DINA for the issue of February 5th, 2013

	Tuesday 5th February 2013 | Rabi-ul-Awwal 23, 1434
The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news service from Pakistan’s largest English language newspaper, the Daily DAWN.
Caretaker PM: Coalition parties to decide after president’s return By Syed Irfan Raza ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The second round of talks between parties in the ruling coalition to decide the name of a joint candidate for the post of caretaker prime minister will take place after the return of President Asif Ali Zardari from the United Kingdom.	For suggestions and comments: Email: webmaster@dawn.com Website: http://dawn.com Fax: +92(21) 35693995 Karachi Stocks Up 11.93 Points KARACHI, Feb 04: At the close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 17278.16, up 11.93 points. Forex Update : KARACHI, Feb 04: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 99.9 to the US Dollar in the open market.
Heavy rain affects opposition sit-in outside ECP office By Iftikhar A. Khan ISLAMBAD, Feb 4: The plan for a sit-in by opposition parties led by the PML-N was all but washed out by heavy downpour here on Monday, although hundreds of people managed to gather outside the Election Commission of Pakistan to demonstrate their support for the commission and present a charter of demands for ensuring free and fair elections in the country. It appeared to be a mismanaged event which, according to political observers, had been organised by the opposition to counter Dr Tahirul Qadri’s demand for ECP’s dissolution made during a sit-in by his supporters in the capital.
Cameron hosts Zardari, Karzai: Afghan peace deal seen in six months LONDON, Feb 4: The leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan said on Monday they would work to reach a peace deal within six months, while throwing their weight behind moves for the Taliban to open an office in Doha. Following talks hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari also urged the Taliban to join the reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
People’s Party caught between demands of PML-N, Qadri By Khawar Ghumman ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: Having signed an agreement with Dr Tahirul Qadri, and now the PML-N submitting a long list of demands, the ruling PPP has been virtually caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. In background interviews, senior PPP leaders said they believed that with elections round the corner everybody else was gunning for the ruling party. They accused the opposition parties of playing politics for point-scoring and creating problems for the government.
Malala reiterates commitment to cause of education LONDON, Feb 4: Malala Yousufzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls’ education, said she was “getting better day by day” in her first public statement released on Monday. The 15-year-old said she had been given a “second life” to campaign for girls to have the right to go to school, in a video statement recorded before she underwent surgery to repair her skull at a hospital in Britain on Saturday.
PPP, PML-Q try to iron out ‘differences’ By Amir Wasim ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The top leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) met here on Monday in an effort to iron out their “differences” over seat adjustments and electoral alliances for the general election. The PML-Q’s Information Secretary, Kamil Ali Agha, said that the two sides had discussed the “election strategy” and criteria for the selection of candidates in the next polls. He said the two sides would meet again on Wednesday.
Court turns down NAB’s plea for larger bench By Nasir Iqbal ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The Supreme Court turned down on Monday the National Accountability Bureau’s request to form a larger bench and simultaneously hear all matters relating to implementation of its judgment in the rental power projects (RPP) case. “If possible, form a larger bench since almost identical matters on the RPP case are pending before two different benches,” NAB’s Prosecutor General K.K. Agha pleaded before a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed.
Mohammad Ali Shah passes way By Our Staff Reporter KARACHI, Feb 4: Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, a renowned orthopedic surgeon and adviser to the Sindh chief minister for sports, died in Houston, USA, on Monday after a protracted illness. He was 67. He is survived by two wives and three sons. His body is likely to be flown to Karachi for burial by Friday.
Wet spell to persist for three days ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast on Monday widespread rain in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, upper Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. Scattered and heavy snowfall is likely in mountainous areas and isolated rain in south Punjab, upper Sindh and north-east Balochistan.
Govt ready to hold talks with Taliban, says Malik ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Monday that the government was ready to hold peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban. The comments follow statements by the Taliban leaders who have indicated they are ready to sit down at the negotiating table.
Drive planned against unregistered refugees By Saleem Shahid QUETTA, Feb 4: The Balochistan government has decided to launch a campaign against unregistered Afghan refugees living in different parts of the province. The decision was made at a meeting held here on Monday to discuss repatriation of Afghan refugees.
Compensation approved for blast victims By Our Staff Correspondent QUETTA, Feb 4: Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi has approved compensation to be paid to the heirs of those who died in bomb blasts and owners of properties destroyed in such incidents in Quetta and Kharan in 2011 and 2012. Official sources said that Rs127 million would be paid in compensation to the people whose relatives were killed or injured or whose houses and shops were destroyed in acts of terrorism. According to a break-down, Rs82m will be paid to the families of 82 victims of Quetta’s Alamdar Road and Meezan Chowk explosions and Rs39.4m to the families of 197 injured.
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