Threat report rejected

ISLAMABAD: The US embassy in Islamabad and Pakistani ambassador to Washington, Husain Haqqani, denied any reports suggesting that the United States has threatened Pakistan to snap diplomatic relations if Raymond Davis was not released by Friday.

Ambassador Haqqani went on Twitter to say: "No US official, incl the NSA, has conveyed any personal threats 2 me or spoken of extreme measures."

ABC News claimed US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon had threatened to expel Pakistan's ambassador to Washington, shut US consulates and cancel a forthcoming visit by President Asif Zardari if Davis is not released.

The US embassy said it was working with the Pakistani government to resolve the issue and expressed regret for the loss of life.

Courtney Beale, spokeswoman for the US embassy in Islamabad, said: "The ABC report is not true. The description of the conversations in the report are simply inaccurate."

"Eye witness reports show the American diplomat acted in self-defence. There's no doubt he has diplomatic immunity," said spokeswoman.

While on the other hand, Lahore city police chief Aslam Tareen said, "It has been proved that Raymond Davis committed murder".

Pak successfully test fires Ghauri Hataf-V

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan successfully test-fired ballistic missile Ghauri Hataf-V capable of carrying all kind of warheads, the military spokesman said.


According to Geo News, ISPR spokesman stated that the missile is capable of carrying all kind of warheads besides hitting its target at a range of 1300 kilometers.

The test of Ghauri Hataf-V is normal experiment to identify its capability.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have f congratulated Pak Army and the whole nation on succesfull test of Ghori Hataf-V.

Afghan governor, 14 others killed in mosque blast: police

KUNDUZ: An Afghan provincial governor and 14 other people were killed Friday when a powerful blast tore through a mosque in northern Afghanistan, a police commander said.

The nature of the blast in the town of Taluqan, the capital of Takhar province, was not immediately clear.

"There was a blast in the mosque. The governor, the imam, altogether 15 people have been killed," provincial police chief Shah Jahan Noori said.

Governor Mohammad Omar was the governor of the neighbouring province of Kunduz, but orginally came from Takhar.

Army chief orders probe into video footage

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani Friday ordered an inquiry into an Internet video that shows men in military uniforms executing six young men in civilian clothes.

The COAS said in a statement that he has ordered setting up of a board of inquiry to establish the true identity of uniformed personnel and the veracity of the video footage.

'The board will be headed by a Major General, a two star officer of Pakistan Army. He will be assisted by two / three senior officers with the experience of investigating into such incidents. Necessary technical expertise will be made available to the board', the statement said.

General Kayani referred back to his Command Directive on the issues of Human Rights and Extra Judicial Killings, and stated that such violations of his orders, if true, will not be tolerated.

He categorically stated that it is not expected of a professional army to engage in excesses against the people whom it is trying to guard against the scourge of terrorism.

Expressing his determination to take strictest possible disciplinary action against the perpetrators, if identified to be soldiers of Pakistan Army, he termed the incident as unacceptable under any circumstances. He emphasized that Rules of Engagement (ROE) are sacrosanct.

He, however, cautioned against reaching hasty conclusions about involvement of Pakistan Army soldiers. He pointed out that in order to hide their identities, cause confusion and malign Pakistan Army; terrorists have previously been disguising themselves as Pakistan Army soldiers during a number of attacks including the one on GHQ.

General Kayani also directed commanders at all levels to be vigilant and follow the Army policy of zero tolerance in such cases in true letter and spirit.

Musharraf blames Chaudhry brothers for NRO

LONDON: Former president Pervez Musharraf Wednesday blamed Chaudhry brothers for promulgation of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

In an exclusive interview with Geo News’ senior correspondent Sohail Warraich in London, Pervez Musharraf said: “We remained associated for five years and I had no differences whatsoever with Pervez Elahi.”

He said all his meetings with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto were held on the request of Chaudhry brothers. “There is always a quid pro quo when two parties get down to hold talks,” he said.

Pervez Musharraf said that it was his intention that neither Benazir Bhutto nor Nawaz Sharif be present in the country at the time of elections.

He said Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had objected to Benazir Bhutto’s becoming prime minister for the third term. He said both of them were on same page on scrapping of the cases because no court verdicts were coming.

The former president further said that Benazir Bhutto could have become prime minister if she had participated in the elections.

“I apologized people for NRO because it was a wrong decision; it led to a chaos in the country,” he said, adding, however that it was Chaudhry brothers who had misguided him.

Cyclone Phet weakens after hitting Oman

KARACHI: The intensity of Cyclone Phet weakened as it smashed along coastal Oman Friday, lashing the region with up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain.

Phet, once a powerful Category 4 storm, has been downgraded to Category 1 with winds of about 140 km/hr (86 mph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

Yet Phet brought massive flooding to Muscat and whipped the capital with winds gusting above 200 km/hr (125 mph) at the height of the storm.

The storm is forecast to reenter the Arabian Sea late Friday or early Saturday before making a projected landfall near Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday.

It is expected that the cyclone will cause 20-25 ft high tides and heavy rains across Sindh from Sunday to Tuesday.

It has been raining intermittently in the coastal areas of Balochistan including Gwadar since Friday morning. The rains are expected to continue till Monday.

Meanwhile, in Badin strong and dusty winds have begun in Badin, causing fear among the locals.

Finance advisor says govt performance below par

ISLAMABAD: Performance of the government in the last two years has not been good enough and there was a need to lessen the volume of public sector borrowing, Finance Adviser Abdul Hafiz Sheikh said during a press briefing here today.

The Economic Survey 2009-10 showed that the rate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was at 4.1 percent compared to 1.2 percent the previous fiscal year.

The achieved target is still far below the desired level given the population growth rate of two percent and labour force of around three percent, the sources added.

Inflation is undoubtedly less severe as compared to last year's 22 percent but is still in double digits at 11.5 percent.

Keeping the fiscal deficit low given the security situation, debt repayments and making robust development expenditure to overcome social and infrastructure imbalances and moving towards sustainable and inclusive development, still remains a daunting task.

Despite economic difficulties, the government has made determined efforts to protect the poor and the vulnerable and its overarching objective has been to ensure stabilisation with a human face.

Social protection measures were expanded from around Rs 8 billion two years ago to around Rs 80 billion this year. Direct income support for the poor and needy has been provided mainly through the Benazir Income Support Programme, which in 2009-10 was expanded to cover 5 million families, though actual coverage may be somewhat less, it is still substantive.

Provincial governments have also launched programmes to provide income support, food subsidies and job opportunities for the poor and needy.

Implementation of the 7th National Finance Commission Award and 18th Amendment will require that the federal and provincial governments work in close harmony to ensure that the growth dividend as a result of these changes is fully realised.

The coming year also marks the start of the 10th Five-Year Plan (2010-15), which will provide an overall medium-term policy and development framework to achieve the objective of sustained and pro-poor growth and equitable development.

Main features of the economic performance during the current year are; economic growth in 2009-10 is provisionally estimated at 4.1 percent, higher than the targeted growth of 3.3 percent. This was mainly due to a sharp bouncing lack of large-scale manufacturing (4.4 percent) pushing up industrial growth to 4.9 percent, which triggered robust growth in services of 4.6 percent.

Water discharge from lake reaches 4160 cusecs

HUNZA: The water outflow from Attabad Lake was 4,160 cusecs whereas inflow has been exceeded to 3,800 cusecs, as helicopter service remained suspended due to bad weather, Geo News reported on Friday.

Assistant Commissioner Gilgit Momin Jan told Geo that water outflow has been increased since morning.

Meanwhile, the width of spillway has been expanded to 32 meters from 18 meters. Sporadic rain is continuing in Hunza and Gilgit forcing suspension of helicopter service.

However, Gilgit-Hunza section of Karakoram Highway has been closed for traffic but in case of emergency special permission would be needed to use the highway.

Gwadar receives rainfall as cyclone Phet maintain intensity

KARACHI: Despite hitting the coast of the Gulf state of Oman, tropical cyclone Phet maintain its intensity as coastal areas of Gwadar received downpour with gutsy winds ahead of cyclone on Friday, which said to be re-curved to the coastal belt of Sindh and Balochistan.

Director General Metrological department Dr.Qamaruzzaman Chaudhry told Geo News that cyclone will re-curved to Pakistan.

According to Met office Islamabad, cyclone is heading towards north with 13 km/h and is at a distance of 850 kilometer from Karachi. The wave heights could be reached to 5 meters, it added.

Geo News correspondent in Gwadar said Gwadar,Jevani, Pasni and other areas started receiving downpour from 7:00 am today which is still going on. The office of deputy commissioner in Gwadar has been converted into emergency cell whereas Pakistan Navy, Coast Guards and other agencies are fully prepared to cope up with the situation. Pakistan Navy has put two helicopters in standby position and fishermen have warned not to venture into the sea.

Case lodged for Lalji’s alleged kidnapping

KARACHI: Well-known businessman Riaz Lalji went missing in Karachi on Sunday hours after arriving in the city from Dubai, Geo News reported.

Lalji arrived in Karachi from Dubai in PIA’s flight no PK-214 and went missing along with his gunman and driver from outside a super market located near Karachi airport. His vehicle has been found abandoned from Sharea Faisal.

A case has been lodged in Airport Police Station for the alleged kidnapping of Riaz Lalji his gunman and driver Kishan on the request of Maj. (Retd.) Muhammad Tahir.

CCPO Karachi Wasim Ahmed has formed an investigation committee headed by DIG East Abdul Khaliq Sheikh which has initiated its work.

The mobile phones of the three missing people have been found turned off while so far no one has tried to make contact with their families.

According to sources, Riaz Lalji is one of close friends of President Asif Ali Zardari and controversy surrounds his name in the cases of Steel Mills besides those of Rice Export Corporation of Pakistan (1995-96).

Water level drops in Attabad Lake

GILGIT BALTISTAN: At least 2,000 families started migration from Batgaram area as water level in Attabad Lake has been dropped.

Section 144 has imposed in 60 feet area along with Indus River in district Diamir due to danger of lake burst. The area has been declared red zone. Officials said that 22 areas of Diamir would be affected in case of lake burst.

The affectees said imposition of section 144 would increase their suffering. They demanded the government to provide relief like Hunza affectees.

Miracle in Dharabi Village of Chakwal (Nalan-e-Pak)

Hasb-e-Haal – 26 March 2010

Hasb-e-Haal – 25 March 2010

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