Moon sighted; 1st Ramazan on Tuesday

KARACHI: The moon for the holy month of Ramazan has been sighted and the fasting will begin from Tuesday, Geo News reported.
The official announcement will be made shortly by the Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman.

MQM decides to re-join government: sources

ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has once again decided to re-join the government on Monday, DawnNews reported.

The decision was made after discussions between MQM Chief Altaf Hussain and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Sources told DawnNews that MQM will first become a part of the AJK government and will then re-join the provincial and federal government shortly after.
On June 26, MQM had decided to part ways with the Pakistan People’s Party and sit on opposition benches in the National Assembly, Senate and Sindh Assembly in protest against the postponement of election on two Karachi seats of the Azad Jamu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

Sohail Ahmed appointed Secretary Narcotics Division

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on the orders of the Supreme Court has appointed Sohail Ahmed as Secretary Narcotics Division, Geo News reported Monday.
Sohail Ahmed was removed as the Secretary Establishment Division and made officer on special duty (OSD) after he had issued a notification to transfer Hussain Asghar to the FIA during proceedings of the Hajj corruption case.
This prompted the government to make Sohail Ahmed OSD but the apex court issued an order to appoint him to a suitable position within seven days.
In a statement issued from the prime minister’s office on Monday, Ahmed was appointed Secretary Narcotics Division.

Govt using parliament to hide corruption: Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif said Monday that the government is using parliament to hide corruption and institutions are being made to fight for personal interests, Geo News reported.
Nawaz Sharif arrived at the Parliament House after being appointed as a party president. A parliamentary meeting of the PML-N is underway under his chairmanship.
Speaking to the media, he said that parliament belongs to the entire nation and not to just the president and few individuals.
He added that the country is experiencing many difficulties and government officials are not paying any importance to the parliament.

 

Four TTP men arrested during raids in Karachi

KARACHI: Sindh Police’s Crime Investigation Department on Sunday conducted raids in Karachi’s Maripur and Sohrab Goth areas and arrested four members of the banned militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban, DawnNews reported.
CID’s SSP Chaudhry Aslam said that the arrested men belonged to TTP and had been conducting crimes in Karachi through which they would collect money to send to Waziristan.
According to the police, the culprits had also been planning terrorist activities in Karachi. Various weapons and explosives were also ceased from their possession

Pakistan restricts US diplomats' travel

Pakistan has imposed new travel restrictions on US diplomats living in the country, a source told AFP Sunday, in the latest sign of worsening ties since the killing of Osama bin Laden.

A letter sent to the US embassy in Islamabad increased limitations on when and how diplomats can move outside the capital, the diplomatic source said, without giving further details.

"We are working with the Pakistani government to resolve the issue," US embassy spokesman Alberto Rodriguez said.

Pakistan's foreign ministry said that "no US-specific restrictions have been applied" on diplomatic travel, but added it was "having a constructive engagement with the US Embassy in Islamabad in this regard".

"There are general guidelines regarding travel of Pakistan-based diplomats, designed only to ensure their safety and security, which have existed for a long time," it added in a statement.

Relations between the US and Pakistan have been under strain in the wake of the raid that killed bin Laden.

United State President Barack Obama's administration recently suspended about a third of its $2.7 billion annual defence aid to Pakistan, but assured Islamabad it was committed to a $7.5 billion civilian assistance package approved in 2009.

Pakistani mangoes to sweeten up ties with US: Haqqani

Pak-US- Relations may be sour these days, but a new trade development could sweeten up things. The first shipment of Pakistani mangoes arrived at O'Hare International Airport. Pakistani Ambassador to US Husain Haqqani credited "two years of strategic dialogue" for the shipment. He said the mango trade will improve relations between the two countries. The fragrant chaunsa mangoes won’t be in stores for a few weeks. Only acrowd at the Palmer House Hilton got an early taste. Pakistani-American guests strolled the hotel’s ballroom sampling chilled mango chunks, mango ice cream, mango tarts and other delicacies. Farahnaz Ispahani, the wife of Haqqani and the Pakistan presidential spokeswoman, said. "The soil in Pakistan produces the sweetest mangoes in the world and once Americans taste Pakistani mangoes in all their depth and flavors they’ll never turn back. They ‘ll forget Alphonsos and any other mangoes."