Saturday, April 14, 2012
PM announces Rs 1m each for Pak cricketers
ISLAMABAD: Prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced a cash award of rupees one million for each player of the national team for displaying good performance in the World Cup 2011 here on Monday.
He announced this at a reception he hosted in the honour of the Pakistan team, the World Cup semi-finalists.
Speaking on this occasion, the prime minister said that the team reached the semi-final this time and Insha Allah it will play the final in the next World Cup.
He also announced a cash prize of Rs0.5 million each for the officials of the team.
It may be recalled that prior to the prime minister’s reception, chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh, Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Syed Qaim Ali Shah, respectively, had also hosted separate receptions in which they announced cash prizes for the players of the team.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Beautiful Pakistan! (Gilgit Baltistan )
Real beauty of Pakistan is Gilgit baltistan! The Land of Baltit people.Its like heave on Earth.Long live Pakistan.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Butt, Asif found guilty of spot-fixing
Former Test captain Butt, 27, and fast bowler Asif, 28, face jail after a court in London convicted them of deliberately bowling three no-balls during the Lord's Test in August 2010 as part of a "spot-fixing" betting scam.
The verdicts are a scalp from beyond the grave for Britain's News of the World tabloid, which uncovered the conspiracy but was shut down by owner Rupert Murdoch this year amid a scandal over phone-hacking.
Prosecutors alleged Butt and Asif conspired with British agent Mazher Majeed and Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Aamer to bowl the no-balls as part of a plot that revealed "rampant corruption" at the heart of international cricket.
Butt faces up to seven years in prison jail after the jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted him of conspiracy to obtain or accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat at gambling.
Asif was found guilty of conspiring to accept corrupt payments in a "spot-fixing" betting scam. The 28-year-old was also found guilty by the jury at Southwark Crown Court on a separate count of conspiring to cheat at gambling. The corrupt payment charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment.
They are expected to be sentenced later this week.
Butt and Asif had pleaded not guilty and they sat in silence in the dock as the jury delivered their verdicts, after spending nearly 17 hours in deliberations over four days.
Majeed, 36, and Aamer, 19, were also charged with the same offences but were not standing trial alongside Butt and Asif.
Mohammad Aamer pleaded guilty to involvement in a spot-fixing betting scam before the trial of his teammates. Aamer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments at a pre-trial hearing on September 16.
In a further twist, Butt's wife gave birth to a baby boy just 30 minutes before the verdict was delivered, his father said by telephone from Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore. Butt already has one daughter.
During the three-week trial the jury heard that vast sums of money could be made by rigging games for betting syndicates, particularly in South Asia, and that the problem was theatening the game of cricket.
Mazher Mahmood, News of the World's former investigations editor, known as the "fake sheikh" for his disguises, told the court he had approached Majeed pretending to be an Indian businessman.
Majeed claimed he had at least six Pakistani players working for him and that it would cost between £50,000 and £80,000 ($78,000 and $125,000) to fix a "bracket", where bets are made on incidents during a given period of play.
But the cost of rigging a whole result was far more, at £400,000 for a Twenty20, £450,000 for a one-day international, and £1 million for Test matches, Majeed allegedly told the reporter.
The agent was secretly filmed accepting £150,000 in cash from the journalist as part of an arrangement to bowl the no-balls, and recorded allegedly making arrangements with Butt for the no balls.
Butt told the court he had ignored his agent's requests to fix games and had no knowledge of the plan to bowl no balls, while admitting that he had failed in his duty to inform cricketing authorities of Majeed's approach.
Asif meanwhile said he had bowled a no ball at the exact time the agent had predicted to the News of the World journalist because Butt had told him to run faster moments before his delivery.
The team's manager during the fateful tour of England when the scam was uncovered, Yawar Saeed, said Pakistan cricket had been badly tarnished by the case.
"I feel very sad because I tried my level best to tell them to keep away from notorious people. They should have understood that and they committed a blunder, and when you commit a blunder, you are punished," Saeed said.
"I'm also sad because the country's name has been dragged into this entire controversy. Pakistan is known for its talented players but this case has stained the country's image badly," he added.
The case is the worst in international cricket since that of South Africa's Hansie Cronje a decade ago.
Cronje was banned for life in 2000 after it was revealed he accepted money from bookmakers in a bid to influence the course of games as well as trying to corrupt his team-mates. He died in a plane crash in 2002. (AFP)
Monday, October 31, 2011
An Estimate of the gathering at Imran Khan's Jalsa !
We begin a new Pakistan from today: Imran
In his address to the cheering crowd that turned up in tens of thousands at ‘Pakistan Bachao’ call of TI Chief Imran Khan here at Minar-e-Pakistan, the cricketer turned politician also warned that he would go to the Supreme Court as well as the Election Commission of Pakistan if the politicians in the government and opposition failed to declare their assets as required under the Pakistan law.
He said Tehreek-e-Insaf would set up a cell to investigate and identify politicians who declare assets and those who do not.
Starting his speech following the National Anthem, Imran Khan gave his party’s programme in detail which, he said, aimed at making Pakistan a peaceful and independent country where investment would be attracted from across the world. “We will make Pakistan a place where people come from other countries to seek jobs.”
Talking of change, he said: “ Today we are beginning a new Pakistan from Minar-e-Pakistan, the place from where founder of the Nation Quad-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah began his movement”.
Spelling out his party’s manifesto in connection with Pakistan’s relations with the US, the Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief said ‘we will make friends with you (US) but not be your slave; we will help you (US) withdraw from Afghanistan but won’t launch any military operation (for you).’
He questioned that if US, being the super power, could not win the war through military means how could Pakistan?
“We will strengthen ties with China,” he said, adding, he was leaving for China on its government’s invitation tonight.
He said Pakistan was not a poor country; ‘it is very rich in natural resources’. Pakistan has 180 billion tonnes of coal reserves which means we can export electricity to the world, he added.
Imran Khan said Pakistan never needed to beg before others. “Pakistan will never beg again; Imran Khan will die but won’t beg,” he vowed amid vociferous cheers of the charged crowd.
Coming down hard on President Asif Ali Zardari, Imran Khan questioned how could Asif Zardari provide bread, cloth and shelter when under his rule 1600 people committed suicide.
He also claimed that ‘Asif Zardari’ wrote a letter to the US requesting it to please save him from the army because he was not able to serve them well with army interefernce.
He regretted that Mian (Nawaz Sharif) sahib should have done better than coming up with a show of ‘Patwaris’ the other day in Lahore.
Imran Khan said Pakistan was suffering a loss of Rs3000 billions per year mainly due to rampant corruption.
He said his party also aimed to bring about police reforms in the country to improve the working of this institution. “We will depoliticize police and then get the SHO elected like the way it is done in America,” he added.
He said condition of the villages will be improved and pledged to bring an end to military operation and target killings in Balochistan, which, he termed as a province rich in natural resources.. “We will make Balochis our brothers,” he added.
Criticising Pakistan Muslim League-N Nawaz Sharif, he said: “How can you fight with Zardari when you can’t even fight with mosquitoes?”
Pointing to the crowd, he said, Asif Zardar and Nawaz Sharif cannot stop this flood now. “This is not just a flood it is a Tsunami and anyone who tries to stand before it will be washed away.”
Friday, October 28, 2011
Pakistan test fires multi-tube stealth cruise missile
Babur has a target range of 700 kms, said ISPR in a news release here. The missile test was conducted to validate the design parameters of the weapon system and a new Missile Launch Vehicle (MLV).
"Babur Cruise Missile is low flying, terrain hugging missile with high maneuverability, pin-point accuracy and radar avoidance features.
"It can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads and has stealth capabilities. "It also incorporates the most modern cruise missile technology of Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) and Digital Scene Matching and Area Co-relation (DSMAC)."
A special feature of Friday's launch was the validation of a new multi-tube MLV during the test. The three tube MLV enhances manifold the targeting and deployment options in the conventional and nuclear modes. With its shoot-and-scoot capability, the MLV provides a major force multiplier effect for target employment and
survivability.
The test was witnessed by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shahmeem Wynne, Director General Strategic Plans Division Lieutenant General (R) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, Commander Army Strategic Force Command, Lieutenant General Tariq Nadeem Gilani and Chairman National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) Muhammad Irfan Burney, senior officers from the armed forces and strategic organizations, scientists and engineers.
The test will consolidate country's strategic deterrence capability and further strengthen national security.
The successful test has also been warmly appreciated by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani who have congratulated the scientists and engineers on their outstanding success.
Zardari should resign: Shahbaz Sharif
"Step down Zardari and hand over your money otherwise we will hang you and your cronies upside down here," cried Shahbaz Sharif while addressing the crowd.
Sharif said Zardari was depositing the nation’s wealth in Swiss bank accounts and the time had come for him to be held accountable for his actions.
Sharif sent a message to President Zardari that he “could not buy PML-N workers.”
Sharif added that during the tenure of this government PIA and Pakistan Railways had been ruined and officials in the government were highly corrupt.
“If we can defeat Dengue, Zardari we can defeat you” Sharif said adding that the president was not aware of the people’s problems and was only concerned about accumulating wealth.
Sharif was addressing the participants of the PML-N rally gathered at Bhati Gate. The rally started from the historic Nasser Bagh earlier on Friday and was led by prominent PML-N leaders.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Highest Saudi award for a Pakistani hero
Highes
| RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has hounoured a Pakistani who had laid his life to save 14 others from drowning during torrential rains/flooding in Jeddah back in 2009, Geo News reported. Saudi government has, posthumously, not only bestowed the highest civil award on Farman Ali but also named a highway after him. This valourous countryman who has now come under a heroic spotlight forever is a martyr as he during those drastic floods gave life to as many as 14 of his fellow countryman but lost his own in the end. Farman comes from Swat and has left behind a widow and three daughters. | ||
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t Saudi award for a Pakistani hero
RA One fails to break Bodyguards opening day record!
Ra One which had the largest release of any Bollywood movie was received well but failed to overtake the record set by Bodyguard.
The movies lead Shahrukh Khan whose rivalry with Salman Khan has been well publicised hoped that his upcoming movie Don 2 will be able to break the record set by Bodyguard.
US flying armed drones out of Ethiopia: report
| WASHINGTON: The US Air Force is flying armed drones from a civilian airport in southern Ethiopia as part of a growing battle against Al-Qaeda linked Shabab militants in Somalia, the Washington Post reported Thursday. The airfield in Arba Minch is part of a network of secret bases for unmanned aircraft in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian peninsula, the Post reported, citing unnamed US officials. The US Air Force has spent millions of dollars to improve the airfield in Ethiopia to accommodate a fleet of Reaper drones that carry Hellfire missiles and precision-guided bombs, it said. The US Air Force and the Pentagon declined to comment on the report. Under President Barack Obama, the United States has increasingly turned to drones to carry out covert strikes against Al-Qaeda and allied militants in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The raids are conducted under the authority of the Central Intelligence Agency, not the military, but special operations forces and drone aircraft can be assigned to the spy agency for the strikes. A spokesman for the 17th Air Force, which is assigned to operations in Africa, told the Post the drone flights "will continue as long as the government of Ethiopia welcomes our cooperation on these varied security programs." The United States and Ethiopia both view Islamist militants in Somalia as a threat, and Washington backed Ethiopia's invasion of Somalia in 2006. In support of the Ethiopian incursion, US AC-130 gunships carried out attacks from a base in Ethiopia. The government however ended the arrangement once it became public. Kenya sent forces into southern Somalia 12 days ago to chase Shebab militants, but has denied the United States or other Western countries are actively involved in the military operations. (AFP) | ||
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Eid-ul-Azha in Saudi Arabia on Nov 6
RIYADH: The moon for the month of Zilhaj has been sighted in Saudi Arabia, thus, Eid-ul-Azha will be on November 6 (Sunday) while Waqoof-e-Arfa will take place on November 5, Geo News reported Thursday.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Marvi Memon resigns from NA, PML-Q
Speaking to the media, Memon said that she took the decision in protest of the PML-Q joining the government and in opposition of the budget which was against the aspirations of the people.
She added that current government was working against the people of Pakistan and the PML-Q leaders did not live up to the voters by leaving the opposition and joining the government.
“The PML-Q did not correct the disastrous course of the government” she said. The statement read out by Marvi Memon listed the government as being inadequate, not serving the people, not responding to natural disasters, not protecting the country’s sovereignty and depriving people of basic human rights.
Memon added that under these circumstances she could no longer be a member of the National Assembly and that she would not take back her resignations under any circumstance. She however did say that her struggle for justice would continue on the streets and in courts.
Pak, India agree to build mutual trust, confidence
According to the joint statement, the talks were held in a frank and cordial atmosphere. Both sides reiterated their intention to carry forward the dialogue process in a constructive and purposeful manner. The issues of Peace and Security, including CBMs, were discussed in a comprehensive manner. Both sides emphasized the importance of constructive dialogue to promote mutual understanding.
They noted the ongoing implementation of various Nuclear and Conventional CBMs. They also decided to convene separate Expert level meetings on Nuclear and Conventional CBMs to discuss implementation and strengthening of existing arrangements and to consider additional measures, which are mutually acceptable, to build trust and confidence and promote peace and security. The dates for the Expert level meetings will be determined through diplomatic channels.
The Foreign Secretaries noted that both countries recognize that terrorism poses a continuing threat to peace and security and they reiterated the firm and undiluted commitment of the two countries to fight and eliminate this scourge in all its forms and manifestations. They agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism.
The Foreign Secretaries exchanged views on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir and agreed to continue discussions in a purposeful and forward looking manner with the view to finding a peaceful solution by narrowing divergences and building convergences.
Both sides agreed to convene a meeting of the Working Group on Cross-LoC CBMs to recommend measures for strengthening and streamlining the existing trade and travel arrangements across the LoC and propose modalities for introducing additional Cross-LoC CBMs. The Working Group will meet in July 2011.
Both sides agreed to the need for promoting friendly exchanges between the two countries. They noted with satisfaction the progress made towards finalisation of the Visa Agreement, which will help liberalise the visa regime and facilitate people-to-people, business-to-business and sports contacts.
The two sides also discussed measures for promoting cooperation in various fields including, facilitating visits to religious shrines, media exchanges, holding of sports tournaments and cessation of hostile propaganda against each other.
The Foreign Secretaries agreed that people of the two countries are at the heart of the relationship and that humanitarian issues should be accorded priority and treated with sensitivity. The Foreign Secretaries will meet again in New Delhi, on a date to be decided through diplomatic channels, to prepare for the meeting of the Foreign/External Affairs Ministers in New Delhi in July 2011.
Speaking during the joint press conference Indian Foreign Secretary Nirumpama Roa said that dialogue would be used to resolve issues between the two countries. Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salma Bashir said that terrorism was a cause of concern for both nations.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
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