DINA for the issue of December 30, 2011

----------------------------------------------------------------
D A W N I n t e r n e t N e w s A l e r t
----------------------------------------------------------------
December 30, 2011 Friday Safar 4, 1433
----------------------------------------------------------------
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.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
US disagrees with Zardari remarks on 'tailor-made democracy'
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Dec 29: The US State Department rejected on Thursday President Asif Ali Zardari's claim that it was propping up 'tailor-made' democracies in the Middle East, insisting that democratic movements in that region were indigenous and these people were only demanding the rights denied to them by their rulers.

President Zardari had criticised US policies in the Middle East in his speech in Larkana on Dec 27, although he never named the United States...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/30/us-disagrees-with-zardari-remarks-on-tailor-made-democracy.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
Shortage to force gas emergency: minister
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Shamim-ur-Rahman
KARACHI, Dec 29: Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain issued a grim warning on Thursday about nationwide gas emergency that would lead to closure of CNG stations from next month.

Dr Asim did not give a cutaway date or duration of the shutdown and told journalists that no final decision had yet been taken about his proposal for a month-long closure...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/30/shortage-to-force-gas-emergency-minister.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
Kharotabad case forensic investigator shot dead
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, Dec 29: Police surgeon Dr Syed Baqir Shah, who had conducted the post-mortem on the bodies of five foreigners killed by security forces in the infamous Kharotabad shooting, was gunned down here on Thursday.

He had been facing death threats...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/30/kharotabad-case-forensic-investigator-shot-dead.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
Memo scam petitions: Decision on admissibility likely today
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: The Supreme Court is expected to announce on Friday whether to admit or reject requests by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and others to order a judicial inquiry into the so-called memorandum scandal.

Petitioners Barrister Zafarullah of the Watan Party and Advocate Tariq Asad concluded on Thursday their rebuttals to arguments advanced by Asma Jehangir, the counsel for former ambassador Husain Haqqani. Advocate Rasheed A. Razvi will present his arguments on Friday in favour of acceptance of the petitions, after which the court is likely to speak out its mind...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/30/memo-scam-petitions-decision-on-admissibility-likely-today.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
Javed Hashmi's 'double blow' in NA
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: Veteran politician Javed Hashmi said a formal goodbye to the National Assembly on Thursday with a double blow: blaming perceived wrongs of his former party and parliament for switching loyalties from the Pakistan Muslim League-N to Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf.

But the blow was only partly returned when he had left the house after delivering his resignation as lower house member as a consequence of leaving the PML-N and a long speech that showed him overtaken by a sense of self-righteousness...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/30/javed-hashmis-double-blow-in-na.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
Pasha visits Qatar to repair ties with US
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Baqir Sajjad Syed
ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: ISI Chief Lt-Gen Shuja Pasha's visit to Qatar, home to US Centcom's regional headquarters, has led to speculations about an 'intelligence back channel' between Pakistan and the US to reset troubled security cooperation.

Gen Pasha, whose overseas trips are not officially announced, is said to have returned on Wednesday from a trip to Qatar, which had been 'authorised' by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/30/pasha-visits-qatar-to-repair-ties-with-us.html


----------------------------------------------------------------
Gilani rejects business plan of PIA
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Amin Ahmed
ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has refused to approve the 'business plan' submitted by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and asked its management to formulate a better strategy to overcome the organisation's financial difficulties.

Reviewing the proposed plan at a meeting on Thursday, Mr Gilani asked a committee comprising secretaries of the cabinet, finance, establishment and defence departments to chalk out final recommendations on the issue for submission to the Cabinet Committee on Restructuring...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/30/gilani-rejects-business-plan-of-pia.html


--------------------------------------------------------------
FBR accused of fresh fudging of figures
--------------------------------------------------------------
By Mubarak Zeb Khan
ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: The Federal Board of Revenue claims to have collected Rs640.1 billion in the first five months (July-November) of the current financial year, but the data available with Dawn shows that the revenue collected during the period actually stands at Rs634 billion.

With last year's fudging of revenue figures still fresh in people's minds, the FBR has apparently tried again to fudge the collection figures by over Rs6 billion...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/30/fbr-accused-of-fresh-fudging-of-figures.html


--------------------------------------------------------------
EC plans to stop use of graft money in polls
--------------------------------------------------------------
By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: As part of its efforts to make the electoral process transparent and the results unquestionable, the Election Commission will put in place a mechanism to check the use of 'ill-gotten' money in the polls and scrutinise the statements and declarations of the contesting candidates and elected representatives.

An EC official told Dawn on Thursday that in collaboration with the Auditor General Pakistan Revenues and Federal Bureau of Revenue a fully-fledged 'political finance wing' would be set up soon to streamline political finance...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/30/ec-plans-to-stop-use-of-graft-money-in-polls.html


--------------------------------------------------------------
Babar Awan made PPP vice-president
--------------------------------------------------------------
By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE, Dec 29: The Pakistan People's Party has finally given a party office to former law minister Senator Babar Awan.

There has been criticism in and outside the party that Mr Awan, who actively represents the PPP at all forums, does not have party office...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/30/babar-awan-made-ppp-vice-president.html


--------------------------------------------------------------
Karachi Stocks Up 91.94 Points:
--------------------------------------------------------------
KARACHI, Dec 29: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 11444.53, up 91.94 points.
--------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------
Forex Update:
--------------------------------------------------------------
KARACHI, Dec 29: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 90.3to 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
--------------------------------------------------------------