DINA for the issue of August 31st, 2013

	August 31, 2013 | Shawwal 23, 1434
The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news service from Pakistan’s largest English language newspaper, the Daily DAWN.
Action against Syria to be limited, tailored: US By Anwar Iqbal WASHINGTON, Aug 30: US President Barack Obama assured his nation on Friday that he was not leading them to yet another open-ended war in Syria as the Bush administration did in Afghanistan and Iraq.	For suggestions and comments: Email: webmaster@dawn.com Website: http://dawn.com Fax: +92(21) 35693995 Karachi Stocks Down 177.18 Points: KARACHI, August 30: At the close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 22037.55, down 177.18 points. Forex Update : KARACHI, August 30: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 104.85 to the US Dollar in the open market.
Accord to diversify ties with Russia By Baqir Sajjad Syed ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: Pakistan and Russia wrapped up their first strategic dialogue with a commitment to remaining engaged and maintaining the momentum in the relationship. “Both sides noted with satisfaction the growing understanding between the two countries and discussed in detail the state of bilateral relations. They reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening and diversifying the bilateral relationship to their mutual benefit,” a statement issued by the Foreign Office on the conclusion of the strategic dialogue said on Friday.
Govt in secret contact with Taliban: minister By Syed Irfan Raza ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: Backchannel talks between the ruling PML-N and Taliban are under way to work out a peace formula and end violence which has claimed thousands of lives in the country since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in Oct 2001. “Unofficial talks between the government side and Taliban are in progress,” Information Minister Pervez Rashid told Dawn on Friday. He said the government was exploring all options to restore lasting peace in the country and was in contact with Taliban at different levels.
Altaf wants allegation investigated By Our Staff Reporter KARACHI, Aug 30: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has urged the chief justice to order a probe into a report submitted to the apex court about a hitherto unknown organisation, the Muhajir Republican Army (MRA), and inform the people about the truth behind such a “mischievous act”. Speaking to members of the MQM coordination committee from London, he said that if the allegation about the MRA was found to be correct, the people behind it should be prosecuted.
Shipload of arms brought to Karachi: official: SC informed of former minister’s connivance By Tahir Siddiqui KARACHI, Aug 30: The Director General of Rangers, Maj Gen Rizwan Akhtar, submitted in the Supreme Court on Friday that about 19,000 containers had gone missing a few years ago and it must be pointed out who was at the helm of affairs in the ports and shipping ministry at that time. He said there were many ways for smuggling arms and ammunition into the country. Dealers of arms and ammunition in Karachi must be put to scrutiny because without their assistance it was not possible to control the flow of weapons.
‘Muhajir Republican Army’ part to be omitted ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan informed the National Assembly on Friday that it was without his approval that the name of a previously unknown so-called “Muhajir Republican Army” with a role in Karachi violence had been mentioned in a report submitted to the Supreme Court on Thursday by Attorney General Munir A. Malik. He said that the existence of such an outfit was mentioned in a meeting he held with security officials in Karachi but the report about it was “not of the level” that it should have been presented to the Supreme Court.
NA briefed on ties with neighbours, US By Raja Asghar ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: Making an opposition-sought appearance, the prime minister’s foreign affairs and national security adviser told the National Assembly on Friday of what he called new ‘warmth’ with Kabul flowing from Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s recent visit to Islamabad while he blamed India for “persistently rising” tensions and bloody violations of the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir. In a policy statement following opposition demands for a briefing on some key foreign policy and security issues, adviser Sartaj Aziz also spoke of a history of ups and downs in Pakistan’s relations with the United States and a planned resumption of a strategic dialogue between the two long-time allies.
Gen Qazi to be brought to book: Saad Rafique: Former railways minister accused of triggering PR’s collapse By Khawar Ghumman ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: If a federal minister is to be believed he intends to send a retired army general and former railways minister behind bars for causing a severe haemorrhage of the institution. Painting a bleak picture of the state of railways in the National Assembly on Friday, Khwaja Saad Rafique said the organisation had been bleeding profusely since 2000 at the hands of its managers and at present it was literally on a ‘life support system’.
Plea to restrain Zardari from travelling abroad: SC asks govt to submit legal response By Nasir Iqbal ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: The Supreme Court directed the federal government on Friday to submit its legal response to a plea for restraining Asif Ali Zardari from leaving the country after the expiry of his five-year term as president on Sept 8. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali issued the directive on a petition filed by Shahid Orakzai last week while his fresh application was fixed for Friday through a supplementary cause list issued in the morning.
PPP warns against attempts to derail democracy By Iftikhar A. Khan ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: The Pakistan Peoples Party on Friday warned against ‘systematic’ efforts being made to derail democracy in the country and called for unity among political parties to foil such attempts. Taking part in the debate on the presidential address to the joint sitting of both houses of parliament, PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani said an analysis of the situation showed that there were threats to the constitution. He pointed out that the day after a leader talked of a possible dissolution of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, a demand was made for handing over Karachi to the army under article 245.
To subscribe or unsubscribe to this mailing list, please fill the form located at: http://www.dawn.com/alerts
DAWN Media Group, Haroon House, Karachi 74200, Pakistan	Copyright © 2013 Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd.