DINA for the issue of May 18, 2012

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D A W N I n t e r n e t N e w s A l e r t
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May 18, 2012 Friday Jumadi-us-Sani 26, 1433
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The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news-service
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(c) Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan - 2012

The link at the end of each extract can be used to access the
complete story on DAWN - the Internet Edition.


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Only two taxes in budget: Hafeez
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By Khaleeq Kiani
ISLAMABAD, May 17: Conceding what he termed a few failures of the government's economic policies, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh indicated on Thursday the burden on existing taxpayers would be somewhat reduced and there would be only two taxes in the new budget — income tax and sales tax.

Speaking at a pre-budget meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Finance, he said the government would strive to adopt the policy of only two taxes in line with the international best practices where major revenues accrued from income and sales...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/only-two-taxes-in-budget-hafeez/


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Haideri assails Nisar as Fazl talks to Dar
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By Ahmad Hassan
ISLAMABAD, May 17: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman met Senator Ishaq Dar of the PML-N for about 90 minutes on Thursday to try and improve relations between their parties, but his mission was undermined by the secretary-general of his party, Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri.

When Maulana Fazl was trying to control the damage caused by an exchange of allegations between PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Maulana Haideri, the JUI-F senator was telling media personnel that he was the leader of an 'independent' opposition in the Senate. (Senator Dar is the leader of the opposition in the Senate.)..

http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/haideri-assails-nisar-as-fazl-talks-to-dar/


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President ready to leave for Nato summit in Chicago
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By Baqir Sajjad Syed
ISLAMABAD, May 17: As Thursday inched towards midnight, President Asif Ali Zardari prepared to leave for his much anticipated US trip to participate in the Nato summit only with an agreement in principle on reopening the ground supply routes for coalition forces in Afghanistan, but without a done deal.

"President Zardari will visit Chicago to attend the 25th Nato summit on May 20-21 at the invitation of Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen," the Foreign Office said ahead of president's departure...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/president-ready-to-leave-for-nato-summit-in-chicago/


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Two PAF jets collide mid-air; pilots dead
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By Suhail Kakakhel
NOWSHERA, May 17: Two aircraft of Pakistan Air Force collided mid-air on Thursday killing the four pilots, officials said. Eight civilians were injured when the wreckage of planes fell on houses in Rashakai area of Nowshera district.

Sources said that two Mushshak planes were on routine training mission when they collided shortly after 10am and crashed into two houses near the PAF Academy Risalpur. Squadron Leaders Masood, Zegham Ali, Muazzam and Flight Lieutenant Mustafa Muazzam were killed...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/two-paf-jets-collide-mid-air-pilots-dead/


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SC asks govt to provide ISI political cell notification
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By Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, May 17: The notorious political cell of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was the focal point of hearings in the Asghar Khan petition on Thursday and the Supreme Court ordered the government to procure and hand over the notification under which the cell had been set up in 1975.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain asked Attorney General Irfan Qadir to present the notification which, according to the petitioner, was issued by then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to set up a special political cell in the ISI...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/sc-asks-govt-to-provide-isi-political-cell-notification/


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NAB starts probe into Sharifs' loan cases
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By Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, May 17: The National Accountability Bureau has started investigations into alleged bank loan default cases against PML-N leaders Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif.

"We have started an inquiry against the Sharif brothers on a complaint by Interior Minister Rehman Malik," said NAB spokesman Zafar Iqbal Khan at a press briefing at the bureau's headquarters here on Thursday...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/nab-starts-probe-into-sharifs-loan-cases/


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Pakistan signs regional power supply agreement
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By Amin Ahmed
ISLAMABAD, May 17: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic signed on Thursday a protocol for the early completion of a regional electricity transmission project for which Russia has offered a financing facility of $500 million.

The Inter-Governmental Council meeting for CASA-1000 attended by the power ministers of the four countries agreed to take concrete measures for the implementation of the project, according to a statement issued here at the end of the two-day talks in Dubai...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/pakistan-signs-regional-power-supply-agreement/


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SC indicts Awan in contempt case
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, May 17: The Supreme Court finally indicted former minister Babar Awan for committing contempt and bringing the Supreme Court into hatred and ridicule by defaming and scandalising through his Dec 1, 2011, press conference.

Mr Awan contested the allegation and pleaded not guilty and expressed his remorse and regrets once again before a two-judge bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Athar Saeed...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/sc-indicts-awan-in-contempt-case/


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Solar eclipse on May 21
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KARACHI, May 17: An annular solar eclipse will occur on May 21 but it will not be visible in Pakistan, a Met Department official said on Thursday.

He said the eclipse would be visible from eastern Asia, eastern China, southern Japan, North Pacific Ocean and western United States...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/solar-eclipse-on-may-21/


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Envoy says Australia won't sell uranium to Pakistan
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, May 17: Australia believes Pakistan is not eligible to buy uranium from it.

"India has an exemption from Nuclear Suppliers Group, which does not apply to Pakistan," outgoing Australian High Commissioner Tim George said in his farewell press conference on Thursday...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/envoy-says-australia-wont-sell-uranium-to-pakistan/


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Indian cabinet approves Tapi pipeline deal
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NEW DELHI, May 17: The Indian government had approved a deal to buy natural gas from Turkmenistan via a $7.6-billion pipeline passing through Afghanistan and Pakistan, reports said on Thursday.

The cabinet approved the signing of the Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement as well as the payment of a transit fee to Afghanistan and Pakistan for allowing the pipeline to pass through their territory, the Press Trust of India reported...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/indian-cabinet-approves-tapi-pipeline-deal/


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Karachi Stocks Down 3.66 Points:
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KARACHI, May 17: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 14077.41, down 3.66 points.
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Forex Update:
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KARACHI, May 17: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 92.1 to the US Dollar in the open market.
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