DINA for the issue of January 12, 2012

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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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January 12, 2012 Thursday Safar 17, 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 - 2012

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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Sanity follows high drama
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By Baqir Sajjad Syed and Amir Wasim
IT was a day of nail-biting suspense that followed a night of hectic political activity. But its denouement that came the same evening was surprisingly calm.

The first strike of Wednesday came from Pindi. The Inter Services Public Relations, the military's information wing, released a hard-hitting press statement that took to task the prime minister who had in an interview to a Chinese journalist on Monday inexplicably announced that the answers submitted to the Supreme Court by the Chief of Army Staff and the head of the ISI had not been filed following the rules of procedure...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/sanity-follows-high-drama.html


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Defence secretary Naeem Lodhi sacked
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ISLAMABAD: Wednesday evening saw high drama as the army warned the prime minister of "grievous consequences" for his allegations against the Chief of Army Staff and the ISI spymaster and the government struck back by sacking the defence secretary. However as night fell, sanity prevailed with the news of telephone conversation between Mr Yousuf Raza Gilani and Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Talking to reporters, the prime minister said Gen Kayani had spoken to him before ISPR, the military's public affairs wing, issued a rejoinder to the former's interview with China's People's Daily Online...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/defence-secretary-naeem-lodhi-sacked.html


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Parliamentary groups of coalition parties to meet before NA session
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ISLAMABAD: The PPP finds itself stuck between the proverbial devil and the deep blue sea — and unreliable coalition allies.

The allies are not interested in committing their support to the PPP in parliament, without first knowing and approving of the tactics it will use to respond to the Supreme Court's Tuesday ruling in the NRO implementation case, according to sources...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/parliamentary-groups-of-coalition-parties-to-meet-before-na-session.html


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Seven-judge bench set up for NRO case
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Jan 11: A day after the stern order in the NRO implementation case, the Supreme Court constituted a seven-judge bench to resume the hearing from Monday next.

A source privy to the development conceded to Dawn that the bench so formed would be headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk and comprised Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Muhammad Ather Saeed...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/seven-judge-bench-set-up-for-nro-case.html


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14 FC men slain in Turbat
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QUETTA, Jan 11: At least 14 personnel of the Frontier Corps died in an ambush by armed men in the Nawano area of Turbat district late on Wednesday night.

The banned Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for the attack...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/14-fc-men-slain-in-turbat.html


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Stage set for parliamentary fightback
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By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD, Jan 11: An emergency National Assembly session beginning on Thursday sets the stage for a parliamentary fightback by the government against a spate of judicial and other provocations which have heightened political tensions and fuelled speculations about a new standoff with the judiciary.

The PPP-led coalition government is likely to use the session to demonstrate its parliamentary strength and backing to its policies through a debate or a voted resolution as a counter to perceived moves to destabilise it before it completes its five-year term in March next year...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/stage-set-for-parliamentary-fightback.html


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PML-N chief calls for early elections
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By Amjad Mahmood
LAHORE, Jan 11: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has suggested early general elections to steer the country out of a situation in which a clash among state institutions appears to be imminent.

In a prepared statement read out in front of mediapersons outside his Raiwind residence on Wednesday, Mr Sharif cautioned all quarters concerned against any misadventure and said that "continuation of constitutional and democratic process is in the best national interest"...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/pml-n-chief-calls-for-early-elections.html


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Dasti quits PPP, NA
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By Our Correspondent
MUZAFFARGARH, Jan 11: Infuriated at alleged interference of party colleague and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar in his constituency's affairs, MNA Jamshed Dasti announced on Wednesday that he had decided to quit the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and resign from the National Assembly.

Talking to reporters at his residence, Mr Dasti alleged that Ms Khar had got posted "some corrupt officials" in his constituency and the party leadership had been unmoved despite repeated complaints...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/dasti-quits-ppp-na.html


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Questions raised about next Pagara
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By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, Jan 11: The passing away of Pir Pagara, spiritual leader of the Hur Jamaat, in London on Tuesday night has set off speculation among political circles as to which of his four sons — Pir Syed Sibghatullah Shah, Pir Syed Gohar Ali Shah, Pir Syed Sadruddin Shah alias Yunus Sain and Pir Syed Hizbullah Shah Rashdi — will succeed him.

There is no tradition of nominating a son as successor by the Pir himself in Hur Jamaat, sources close to the Kingri House, which is the official residence in Karachi of their spiritual guide, told Dawn...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/questions-raised-about-next-pagara.html


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'US playing no role in Pakistan matters'
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By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan 11: The US State Department said on Wednesday that the conflict between the civil and military establishments in Pakistan was the country's internal matter and it would not like to comment on it.

At a briefing in Washington, a State Department official also said the US was not playing any role in removing differences between the civilian government and the Pakistani military...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/us-playing-no-role-in-pakistan-matters.html


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SCBA adopts resolution in support of Supreme Court
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By Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, Jan 11: The second meeting of the 14th executive committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) adopted on Wednesday a hard-hitting, but disputed resolution, condemning perceived attempts on part of the government to flout the Supreme Court's verdict on the NRO.

Attended by 21 members of the newly-elected body of the SCBA, the resolution was signed by 16 members. President Yasin Azad and four other office-bearers chose not to support it...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/scba-adopts-resolution-in-support-of-supreme-court.html


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'US let down by Sunni Ittehad'
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By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan 11: The US Department of State paid $36,607 to the Sunni Ittehad Council during the US fiscal year 2009-10, reveals a document placed on the website of a government agency called USAspending.gov.

The money came from the State Department's fund for "public diplomacy programmes for Afghanistan and Pakistan", the document shows...

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/us-let-down-by-sunni-ittehad.html


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Karachi Stocks Down 2.69 Points:
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KARACHI, Jan 11: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 10.930.49, down 2.69 points.
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Forex Update:
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KARACHI, Jan 11: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 91.3 to the US Dollar in the open market.
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