DINA for the issue of November 17, 2011

----------------------------------------------------------------
D A W N I n t e r n e t N e w s A l e r t
----------------------------------------------------------------
November 17, 2011 Thursday Zilhaj 20, 1432
----------------------------------------------------------------
The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news-service
from Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, the Daily
DAWN.

We encourage comments & suggestions. We can be reached at:

e-mail webmaster@dawn.com
WWW http://dawn.com
fax +92(21) 35693995
snail-mail DAWN Media Group,
Haroon House, Karachi 74200, Pakistan

(c) Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan - 2011

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


-----------------------------------------------------------------
Handling of power crisis criticised
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By Khaleeq Kiani
ISLAMABAD, Nov 16: The government's economic team headed by Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh came under severe criticism from senior party colleagues during a meeting of the federal cabinet on Wednesday over its alleged 'non-serious' handling of the power crisis.

A reliable source said it was an expression of a growing crevice between Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who was presiding over the cabinet meeting and his finance minister on certain policy issues over the past few months. In one such incident, Mr Gilani overturned a decision of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet led by Dr Shaikh and in another the finance minister declined to oblige his team leader...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/handling-of-power-crisis-criticised.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
Thirty-one militants killed in fighting, shelling
----------------------------------------------------------------
PARACHINAR / KALAYA, Nov 16: Thirty-one militants and a military officer were killed in gun-battles and shelling in two tribal regions on Wednesday, sources said.

In upper Kurram, terrorists launched a three-pronged attack on a check-post in Marghan Kandao area. The forces retaliated and the gunfight continued for some time...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/31-militants-killed-in-fighting-shelling.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
PM seeks peace after opposition attack on his governance
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD, Nov 16: Amid frequent talk of an impending street challenge to his government, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday sought opposition's cooperation in the National Assembly to solve Pakistan's pressing problems after a scathing attack on his governance and parliamentary performance from Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

And he also agreed with the opposition leader's call to improve discipline in the lower house that is often marred by members from both sides of the aisle swarming the prime minister's desk for signatures on their applications, as had happened also on what was the third day of the assembly's current session, which Chaudhry Nisar condemned as "meena bazaar" and "office functioning inside the house" at the start of his tirade against the government...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/pm-seeks-peace-after-opposition-attack-on-his-governance.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
Five terrorists killed after police chase in Karachi
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Nov 16: At least seven people -- five terrorists and two policemen -- were killed in what appeared to be a suicide bombing at the Karachi sea front on Wednesday night.
Investigators said the terrorist who blew himself up appeared to be of Central Asian origin. They did not rule out the possibility of a woman among the terrorists...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/five-terrorists-killed-after-police-chase-in-karachi.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
Ambassador Haqqani offers to resign
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Nov 16: Ambassador Husain Haqqani is believed to have sent a letter to President Asif Ali Zardari, offering to resign if he is found guilty of writing a letter which has strained relations between the president and the military establishment, sources told Dawn.A senior diplomatic source, when asked to comment on reports Ambassador Haqqani had sent his resignation to the president, said: "We cannot call it a resignation. He has sent a letter to prove that he is not guilty."

In his message, the ambassador is believed to have written that he was not responsible for the letter that allegedly sought US support for sacking the ISI and army chiefs. The ambassador offered to resign if proven guilty...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/ambassador-haqqani-offers-to-resign.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
Incumbents under siege
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Cyril Almeida
GUJRANWALA: Befitting a city known as pehlwana da shehr (the city of wrestlers), politics in this chaotic city dissected by the GT Road is fierce and bruising.

The city, population approximately 2.5 million, is home to only two-and-a-half of the seven National Assembly constituencies in Gujranwala district, but has already been cast as a bellwether of change: it was here that Imran Khan announced his arrival as a contender in central Punjab at a rally thronged by thousands of PTI supporters on Sept 25.The PTI surge has added an intriguing element to a volatile mix of factors that shape the urban electorate: biradarism, Islamism, the role of the party, and the 'sympathy' and 'wave' votes...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/incumbents-under-siege.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
Missiles rain on Taliban base: 16 killed
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Sailab Mehsud
LADAH, Nov 16: At least 16 suspected militants were killed when US drones targeted two compounds in Sararogha area of South Waziristan Agency on Wednesday, official sources said.

Eight missiles hit the targets in the volatile area at around 11.45am. One of the compounds hit is owned by Maulana Salam, a cleric...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/missiles-rain-on-taliban-base-16-killed.html


--------------------------------------------------------------
Nawaz accuses govt of harming democracy
--------------------------------------------------------------
By Our Correspondent
BAHAWALPUR, Nov 16: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has accused the PPP-led federal government of harming democracy.

Talking to newsmen at the residence of MNA Baleeghur Rehman here on Wednesday, he said his party had pledged to support the government under the Charter of Democracy (CoD) to help it solve the people's problems. Had the government responded positively to the gesture and adhered to the CoD, democracy could have flourished in the country...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/nawaz-accuses-govt-of-harming-democracy.html


--------------------------------------------------------------
MQM objects to minister's association with Mirza
--------------------------------------------------------------
By Syed Irfan Raza and Habib Khan Ghori
ISLAMABAD / KARACHI, Nov 16: Relations between the Pakistan People's Party and its coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have again turned sour after the latter lodged protest on Wednesday over official protocol given to its adversary Zulfikar Mirza when he left Karachi for London and the fact that he was accompanied by Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon.

The MQM lodged the protest during a meeting with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani hours after President Asif Ali Zardari had a telephonic conversation with MQM chief Altaf Hussain...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/mqm-objects-to-ministers-association-with-mirza.html


--------------------------------------------------------------
Nepra assails RPPs in apex court
--------------------------------------------------------------
By Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, Nov 16: A representative of the state-run organisation charged with regulating the power sector and an amicus curiae criticised in the Supreme Court on Wednesday the government's initiative of launching rental power projects (RPPs) as a stopgap arrangement for meeting the shortage of electricity.

Through a letter sent to the water and power ministry, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) had opposed the setting up of the RPPs because it felt that the plants would only add to the burden of the consumers without generating much electricity, Syed Najamul Hassan Kazmi, legal counsel for the Nepra, told the two-judge bench hearing allegations of corruption in the scheme...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/nepra-assails-rpps-in-apex-court.html


--------------------------------------------------------------
Balochistan refuses to grant mining licence to Tethyan
--------------------------------------------------------------
By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, Nov 16: The government of Balochistan has refused to grant mining licence to Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) for Reko-Diq gold-cum-copper project and has rejected an application filed by the company in February this year.

"Yes, the Balochistan government has rejected the application of TTC for a mining licence," Chief Secretary Mir Ahmed Bakhsh Lehri told Dawn on Wednesday...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/balochistan-refuses-to-grant-mining-licence-to-tethyan.html


--------------------------------------------------------------
Five killed in Tirah bomb blast
--------------------------------------------------------------
By Our Correspondent
LANDI KOTAL, Nov 16: Five people, among them women and children of the same family, were killed in Tirah valley when a bomb ripped through a pick-up vehicle on Wednesday.

Official sources said that the vehicle carrying the family of one Hasan Khel was going to Jamrud from Tirah valley when it hit the road-side bomb...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/five-killed-in-tirah-bomb-blast.html


--------------------------------------------------------------
Karachi Stocks Down 1.24 Points:
--------------------------------------------------------------
KARACHI, Nov 16: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 11,992.77, down 1.24 points.
--------------------------------------------------------------


--------------------------------------------------------------
Forex Update:
--------------------------------------------------------------
KARACHI, Nov 16: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 7 to the US Dollar in the open market.
--------------------------------------------------------------



--------------------------------------------------------------
*DINA*DINA*DINA*DINA*DINA*DINA*DINA*DINA*DINA*DINA*DINA*DINA*
--------------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe or unsubscribe to this mailing list, please fill the form located at: http://www.dawn.com/alerts
--------------------------------------------------------------