ECP forms special wing for LB polls

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has begun its preparations for the holding of local government elections. The commission on Wednesday issued a notification pertaining to the formation of a special wing in relation to local bodies’ polls that are to be held in the four provinces. A spokesman for the ECP said the special wing includes four Grade 17 officers and has sections relating to local bodies’ elections to be held in the Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The mandate of the ECP’s special wing is to establish and maintain contact with the provincial administrations. The establishment of the commission’s special wing came days after the Supreme Court recently ordered the four provincial governments and the Islamabad administration to complete legal formalities, including delimitation of constituencies, by August 15 to enable the ECP to hold local government elections preferably on September 15. The court had moreover directed that local bodies’ elections also be held in all cantonment boards, and preferably on the same day. Although it appears that the provincial administrations are finally inching towards the holding of local government elections, the fate of the local bodies’ system continues to hang in the balance as provincial governments have so far failed to make effective legislation and give the people a better replacement for the one introduced by the Musharraf regime and address their problems at the grassroots level.

Pakistan women cruise to win over Irish to qualify for World T20

KARACHI: Pakistan clinched a spot in the Women's world Twenty20 in Bangladesh next year after a nine-wicket victory over Ireland in the semi-final of the qualifiers in Dublin on Monday. Ireland were bowled out for only 65 and Pakistan cruised to the win, losing only one wicket in the process. Sadia Yousuf starred for Pakistan with figures of 4-9 in four overs while Kim Garth was the only one from Ireland who remained unbeaten and managed double figures. Javeria Khan scored 34 as Pakistan wrapped up the chase easily, losing only Nahida Khan for 13 in the seventh over while Nain Abidi made 16.

Warner to rejoin Ashes squad, eyes Test recall

LONDON: David Warner is to rejoin Australia's squad in England on Monday, a team spokesman told AFP, as the controversial batsman eyes a recall for a third Test that the tourists must win to keep their Ashes hopes alive. Warner was banned in the run-up to the opening match of the series after punching England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar in June following Australia's defeat by their arch-rivals in the Champions Trophy one-day tournament in June. His subsequent lack of match practice saw the selectors send him out to join the Australia A side on their tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa. That meant Warner missed the first two Tests of the five-match Ashes series, both of which Australia lost as they went down by 14 runs at Trent Bridge and then suffered a 347-run hammering at Lord's. Last week 26-year-old left-hander Warner, who can open the innings, made 193 against South Africa A in a drawn four-day match in Pretoria. But the second innings saw umpires twice having to halt play as sledging involving Warner and South Africa A wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile boiled over. These incidents again raised questions about Warner's temperament but an Australia team spokesman confirmed the New South Wales batsman would be rejoining the squad in Manchester, northwest England, where the third Test starts on Thursday at Old Trafford. “We are travelling to Manchester today (Monday) and David Warner will link up with us there,” said team spokesman Matt Cenin. With no Australia batsman having yet made a century this Ashes series and the side bowled out for just 128 in the first innings at Lord's, Warner could yet find himself in the top order at Old Trafford. Usman Khawaja replaced Ed Cowan for the second Test at Lord's and scored 54 in Australia's second innings, before Cowan made 66 and 77 not out against Sussex in last week's drawn three-day tour match at Hove. Opener Chris Rogers has made only 89 runs in four Tests innings this Ashes while Phillip Hughes has made just 83, with 81 of those coming in one innings -- his other scores being 0, 1 and 1. However, Australia coach Darren Lehmann said that Warner was not guaranteed an immediate return to the Test side. “He's not a certainty, no,” Lehmann said. “He got 193 and played well, did exactly what we wanted him to do. We want blokes to make hundreds and he's ticked that box. “Again we'll have to look at the wicket and we come up with the top six.”In 19 Tests, Warner has scored 1,263 runs at an average of nearly 40 with three hundreds. The reverse at Lord's was Australia's sixth successive Test defeat following a 4-0 series loss in India earlier this year -- their worst run of results since 1984. Failure to win at Old Trafford would see holders England retain the Ashes as the best Australia could then hope for would be a 2-2 series draw. Meanwhile another loss would see Michael Clarke's men equal the unwanted record of their 19th Century predecessors, with the only Australia side beaten in seven straight Tests suffering defeats by England from 1885-88.

Pakistan stocks end lower, rupee weakens, o/n rate rise

KARACHI: Pakistan's main stock exchange closed lower on Monday, with the benchmark 100-share index of the Karachi Stock Exchange falling 0.77 per cent or 181.92 points to 23,315.15. Profit taking in cement and banking stocks caused the index to fall by 0.77 per cent. Media reports that the International Monetary Fund may insist that the government of Pakistan increase interest rates also affected investor sentiments, dealers said. DG Khan Cement Company Ltd fell 3.77 per cent to 91.09 rupees and Bank of Punjab was down 3.85 per cent at 13.24 rupees. The rupee ended weaker at 101.78/101.86 against the dollar, compared to Friday's close of 101.30/101.35. Overnight rates in the money market rose to 8.75 per cent from Friday's close of 8 per cent.

Ecuador striker Christian Benitez dies aged 27 in Qatar

QUITO: Ecuador striker Christian Benitez has died suddenly in Qatar at the age of 27, his agent Jose Chamorro said Monday. Speaking to Ecuadorian Gama TV, Chamorro claimed Benitez, known as “Chucho”, had suffered a heart-attack. He had complained of abdominal pains and was transferred to a hospital, where he died on Monday, Chamorro said. Benitez, who was top scorer in the Mexican league last season with Club America, had just signed for Qatari outfit El-Jaish and had travelled to the club to undergo a medical before completing his move. Ecuador’s interior minister Jose Serrano took to Twitter to pay tribute to the player, who also turned out for English side Birmingham City for one season. “Dear Chucho thank you for your goals and your happiness,” said the minister. “A hug to your family and especially to your father.” Benitez was considered a key part of Colombian coach Reinaldo Rueda’s Ecuador team that is hoping to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil, sitting third in the South American qualifying group.

Mobilink-owner Vimpelcom eyeing Warid bid: sources

DUBAI: Telecoms group Vimpelcom has agreed to sell two of its sub-Saharan assets for about $100 million and is bidding for Pakistan's mobile operator Warid Telecom, two banking sources familiar with the matter said. Vimpelcom is the major shareholder of unit Orascom Telecom, which operates under the name Mobilink in Pakistan and is the sector leader. Vimpelcom has hired Citigroup Inc to advise on the potential acquisition of Warid Telecom, put up for sale by its Abu Dhabi owners, and the bidding process has already started, the two sources said. Earlier in the day, UAE telecommunications firm Etisalat said its affiliate Pakistan Telecommunication Co Ltd (PTCL) had expressed interest in Warid. Reuters reported earlier this week that Etisalat had hired Goldman Sachs as a financial adviser for the planned acquisition. A full sale of Warid, owned by conglomerate The Abu Dhabi Group, could raise up to $1 billion, according to sources. Pakistan's mobile telecommunications sector has five operators and is ripe for consolidation after a period when a troubled economy, increasingly high levels of market penetration and stiff competition has forced companies' margins lower. Sources told Reuters in June that a sale is also likely to draw interest from China Mobile which has operations in Pakistan. Altimo, part of Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman's Alfa Group, has a 48 percent voting stake in Vimpelcom, while Norway's Telenor is the second-biggest shareholder with 43 percent. New-York listed Vimpelcom, which has operations in Russia, Italy and various emerging markets, put some African assets on the block last year to focus on larger markets and cut its debt. It has now reached agreement to sell Telecel Global, which includes Vimpelcom's Burundi and Central African Republic units, to Neil Telecom, an emerging market-focused telecoms venture run by African investor Laurent Foucher, the sources said. The deal is subject to closing conditions and regulatory approvals for Neil Telecom, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter is not public. A spokesman for Vimpelcom referred Reuters to its last financial results when the company said it had signed a share purchase agreement to sell its stake in Telecel Global but declined to comment further on the buyer or price. The spokesman also declined to comment on Pakistan bid plans. Foucher, who is the chief executive of Neil Telecom, has several business interests in Africa, including Neil Petroleum, an oil and gas investment firm, one of the sources said. The telecom units came to Vimpelcom when it bought a 51 percent stake in Egypt-based Orascom Telecom and all of Italy's Wind in 2011 for $6 billion. The sale plan does not include Vimpelcom's assets in Zimbabwe, which the company is negotiating separately, one of the sources said. “That sale will be to a separate set of buyers and discussions on that are currently ongoing,” the source said.

PSO MD sacked after inquiry

ISLAMABAD, July 29: The government fired on Monday Naeem Yahya Mir, managing director of Pakistan State Oil, and appointed Amjad Parvez Janjua in his place on a temporary basis. A former Kuwait Petroleum Company consultant, Mr Mir was hired by the then prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in December 2011 and his contract was valid until July next year, according to a PSO spokesperson. The decision came following completion of an inquiry into the affairs of the company. According to a notification issued by the petroleum ministry, the charge was immediately handed over to Mr Janjua – currently working as the company’s Executive Director and Senior General Manager – for three months ‘or until further orders’, whichever comes first. The government had already advertised the post of PSO managing director along with other public sector companies in the energy sector. Mr Janjua headed the Asia Petroleum – a subsidiary of the PSO – before he was moved to the oil company by outgoing managing director Mr Mir to replace Yaqub Suttar who is now heading the APL. He previously worked for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Geneva, as senior adviser and as a member of the advisory committee of the World Economic Forum Global Corporate Citizenship Initiative. He has postgraduate qualification and advanced training from the University of Glasgow, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and Oxford. He has also worked with the World Bank and the Scottish Enterprise UK. Early last month, the government had ordered an investigation into financial and administrative affairs of the company. A petroleum ministry spokesman had said that a special audit and inquiry into internal controls of the company had been ordered following complaints of irregularities. Some cases of the PSO, like a long-term $5 billion import deal and quality of petroleum products, particularly furnace oil, being marketed or supplied had been taken up by the National Accountability Bureau and the Supreme Court previously.

Blasts in Nigeria's second city of Kano kill six

KANO, Nigeria: A series of explosions rocked Nigeria's second city of Kano on Monday, killing at least six people and sparking panic in a neighbourhood previously targeted by Boko Haram Islamists. The Sabon Gari area of Kano, where four blasts were reported, is full out of outdoor bars and eateries and known for its bustling nightlife. “We have had some explosions in Sabon Gari this evening. The explosions happened at open air beer parlours, where people were playing snooker,” Kano State Police Commissioner Musa Daura told AFP. “I can confirm six dead and six others injured,” he said, adding that the cause of the blasts was not immediately clear. “There is confusion all over the place,” said Chinyere Madu, a fruit vendor. “There were four huge explosions, so huge that they shook the whole area. Everywhere is enveloped in smoke and dust.” She told AFP the scene was too chaotic to assess the extent of the damage, but said she “saw one person carrying someone on his shoulders with bleeding legs.” ”My house is not far from there,” resident Kola Oyebanji told AFP. “All my windows are shattered.” Other residents said that a small church sandwiched between two bars had been among the targets. Soldiers were reported to have cordoned off the area. The blame was likely to fall on Boko Haram, the Islamist insurgent group which says it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly north. The group, which has carried out waves of bombings across northern Nigeria, has been blamed for coordinated suicide blasts at a bus park in Sabon Gari in March that killed at least 41 people. Kano has been among the cities hardest hit during the Boko Haram's insurgency, even if in recent months it had seen a lull in attacks. Following a massive coordinated gun and bomb assault in January of 2012 that killed at least 185 people, security forces blanketed the city, setting up checkpoints at many roundabouts and intersections. Nigeria launched a massive offensive against Boko Haram in May, specifically targeting three states to the east of Kano. Since then, the security forces have claimed huge gains against the insurgents, insisting that they have put them on the defensive. Attacks eased after the offensive was launched but the bloodshed has persisted in some areas. At least three schools have been attacked in northeastern Nigeria by suspected Boko Haram members. Over the weekend, a vigilante raid and reprisal attack by Boko Haram members left at least 20 people dead in the village of Dawashe in Borno state. The insurgency is estimated to have killed more than 3,600 people since 2009, including killings by the security forces. Aside from churches and other targets linked to the Christian community, Boko Haram has attacked the security forces, Muslim clerics and various symbols of authority. Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and top oil producer, roughly divided between a mostly Christian south and predominately Muslim north.

India begin 2015 WC defence with Pakistan clash

MELBOURNE: Co-hosts of the 2015 Cricket World Cup, Australia and New Zealand, have been drawn in the same group for the tournament, while title-holders India will face off against long-time rival Pakistan in Adelaide on February 15, officials said Tuesday. The first match of the prestigious one-day tournament will be held in Christchurch, the New Zealand city devastated by an earthquake in 2011, when the locals take on Sri Lanka on February 14. The day-night final match will be at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 29. Australia and New Zealand are grouped with England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and two qualifiers. Title-holders India are pooled with Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland and one other qualifying team. The top four sides from each pool will go through to the knockout stage. Forty-nine matches will be played in 14 venues across the two host nations, with Australia staging 26 games at grounds in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. New Zealand will host 23 games in seven cities, including Christchurch where international cricket is set to return for the first time since the 6.3-magnitude quake which killed 185 people in 2011. Other New Zealand cities to host games are Auckland, Dunedin, Hamilton, Napier, Nelson and Wellington. Looking ahead to the tournament, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said: “It only seems like yesterday that we won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in front of a passionate and supportive home crowd. “World Cup is a very special event for every cricketer because it only takes place every four years. Having tasted success in Mumbai in 2011, we’ll be working very hard to retain it. “I’m keenly looking forward to the tournament and confident that we’ll do well. Our recent victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 has provided the team with a lot of confidence, and I am sure this experience will help us in our preparations for the World Cup in 2015.” New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said he was encouraged by the draw. “We've had recent success over both Sri Lanka and England in one-dayers, so to face them and a qualifying team in the first three matches is certainly an encouraging draw for us,” he said. ICC President Alan Isaac, who attended the event launch in Wellington, said: “I’m delighted to be part of this historic occasion as today we officially start the countdown to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, an event that, over the past 40 years, has become a truly global event. “ICC events have established a unique place in the cricket calendar, and, as we’ve seen at our most recent events in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, players, sponsors, media, fans and supporters from all around the world want to be part of the spectacle. “Sport is synonymous with life in Australia and New Zealand, and both countries boast some of the best facilities in the world. With the World Cup returning to these shores for the first time since 1992, I am sure it will be an event to remember.” Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who launched the tournament in Melbourne, said the contest would likely be watched by a global television audience of one billion. “When it comes to 2015, I don't think you're going to be able to keep anyone away,” Rudd said. “This is going to be a great, great world series.” Pool A England, Australia (co-host), Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand (co-host), Qualifier 2 (TBD), Qualifier 3 (TBD) Pool B South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Qualifier 1 (Ireland), Qualifier 4 (TBD) Fixtures for the cricket World Cup that will be jointly held by Australia and New Zealand from Feb. 14-March 29, 2015: Feb 14 Sri Lanka v New Zealand, Christchurch England v Australia, Melbourne Feb 15 South Africa v Zimbabwe, Hamilton India v Pakistan, Adelaide Feb 16 West Indies v Ireland, Nelson Feb 17 New Zealand v Qualifier 3, Dunedin Feb 18 Bangladesh v Qualifier 2, Canberra Feb 19 Zimbabwe v Qualifier 4, Nelson Feb 20 England v New Zealand, Wellington Feb 21 Pakistan v West Indies, Christchurch Australia v Bangladesh, Brisbane Feb 22 Sri Lanka v Qualifier 2, Dunedin South Africa v India, Melbourne Feb 23 England v Qualifier 3, Christchurch Feb 24 West Indies v Zimbabwe, Canberra Feb 25 Ireland v Qualifier 4, Brisbane Feb 26 Qualifier 2 v Qualifier 3, Dunedin Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, Melbourne Feb 27 South Africa v West Indies, Sydney Feb 28 Australia v New Zealand, Auckland India v Qualifier 4, Perth March 1 England v Sri Lanka, Wellington Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Brisbane March 3 South Africa v Ireland, Canberra March 4 Pakistan v Qualifier 4, Napier Australia v Qualifier 2, Perth March 5 Bangladesh v Qualifier 3, Nelson March 6 India v West Indies, Perth March 7 South Africa v Pakistan, Auckland Zimbabwe v Ireland, Hobart March 8 New Zealand v Qualifier 2, Napier Australia v Sri Lanka, Sydney March 9 England v Bangladesh, Adelaide March 10 India v Ireland, Hamilton March 11 Sri Lanka v Qualifer 3, Hobart March 12 South Africa v Qualifier 4, Wellington March 13 Bangladesh v New Zealand, Hamilton England v Qualifier 2, Sydney March 14 India v Zimbabwe, Auckland Australia v Qualifier 3, Hobart March 15 West Indies v Qualifier 4, Napier Pakistan v Ireland, Adelaide March 18 Quarter-final 1, Sydney March 19 Quarter-final 2, Melbourne March 20 Quarter-final 3, Adelaide March 21 Quarter-final 4, Wellington March 24 Semi-final 1, Auckland March 25 Semi-final 2, Sydney March 29 Final, Melbourne

Grenade kills nine children in Sudan warzone: website

KHARTOUM: Nine children have been killed by an unexploded grenade blast in Sudan's South Kordofan, a website based in the war-torn region says. The incident happened near Cham Chaka village southeast of Abu Kershola, said Nuba Reports, a website of “citizen reporters” in South Kordofan's Nuba Mountains battleground. It said the explosion happened when a group of youngsters found an unexploded rocket-propelled grenade. “The children picked up the round and it exploded, killing nine of the children and wounding five,” Nuba Reports said. The incident happened in a remote area on July 24 and was posted on the website late Sunday. On Monday night the website's founder, Ryan Boyette, gave AFP names of the victims, who he said were between three and 14 years old. The Sudan Revolutionary Front rebel alliance seized Abu Kershola in April during coordinated strikes in the area, which analysts said humiliated the authorities. The military took one month to retake Abu Kershola. Ethnic rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N) have been fighting for two years in South Kordofan, and are part of the alliance seeking to topple the Khartoum government. Sudan severely restricts access by journalists and other foreigners to South Kordofan and Blue Nile state, where SPLA-N is also fighting. There are no reliable figures for how many people have died in the war but the UN has said more than 200,000 have fled the area as refugees.

Israeli and Palestinian officials resume talks

WASHINGTON: Israelis and Palestinians resumed direct talks for the first time in three years on Monday, with the United States urging negotiators to make tough compromises to reach a peace deal. Israeli chief negotiator Tzipi Livni and her Palestinian counterpart Saeb Erakat sat side-by-side opposite top US diplomat John Kerry to share a traditional Muslim iftar meal. In the elegant Thomas Jefferson room at the State Department, Kerry welcome the two negotiating teams to a flower-bedecked table and hailed the dinner as “very, very special.” ”There's not very much to talk about at all,” he joked, seeking to break the ice at a landmark moment that many hope may lead to a long-sought breakthrough in the deadlocked peace process. The new US secretary of state, who has staked much of his reputation on bringing both sides back to the talks, first met with the teams separately. He will also host a three-way meeting on Tuesday, before making a statement to reporters around 11:00 am (local time), accompanied by the two negotiators. Kerry was flanked at the dinner by seasoned diplomat Martin Indyk, who he named earlier as the US special envoy to the talks, and by White House Middle East advisor Phil Gordon. President Barack Obama has welcomed the start of the talks, calling the, a “promising step” forward but warning of “hard choices” ahead. “The most difficult work of these negotiations is ahead, and I am hopeful that both the Israelis and Palestinians will approach these talks in good faith,” he said. Obama promised the United States is ready to support both sides “with the goal of achieving two states, living side by side in peace and security.” Kerry also warned that “many difficult choices lie ahead for the negotiators and for the leaders as we seek reasonable compromises on tough, complicated, emotional and symbolic issues. “I think reasonable compromise has to be a keystone of all of this effort.”The two sides have agreed to continue talking for at least nine months, a State Department official said. “We're going to make every effort to reach an agreement within that time frame, but... if we're making progress and we're continuing to make progress, this is not a deadline,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. Indyk, 62, who has twice served as US ambassador to Israel and participated in the failed Camp David summit in 2000 under then president Bill Clinton, said he was taking on “a daunting and humbling” challenge. But he insisted: “It has been my conviction for 40 years that peace is possible.”The last direct talks collapsed in September 2010 amid continued Israeli settlement building. Israel and the Palestinians remain deeply divided over so-called “final status issues.” These include the fate of Jerusalem, claimed by both as a capital, the right of return for Palestinian refugees, the borders of a future Palestinian state and the fate of dozens of Jewish settlements scattered across the occupied West Bank. Earlier this month, on his sixth trip to the region in six months of dogged diplomacy, Kerry wrested an accord setting out the basis for new negotiations from both sides. Livni, speaking earlier after meeting UN chief Ban Ki-moon in New York, said the path ahead was “going to be very tough and problematic.” ”The meeting is to define what will come next in the negotiations,” senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi told AFP. “There must be a timeline and commitment from both sides on what they'll agree about. We hope for something good.”As a first step, Israel said Sunday it would release 104 Palestinians imprisoned before the 1993 Oslo accords -- some of whom are said to have been involved in attacks on Israelis. Psaki said the US welcomed the vote by the Israeli cabinet to agree to the prisoner release as a “positive step forward.”Erakat also welcomed the Israeli move. “We consider this an important step and hope to be able to seize the opportunity provided by the American administration's efforts,” he told AFP. But Israeli media on Monday lashed out at the decision. “The murderers will go free,” thundered the front-page headline in the top-selling daily Yediot Aharonot. Israeli President Shimon Peres, on a visit to Latvia, also hailed the resumption of peace talks. “We want to establish a two-state solution of a Palestinian state beside the state of Israel, living in peace and friendship and bringing an end to all conflict, which is so necessary today for all the people in the Middle East,”he said.

Quake struck Christchurch gets 2015 World Cup matches, for now

WELLINGTON: Former New Zealand captain Lee Germon got his wish as his hometown of Christchurch was selected to host the opening match of the 2015 cricket World Cup, though he is acutely aware it could be taken away again in a little over a week. New Zealand's second-largest city was on Tuesday provisionally awarded three of the pool matches for the tournament that is being co-hosted with Australia, pending the approval of ground development plans. Christchurch's Lancaster Park was wrecked by the Feb. 22, 2011 earthquake that devastated the city and killed just under 200 people and local cricket authorities submitted plans for a redevelopment of an international-standard venue on Hagley Park, which borders the central city. A month-long Environment Court hearing ended earlier this month and Germon, who is the Canterbury Cricket chief executive, said on Tuesday a decision was expected as early as Aug. 9 to determine whether the plans had been approved. “The court could take longer, but we are hopeful to have a decision by the end of next week,” Germon told Reuters via telephone. “This is about as good as it could get in terms of allocation of matches for us. We are very happy with it,” he added of the matches, which includes the tournament opener between Sri Lanka and New Zealand on Feb. 14. The other two matches will be played either side of the fourth anniversary of the earthquake, with Pakistan playing West Indies on Feb. 21 and England facing a qualifier on Feb. 23. The matches were, however, still marked “with an asterisk” Germon said as any delays in the decision past the end of August or possible appeals would place them under intense time pressures to complete the redevelopment before the tournament. Germon said they would need at least 12 months to construct the pavilion, facilities and banking around the existing oval. “I think we need to get it completed by August next year, so if we receive the decision anytime in August then its manageable but if it goes past that then it does make it a lot more difficult for us,” he said. “But, our vision is a ground for the future. Cricket World Cup is a huge part of that but not everything to do with it. “If the decision comes back and it's not the decision we want then we will need to consider our options and one of those options is for us to appeal the decision, which could take a minimum of three months.” Germon added opponents of the redevelopment could also lodge an appeal if it was approved. Should there be no delays to the project, Germon said they would like at least “one or two” matches on Sri Lanka's tour of New Zealand late next year to test the facilities and event management procedures. He doubted there would be any problems with the wicket block or playing surface. “We're already pretty well along that path after having played first class cricket there,” he said. “It's more about the infrastructure and facilities being tested.”

Explosions rock propane plant in central Florida

ORLANDO: A series of explosions rocked a propane tank servicing plant in central Florida, northwest of Orlando, late on Monday, wounding some people and prompting the evacuation of homes within a mile of the facility, authorities said. The extent of injuries was not immediately known and there was no official word that anyone had been killed in the blasts, which began at about 11 pm at the Blue Rhino propane gas filling station in the town of Tavares, Florida. An emergency room staffer at the Florida Waterman Hospital in Tavares told Reuters: “We're still waiting for details. We haven't gotten many patients.” Orlando-based CBS affiliate WKMG-TV reported that two people with critical injuries were taken to an Orlando hospital. Lake County emergency dispatchers said homes located within a mile of the facility were ordered to evacuate as a precaution. Homeowners who live miles away told local media they could feel the multiple explosions that shook the area every couple of minutes and sent tall columns of flame into the night sky. Aerial views of the facility from footage shot by a local television station about 90 minutes after the first explosions showed what appeared to be a large fire, possibly fed by continuing explosions, surrounded by smaller blazes. After another 30 minutes, the main fire appeared to be dying down. The wreckage of what appeared to be burned-out trucks could be seen. Speaking by telephone to local NBC affiliate WESH-TV, former plant supervisor Don Ingram said the company takes in propane tanks used for home gas grills, clean them, checks the valves and refills them. He said that tanks were stacked on plastic pallets four and five high behind the filling station. He said a late crew typically refills 4,000 to 5,000 tanks overnight. The nearest residential neighborhood is located about a quarter-mile from the facility behind a row of trees, Ingram said.

Energy policy: Govt urged to take businesses on board

ISLAMABAD: The business community of the federal capital has urged the government to take all stake-holders on board before finalising the National Energy Policy 2013-18. The energy crisis is not related to politicians, bureaucrats and domestic consumers only, one of the most important segment is the business community and the government is ignoring us,” said Zafar Bakhtawari, president, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI). In a meeting of the ICCI here on Monday, it was noted that energy shortage was the most serious issue that has badly affected trade, industry and overall economy. Traders and industrialists observed that the government should consult all important stakeholders to develop a consensus on the energy policy. The ICCI members said that the new energy policy has set targets of ending the growing electricity supply gap and changing energy mix to cut costs during a period of four to five years, which appear too ambitious to achieve. “Achieving these targets also needs massive investment of $25-30 billion and the government should go for developing a public-private partnership as it will not be possible to end supply gap or change the energy mix without huge investment,” Mr Zafar Bakhtawari said. The ICCI meeting concluded with remarks that the new energy policy should focus on exploitation of indigenous energy sources like hydro and coal as enhancing share of these sources in energy mix would produce cheap energy and help in reducing the cost of doing business Pakistan. While, appreciating the government’s move to privatise power generation and distribution companies as it will improve their performance, as it has been witnessed after the deregulation of telecom and banking sectors. “Privatisation of the power sector will also create a healthy competition and reduce power tariffs,” Mr Bakhtawari said.

Pakistan Steel to seek Rs11bn bailout

KARACHI: Pakistan Steel CEO Saadat Cheema will meet Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday, and seek a bail-out package of Rs11 billion for the mills. He will also seek immediate release of Rs4bn for paying other utility expenses as well as salaries to employees which could not be paid for two-and-a half months. As Eidul Fitr falls in the second week of August, employees are awaiting release of their salaries as they were paid half month’s salary for May, while full salaries of June and July are yet to be paid by the mills. Monthly salary expenses of the mills are Rs500 million. The mills is currently running at 12 per cent capacity due to negligible quantity of coal and only 40,000-50,000 tonnes of iron ore. These raw material quantities would be enough to run the mills by August end by maintaining production capacity at 12pc. The employees of the mills have urged the Federal Industries and Production Minister to release salaries of the employees before Eid and resolve heavy financial crises besides releasing a significant bailout package immediately. If the issue of salaries is not resolved immediately, it will compel thousands of employees to agitate, according to a decision taken by the executive committee of Voice of Pakistan Steel Officers (Voice) in a meeting held at Gulshan-i-Hadeed under the chairmanship of Mirza Maqsood. The executive committee of Voice asked the federal government to take notice of mills’ performance issues, besides releasing employees salaries, and funds for payment of utilities bills and procurement of imported raw material (ie Iron ore and coal). The committee lamented that no action had been taken so far against corruption. It also said that the new board of directors of PSM has not yet been constituted, a competent Chief Executive Officer of PSM has not been appointed on merit, and no visible action had been taken for revival of the mills. According to Voice’s press release, the only action taken is that just an advertisement has been published for induction of new Chief Executive Officer of PSM by the Ministry of Industries and Production which shows reluctance of the government in handling crucial matters of this vital organisation. They pointed out that only 20-30MW has been generated from thermal power plant of the mills instead of 165MW, while huge a financial crisis is being faced by the mills due to acute shortage of raw material which ultimately resulted in low capacity utilisation and stumpy production. The Voice alleged that the former CEO, Maj-Gen (Retd) Mohammad Javed, is merely responsible for non-restoration of raw material supply chain (iron ore and coal); secondly for non-payment of salaries of employees and thirdly for shutdown of electricity of the PS.

Increase in GST hits urea sales

ISLAMABAD: Increase in the General Sales Tax (GST) led to a drop in urea sales in June 2013, compared to the same month last year. Urea sales picked up in the first week of June after ample rainfalls and higher activity was expected for Kharif sowing which begins in July. However, overall urea off-take in June 2013 was 45 per cent less than sales in June 2012, with the decline beginning after June 12 this year when the additional GST was announced. Analysts said that sales were high in June 2012 when there were rumours of increase in the GST. However, the incumbent government increased the GST which caught the buyers unawares, they added. However, overall urea sales for six months of the current calendar year were almost the same as in the six months of the previous year at 2.7 million tonnes. Besides the market share of locally produced urea improved from 70pc in the six months of 2012 to 81pc of the half year period of 2013. The National Fertiliser Development Centre (NFDC) has said that higher urea production was due to improved gas supply position, particularly for Engro, that resulted in significant drop in urea imports. Analysts said that imports have also declined due to high rates in the international market rates this year compared to last year when urea was cheaper in foreign markets. Urea imports dropped by 73pc to 239,000 tonnes in January-June 2013. “Urea is around Rs1700-1750 per bag of 50kg, which is cheaper by around Rs800 per bag compared to the international markets,” said Khurum Schezad of Arif Habib Limited. It is expected that in the remaining six months of the year 2013, urea imports are likely to improve to at least 425,000 tonnes. The analysts calculated that 50,000 tonnes of urea is expected to arrive in July, 2013, and tender for import of 75,000 tonnes is expected this month; 225,000 tonnes approved but not yet awarded, while 75,000 tonnes of urea is remaining of the Saudi support facility. However, the import arrangements for the net six month of 2013 were still 53pc lower compared to urea imports in the second half of 2012, but if the decline in international prices the subsidy given on imported urea will also decline. Our Staff Reporter from Lahore adds: The usage of fertiliser, which touched 6.5 million tonnes in 2009 in the country, has decreased to 5.3m tonnes – a drop of 1.2m tonnes – depicting lower consumption because of supply and price issues, executive director of Fertilizer Manufacturers Pakistan Advisory Council said. Addressing a press conference on Monday, Shahab Khwaja said the prices have increased because of imposition of GST, Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) and unprecedented gas curtailment for SNGPL-based four fertiliser plants with an aggregated production capacity of approximately 2.3m tonnes. Urea application on soil contributes to around 25 per cent in crop yield and with no urea, there will be 40kg less wheat per acre and it will cost the country Rs24 billion a year and raise flour prices. The total per acre fertiliser cost in 2008-09 was Rs4,450 which has increased by 83pc and touched Rs8,125 per acre for the average farmer.

US drone kills three Qaeda suspects in Yemen: tribal source

ADEN: A US drone strike killed three suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen at dawn on Tuesday in the second such attack in three days, a tribal source told AFP. “The car in which the three were travelling — two Yemenis and a Saudi — was blown to pieces and all of them were killed outright,” the source said. The attack struck in Shabwa, a southern province that borders Abyan, where Saturday night's strike hit. “It was carried out by a US drone,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The strike targeted two vehicles on the road between Al-Aram and Al-Saeed. “Only one vehicle was hit and the other got away,” the source said. The United States, the only country to operate drones in the region, has sharply increased its use of them against Al-Qaeda targets in Yemen over the past two years. Washington regards Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a merger of militants in Yemen and neighbouring Saudi Arabia, as the worldwide jihadist network's most active and dangerous branch. US drones strikes in Yemen nearly tripled in 2012 compared to 2011, from 18 to 53, according to the New America Foundation, a Washington-based think-tank. A US drone strike killed six suspected Al-Qaeda militants in neighbouring Abyan province on Saturday night, a Yemeni military source told AFP. The six suspects were travelling in a two-vehicle convoy in the Mahfad mountains, an area of Abyan where the jihadists remain active despite the recapture of most of the province's main towns in a Yemeni army offensive last summer. AQAP took advantage of the weakness of Yemen's central government during an uprising against now-ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011 to seize large swathes of territory across the south and east. Washington has given strong support to the efforts of Saleh's successor, President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, to reassert central government control. President Barack Obama is to host Hadi for White House talks on Thursday. Several AQAP leaders have been killed in US drone strikes, most recently the network's deputy leader Saeed al-Shehri whose death was confirmed by the jihadists on July 17. But, although weakened, AQAP still carries out frequent hit-and-run attacks against members of the Yemeni security forces.

FFC announces cash dividend

KARACHI: The Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC) announced 1H2013 earning per share (eps) at Rs7.46, down 8 per cent over the eps at Rs8.12 in the same period last year. The results were accompanied by second interim cash dividend at Rs3.75 that lifted the 1H2013 payout at Rs7.25. Most analysts said that the company had announced higher than expected earnings and payouts. Regardless of positive volumetric variance of 5pc in 1H2013 to 1.2 million tonnes, revenue of the company shrank by 5pc to Rs34 billion. Asad I Siddiqui at Topline Securities observed that the average Rs100 per bag price decline in 1H2013 could be the main reason behind decrease in sales. Rise in cost of inputs (feed and fuel gas prices) resulted in increase in the cost of goods sold that in effect exerted pressure on the company’s gross margin, which shrank by one per cent to 47pc in 1H2013 from 48pc in same period previous year.

Indian court says BCCI probe panel "illegal”

NEW DELHI: An Indian court ruled Tuesday a probe ordered by the country's cricket chiefs into a betting scandal was illegal, causing further trouble for cricket head N. Srinivasan, reports said. The Bombay High Court, which retains Mumbai's former name, ruled a panel set up to probe the betting scandal in the Indian Premier League (IPL) competition was “illegal” and “unconstitutional”. The ruling comes just two days after the panel's report, leaked to the media, found no wrongdoing by senior cricket officials or IPL owners over the scandal. Tuesday's court ruling could derail the return of Srinivasan, who stepped aside temporarily as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on June 2, after his son-in-law was arrested, and later released on bail, over alleged links to illegal bookmakers. Son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan is one of the owners of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, a team bought by Srinivasan's India Cements conglomerate when the league was launched in 2008. The BCCI appointed the panel of two retired High Court judges in June to conduct an internal probe. The investigation was separate from probes being carried out by the Delhi and Mumbai police into the IPL scandal, with charges expected to be filed shortly. A petition was lodged in the High Court against the BCCI-ordered probe, which cricket chiefs said last month would aim to clean up the sport in India. “We find that the manner in which BCCI has constituted a panel under its own rules is illegal and unconstitutional,” NDTV quoted the court's order as saying. Amit Naik, a lawyer for the petitioner, told NDTV that it was now “up to the BCCI to see what is to be done next”. A BCCI source declined to comment until lawyers had studied the order. The BCCI could still appeal to a higher court. The BCCI's interim chief Jagmohan Dalmiya was due to place the report, which has yet to be released publicly, before the IPL's governing council in New Delhi on Friday. The scandal in the money-spinning IPL, a Twenty20 tournament that sees top international stars play alongside domestic players, has shaken fans' faith in India's most popular sport. Police have questioned Raj Kundra, husband of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty and co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals franchise, which had three players arrested for alleged spot-fixing in the IPL. A BCCI source had told AFP on Monday that the probe had cleared Srinivasan's India Cements, Rajasthan Royals, Meiyappan and Kundra of spot-fixing allegations. “There is nothing in the report to implicate these people,” the source said on condition of anonymity. “I don't think we can, or have the right, to stop Srinivasan from coming back as president now,” the highly-placed source said.

Sreesanth, 38 others charged over IPL fixing

NEW DELHI: Indian bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and 38 others were charged Tuesday over a spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League that has rocked the sport, a prosecutor said. Indian prosecutors filed charges in a New Delhi court against the 39 alleging links to organised crime during this year's edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a Twenty20 competition. “The players and others have also been charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating and dishonesty,” special public prosecutor Rajesh Mohan told AFP. Two of Sreesanth's teammates from the Rajasthan Royals franchise, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, were also charged along with bookmakers and underworld figures. They were charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, Mohan said. The three players were arrested in May along with scores of bookies as part of a police investigation into the spot-fixing scandal, which has caused outrage among fans in the cricket-mad nation. India's cricket officials launched their own investigation into a separate betting scandal in the IPL, which prompted the country's cricket chief N. Srinivasan to step aside last month pending the outcome of the probe. In a further twist to the scandal, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday ruled that the probe itself had been illegal, throwing into question the return of Srinivasan. He stepped aside temporarily as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after his son-in-law was arrested, and later released on bail, over alleged links to illegal bookmakers. Son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan is one of the owners of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, a team bought by Srinivasan's India Cements conglomerate when the league was launched in 2008. The probe's report, leaked to the media on Sunday, found no wrongdoing by senior cricket officials or IPL owners over the scandal, apparently paving the way then for Srinivasan's return. Gambling is mostly illegal in India, but betting on cricket matches thrives through networks of underground bookies. Spot-fixing, in which a specific part of a game but not the result is fixed, is also illegal. Sreesanth, who is the most famous of the three cricketers arrested having played 27 Tests for India, is alleged to have been paid tens of thousands of dollars after agreeing with bookies to deliberately bowl badly in an IPL match in May. Police also alleged at the time of their arrest that his teammates agreed to similar deals in two other IPL matches. All three players have denied wrongdoing. Rahul Dravid, a former Indian captain and current skipper of the Rajasthan Royals, has been named as a prosecution witness in the case, according to the Press Trust of India. Delhi police told the trial court on Tuesday that the accused were “part of a larger betting syndicate” controlled by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel, Mohan said. The underworld figures were also named as accused in the charge sheet, which includes details of taped telephone calls and runs to 6,000-pages long, PTI said. The accused cricketers “knowingly abetted the operation of this international organised crime syndicate”, according to the police.

Israelis, Palestinians to strive for deal in nine months: Kerry

WASHINGTON: Israeli and Palestinian negotiators agreed on Tuesday to meet again within the next two weeks, aiming to seal a final peace deal in nine months, US Secretary of State John Kerry said. The two sides will meet in either Israel or the Palestinian territories and “our objective will be” to reach a “final status agreement over the course of the next nine months,” Kerry told reporters after Israelis and Palestinians ended a three-year freeze on talks. After a morning of talks at the White House with President Barack Obama and at the State Department, the two sides had agreed that all the most contentious issues such as borders and refugees and the fate of Jerusalem would be on the table for discussion. “The parties have agreed to remain engaged in sustained, continuous and substantive negotiations on the core issues,” Kerry said, flanked by Israeli chief negotiator Tzipi Livni and her Palestinian counterpart Saeb Erakat. “They will meet within the next two weeks in either Israel or the Palestinian Territories in order to begin the process of formal negotiation. “The parties have agreed here today that all of the final status issues, all of the core issues and all other issues are all on the table for negotiation,” Kerry insisted. “And they are on the table with one simple goal: a view to ending the conflict, ending the claims. Our objective will be to achieve a final status agreement over the course of the next nine months.” The top US diplomat also reiterated his view that time is running out for a two-state solution, insisting “there is no other alternative. “We all need to be strong in our belief in the possibility of peace, courageous enough to follow through in our faith in it, and audacious enough to achieve what these two peoples have so long aspired to and deserve,” he said. Erakat praised Kerry's dogged efforts to resume the talks, stalled for three years, saying “no one benefits more from the success of this endeavor than Palestinians. “I'm delighted all issues are on the table and will be resolved without any exceptions. It's time for the Palestinian people to have an independent sovereign state of their own.”And Livni said she hoped that a “spark of hope” would emerge from the new talks. “It is our task to work together so that we can transform that spark of hope into something real and lasting,” she said. “I believe that history is not made by cynics. It is made by realists who are not afraid to dream. And let us be these people.”

Egypt's ousted Morsi 'well': EU's Ashton

CAIRO: EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met Egypt's ousted president on Tuesday, saying he was “well,” but the country's political crisis seemed no closer to resolution despite her efforts. Neither the interim government nor supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi showed any indication that they had shifted their positions after talks with Ashton, who left Cairo on Tuesday. And Morsi loyalists said they would continue their demonstrations throughout the day, despite stern warnings from the military and National Defence Council and the deaths of 82 people at a protest on Saturday. Ashton became the first person to officially visit Morsi since his July 3 ouster, holding two hours of talks with him at an undisclosed location early Tuesday. “Morsi is well,” she told reporters. “He has access to information in terms of TV, newspapers, so we were able to talk about the situation and we were able to talk about the need to move forward. “We had a friendly, open and very frank discussion,” she added, declining to characterise Morsi's comments, or give details of where he is being held. Morsi has not been seen in public since his ouster and is being held in custody on allegations related to his escape from prison during Egypt's 2011 uprising. On her last visit on July 17, Ashton unsuccessfully requested to meet the ousted president, and this time she made meeting him a condition of her trip. “I said that I would not come unless I could see him and that was freely offered to me.”But she said her talks with Morsi and a string of government officials and opposition representatives were not intended to push the two sides to the table. “We want to help facilitate the bringing together of ideas,” she said, adding that she was hoping to find “common ground.””I don't come here to say somebody should do this, somebody should do that, this is your country,” she said. On Sunday and Monday, Ashton met army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, interim president Adly Mansour and vice president Mohamed ElBaradei. She also met representatives of the pro-Morsi coalition, which said that “no initiatives” to resolve the crisis had been discussed, adding that it remained committed to Morsi's reinstatement. “We are ready to talk to anybody, but we don't see anything positive from the other side,” added Amr Darrag, a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm. ElBaradei, speaking at a news conference with Ashton after a second meeting with her Tuesday, insisted Morsi would play no role in Egypt's political process going forward. “Mr. Morsi failed but the Brotherhood continues very much to be part of the political process and we would like them to participate in the political process,” he said. ElBaradei stressed that ending violence was his “immediate priority.””I have always believed that violence is not the way, that we have to try every possible way to remove or to end polarisation,” he said. Morsi loyalists have rallied daily for his return to office and the Anti-Coup Alliance leading the protests called for major demonstrations on Tuesday. It urged Egyptians “to go out into the streets and squares, to regain their freedom and dignity, that are being usurped by the bloody coup, and for the rights of the martyrs assassinated by its bullets”. The calls raised fears of new bloodshed, particularly after warnings from the military and National Defence Council about the consequences if demonstrators overstepped their rights. On Monday night, the emergency services revised their toll of those killed in Saturday's violence to 82, including a police officer. The incident was the bloodiest since Morsi's ouster, a period in which more than 200 people have died. The bloodshed and the persistent deadlock have prompted growing international concern. “We condemn the violence... We call for dialogue and for the release of president Morsi,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters on Tuesday. The violence has also sparked domestic criticism of the interim authorities with a group of Egyptian human rights groups calling on Monday for interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim to be sacked. Egypt's interim presidency has said it was “saddened” by the deaths, but called the protest area where they occurred a “terror-originating spot”. Unrest continued in the Sinai Peninsula meanwhile, with two policemen and a conscript killed in three separate shootings overnight, a security source said.

Manning guilty of espionage but not 'aiding enemy'

FORT MEADE: A US military judge convicted Bradley Manning of espionage on Tuesday, leaving him facing a lengthy jail term despite clearing him on the most serious charge that he 'aided the enemy.' Colonel Denise Lind found Manning guilty of 20 of 22 counts related to his leaking of a huge trove of secret US diplomatic cables and military logs to the WikiLeaks website. She said she would begin sentencing hearings on Wednesday, at the Fort Meade military base outside Washington where the trial was held. If Lind decides to impose penalties in the higher ranges permitted under the charges, the now 25-year-old Manning could face a de facto life sentence of more than 100 years in jail. “On charge one, court finds you not guilty,” Lind told the hearing, before reading the long list of lesser counts on which Manning was found guilty of breaching the espionage act or disobeying orders. The court was silent and Manning, a boyish young man in an army dress uniform and round glasses, showed no emotion before the live feed to the press room was cut. Some freedom of information activists will welcome the news that he was at least cleared of knowingly aiding US foe al-Qaeda by leaking secrets to be published on the Internet. But there have been warnings that the case, and the harsh penalties Manning could still face, could deter whistleblowers and have a chilling effect on future media investigations. A few dozen protesters had gathered outside Fort Meade to support Manning and WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy group set up by Australian cyber-activist Julian Assange, expressed fury at the verdict. In a Twitter message, the WikiLeaks group said the court's decision reflected “dangerous national security extremism” on the part of US President Barack Obama's White House. It also said the conviction of Manning set a “very serious new precedent for supplying information to the press.” WikiLeaks is also working with a second American leaker, civilian former intelligence technician Edward Snowden, who is seeking asylum in Russia after revealing vast US electronic surveillance programs. His supporters have cited Manning's trial as proof that Snowden was right to flee abroad with his leaks rather than face trial at home. The best known US rights group, the American Civil Liberties Union, gave a measured response to the verdict, but reiterated its concern about the use of draconian anti-spying laws to curtail government whistleblowers. “While we're relieved that Mr. Manning was acquitted of the most dangerous charge, the ACLU has long held the view that leaks to the press in the public interest should not be prosecuted under the Espionage Act,” said Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project. “Since Manning already pleaded guilty to charges of leaking information, which carry significant punishment, it seems clear that the government was seeking to intimidate anyone who might consider revealing valuable information in the future.” Private Manning was serving as a 23-year-old intelligence analyst in Iraq when he sent WikiLeaks a cache of secret diplomatic cables and classified military reports from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He had admitted giving the site some 700,000 documents and pleaded guilty to 10 lesser charges, while firmly denying that he had intended to help America's enemies. In closing arguments last week, defense attorney David Coombs said Manning was no traitor but a “young, naive and good-intentioned” citizen who wanted to encourage public debate. But the prosecution insisted Manning recklessly betrayed his uniform and his country by leaking documents he knew al-Qaeda would see and use. “Your honor, he was not a whistleblower, he was a traitor,” lead prosecutor Major Ashden Fein told the court.

Rivals join hands for peace in Tirah

LANDI KOTAL: Two rival groups in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency have entered a secret deal for what they call restoration of peace in Tirah and Bara-Kajorai area of the tribal region, according to sources. Sources privy to the clandestine negotiations between Amr Bil Maroof wa Nahi Anil Munkir and Khujalkhel sub-tribe of Bar Qambarkhel said that both the groups agreed on a verbal peace deal. The talks were held at the residence of Haji Mohammad, leader of Khujalkhel tribe, in Bara Qambarkhel area few days ago, they said. Sources said that Amr Bil Maroof leader Haji Niaz Gul had gone to Bar Qambarkhel area to enquire after the health of ailing Haji Mohammad. During the meeting they agreed to work together for restoring peace in Bara and Tirah valley. Sources said that residents of the area were surprised to know about the peace deal between the former foes as the two had fought some fierce battles against each other during which both groups had lost nearly 48 supporters. The Khujalkhel tribe had in the past restricted entry of all Amr Bil Maroof activists into its areas in Tirah including Khujalkhel Thambu, Narhaw and Lar Bagh. The leaders of the both the groups had levlled serious allegations against each other as they also had differences over the observance of religious rituals. Both the groups remained at loggerheads from 2004 to early 2009 during which they were involved in sporadic clashes, resulting in the killing and injuring of each other supporters. Both the groups were also involved in torching the houses of each other supporters. The Khujalkhel sub-tribe had maintained its neutrality during hostilities between Lashkar-i-Islam and Ansaarul Islam but it was compelled to leave its base of Lar Bagh when Taliban took control of the area. They also resisted government pressure in the recent past regarding raising peace lashkar against Taliban after security forces launched an operation in Bagh Maidan area. The secret deal, however, has annoyed some of the diehard supporters of both the groups as they were not taken into confidence regarding such an important matter. It was also learnt that some important members of Amr Bil Maroof have distanced themselves from the deal though they refused to speak openly against it. Officials of political administration, when contacted, expressed ignorance about the deal.

Zardari, Nawaz felicitate president-elect

ISLAMABAD: Notwithstanding PPP’s boycott of the presidential election, President Asif Ali Zardari, who is co-chairman of the party, felicitated Mamnoon Hussain on Tuesday on his election as the 12th president of the country. “In his message of felicitation President Zardari wished the president-elect well in the discharge of his responsibilities as head of the federation,” president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said. He said the election of new president was another major step towards smooth transfer of power in a democratic dispensation which was a good augury for democracy. “All our efforts should be geared towards strengthening democracy and the federation,” President Zardari said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also congratulated Mr Hussain and expressed the hope that he would come up to people’s expectations and the trust that their representatives had reposed in him. PTI chairman Imran Khan also felicitated the president-elect but expressed concern over the change of schedule of the election and termed it non-transparent. Mr Khan said in a statement: “President is a symbol of federation and we hope that Mamnoon Hussain will rise above his political affiliation while performing his duties as head of the state.” MQM chief Altaf Hussain also felicitated the newly elected president and Mr Sharif.

JUI-F may get two ministries

ISLAMABAD: The JUI-F’s strategy to delay till last minute its decision to support PML-N’s nominee Mamnoon Hussain in the presidential election is going to pay it with two posts in the federal cabinet, Dawn has learnt. Although the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F officially denies having any “underhand deal” with the ruling PML-N, sources in the two parties said the PML-N had agreed to offer two ministries to the religious party as a reward for its support. Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman claimed that his party had extended “unconditional support” to Mr Hussain and the issue of cabinet positions had not been discussed. But later in a statement issued in the evening, he said: “The party will submit the names for the cabinet at an appropriate time.” Justifying the delay in decision to support Mr Hussain, the Maulana said his party only wanted to register its reservations over the “ruling party’s attitude” of not taking its allies into confidence on issues of national importance. The sources in the two parties said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had asked the Maulana to propose two names from his party for the federal cabinet. They said the JUI-F had been offered the ministry of communications while negotiations were pending on the second ministry. The JUI-F is also expected to get the chairmanships of some important standing committees. A source in the party said Maulana Fazl had already nominated former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Akram Durrani for one of the cabinet slots while the other name was being finalised. Meanwhile, in a statement issued by JUI-F spokesman Jan Achakzai on Tuesday evening, the Maulana denied that his party had struck any deal with the PML-N and said it had complained to the PML-N that it had been kept in the dark on a number of important issues like the prime minister’s visit to China, sharing of intelligence briefing on security matters and the ruling party’s recent understanding with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. The JUI-F chief said his party was unhappy over the PML-N’s decision to nominate Mr Hussain without consulting it. The JUI-F actually wanted to warn the PML-N of the situation in Balochistan where the chief minister had failed to even constitute his cabinet for two months, the Maulana said. As far as the federal cabinet is concerned, he added, the JUI-F was not in a hurry and would submit its names at an appropriate time. He also said the JUI-F and the PML-N had an agreement on priorities and both parties would strive to ensure their implementation through policies of the government. He also congratulated president-elect Mamnoon Hussain and expressed the hope that he would be a “neutral president”. The JUI-F had previously supported the PML-N in the elections for the speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly and the prime minister. MQM: Talking to reporters after casting his vote, MQM’s parliamentary leader Dr Farooq Sattar said his party would support every positive and good decision of the PML-N government while remaining in the opposition. He said the MQM had extended unconditional support for Mamnoon Hussain after he visited the party’s headquarters in Karachi. The doors of “Nine Zero” are open to everyone, he added. Mr Sattar said the office of the president represented the federation and, therefore, it should not be made controversial. He stressed the need for devising a “national anti-terror policy”.

Credibility of poll not affected by boycott: CEC

ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim has said the boycott of presidential election by some parties had not affected its credibility. Announcing the official result of the election at a news conference, he said no one could be forced to participate in the electoral process. He said the total number of votes was 1,174, out of which 50 seats were vacant in the Senate and the national and provincial assemblies. The remaining 1,124 lawmakers were to exercise their right to vote. According to the results of the count received from all presiding officers, 887 lawmakers cast their votes. Nine have been declared invalid by respective presiding officers, bringing the number of valid votes to 878. The CEC said on the basis of total valid votes in favour of each candidate, the result had been determined in the light of the provisions of the Second Schedule of constitution. According to which, PML-N candidate Mamnoon Hussain secured 432 votes and PTI candidate retired Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed 77 votes. As a result, the CEC formally announced, Mamnoon Hussain had been declared returned elected to the office of the president of Pakistan. He said the official result was being forwarded to the federal government through secretary of cabinet for the issuance of notification. He said out of the existing 427 members of the parliament, 314 cast their votes and 277 of these were secured by Mr Hussain while Mr Ahmed bagged 34 votes. Three votes were declared invalid. Out of 352 members of the Punjab Assembly, 338 cast votes. Three were rejected. Under the procedure laid down in the Second Schedule of constitution, these constituted 59.22 electoral votes of which Mr Hussain secured 54.14 votes and Mr Ahmed 4.03 votes. Out of the existing 163 members of the Sindh Assembly, only 69 took part in the electoral process. Out of the total 26.70 electoral votes, Mr Hussain got 24.76 votes and Mr Ahmed 1.93 votes. Out of existing 62 members of the Balochistan Assembly, 56 cast their votes. Mr Hussain got 55 votes and Mr Ahmed one vote. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was the only house where the PTI candidate got more votes than the PML-N candidate. Out of 120 members of the assembly, 110 cast their votes. According to the formula, the figure was equal to 57.66 electoral votes. Justice Ahmed secured 36.17 votes and Mr Hussain 21.49 votes. The turnout remained over 78 per cent. In the 2008 presidential election, President Asif Ali Zardari secured 481 of the total 678 valid electoral votes. His opponents retired Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui of PML-N and Mushahid Hussain of PML-Q bagged 153 and 44 votes, respectively. In the 1997 presidential election, former president Rafiq Tarar of PML-N secured 374 of the 457 electoral votes. His opponents Aftab Shabaan Mirani of PPP and Maulana Mohammad Khan Shirani of JUI-F bagged 31 and 22 votes, respectively.

Mobile phone services to be suspended for Yaum-e-Ali

ISLAMABAD: Mobile phone services would remain suspended in most cities of the country on Wednesday as part of security arrangements for Yaum-e-Ali being observed today, DawnNews reported. Mobile phone services would remain blocked in Karachi from six am till 8pm whereas the services would remain suspended till 6 pm in certain areas of Lahore. Similarly the phone services would also remain suspended in Rawalpindi, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Khairpur, Jhelum, Hyderabad, Multan and Sialkot. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) sources told DawnNews that all mobile phone service providers had already been instructed about suspension of phone services on account of security arrangements for Yaum-e-Ali. This is the first time that mobile phone services are being blocked after the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) government came into power following the May 11 general elections this year. Moreover, Chairman of the All-Karachi Tajir Ittehad Atique Mir announced that markets in Karachi would also remain closed until evening in the vicinity of M.A. JInnah road where the Yaum-e-Ali procession is scheduled to pass.

India's ruling Congress party approves new state

NEW DELHI: India's ruling Congress party approved a resolution Tuesday to create a new state in the southeast amid fears the decision could spark violence in the region which includes IT hub Hyderabad. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other senior party leaders agreed to grant longstanding demands for the state of Telangana to be carved out of Andhra Pradesh state. “A resolution was passed in the meeting where it was resolved to request the central government to take steps to form a separate state of Telangana,”Congress spokesman Ajay Maken said. The resolution was cleared “after taking into account the chequered history of the demand for a separate state of Telangana since 1956,” Maken told a news conference in New Delhi. The Congress move must still be approved by parliament but the new state's creation has the backing of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has accused the government of “dilly-dallying” on the issue. The planned state, which would be India's 29th, would be created out of an impoverished, drought-prone mainly tribal belt that supporters say has been neglected by successive Andhra Pradesh governments. But Andhra Pradesh's wealthier regions are strongly opposed to the move. Critics said New Delhi risked opening a “Pandora's box” of demands for statehood by other regional groups in ethnically, culturally and religiously diverse India, which also has a host of separatist movements. “The message being sent out is 'you agitate for some years and you can have your own state',” said K.G. Suresh, a fellow at Delhi-based think-tank, Vivekanand International Foundation. “Creation of Telangana state will open a Pandora's box,” Suresh told AFP. The Telangana issue, the source of frequent clashes between protesters and police since 2009, has led security forces to be put on alert in Hyderabad, which is home to tech firms including Facebook and Google. “We have sent 1,000 extra paramilitary forces to Andhra Pradesh today to maintain law and order in the state,” home ministry spokesman Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia told AFP. In 2009, the then-home minister P. Chidambaram promised Telangana supporters that the government would finally bow to their campaign after a hunger strike by a regional leader and violent protests by students. Andhra Pradesh, formed in 1956, is India's fifth largest state in terms of territory and sends 42 MPs to India's 543-member parliament. The Congress party, which is hoping for a third straight term in office, swept most of the seats in 2009 national elections. Experts say the division of the region, with Hyderabad set to serve as joint capital for a decade, is a gamble by Congress as it tries to boost its electoral fortunes in a key state in general elections slated for next year. India last redrew its internal boundaries in 2000, with the creation of three new states in economically deprived areas in the northern half of the country. Now “there will be separate (statehood) demands from other groups,”Vivekanand International Foundation's Suresh said. Among the first in line, analysts say, would be a tea-growing area of West Bengal where ethnic Nepalis have waged a long and sometimes violent campaign for a state called Gorkhaland.

LHCBA demands reference against three judges

LAHORE: A general house meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association adopted a resolution on Tuesday demanding presidential references against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawad S. Khwaja and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed for their alleged violation of the constitution in their judgment on the election of the president. Advocate Rashid Lodhi, an activist of PPP, moved the resolution which criticised the Supreme Court judgment directing the Election Commission to advance the date of presidential election by a week and hold it on July 30. Bar president Abid Saqi presented the resolution which was adopted with majority. Mr Saqi said the bar had always raised voice against both military and judicial dictators and for supremacy of the constitution. The house held that the presidential election conducted on the order of the Supreme Court had no sanctity of law or the constitution and the bar would not accept what it called a ‘dubious exercise’. It demanded that the chief election commissioner and all his provincial counterparts should immediately resign over their failure to hold the election on schedule given by the ECP. The house decided that the association would file references against the CJP and the other judges before the Supreme Judicial Council if the president failed to do so. Pakistan Bar Council vice-chairman Syed Kalbe Husain, Supreme Court Bar Association’s former president Asma Jahangir, LHCBA’s former president Ahmad Awais, Mian Jamil Akhtar and Rashid Lodhi spoke on the occasion and criticised the court’s verdict.