DINA for the issue of January 24th, 2013

	Thursday 24th January 2013 | Rabi-ul-Awwal 11, 1434
The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news service from Pakistan’s largest English language newspaper, the Daily DAWN.
PML-N, JI discuss caretaker set-up By Our Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: With elections only a few weeks away, political parties have stepped up their contacts to discuss the formation of a caretaker set-up and possibilities of electoral alliances...	For suggestions and comments: Email: webmaster@dawn.com Website: http://dawn.com Fax: +92(21) 35693995 Karachi Stocks Up 11.86 Points: KARACHI, Jan 23: At the class of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 16905.95, up 11.86 points. Forex Update : KARACHI, Jan 23: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 99.1 to the US Dollar in the open market.
SC to investigate Faisal’s death By Nasir Iqbal ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: Heeding the demand for taking into its own hand the investigation into the mysterious death of NAB’s Assistant Director Kamran Faisal, the Supreme Court asked a separate bench on Wednesday to look into the circumstances which led to his death. Kamran Faisal was investigating the high-profile rental power projects (RPP) scam which also involves Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf...
Warnings to pluck and try Qadri ended sit-in, Malik tells NA By Raja Asghar ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: If one were to believe what Interior Minister Rehman Malik boastfully told a fired-up National Assembly on Wednesday, it were his warnings to Dr Tahirul Qadri like plucking him from a bullet-proof refuge and registering a treason case against him, rather than any concessions, that broke the political cleric’s defiance to end a dreadful march on Islamabad last week. The minister had kept a low profile on the issue since Dr Qadri signed an apparently face-saving declaration with government negotiators before dispersing a four-day `dharna’, of tens of thousands of the followers of his Tehrik Minhajul Quran non-governmental organisation outside parliament on Jan 17, after a `long march’ from Lahore...
Police told not to rule out murder By Syed Irfan Raza & Munawer Azeem ISLAMABAD: A magisterial inquiry report on the mysterious death of NAB Assistant Director Kamran Faisal suggested on Wednesday that police should look at murder as one of the causes of death in their investigation. According to sources, police had not sent belongings of the victim, including cellphone and laptop, for forensic test even after a lapse of five days...
Bahawalpur proposed as capital of new province in Punjab By Amir Wasim ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: A member of the controversial parliamentary commission on new provinces disclosed on Wednesday that a consensus had been evolved on the creation of a new province in Punjab. “There is almost consensus among members of the commission that one province with the name of Janoobi Punjab comprising Multan, Bahawalpur and D.G. Khan divisions should be carved out from Punjab with Bahawalpur as its capital,” PML-Q Senator Kamil Ali Agha told Dawn after a meeting of the commission...
Lawyers rule out ECP reconstitution By Our Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: A panel of lawyers, which met here on Wednesday to consider the Islamabad Long March Declaration signed by the government with Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri last week, ruled out reconstitution of the Election Commission of Pakistan before completion of its constitutional term. Law Minister Farooq H. Naek and S.M. Zafar, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Abdul Latif Afridi, Dr Khalid Ranjha, Dr Farogh Naseem and Prof Humayun Ehsan attended the meeting.
Non-appearance of SC Registrar: PAC chief asks NA to ensure compliance of its order By Khawar Ghumman ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: Notwithstanding a stay order of the Supreme Court against the appearance of its Registrar before the Public Accounts Committee, the latter urged the National Assembly on Wednesday to enforce compliance of its notice in which the committee had summoned him. Nadeem Afzal Gondal, the PAC chairman, laid a special report before the lower house of parliament with a strong recommendation to use all ‘lawful methods’ for the compliance of its notice regarding appearance of the SC Registrar before the committee...
ECP seeks Rs5.1bn supplementary grant for polls By Iftikhar A. Khan ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: The coming general election will cost about 175 per cent more than the polls held in 2008. According to an official document, the Election Commission has sought from the finance division Rs5.1 billion in supplementary grant for election expenses, whereas two previous polls together cost Rs3.3bn.
CCI approves 600MW coal-based power project By Khaleeq Kiani ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: The Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved on Wednesday a new 600MW power project at Jamshoro. The plant will use a mix of imported and Thar coal and will be set up with a $900 million loan from the Asian Development Bank. A meeting of the CCI presided over by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf constituted an inter-provincial committee to investigate provincial governments’ complaints of over-billing by power companies and clear undisputed electricity arrears.
Saifuddin Khosa quits PML-N, joins PPP By Syed Irfan Raza ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: In a significant political development, Saifuddin Khosa, a senior leader of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N, has joined the Pakistan People’s Party. Mr Khosa made the announcement at a joint press conference with PPP leaders Faryal Talpur, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Jehangir Badr and Makhdoom Shahabuddin here on Wednesday.
ASWJ man killed in Talagang By Our Correspondent TALAGANG, Jan 23: A local leader of Ahl-i-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) was killed in an armed attack here on Wednesday, police sources said. Qari Mohammad Saeed, the prayer leader of a local mosque, was attacked by an unidentified gunman when he came out of Ayesha Siddiqua Masjid on Mianwali road after Maghrib prayers.
Magisterial powers QUETTA, Jan 23: The Balochistan government has given magistrates’ powers to administrative officers in all districts of the province for taking action against price hike and land encroachment. According to a notification, the Home and Tribal Affairs Department has given deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners (revenue), assistant commissioners and municipal magistrates powers of special magistrate under the Criminal Procedures Code.—Staff Correspondent
JUI-F leader shot dead By Saleem Shahid QUETTA, Jan 23: A cleric belonging to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) was shot dead in Kakar colony here on Wednesday, police sources said. Unidentified men on a motorcycle opened fire at Mufti Rehmatullah, the prayer leader of a local mosque, leaving him seriously injured.
Anti-tank mine defused By Our Staff Correspondent QUETTA, Jan 23: Police on Wednesday defused an anti-tank mine near police residential quarters on the outskirts of Khuzdar, averting a major tragedy. DIG Khuzdar Range Fasihuddin said unidentified men had planted the mine in the Khatan area to blow up the police quarters. After receiving a tip-off, he said, the police and bomb disposal squad defused the mine containing 18kg of explosives. No arrest was reported and security beefed up in and around Khuzdar town.
NAB investigators working in insecure environment By Malik Asad ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: Despite tall claims of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that it would provide security to its Investigation Officers (IOs), a number of them investigating high-profile cases are still bereft of this official protection. Those living in jeopardy include the main investigator of the Rental Power Project (RPP), Asghar Khan.
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