Pakistan appoints new spy chief

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Pakistan named a new head of intelligence on Friday, propelling a former deputy spy chief to the head of an agency crucial to American hopes of negotiating a peace deal with the Afghan Taliban and keeping the pressure on al-Qaida.


Lt. Gen. Zaheerul Islam replaces Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, who had been in the post since 2008 and was due to retire on March 18th. The scion of a military family who is currently army commander in the city of Karachi, Islam was considered a likely man for the job.


As head of the Inter-Services Intelligence, he will be a major player in any Pakistani efforts to get the Afghan Taliban to enter peace negotiations to the end the war. ISI agents helped build up the Afghan Taliban in the 1990s, and its leaders are based in Pakistan. The ISI is believed to have some influence over them.


The ISI also works closely with the CIA in tracking and capturing members of al-Qaida, which retain a global command and training center close to the Afghan border. Many of the terrorist plots targeting the West over the last 10 years have originated from the region.


Islam is not expected to immediately, or significantly, change Pakistani policy in those areas.


The ISI falls under the control of the army, which sets policy in consultation with the elected government.

Over 25 ceramics manufacturing units closed in Gujrat, Gujranwala

FAISALABAD: More than 25 Ceramics Manufacturing Units have been closed down in Gujarat and Gujranwala districts during the current year 2011 due to fuel and energy shortages, primitive methods of manufacturing, inability to assemble and deploy intellectual, human and financial resources effectively, lack of vision for growth, limited perception of business requirements and restricted funding sources.


In a survey report conducted by International Finance Corporation of World Bank Group with the cooperation of State Bank of Pakistan and Owners of the Ceramics Industry, it was pointed out that this sector does not experience seasonal fluctuations and is fairly dependent upon business conditions. The business suffers from lack of technology and good quality raw materials which affects the quality of the product to great extent.


Therefore, Ceramics Industry has a heavy reliance on their suppliers and most of the businesses rely on more than five suppliers according to our primary survey.


According to Pakistan Ceramics Manufacturing Associations, the businesses in Ceramics Industry approach their customers, which are retail shops, by paying personal visits and arrange agreements. Most of the businesses have pre-selected retailers to whom they sell their products. Only about 10 percent have their own retail shops.

PTCL launches Pakistan’s first 3G enabled android tablet

Islamabad—Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) on the 64th Independence Day of Pakistan announced the launch of the country’s first 3G enabled tablet with built in EVO Wireless Broadband


“3G EVO Tab” is a 7 inch touch screen tablet with built-in EVO service to offer wireless broadband internet on the go in more than 100 cities across the country. Powered by Google Android Froyo 2.2 Operating system, 3G EVO Tab offers support for both 3G & Wi-Fi for an un-interrupted on-the-go connectivity. With a 5MegaPixel Camera , a variety of built-in applications plus access to latest Android market; 3G EVO Tab lets you browse, snap, share, communicate, navigate, play games and do a lot more on-the go; thereby making it an ideal connectivity solution for users looking for high speed on-the-go 3G connectivity on an Android platform. It’s available in two colors i.e. Grey Stone & Ivory White.


PTCL 3G EVO Tablet offers convenience and speed with three diverse economy packages to suit individual needs & pockets. With a 12month contract, customers can get EVO Tab for as low as Rs.7999 plus 12months unlimited EVO service, all at Rs. 31,999. Apart from the 12months contract, EVO Tab also offers bundled packages based on 3months and 6months contract at Rs.27,999 & Rs. 29,999, respectively with 3months & 6months of unlimited EVO service.


SEVP Commercial Naveed Saeed said that PTCL always strives to provide high quality services to its customers and with these 3G EVO Tab packages PTCL aims to give double advantages to its valued customers in the industry at the lowest rates. He said this reinforced company’s determination to improve and build good relationship with its customers while meeting their demands most effectively. He further added that PTCL 3G EVO Tab is packed with features of both a tablet and a GSM phone that will give PTCL customers the freedom to surf, talk, tweet & do a lot more simultaneously on -the-go in more than 100 cities nationwide.
Syed Asim Ali EVP Wireless Business said that it is always our top priority to facilitate our customers to the maximum. 3G EVO Tab is yet another first for the Pakistan market which is in line with our aim of introducing products and services that add value to our customer’s lives.

Google Doodle marks Pak I-Day

THE world’s largest Internet search engine also celebrated Pakistan’s 64th Independence Day with Google Doodle.

For the very first time in the history of Google, a Google Doodle has been especially designed for Pakistan. Google has put a green-collared doodle representing the colour of Pakistan’s national flag on the Pakistani Google homepage. For years, countless forums have hosted hordes of discussions on why a Doodle to celebrate Pakistan’s Independence Day was not making an appearance.
The idea was pushed in front of the team from Google, Google.org, Google Maps and YouTube that came to Pakistan last December. It was all over Twitter and emails were submitted to the Proposals link on the Doodle4Google website. Run a search on “Google Doodle for Pakistan” and you’ll see how aggressive and assertive some of these requests were.

CJ orders leaves cancellation of Qureshi’s team

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Director General Federal Investigation Agency to associate himself with a team, investigating National Insurance Corporation Company Limited (NICL) scam and take steps for registration of cases.A three-Judge bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Ghulam Rabbani on a suo motu case, taken on suspension issue of additional director general FIA Zafar Ahmed Qureshi, also directed the DG FIA to inquire from Inspector General Police Punjab about registration of any complaint about a bomb hoax of August 13 in FIA building Lahore and apprise it on Wednesday.The bench in its order said that the rumour about planting a bomb inside FIA building was spread intentionally to prevent entry of Zafar Ahmed Qureshi, who was asked by the apex Court on August 8 order to assume charge of his duties immediately after setting aside his suspension order of July 2.“In such like situation, it was the duty of DG FIA to register a case under Section 505 of PPC,” the bench observed. He was directed to ensure that action was duly intended against the responsible.The bench also cancelled casual leaves of team members of Qureshi and ordered DG FIA to produce them before it on Wednesday and ensure that they would not be pressurized or threatened from any quarters.The bench also observed that hurdles for Qureshi in assumption of charge of duty were created intentionally.“We are of the opinion that Secretary Interior, DG FIA, director Lahore and assistant director Lahore, are, prima facie, responsible for violating Supreme Court orders of August 8,” the bench added.The bench also issued notice to Director FIA Lahore to appear on Wednesday over the issue of reported resistance against Qureshi.At the outset of proceedings, Zafar Qureshi apprised the bench that he received the Court’s order on August 9 and wrote a set of letters to the DG FIA but could not get any response. He said that he had asked for deputing his former four-member team comprising Javed Hussain Shah, Mohammad Ahmed, Khalid Anees and Sarwar and arrangement of a meeting at National Police Foundation but it was not allowed.He said that he was informed by a source that two among these officials including Javed Hussain Shah and Sarwar had been sent on casual leaves while the files of NICL were also taken away form them. Zafar said that on night of August 12 he was informed by the assistant director FIA Lahore Khawaja Hamad that a bomb was planted in FIA building, therefore, he should not visit it. While the next morning, the building was locked after claim of bomb planting, with few officials inside and barring his entry, he added. Expressing annoyance, the Chief Justice told Secretary Interior Khawaja Siddique Akbar that they had ordered the Secretary Establishment to proceed against him for similar tactics.Reminding him, the Chief Justice, told him that contempt of proceedings were still pending against him.Defending his position, the Secretary Interior said that he had responded quickly to Qureshi’s requests and the fact was appreciated by the FIA official himself in his written letter.

Pakistan will have to repay $8 bn to IMF in four years

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will have to repay over $8 billion obtained under the Standby Arrangement (SBA) from the IMF within the next four years up to fiscal year 2014-15 since the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will have to return installments of the $1.4 billion loan in the ongoing fiscal year starting February 24, 2012, The News has learnt.

According to the repayment schedule agreed between the IMF and Pakistan, which is available with The News, Pakistan will have to return the first due installment of $413 million — 258 million Special Drawing Rights (SDR) — to the IMF on February 24, 2012. This will be paid back to the Fund from foreign currency reserves held by the SBP.

The foreign currency reserves rose to over $18 billion in the wake of a comfortable external account balance but pressure will start to be felt on that side after the initiation of repayments to the IMF loan as well as the possibility of a further dip in exports owing to a decline in the prices of cotton in the international market. The higher remittances are rescuing Pakistani authorities but many economists term this phenomenon ‘mysterious’ and require further analysis to know reasons for achieving unprecedented growth in this sector. An analysis done by SBP shows that 68 percent transactions of money received from abroad can be termed small transactions. 

The existing $11.3 billion SBA program is going to expire on September 30, 2011 as the last two tranches of $3.2 billion seem like a pipedream in the aftermath of Islamabad’s failure to pursue key reforms as well as the emergence of the revenue figures fiasco that has severely tarnished the credibility of the economic team. 

“The first installment of SBA program worth $413 million (258.4 million Special Drawing Rights) of the IMF will be due on Feb 24, 2012; the second installment worth $413 million on May 25, 2012; and third installment of $113 million on June 29, 2012,” say official documents showing details of repayment arrangements between Pakistan and IMF.

The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement the existing official reserves of member countries. SDRs are allocated to member countries in proportion to their IMF quotas. The SDR also serves as the unit of account of the IMF and some other international organisations. One US dollar is equivalent to 1.6 SDR. Islamabad will have to repay 258 million SDR on August 24, 2012, which translates into over $400 million and 71 SDR on October 2012. The total repayments in year 2012 will stand in the range of 1.418 billion SDR, 2.362 billion SDR in 2013, 1.230 billion SDR in 2014 and 193 million SDR in 2015.

The foreign currency reserves of Pakistan stand in the range of over $18 billion out of which over $8 billion is loans obtained from the Fund under the existing SBA program. After excluding the IMF loan, the position of foreign currency reserves, which will stand in the range of $10 billion, will be exposed to vulnerabilities. 

Despite the outstanding performance of remittances as well as improved performance of the exports sector, Pakistan is left with no option but to seek another IMF programme in the range of $3 to $5 billion to give other donors and investors the signal that the country is under tight scrutiny of the IMF.

Six killed in Lyari building collapse

KARACHI: At least six people were killed, 15 others injured and dozens feared trapped when a dilapidated five-storey residential building collapsed in the congested area of Lyari here on Thursday morning.

As the rescue operation led by the Army Corps of Engineers continued late into the night, the collapse of Qasr-e-Ruqqaiya situated in Moosa Lane, Baghdadi, resulted in the death of six-year-old Areesha, her brother 22-year-old Bilal along with 25-year-old Imran and an elderly woman, Hawa Bai. The bodies of two other women were recovered late at night.

More deaths were feared as hordes of spectators in the narrow and congested lanes, and a slow response from the government in providing equipment and services, delayed the rescue work.

Pakistan rejects US assessment of its terror fight

Pakistan is rejecting a White House report that criticizes its efforts to stop militants along the Afghan border.

The report released this week says Pakistan has made little progress in battling Islamist extremists and that there is "no clear path toward defeating the insurgency" in the country.

The U.S. considers Pakistan key to its efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and defeat al-Qaida. It has given Pakistan billions in military and other aid over the past decade to stop its soil from being used as a safe haven for militants from Afghanistan.

Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua on Thursday called the report's references to Pakistan "unwarranted."

She also says Pakistan should not be blamed for Western failings in Afghanistan.

US lawmakers tell Obama, dump Pakistan and go with India

WASHINGTON: Expressing apprehension that the United States is being "taken for suckers" and "looked at as patsies" by Pakistan, two American lawmakers on Tuesday called for strengthening ties with India even as a White House report gave a harshly critical assessment of Islamabad's effort to defeat extremism.

While administration officials defended Washington's support for Pakistan using the same logic as London is doing on UK Prime Minister David Cameron's ongoing visit to Islamabad ("a difficult partnership with Pakistan is far better than having a hostile Pakistan," one U.S official testified), lawmakers wanted a major reappraisal of U.S outlook for the region. They expressed doubts if any good would come out of the current U.S policy of coddling Islamabad in the face of Pakistani duplicity in combating extremism. Instead, they pushed for even closer ties with India.

"After 10 years of hearing the same sales pitch I tend to doubt it. I doubt that our money is buying anything that's deep or durable," New York Congressman Gary Ackerman said at a hearing. "I doubt the leaders in the Afghan government and the Pakistani government are going to do anything except pursue their own narrow, venal self interests. I doubt the ISI will ever stop working with us during the day and going to see their not-so-secret friends in the Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e Mohammed and other terrorist groups at night."

Afridi should captain Pakistan in Tests, says Imran

Pakistan's limited overs captain Shahid Afridi should return to Test cricket and skipper the national team in all three formats of the sport, former captain Imran Khan said.

Afridi pulled out of a Test series against Australia last year in England after losing the first Test at Lord's as captain.

Since then he has only captained Pakistan in one-day internationals and T20 matches. Senior batsman Misbah-ul-Haq led Pakistan in their last two Test series against South Africa and New Zealand.

Afridi, who led Pakistan to the semifinals of the World Cup that ended on Saturday, has made himself available for this month's tour to the West Indies after previously planning on missing the series.

"There should be just one captain for all three formats of the game," Imran told reporters at a function held in Lahore to honour Pakistan's World Cup umpire Aleem Dar.

"The main reason for India winning the World Cup is that their captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni leads them in Tests, ODIs and T20 cricket," the cricketer turned politician said.

Imran, who led Pakistan to their only World Cup title in 1992, said that Dhoni had matured quicker as a captain because he had developed the temperament to handle the different pressures of the three formats.

"Afridi must also be captain in all three formats of the sport. My belief is that unless you captain in Test cricket you can't really be at the top of your game," he said.

Afridi withdrew from Test cricket after claiming he wanted to spend more time with his family and focus on the limited overs game.

Another ‘men eater’ arrested in Bhakkar

Police arrested a second accused of ‘men eater’ here in Bhakkar on Monday.

The police has arrested four accused on a tip in Bhakkar, who were used to eat dead bodies. Police said that the investigation is underway.

On Sunday, Darya Khan Police had raided a house in Union Council Kahawar Kalan in Bhakkar and arrested a 3-member family including a woman while one of them succeed to flee from the site.

A leg-broken dead body of 19 years old girl and a big bowl having curry was also recovered from the house.

The arrested accused confessed that they are used to eat human dead bodies and dead dogs. Adding that they dig graves and bring out bodies who have buried in the graveyard.

Taliban twin bombers kill 42 at Pakistani shrine

A pair of Taliban suicide bombers struck one of Pakistan's most important Sufi Muslim shrines on Sunday, killing 42 people and wounding 100 who were celebrating the anniversary of its founder's death with music, meditation and other practices abhorred by Islamist militant groups.

Another bomber was wounded when his explosive vest partially detonated. He was arrested along with a fourth militant who was seized before attacking, police official Ahmad Mubarak said.

The attack on the Sakhi Sarwar shrine ended a months-long respite in a relentless militant campaign against the shrines founded by ancient adherents of Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam that sees dancing, chanting and visiting holy sites as expressions of devotion to God. Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan called The Associated Press to claim responsibility for the assault.

"It was a huge blast. People were running in panic," said Fida Bakhsh, 42, a vendor outside the shrine. "It was horrible. We were running over bodies and blood."

Pakistan army: Military exercises held in Khudai Ranges

MULTAN: Pakistan army conducted successful war exercises in the Khudai range near Muzzafargarh. Large scale use of tanks, artilleries and other weapons was made in the exercises. At the occasion, Corps Commander Multan Lieutenant General Shafqat Ahmad said the army was required to remain alert to face challenges at the country’s eastern border, and to operate against terrorism. He said the armed forces of Pakistan were capable enough to guard the country’s frontiers. Ahmad also visited the semi-desert Khudai Ranges near Muzzaffargarh and witnessed exercises conducted by armour, infantry and artillery troops. The corps commander also reiterated that Multan troops played a significant role in “Operation Labbaik”, which ensured appropriate rescue and rehabilitation of displaced persons from Southern Punjab. “Along with these activities, troops are also engaged in their training activities without compromising professional standards, which is the hallmark of Pakistan Army,” the corps commander added.

Pakistan reopens 1979 Bhutto hanging

Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan’s president, on Friday asked the supreme court to review the controversial death sentence which led to the 1979 hanging of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was prime minister and father of his late wife.


Analysts warned that the case could reopen old divisions in a country which has hovered between periods of military rule and short-lived democracies, and is struggling to unite in the face of an islamist insurgency.


Leaders of Mr Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said he may be seeking to strengthen his position as leader of the PPP, founded by the late Mr Bhutto. Many PPP activists were imprisoned and tortured in a well-documented reign of terror unleashed during General Zia ul-Haq’s eleven-year military dictatorship.


After Mr Bhutto’s hanging, he PPP was led by Benazir Bhutto, Mr Bhutto’s elder daughter who went on to marry Mr Zardari in 1987. Ms Bhutto was assassinated in a terrorist attack in December 2007.


“There is a historic wrong which we are trying to set right. There is no other purpose behind this decision” said Farhatullah Babar, Mr Zardari’s spokesman. But analysts warned that reopening the controversial case will expose the divisions that ran deep in the past.

Bank fraud accused’s remand extended to 4 more days

ISLAMABAD: Sessions Judge Muhammad Aslam Gondal Thursday extended physical remand of Nabeel Ahmad who was allegedly involved in a bank fraud for further four days.


A First Information Report (FIR) vide 06/2011 PS/ FIA/ CBC was lodged on 24-03-11 against Ahmed under sections 419/420-PPC by Mubashir Ali Ahsan, an official at NIB Bank Ltd Islamabad. The accused hails from Gujranwala.


FIA arrested the accused on March 24 and produced before court on March 25. The court had already granted his physical remand twice to FIA. The agency recovered an amount of Rs 26,500 during these remands from him.


According to FIA, National Investment Bank (NIB) lodged a complaint with Director FIA Islamabad Zone claiming that on March 24, 2011, a customer Nabeel Ahmad came to China Chowk branch for issuance of pay order of Rs 60,000 at Gujranwala branch.


He signed the pay order application form and since he did not have the original CNIC the staff referred his case to branch manager, in the meantime Ahmed slipped the bank. Another customer with the same account, Muhammad Liaquat had already lodged a complaint with FIA Gujranwala branch that a pay order of Rs, 26,500 issued in the name of Ahmed by F-10 Markaz branch on March 18, 2011 without his knowledge.

13 dead' in new attack on Pakistan Islamic party

CHARSADDA, Pakistan — A suicide bomb blast targeting an Islamic party chief killed at least 13 people in Pakistan Thursday, officials said -- the second attack against him and his supporters in two days.

The bombing took place in the northwestern town of Charsadda, close to the convoy of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) party.

"At least 13 people were martyred including four police officials and 42 others were wounded in the suicide bombing," senior administration official Ajmal Khan told AFP.

"The bomber was on foot and he jumped on the main road in front of the police vehicle and detonated his explosive when the convoy of Maulana Fazlur Rehman was coming," Khan said.

Rehman and his companions were unharmed, senior police official Nisar Khan Marwat told AFP, adding that the politician had gone to the town to address a party meeting.

Rehman's party spokesman Asif Iqbal Daudzai confirmed that the party chief and other leaders were not hurt, but two security guards travelling in the vehicle in front were wounded.

"Maulana Fazlur Rehman and others are safe, their vehicle was damaged in the bomb blast," Daudzai told AFP.

Pakistani officials have arrested Indonesian Umar Patek, suspect in 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Intelligence sources say top Indonesian terror suspect Umar Patek has been arrested in Pakistan. 

Patek is one of the main suspects in the 2002 Bali bombings that left 202 people dead.

Two officials speaking on condition that they not be named said Patek was taken into custody in Pakistan on March 2. One of the sources is an Indonesian security official, and the other is a Philippine intelligence official who cited information from U.S. counterparts.

more updates are coming

Pakistan cancels prison sentence of Indian man

Pakistan's president has canceled the remaining sentence of an Indian man imprisoned in Pakistan for the last 27 years.

President Asif Ali Zardari's decision Sunday came after India invited him and the Pakistani prime minister to watch a World Cup semifinal between their respective cricket teams being played in India.

Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani accepted the invitation Sunday.

Later, the government said Zardari had remitted Gopal Das' prison sentence on humanitarian grounds in response to an unusual appeal by the Indian Supreme Court.

Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said Das was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 1987 and was originally slated to be released by the end of this year. He declined to specify the crime, but Indian media reports said he was convicted of spying.

Investment in IT sector urged

Karachi —Investment in the information technology is a must for making headway as well as for the benefit of our younger generation. This was stressed by Naveed Siraj, Country manager of Intel Pakistan.

He was speaking at the launching ceremony of the second generation Intel Core Family Processors at a local hotel on Thursday.

Naveed maintained that this adds a number of visually stunning features built right into the chips through graphics. He said that the new processor graphics technology will focus on the areas where most people are computing today: High definition (HD) video, photos, mainstream gaming, multi-tasking and online socializing and multimedia.

This, Naveed added, means an improved PC experience with overall power management, greater efficiency and a great battery life.

Pakistan 'crop shortage' warning

Lowering wheat prices would create food shortages in Pakistan and encourage smuggling, officials say, responding to criticism from the UN.

On Wednesday the UN's food relief agency said the government set prices too high and malnutrition was rising.

But an official at Pakistan's food ministry told the BBC farmers would simply switch to more lucrative crops if wheat prices went down.

Devastating floods across Pakistan in 2010 damaged acres of arable land.

Although crop yields in 2011 are projected to be healthy, prices are too high for an impoverished population, the director of the UN's World Food Programme told journalists on the sidelines of humanitarian meetings in Geneva on Wednesday.

"The crop outlook is not bad but the food security situation remains difficult because prices remain so high," Wolfgang Herbinger said.

Smuggling risk

Malnutrition levels in the southern province of Sindh had reached 21% to 23%, according to the WFP.