DINA for the issue of December 14, 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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December 14, 2011 Wednesday Muharram 18, 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 - 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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Afghan refugees killed Rabbani, says Khar
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By Iftikhar A Khan
ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on Tuesday held Afghan refugees living in Pakistan responsible for the assassination of former Afghan president Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani.

"We are not responsible if Afghan refugees crossed the border and entered Kabul, stayed in a guest house and attacked Prof Rabbani," she told Senate during the question-hour session...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/afghan-refugees-killed-rabbani-says-khar.html


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Afghan war cannot be won without Pakistan, says Panetta
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By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Dec 13: The United States cannot win the war in Afghanistan without repairing its relations with Pakistan, says US Defence Secretary Leon E. Panetta, while expressing confidence that the two allies can patch up their differences.

Mr Panetta, considered a 'Pakistan hawk' in the US capital, also noted that the South Asian region cannot be stable if Pakistan was not stable...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/afghan-war-cannot-be-won-without-pakistan-says-panetta.html


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Envoys call for Musharraf era deals' review
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By Baqir Sajjad Syed
ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: Senior Pakistani diplomats on Tuesday pitched for a complete recast of ties with Washington, proposing reconsideration and annulment of a number of agreements made during the Musharraf era and reducing reliance on American aid.

These and other steps for revisiting terms of engagement with the US have been detailed in the policy recommendations finalised at the end of the two-day envoys' conference, which was convened to deliberate on relations with America in the aftermath of the Nov 26 attacks on border posts -- something that in the words of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani "constitutes a huge setback to the prospects of much-needed cooperation"...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/envoys-call-for-musharraf-era-deals-review.html


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Naek-Gilani meeting stirs speculations afresh
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By Khawar Ghumman
ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: The first public appearance of the acting president, Farooq H. Naek, and his meeting with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday, may have been held to send the message that it was business as usual for the government.

However, as is the fate of the PPP-led government, the meeting ended up achieving the opposite. Hence, the appearance of the acting president simply refocused attention on the absence of President Asif Ali Zardari, his mysterious illness and the lack of information about how long he will stay away...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/naek-gilani-meeting-stirs-speculations-afresh.html


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NAB told to pursue Hudaibya case against Nawaz
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By Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: The Supreme Court asked the National Accountability Bureau on Tuesday to follow the Hudaibya Paper Mills corruption matter against PML-N president and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif after completing paperwork.

The directive came when a bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain called for copies of the Hudaibya corruption reference and the agreement under which the Sharif family went into exile...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/nab-told-to-pursue-hudaibya-case-against-nawaz.html

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US panel links $700m aid to fight against IEDs
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By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Dec 13: A US congressional panel's agreement to freeze $700 million in aid to Pakistan reflects a growing consensus among American lawmakers to bring new restrictions against Islamabad to force it to back the Obama administration's exit strategy for Afghanistan.

On Monday, a US House-Senate negotiating panel agreed to freeze this large amount until Pakistan started helping US efforts to curb the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against its troops in Afghanistan...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/us-panel-links-700m-aid-to-fight-against-ieds.html


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'Move unfortunate, untimely'
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ISLAMABAD: A senior Pakistani lawmaker expressed disappointment on Tuesday over the US plans to freeze $700 million in aid pending assurances of more cooperation from Islamabad.

"It is most unfortunate and untimely," the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Salim Saifullah Khan, said. "I think we will survive without aid, but it is most unfortunate to see these things after 31 years of sacrifices by Pakistan," he added.—AFP...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/move-unfortunate-untimely.html


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US has put drone strikes on hold: journal
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By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Dec 13: The United States has put drone strikes in Pakistan "on hold" to save a post-9/11 alliance that's on life support, according to a trusted website that focuses on the war against terrorists. Several US intelligence officials involved in the CIA programme, which uses unmanned Predator and Reaper strike aircraft, more commonly called drones, told The Long War Journal that US officials feared that an attack at this point in time would further damage the already fragile relationship between the US and Pakistan.

Relations between the two countries have been deteriorating over the past two years as the US has ramped up the drone programme while accusing Pakistan of supporting the Taliban and other terrorist groups...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/us-has-put-drone-strikes-on-hold-journal.html


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Irsa's canal closure plan to affect power generation
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By Khaleeq Kiani
ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: In consultation with the provinces, the Indus River System Authority has decided to begin closing down the canals for their yearly cleaning on Dec 26.

The plan will reduce the output of hydropower units by more than 5,500MW, resulting in loadshedding of two to fours hours a day across the country...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/irsas-canal-closure-plan-to-affect-power-generation.html


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Abbottabad panel to meet Haqqani on 19th
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By Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: The commission investigating the May 2 US raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad changed on Tuesday the date for its meeting with former ambassador to US Husain Haqqani from Dec 14 to Dec 19.

According to a new announcement, the former envoy has been asked to appear before the commission on Monday, the same day the Supreme Court will start hearing petitions on the 'memogate' filed by PML-N president Nawaz Sharif and others...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/abbottabad-panel-to-meet-haqqani-on-19th.html


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Soldier killed in Waziristan
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By Our Correspondent
MIRAMSHAH, Dec 13: A soldier was killed and six others were injured when militants attacked some army men in Shawal area of North Waziristan on Tuesday, official sources said.

They said the attack took place when the soldiers were taking up positions in the mountainous area to provide protection to an army convoy that was to go from Miramshah to Shawal. A curfew had been imposed in the region as a precautionary measure...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/soldier-killed-in-waziristan.html


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Karachi Stocks Down 198.91 Points:
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KARACHI, Dec 13: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 11278.21, down 198.91 points.
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Forex Update:
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KARACHI, Dec 13: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 89.4 to the US Dollar in the open market.
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