DINA for the issue of December 20, 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 20, 2011 Tuesday Muharram 24, 1433
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The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news-service
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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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No rebuttal of charge leads to validation: CJ asks Gilani to clarify aides' jibes
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By Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: The news is not good for those who think that the furore over the memo issue has died down after the return of President Asif Ali Zardari or after meetings between the prime minister and the army chief.
A nine-judge larger bench of the Supreme Court, which resumed the hearing on Monday of the memo case on petitions filed by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and others, took exception to the Dec 1 media jibe by both former and incumbent law ministers, Dr Babar Awan and Maula Bux Chandio...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/no-rebuttal-of-charge-leads-to-validation-cj-asks-gilani-to-clarify-aides-jibes.html
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ISPR moves to dispel speculation about 'deal'
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By Baqir Sajjad Syed
ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: An unusual statement by the Inter Services Public Relations, about the telephonic conversation on Friday between the President and the army chief, spurred speculation that differences between the civilian side of the government and the military establishment over the memo case were far from over.
"The telephonic conversation between the President and COAS lasted approximately one minute in which he enquired about the health of the President. Hence, attributing anything more to this telephonic conversation is unfounded and unnecessary," an ISPR statement said on Monday after President Zardari's return...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/ispr-moves-to-dispel-speculation-about-deal.html
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Govt, opposition at one on democracy
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By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD: Despite some fireworks in the National Assembly and a standoff on the streets of Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi over gas shortages, both the government and parliamentary opposition vowed on Monday to protect the democratic system against any conspiracy from the outside.
And an apparently confident Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who welcomed what he saw as renewed commitments to democracy by PML-N president Nawaz Sharif and opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, assured the house that there was no possibility of any martial law or any government of technocrats being imposed on the country...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/govt-opposition-at-one-on-democracy.html
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State Bank annual report: Institutional weakness behind poor economy
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By Shahid Iqbal
KARACHI, Dec 19: The State Bank has said institutional weakness at all tiers of the government — judiciary, civil services, law enforcers, regulatory bodies and accountability agencies — are directly responsible for poor economic growth in the country.
The SBP's annual report, released here on Monday, showed a series of concerns surrounding the economy. It said most governance indicators had weakened in recent years and the business environment had been undermined by the institutional weakness. Pakistan fared poorly than its South Asian neighbours, the report observed...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/state-bank-annual-report-institutional-weakness-behind-poor-economy.html
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EC starts enforcing law against dual nationality
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By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: In what may come as a nightmare for many, the Election Commission (EC) has started enforcing a law that bars dual-nationality holders from becoming members of parliament.
According to official sources, candidates in the by-election for a Senate seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to be held on Jan 4, will be required to submit a declaration with their nomination papers that they have not acquired the citizenship of any other country...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/ec-starts-enforcing-law-against-dual-nationality.html
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Balochistan at point of no return, Mengal tells Nawaz
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By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 19: Veteran Baloch nationalist leader Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal has accused what he described as the "Punjabi army" of committing atrocities against the Baloch people that had pushed the situation to a 'point of no return'. He also came up with a disarming acknowledgement that "nothing is in my control now".
"This is not Pakistan Army. Rather it is the Punjabi army that is indulging in such inhuman acts against the Baloch people," he said while talking to newsmen along with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif after meeting him here on Monday...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/balochistan-at-point-of-no-return-mengal-tells-nawaz.html
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30 members of 'elite club' join PTI
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By Ahmad Hassan
ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Known for changing sides, a group of politicians mostly hailing from south Punjab and who have been returning to the assemblies for almost two decades on Monday joined Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), improving the party's chances of at least getting representation in the legislatures in the next polls.
The 30-member group comprising dissidents from the 'Q', 'N' and 'F' factions of Pakistan Muslim League and led by MNA from Rahimyar Khan Jahangir Tareen announced their decision to join the party at a press conference at the National Press Club which was also attended by PTI chief Imran Khan...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/30-members-of-elite-club-join-pti.html
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Growth target cut to 3.6pc
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By Khaleeq Kiani
ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Hit by energy shortfalls and floods, the government on Monday formally reduced current year's economic growth rate target by 0.6 per cent to 3.6 per cent and announced decision to re-pledge Lahore-Islamabad Motorway to bridge financing shortfalls as flows from the United States and telecom sector seem short of budgetary projections.
A senior economic manager told newsmen at a background briefing that the limit for fiscal deficit set at 4 per cent of GDP in the budget had also been revised to 4.7 per cent even though most of the expenditures were squeezed below half-yearly targets. In the first six months (July-Dec) of the current year, the fiscal deficit has been estimated at 2.5 per cent of GDP which meant the government still had a good margin of containing it at around 2.2 per cent in the remaining six months...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/growth-target-cut-to-36pc.html
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Petition seeks removal of ISI chief
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Another petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Monday over the memo case – this time against ISI Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha. The petitioner sought immediate removal of the spymaster.
Jameel Ahmed, chairman of the Communist Party of Pakistan, contended that Gen Pasha was not eligible to hold the high post of ISI. He based his petition on articles appeared in the foreign media according to which the ISI chief allegedly got approval from the Arab world to sack President Asif Ali Zardari. "Till date these allegations have not been denied by both the ISI DG and the ISPR," he added...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/petition-seeks-removal-of-isi-chief.html
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Preliminary 'US-Taliban talks reach critical stage'
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KABUL, Dec 19: After 10 months of secret dialogue with Afghanistan's Taliban, senior US officials say the talks have reached a critical juncture and they will soon know whether a breakthrough is possible, leading to peace talks whose ultimate goal will be to end the Afghan war.
As part of the accelerating, high-stakes diplomacy, the United States is considering the transfer of an unspecified number of Taliban prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay military prison to Afghan government custody...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/preliminary-us-taliban-talks-reach-critical-stage.html
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Taliban commander denies talks
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PESHAWAR: A senior Afghan Taliban commander on Monday denied that the group held secret talks with US officials which had reached a turning point.
"How can talks be at a critical point when they have not even started," the commander said by telephone in response to comments by US officials who said talks had been taking place for 10 months and reached a turning point...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/taliban-commander-denies-talks.html
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Afghan-India nexus cited in border attack
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Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD has held an Afghan army commander responsible for the Nato attack in Mohmand Agency last month that killed 24 troops, BBC Urdu quoted a Pakistani military officer as saying on Monday.
The officer told BBC that according to an investigation carried out by Pakistani officials, an Afghan commander posted at the border hatched conspiracy, in collaboration with Indian intelligence, to target the Pakistani outposts...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/afghan-india-nexus-cited-in-border-attack.html
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Ban on CNG use in public transport proposed
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By A Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Having failed to ensure the quality of CNG kits, cylinders and fittings in vehicles, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has recommended a ban on the use of compressed natural gas in public transport.
The Ogra recommendation said the decision was needed in view of growing accidents involving the CNG system in public transport. The regulator acknowledged that the main reason for the increasing number of accidents was the use of substandard fittings...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/ban-on-cng-use-in-public-transport-proposed.html
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Ex-ambassador accused of issuing 15,000 visas to US nationals
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By Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Former ambassador to Washington Husain Haqqani is likely to face a thorny session of the Abbottabad inquiry commission on Tuesday, especially after former minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed appeared before the commission on Monday and submitted a statement claiming that the ex-envoy had issued more than 15,000 visas to US nationals.
Mr Haqqani, who also presented his statement to the commission on Monday, did not share its contents with the media...
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/20/ex-ambassador-accused-of-issuing-15000-visas-to-us-nationals.html
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Karachi Stocks Up 57.70 Points:
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KARACHI, Dec 19: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 11085.84, up 57.70 points.
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Forex Update:
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KARACHI, Dec 19: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 90 to the US Dollar in the open market.
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