DINA for the issue of December 29, 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 29, 2011 Thursday Safar 3, 1433
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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:

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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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Massive hike in gas tariff from January 1
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By Khaleeq Kiani
ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Amid an acute shortage of natural gas across the country, triggering public protests in various areas, the government decided on Wednesday to massively increase gas tariff for all categories of consumers.

The increase will vary between 14 per cent and a whopping 207 per cent...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/29/massive-hike-in-gas-tariff-from-jan-1.html


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Severe shortage sparks protests
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By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE: With severe cold wave gripping Punjab and the northern parts of the country, the gas crisis continued to deepen on Wednesday as the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) faced a shortage of about 30 per cent in its system, triggering protests by industrial consumers.

According to officials, the utility is currently facing a deficit of 700 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. It has a supply of 1,900mmcfd, of which 200mmcfd is coming from the Sui Southern Gas Company...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/29/severe-shortage-sparks-protests.html


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US likely to punish those involved in Nato attack
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By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Dec 28: The United States indicated on Wednesday that it might take action against those involved in a Nato attack on Pakistani border posts, but only after receiving the final report of an official US inquiry into the incident.

Last week, the US Central Command released a preliminary report which conceded Nato's mistakes but also blamed Pakistan for the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers in the Nov 26 attack. Islamabad has rejected the report as biased and is urging the US to find those responsible and take punitive action against them, media reports said. Earlier on Wednesday, a Pentagon spokesperson told a briefing in Washington that punitive action against those found guilty could not be ruled out, but only the final inquiry report could determine who was responsible....

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/29/us-likely-to-punish-those-involved-in-nato-attack.html


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US briefing claim denied
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WASHINGTON: The American military has briefed Pakistan's army chief on its investigation into US air strikes on the country's border posts last month, US officials said on Tuesday.

Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby told reporters that a report by military investigators was delivered to Gen Ashfaq Kayani on Sunday by a US officer based in Islamabad, who explained the findings to the general. But a Pakistani security official told AFP "no such briefing took place and the report was not handed over in person to the army chief"...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/29/us-briefing-claim-denied.html


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Asma urges SC to secure individuals' rights
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By Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Defence counsel Asma Jehangir said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court was like a safe haven for people persecuted by populist elements in the name of national security.

She was explaining the stand of her client, former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, on petitions filed by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and others about the so-called 'memogate scandal' before a nine-judge bench...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/29/asma-urges-sc-to-secure-individuals-rights.html


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Transparency issues corruption survey report: Land, police departments viewed as most corrupt
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By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 28: The Transparency International Pakistan (TIP), which is often criticised for its "divisive findings", has released yet another yearly survey report pertaining to what it terms corruption perception, with apprehension of deterioration in the fields of taxation, customs, tendering and contracting and courts.

According to TIP's national corruption perception survey, 2011, a summary of which was released at a press conference here on Wednesday, land administration and police were the two most corrupt and education and military least corrupt departments...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/29/transparency-issues-corruption-survey-report-land-police-departments-viewed-as-most-corrupt.html


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Saranjam quits PML-N post
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By Ali Hazrat Bacha
PESHAWAR, Dec 28: Pakistan Muslim League-N received a serious setback in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday when its former general secretary Saranjam Khan resigned as the party's vice-president and member of the central executive committee.

"I resigned from the party offices in protest against the nomination of Rehmat Salam Khattak as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa general secretary," he said while talking to Dawn...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/29/saranjam-quits-pml-n-post.html


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Govt orders closure of all illegal CNG workshops
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By Kalbe Ali
ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: The government has directed the provincial chief secretaries to close all illegal CNG conversion workshops and impound cylinders at such locations.

A meeting presided over by Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Wednesday took a number of decisions to address the increasing incidents of explosion of CNG cylinders in public transport vehicles...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/29/govt-orders-closure-of-all-illegal-cng-workshops.html


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Karachi Stocks Up 61.49 Points:
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KARACHI, Dec 28: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 11372.87, up 61.49 points.
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Forex Update:
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KARACHI, Dec 28: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 90.5 to the US Dollar in the open market.
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