodities like energy particularly electricity so as to make it available for other worthwhile uses,” he added. He urged the people of Pakistan to join hands with other responsible nations by collectively acting to conserve energy.
Written on March 26, 2010 | Posted in
International,
Pakistan,
Politics
BAQUBA: Twenty people were killed and 55 wounded on Friday in twin blasts in the town of Khales, in Diyala province north of the Iraqi capital, a security official said. Among the wounded were women and children, said the official from Baquba Operations Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Some of the wounded were transported to a hospital in the provincial capital of Baquba, the official added. The blasts struck at around 6:15 pm (1515 GMT) in front of a cafe and a restaurant in central Khales, around 65 kilometres (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad and near Diyala’’s provincial capital of Baquba. The explosions came shortly before Iraq’’s national election commission was due to announce full results from the country’’s hotly-contested March 7 parliamentary election. Violence has dropped dramatically across Iraq since its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common, especially in Baghdad and the restive northern city of Mosul.
Written on March 26, 2010 | Posted in
News
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday dismissed any crisis following PML-N leader’’s voice of dissent and said he was ready to meet anyone in this regard to resolve the matter. “Let the committee take decision. I am ready to meet Mian Sahib,” Gilani said while talking to reporters after inaugurating the Aiwan-e-Quaid at F-9 Fatima Jinnah Park here. “There can be no crisis in the way of democracy,” said Gilani when asked about PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif’’s point of view. He said he had talked to Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Constitution Reforms Raza Rabbani and it was up to them to decide the future course of action. Regarding Nawaz Sharif’’s complaint that he was not taken into confidence over the Pak-US strategic dialogue, he said it was already planned and the nation would be taken into confidence. When asked whether the strategic dialogue would put Pakistan under lots of pressure, he said his was a democratic government and would do everything that was in the interest of the country without compromising national integrity and sovereignty. “We are answerable to the people of Pakistan and not to the United States of America,” Gilani said. With regard to the Pak-US and Indo-US ties he said Pakistan believed in composite dialogue and desired stronger bilateral relations. He said the address of the President to the Parliament was a constitutional requirement and referred to the past when a dictator did not do so. “We will not take any unconstitutional step and will take every step after taking opposition into confidence,” he added. To a question he said like always he has very good terms with the judiciary. About the energy crisis, he said,” power projects take lots of time for completion” and regretted that had the governments in the past done their part things would have been different now. Earlier while addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister said the country was at the crossroads of history. “It is time that we need to strengthen the foundation of the country and transfer the ideology of Pakistan to our next generation,” Gilani said. He said it was vital that all state institutions function independently within their own respective spheres, where they can gain strength and make the country stronger to face all challenges.
Written on March 26, 2010 | Posted in
News,
Politics
JERUSALEM: Israel insisted Friday it would continue construction in contested east Jerusalem, taking an uncompromising stance against U.S. pressure following a tense visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington. The refusal to change long-standing Israeli policy signaled that a high-profile rift between the two allies remained wide, withstalled Mideast peace talks caught in the middle. “The prime minister’’s position is that there is no change in Israeli policy on Jerusalem,”” Netanyahu’’s office said in a statement. Shortly after, he convened a previously scheduled meeting of key ministers to frame a response to Washington’’s demands for Israeli peace gestures. The Obama administration says Israeli building in east Jerusalem is provocative and undermines U.S. efforts to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The Palestinians want that sector of the holy city for a future capital and view the expanding Jewish presence there as a challenge to their claim. Netanyahu’’s meetings with President Barack Obama and other top U.S. officials did not appear to quell U.S. anger over a major east Jerusalem construction project whose announcement in the middle of a visit by Vice President Joe Biden touched off the worst diplomatic row between the two countries in decades. The disclosure Wednesday that 20 new Jewish homes would be built in the heart of an Arab neighborhood in east Jerusalem only stoked the frictions.
Written on March 26, 2010 | Posted in
International,
News
ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) met again today to resolve the differences over judges” appointment and renaming of NWFP. The meeting is currently underway with Raza Rabbani in chair. PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar was reported to have been under fire from other members of the committee during the meeting after PML-N chief took a U-turn on constitutional reform package. The signing ceremony of the final report of the PCCR was postponed on Thursday due to reservations of the PML-N over the constitutional amendments. With the delay in the finalisation of the recommendations of the Rabbani committee, the presentation of the report in both the houses of parliament, due today, was put on hold. Federal Minister Dr Babar Awan had announced on Wednesday that the government was summoning the joint session of parliament on Friday in which the 18th Amendment would be tabled following the address of President Asif Ali Zardari to the joint session. However, the signing ceremony was postponed, as the PCCR in its ”last” meeting, held here on Thursday, failed to reach a consensus on the renaming of the NWFP – the only contentious issue on which the ANP and the PML-N have locked their horns. The PCCR held two meetings here on Thursday, with Senator Raza Rabbani in the chair, to discuss the issue. However, the differences between the ANP and the PML-N remained unresolved, compelling the government to postpone the draft-signing ceremony by the committee members. Consequently, the joint sitting of parliament and the president’’s address to the joint session would also not be held today.
Written on March 26, 2010 | Posted in
News,
Politics
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said in the National Assembly session that government will honour house’ view and would not move the clock forward from April 1. The government last year decided to move the clock forward by one hour from April 1 till October 31 in order to lessen power shortage. Earlier, Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that last year 250 MW electricity had been saved by moving clock forward by one hour which is crucial in power crisis. He admitted that unannounced load shedding is on in the country due to burden on the system. Unannounced load shedding will be ended with the improvement of water situation, he added.
Written on March 26, 2010 | Posted in
News,
Politics
LAHORE: Power outages continue across country as electricity shortfall remains at 4700MW, Geo News reported. Unannounced load shedding continued in Lahore and other cities despite Pakistan Electric Power Company (Private) Limited (Pepco) announcement. Duration of load shedding is more than seven hours in Lahore and more than 19 hours in smaller cities. Electricity shortfall may rise if temperature increases. Industrial and domestic consumers have seriously criticised the government for failing to provide uninterrupted power supply.
Written on March 26, 2010 | Posted in
News,
Politics
