DINA for the issue of May 25, 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 25, 2012 Friday Rajab 03, 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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Court orders action against Amin Fahim
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By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, May 24: The Supreme Court asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday to take action against Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim for his involvement in the National Insurance Company (NICL) land scam.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja and Justice Tariq Pervez observed that NICL Chairman Ayaz Khan Niazi had caused a loss to the national exchequer in the purchase of property in Karachi for investment...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/25/court-orders-action-against-amin-fahim/


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FO reiterates denunciation of drone attacks
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By Baqir Sajjad Syed
ISLAMABAD, May 24: The Foreign Office reiterated on Thursday its denunciation of drone attacks, but said that Pakistan's desire for normalisation of ties with the United States remained unaffected.

"Let me also add here that the US is an important country and it is an important relationship for Pakistan and there is a mutual desire to normalise this relationship," FO spokesman Moazzam Khan said at his weekly media briefing while responding to a question about drone attacks and negotiations on re-engagement...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/25/fo-reiterates-denunciation-of-drone-attacks/


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Victory of democracy, says PM; Nisar calls it a ruling by PPP activist: Speaker comes to the aid of Gilani
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By Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, May 24: The Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Fehmida Mirza, saved Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani from being disqualified on Thursday, only to unleash a heated debate among the legal fraternity on her role and the legality of her decision, and threats from political opponents to challenge her decision in a court of law.

Her move came as the prime minister decided to file an appeal against his April 26 Supreme Court contempt conviction. The prime minister was convicted for contempt after refusing to send a letter to Swiss authorities, requesting the latter to reopen money laundering cases against President Asif Ali Zardari...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/25/victory-of-democracy-says-pm-nisar-calls-it-a-ruling-by-ppp-activist-speaker-comes-to-the-aid-of-gilani/


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NEC approves Rs873bn annual development plan
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By Khaleeq Kiani
ISLAMABAD, May 24: The National Economic Council (NEC) has increased the allocation for next year's Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to Rs873 billion, about Rs48 billion more than approved by the Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) and about 19.6 per cent more than the current year's allocation of Rs730 billion.

The NEC meeting held on Thursday with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in the chair approved the 2012-13 annual plan which envisages an economic growth rate of 4.3 pc and sets inflation at 12.5 pc...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/25/nec-approves-rs873bn-annual-development-plan/


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Eight killed in drone strikes
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By Our Correspondent
MIRAMSHAH, May 24: A US drone attacked a suspected militant hideout and a mosque in the Mirali Tehsil of North Waziristan on Thursday and, according to sources, killed eight people.

This was the second drone strike in the area in 24 hours. Four people were killed in a missile attack on a compound on Wednesday...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/25/eight-killed-in-drone-strikes-2/


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Pak-India talks on visa, Mumbai attacks begin
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ISLAMABAD, May 24: The home and interior secretaries of India and Pakistan began their two-day talks here on Thursday, with the discussions expected to focus on a relaxed visa regime and the prosecution of the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks blamed on the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The Indian delegation led by Home Secretary R.K. Singh and the Pakistani team headed by Interior Secretary Khwaja Siddique Akbar gathered at a hotel in the heart of Islamabad for the talks...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/25/pak-india-talks-on-visa-mumbai-attacks-begin/


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Pakistan has key role in Afghan reconciliation: US: White House rejects claim Obama refused to meet Zardari
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By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, May 24: "Pakistan isn't going anywhere. Pakistan is always going to be a 1,500-mile border along Afghanistan," says the commander of Nato and US forces in Afghanistan while explaining the need to stay engaged with Islamabad.

Also, a White House official said the United States helped arrange a trilateral meeting of US, Pakistani and Afghan presidents on the margins a Nato summit in Chicago this weekend 'to jump-start' a reconciliation process...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/25/pakistan-has-key-role-in-afghan-reconciliation-us-white-house-rejects-claim-obama-refused-to-meet-zardari/


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US Senate body fumes over Afridi sentencing
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By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, May 24: A US Senate panel voted unanimously on Thursday to cut aid to Pakistan by $33 million, or $1 million for every year Dr Shakil Afridi will spend in prison for helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden.

Observers on Capitol Hill say the 30-0 vote aims at sending a powerful signal to Pakistan, "release Dr Afridi or face the consequences". The proposed $33 million is only a small fraction of the annual US aid to Pakistan but it comes from the Foreign Military Financing fund, which underlines Congress's unhappiness with the Pakistani military...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/25/us-senate-body-fumes-over-afridi-sentencing/


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Clerics' help enlisted to eradicate polio
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GENEVA, May 24: The last three countries where polio is still paralysing children — Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria — said on Thursday they had enlisted Muslim women and religious leaders to allay fears of vaccination and wipe out the disease.

Conflict and insecurity is preventing health workers from reaching hundreds of thousands of children in Afghanistan and Pakistan with doses of polio vaccine, officials said...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/25/clerics-help-enlisted-to-eradicate-polio/


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Amnesty assails US for Osama raid
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NEW YORK, May 24: Amnesty International has condemned the United States for the `unlawful' commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.

"The US administration made clear that the operation had been conducted under the US's theory of a global armed conflict between the US and Al Qaeda in which the US does not recognise the applicability of international human rights law," the Amnesty said in its annual report released on Wednesday...

http://dawn.com/2012/05/25/amnesty-assails-us-for-osama-raid/


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Karachi Stocks Down 82.10 Points:
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KARACHI, May 24: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 13950.72, down 82.10 points.
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Forex Update:
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KARACHI, May 24: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 93.4 to the US Dollar in the open market.
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