DINA for the issue of April 12, 2013

	Friday 12th April 2013 | Jumadi-us-Sani 1, 1434
The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news service from Pakistan’s largest English language newspaper, the Daily DAWN.
The youth vote: more hype than reality? By Madiha Sattar THAT well over half the Pakistani population is now under the age of 25 is well known. But while there has been plenty of hype about the so-called youth vote, getting from the demographics to young people’s voting habits and preferences has generally been an exercise in speculation.	For suggestions and comments: Email: webmaster@dawn.com Website: http://dawn.com Fax: +92(21) 35693995 Karachi Stocks Up 41.20 Points: KARACHI, Apr 11: At the close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 18764.55, up 41.20 points. Forex Update : KARACHI, Apr 11: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 99.0 to the US Dollar in the open market.
Formation commanders discuss security matters By Amir Wasim ISLAMABAD, April 11: The top military leadership met on Thursday to discuss and devise the security plan for the general elections to be held in the country on May 11. The plan came up under discussion at the 70th Formation Commanders’ Conference presided over by Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at the Army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, said a handout issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
ECP reproaches Sindh govt: Transfer of 65 bureaucrats ordered By Iftikhar A. Khan ISLAMABAD, April 11: The Election Commission (ECP) on Thursday ordered the caretaker Sindh government to immediately transfer 65 bureaucrats against whom it had received specific complaints that they had a soft corner for the Peoples Party and its coalition partners in the outgoing provincial government. The list features pillars of officialdom like the chief secretary, secretaries of the departments of home, education and local government as well as Services and General Administration, and principal secretary to the chief minister.
Taliban claim killing MQM candidate By Gohar Ali Khan HYDERABAD, April 11: In an incident that highlighted the security threats confronting election candidates as well as the growing capacity of militants to pick out targets at will, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) candidate for the National Assembly and the Sindh Assembly was gunned down on Thursday in a targeted attack claimed by the Taliban. Fakhrul Islam was attacked by two armed men on a motorcycle near Malka Nagar Chowk Hala Naka. He was taken to Hyderabad’s Liaquat University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Nine soldiers, 7 militants killed in Tirah By Ibrahim Shinwari LANDI KOTAL, April 11: At least nine soldiers, seven militants and two volunteers of a pro-government armed group were killed as clashes continued in parts of Tirah on Thursday. Sources said that security forces and volunteers of Tawheedul Islam, a pro-government Zakhakhel armed group, moved forward into Sipah area and took control of Lashkar-i-Islam’s strongholds of Sandana and Sheikhmal Khel after heavy fighting which left nine soldiers and seven militants dead.
PM’s advice to Baloch nationalists: Respect people’s wish to take part in elections By Saleem Shahid QUETTA, April 11: Caretaker Prime Minister retired Justice Mir Hazar Khan Khoso has appealed to the disgruntled Baloch leaders to respect, despite their differences with the government, the aspirations of the people who wanted to participate in the coming elections. Presiding over a meeting here on Thursday that reviewed arrangements for the elections, he said the people of Balochistan wanted to participate in them. “In view of the will of the people, disgruntled Baloch leaders should respect their desire,” he said.
Zardari discusses Iran gas project with Olson By Syed Irfan Raza ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson called on President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday and discussed issues relating to bilateral ties. Officially, no details of the meeting were released to the media as presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar issued only a brief statement, saying: “Pak-US bilateral relations were discussed during the meeting.”
Objections against Nisar dismissed By Malik Asad RAWALPIDNI, April 11: An election tribunal comprising Justice Rauf Ahmad Sheikh and Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh of the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench allowed Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, former leader of opposition in the National Assembly, and Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Thursday to contest the elections and dismissed objections against their nomination papers. On an appeal by former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf against the rejection of his nomination papers, the tribunal issued notices to the returning officer concerned for April 15.
Govt defends use of special powers in SC By Our Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, April 11: The federal government emphasised before the Supreme Court on Thursday to give primacy to the Action in Aid of Civil Power Regulations (AACPR), 2011, promulgated by President Asif Ali Zardari in exercise of his powers under article 247 of the constitution. “The AACPR cannot be struck down by the apex court on the pretext that it violates the fundamental rights of citizens,” argued Attorney General Irfan Qadir, adding that primacy had to be given to the regulations.
NAB to reward those who identify power thieves By Our Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, April 11: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday announced cash reward for those who would provide information to it about electricity theft. The decision has been taken in connection with a campaign launched by NAB and the water and power ministry to recover Rs110 billion from 300,000 defaulters across the country.
Subsidy on agricultural tubewells halted By Khaleeq Kiani ISLAMABAD, April 11: Overstretched power sector subsidies and overall fiscal constraints have forced the caretaker government to put on hold the implementation of a decision of the previous government which called for release of Rs16.4 billion to be used as subsidy on agricultural tubewells. A senior government official told Dawn that the Ministry of Finance was unwilling to provide fresh subsidies to the agriculture sector during the current fiscal year because it was finding it difficult to meet an increasing demand of the power sector to put to operation its thermal power plants in order to bridge widening gap between electricity demand and generation.
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