Pervez Musharraf vows to come back before elections

LONDON - Former President General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf has said he would give a surprise to the Pakistani nation by staging a come back before the general elections.

CNG Association strike called off

ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan CNG Association on Friday called off its strike after successful talks with the government. All CNG stations in the Punjab, including those in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, will now reopen on Sunday (today).

89 Indian fishermen handed over to BSF

As many as 89 Indian fishermen released by the Pakistan government as part of goodwill gesture, were handed over to the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) at Wagha Border on Friday.

Shahid Afridi set sights on World Twenty20

After falling to old rivals India in the World Cup semifinal last month, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has set his sights on the ICC World Twenty20 Championship to be played in Sri Lanka next year.

Pakistan keen for a short ODI series against India

KARACHI: Desperate to revive the Indo-Pak bilateral cricket ties, the PCB is trying hard to convince the BCCI for a short one-day series this year in Pakistan or at a neutral venue.

Judicial Commission defers appointment of new judges till April 2

Islamabad  : The Judicial Commission (JC) on Saturday deferred a proposal for appointment of new judges and regularization of ad-hoc judges till April 23 owing to absence of newly appointed Law Minister Maula Bux Chandio.Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry headed the commission’s meeting,

Pakistan supports initiatives of Afghan people for peace and stability : PM Gilani

Islamabad :   Prime Minister has said that Pakistan fully supports the initiativesof Afghan people for the establishment of peace and stability in theirown country. 

Drone attacks violation of human rights

Sukkur : American drone attacks in Pakistan are not just attack on territorial sovereignty of Pakistan but also a grave violation of human rights and the government should get this bloodshed of Pakistani citizens stopped at the earliest, demanded Allama Hizbullah Jakhro, Chief of Jamiat Ittehad-ul-Ulema Sindh chapter.

Veil ban in France violation of women rights

Karachi : The restriction on wearing Hijab for Muslim women in France has exposed the self-prophesied champions of human rights. The double standards of West about human rights and their open bias against Muslims is no more a secret, said Asadullah Bhutto Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Sindh chapter.

Cricket West Indies Board has not abandoned senior players

Kingston, Jamaica, April 16 PPI: West Indies Cricket Board CEO Ernest Hilaire says WICB have not abandoned senior players despite non selection of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan or Chris Gayle for Twenty20 and first two one-day internationals against Pakistan starting on April 21 in St Lucia.

Hundreds of HIV/AIDS cases in Larkana still undetected

Ratodero, Sindh : Hundreds of HIV/AIDS cases in Larkana are still undetected due to lack of proper diagnostic facilities in government hospitals, and rampant poverty deterring people to visit costly private facilities.

8.4 million cubic water sources generated for drinking in Cholistan, Punjab

Karachi : Pakistan Council on Research in Water Resources PCRWR says 8.4 million cubic meter water sources generated for drinking purpose of 0.1 million human and 2.0 million livestock population in Cholistan desert area of Punjab.

Pakistan supports Afghan-led solution, opposes outside formula

Kabul : Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani says Pakistan supports Afghan-led solution in Afghanistan and warned outside formula was not going to work.

Pakistan seeks US private sector investment in energy

Washington, : Pakistan is seeking United States private sector investment in energy sectorin order to overcome severe power shortages in the country.Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh,

Cricket Guyana ready to host its leg of West Indies, Pakistan series

Georgetown, Guyana  Guyana is fully prepared and ready to host its leg of Digicel 2011 Cricket Series between the West Indies and Pakistan from May 5-15, says President of Georgetown Cricket Board GCB Chetram Singh.

Justice (rtd) Fakhruddin urges people to use their right to vote carefully in next elections

Karachi : Justice (rtd) Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim urged people to use their right to vote carefully in next general elections to bring a positive change in the country. The destiny of nations is in hands of people who must make use of the ballot accordingly, he said while speaking at ceremony hosted by Aitemaad Pakistan Trust to honor volunteers who worked during devastating floods last year to rehabilitate victims in various parts of Sindh province.

Govt seeks action against Kamal Azfar

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday moved an application before the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC)’s disciplinary committee requesting to initiate proceedings against senior advocate Kamal Azfar for professional misconduct, as he appeared before the Supreme Court on behalf of the federation in a review petition against the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) verdict.

CIA won’t halt operations in Pakistan: US official

WASHINGTON: The Central Intelligence Agency has no plans to suspend “operations” in Pakistan against terror suspects despite objections from leaders in Islamabad, a US official said on Thursday.

Asma Jahangir asks president, PM to take notice of threats to Azfar

LAHORE: Supreme Court Bar Association President Asma Jahangir has expressed grave concern over life threats being given to Barrister Kamal Azfar, a government lawyers in the NRO case.

Iran building anti-terror fence on Pak border

ISLAMABAD: As if Iran’s summoning of Pakistan’s ambassador in Tehran to protest Islamabad’s recruitment of thousands of Pakistanis into Bahrain’s security forces was not enough, on Friday IRNA reported that Iran was building a concrete fence along its 700-km long border with Pakistan to stop cross-border movement of terrorists, according to Iran’s defence minister.

PM Gilani to visit Afghanistan today

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani will visit Afghanistan on Saturday (today) to meet its leadership.

PM Gilani, Babar brief Zardari on ZAB case

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday called on President Asif Ali Zardari here at the Presidency to discuss various issues, including the presidential reference filed in the Supreme Court to reopen the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case. The president apprised the premier of his recent visit to Turkey. Prime Minister Gilani also took President Zardari into confidence about his visit to Afghanistan.

Shahbaz Sharif for rejecting aid under Kerry-Lugar Bil

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said the key to the problem of drone attacks that result in the deaths of innocent Pakistanis is abandoning assistance received under the Kerry-Lugar Bill as well as the terms and conditions imposed under the Bill. He said that condemnatory resolutions and protest statements would not lead to any solutions.

Zulqarnain Haider withdraws asylum application

LONDON: Retired run-away wicketkeeper, Zulqarnain Haider Syed, has voluntarily withdrawn his application for asylum in Britain, after the Pakistan government assured him and his family of “the highest level of security” in Pakistan, the News has learnt. Sources say the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also given serious indications of Zulqarnain’s possible rehabilitation into Pakistani cricket.

LHC seeks govt’s reply on drone attacks

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday sought a reply from the federal government for April 26 on a writ petition seeking directions to the government to stop the drone attacks.

Militancy to be rooted out soon: Iftikhar Hussain

BANNU: Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Friday said that militancy would soon be rooted out from the province.

NAB given two months to probe sale of embassy land

LAHORE: LHCchief justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry on Friday ordered the director general of the NAB, Punjab, to hold a thorough probe into the allegations of selling embassies land in Japan and Indonesia in 2002 by the then ambassadors of Pakistan at throwaway prices and file references in two months (if allegations are proved) in the accountability court.

Shahbaz Sharif for doing away with US aid to end drone attacks

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that it is not possible to stop the drone attacks, resulting in the death of innocent Pakistanis, merely by condemnatory resolutions and protest statements.

Indonesia to pick up hostages from Somali pirates

JAKARTA  - Indonesia has deployed troops to the seas off Somalia to pick up its 20 sailors held hostage by pirates once the negotiations for their release are finalised, an official said Saturday.

Nigeria : Votes in crucial presidential election

LAGOS  - Nigerians gathered at polling stations on Saturday for a crucial presidential election as Africa's most populous nation bids to hold its cleanest polls for head of state in nearly two decades. 

President Bashar al-Assad to address new Syria government

DAMASCUS  - President Bashar al-Assad will address Saturday the new Syrian government, which was unveiled this week, a senior official said as protests demanding greater freedom entered a second month. 

report calls for war crimes probe of Sri Lanka govt

COLOMBO  - A UN panel has called for an independent probe into "credible" allegations that Sri Lanka committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in its final 2009 offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels, a report said Saturday.

Dalai Lama urges restraint in Tibet monastery standoff

DHARAMSALA, India  - The Dalai Lama hasurged restraint in a stand-off between security forces andTibetans at a Buddhist monastery in southwest China, said tohave been sparked by the self-immolation of a monk last month.

Misrata under bombardment, West seeks regime change

TRIPOLI,  - Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi bombarded the besieged rebel city of Misrata andbattled their way into its centre, and U.S., British and Frenchleaders redefined the aim of their air war to regime change. 

Libyan government forces launch rockets on Misrata

BEIRUT  - Libyan government forcesattacked the coastal city of Misrata with at least 100 Gradrockets early on Saturday, a rebel spokesman said.

Afghanistan : Suicide attack kills 5 foreign soldiers

JALALABAD, Afghanistan - A suicidebomber in an Afghan army uniform killed five foreign and fourAfghan soldiers in an attack on a sprawling desert base in theeast of the country on Saturday, the highest toll on NATO-ledtroops in a single attack for several months.

            The attack hit a newly built base in a remote

Syrian dies of wounds, democracy protest in 5th week

AMMAN  - A man shot by gunmen loyal toSyrian President Bashar al-Assad this week died of his wounds onSaturday, a rights group said, adding to tension in the coastalcity of Banias where the army was deployed to contain protests.

President Obama reaches out to base after budget battle

WASHINGTON  - Bruised by a grueling battle with his foes in Congress, President Barack Obama sought Saturday to reassure his Democratic base this week as he unveiled a budget strategy with an eye to the 2012 race.       In his weekly radio address, the president took a new swipe at the Republican plan, saying it would give $1 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthiest two percent of Americans.

Opposition set for big gains in Malaysia state election

KUALA LUMPUR  - Malaysia's opposition appeared poised for major gains on Saturday, political analysts said, after voters went to the polls in resource-rich Sarawak state on Borneo island.

7m Afghans face hunger

KABUL: The United Nations warned on Friday of a looming food aid shortage in Afghanistan that could leave more than 7 million people hungry unless it received urgent cash donations of over $250 million to buy more supplies.

World’s oldest man passes away at 114

LOS ANGELES: The world’s oldest man, Walter Breuning, whose first memories included the day US president William McKinley was shot in 1901, has died at age 114, the retirement home where he lived said Friday.      

Syrians stage massive protest against Assad

DAMASCUS: Thousands of protesters massed across Syria after Friday prayers as a global outcry widened over a deadly crackdown on month-old, anti-regime demonstrations.      

US holds missile-defence test

WASHINGTON: The US military said it succeeded in its “most challenging” missile intercept test yet, using Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Co hardware to shoot down an intermediate-range ballistic target over the Pacific.   

Amnesty International Demands Release of Teenage Kashmiri

London :  The Amnesty International (AI) has demanded of Indian authorities to immediately release a teenage Kashmiri, Murtaza Manzoor of Zainakadal, Srinagar, who was unlawfully detained by the authorities under the draconian law, Public Safety Act (PSA).