DINA for the issue of November 25, 2011

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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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November 25, 2011 Friday Zilhaj 28, 1432
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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 - 2011

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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Gilani pledges memo probe at 'highest level'
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By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: After preferring some days of public silence over a high drama, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told the National Assembly on Thursday he would set up a committee for what he said would be an impartial inquiry "at the highest level" into a controversial memo that led to the resignation of Pakistan's ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani two days ago and that parliament would be informed about the outcome.

But his assurances that he had asked Mr Haqqani to resign to remove any fear of the probe being influenced while the envoy remained in office and that the government wanted to satisfy the nation, the opposition and the house did not seem to satisfy a protesting Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), which walked out of the house after three highly critical speeches by opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in one sitting and a strongly worded response from a government minister...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/gilani-pledges-memo-probe-at-highest-level.html


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SC moved to place Haqqani on ECL
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif who has moved the Supreme Court on the memogate scandal filed on Thursday yet another application, calling for restrictions on Husain Haqqani, the former ambassador to the US, from leaving Pakistan.

"It is apprehended that either the former ambassador will flee the country or that he will be made to leave the country in order to frustrate the adjudication by this court for reasons based on malice, to say the least," the two-page application said...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/sc-moved-to-place-haqqani-on-ecl.html


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Transition to Sherry will be seamless: US
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By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Nov 24: The transition from Husain Haqqani to Sherry Rehman will be 'seamless,' says the US State Department as diplomatic circles in Washington begin to forget the former ambassador in less than 48 hours after his resignation.

"Do you think that this transition will be smooth?" asked a reporter at a State Department briefing. "We also have a strong relationship with Ms Rehman, so we expect it to be seamless," said the department's spokesman Mark Toner...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/transition-to-sherry-will-be-seamless-us.html


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Arif Azeem appointed railways chairman
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By Our Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: The government has removed Railway Board's chairman Javed Iqbal and appointed Arif Azeem, Secretary of the Board of Investment, to the post.

Informed sources told Dawn on Thursday that Mr Iqbal had asked the government to relieve him of the post to enable him to face charges in a reference filed against him with the National Accountability Bureau...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/arif-azeem-appointed-railways-chairman.html


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No arrest made in Imran Farooq case: UK
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By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: British Home Secretary Theresa May has contradicted a claim recently made by the London police chief that two suspected killers of MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq had been arrested in Karachi.

"It was a misstatement. Investigations in the case are still under way and no arrest has been made," she said at a press conference along with her Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik after a formal meeting here on Thursday...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/no-arrest-made-in-imran-farooq-case-uk.html


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Steel Mills faces shutdown
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By Khaleeq Kiani
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: With 'shutdown plan' of Pakistan Steel Mills also an option, the availability of its raw material on a precarious 20 per cent capacity utilisation has come down to only 15 days as the company struggles to keep the plant running and pay staff salaries.

"Under the prevailing situation it is not possible to run the affairs of PSM in the absence of any prompt financial assistance for procurement of raw material," said an SOS call to the federal government by the executive committee of the PSM management, which is looking after its day-to-day affairs...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/steel-mills-faces-shutdown.html


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Gen Lodhi new defence secretary
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: Lt-Gen (retd) Khalid Naeem Lodhi was appointed defence secretary on Thursday in place of Lt-Gen (retd) Athar Ali.

Gen Lodhi, who will assume the charge of his office on Monday, retired as Bahawalpur corps commander earlier this year...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/gen-lodhi-new-defence-secretary.html


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Ex-minister defends rental power initiative
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By Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: Former minister for water and power Raja Pervez Ashraf defended rental power projects (RPPs) in the Supreme Court on Thursday, but conceded that the country's future lay in hydel power and not in thermal.

Mr Ashraf, who is facing allegations of corruption on the RPP issue, said that unnecessary vilification had led to a perception of scam and fraud and affected the installation of power plants...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/ex-minister-defends-rental-power-initiative.html


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Gas, electricity tariff hike on the cards
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: While inflation continues to be in double digits, the government is planning to increase the natural gas tariff by up to 14 per cent and electricity rates by 4 per cent.

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) allowed on Thursday a 14 per cent increase in the natural gas rates for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and 11 per cent for Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) with effect from January 1, 2012, a senior Ogra official said...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/gas-electricity-tariff-hike-on-the-cards.html


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Fehmida leaves for London to quieten Dr Mirza
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By Amir Wasim
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: Just a day before scheduled conclusion of the National Assembly session, Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza left for London on Thursday on a private visit where her husband, Dr Zulfikar Mirza has been lobbying against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for over a week.

Sources in the NA Secretariat told Dawn that even the personal staff of the speaker had come to know about the visit after her departure...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/fehmida-leaves-for-london-to-quieten-dr-mirza.html


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Karachi Stocks Up 85.38 Points:
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KARACHI, Nov 24: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 11719.3, up 85.38 points.
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Forex Update:
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KARACHI, Nov 24: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 88 to the US Dollar in the open market.
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