DINA for the issue of October 26, 2013

	October 26, 2013 | Zilhaj 20, 1434
The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news service from Pakistan’s largest English language newspaper, the Daily DAWN.
Talks with Taliban soon, says adviser WASHINGTON, Oct 25: The dialogue with Taliban militants may start in the next few days, says Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.	For suggestions and comments: Email: webmaster@dawn.com Website: http://dawn.com Fax: +92(21) 35693995 Karachi Stocks Up 84.74 Points: KARACHI, October 25: At the close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 22445.59, up 84.74 points. Forex Update : KARACHI, October 25: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 106.85 to the US Dollar in the open market.
Al Qaeda leader held in Karachi By Our Staff Reporter KARACHI, Oct 25: Police claim to have arrested a senior member of Al Qaeda who was allegedly supplying explosives for terrorist activities in Karachi. “Baloch Colony police have arrested Adil Azeem Sheikh and found a Kalashnikov and two hand-grenades in his possession,” SSP South Munir Ahmed Sheikh said on Friday.
SC to frame contempt charges against secretary By Nasir Iqbal ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: Defence Secretary retired Lt Gen Asif Yasin Malik found himself in hot water on Friday when a visibly disturbed Supreme Court decided to frame contempt charges against him on Nov 4 for misleading the court by giving an undertaking that the local government elections would be held in all 43 cantonment boards by Sept 15. “Now it’s time for punishment,” said Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who heads a three-judge bench which has been hearing a petition filed in 2009 by a former vice president of the cantonment board Quetta, Advocate Raja Rab Nawaz, challenging the absence of local bodies in cantonment areas for 14 years.
South Africa penalised for ball-tampering DUBAI, Oct 25: South Africa were docked five penalty runs for ball-tampering on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai on Friday. Television replays showed South African fielder Faf du Plessis rubbing the ball on his trousers, which had a zip on them, in an apparent attempt to tamper with the ball.
FBR puts on hold 0.5pc income support levy By Mubarak Zeb Khan ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: In what appears to be a blow for the PML-N government, the Federal Board of Revenue has temporarily halted recovery of income support levy on bank deposits from taxpayers. “We will comply with the court order and accept (income tax) returns without income support levy for the tax year 2013,” FBR chairman Tariq Bajwa told Dawn on Friday.
Asif warns of water shortage in 10-15 years By Kalbe Ali ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: Minister for Water and Power Khwaja Asif said on Friday that the country could face a severe water shortage in 10 to 15 years and a drought-like situation suffered by Ethiopia over the past decades. He said at a press conference the water shortage was fast reaching serious proportions. “We are on the verge of facing a life and death situation,” the minister said. He criticised previous governments, including military regimes, for not taking the matter seriously.
No let-up in shelling on Working Boundary and LoC By Our Correspondent SIALKOT, Oct 25: Two villagers were seriously injured as India’s Border Security Force (BSF) continued heavy shelling on Pakistan’s border villages on Friday.According to officials of the Chenab Rangers, several mortar shells hit houses in Wada Dhamala village in Charwah sector, leaving Muhammad Ameen and Jaffar Hussain seriously wounded. They were taken to the Combined Military Hospital, Sialkot, by the Rescue 1122. The shelling killed several head of cattle in Bajwat, Chaprar, Charwah, Shakargarh and Bajra Garhi sectors along the Working Boundary.
PTI wants new opposition leader By Khawar Ghumman ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: Floating the idea of a new leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Friday accused the incumbent — Syed Khurshid Shah of PPP — of being hand in glove with the ruling PML-N. Speaking at a press conference here, the PTI chief spoke also on other issues, including price hike.
Indian parties slam Rahul’s ISI remarks By Jawed Naqvi NEW DELHI, Oct 25: India’s communal boot was on the other foot on Friday when the Hindu chauvinist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chided Congress party scion Rahul Gandhi for tainting Indian Muslims as traitors who could be wooed by Pakistan’s ISI spy agency to work against their country. Mr Gandhi, in the course of his criticism of the BJP on Thursday, had blamed the party for fomenting anti-Muslim violence in Muzaffarnagar recently, which had left the young men of the aggrieved community susceptible to alleged advances by the ISI.
ETPB’s former chief, others booked in land deal case By Zulqernain Tahir LAHORE, Oct 25: The Federal Investigation Agency on Friday registered an FIR against a former chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, a former federal secretary, and six other officials for allegedly causing a loss of millions of rupees to the exchequer in a shoddy land deal with the Defence Housing Authority, Lahore, and arrested five of the accused. Syed Asif Hashmi, the former chairman of ETPB; former federal secretary Abdul Ghaffar Soomro, former federal joint secretary Tanvir Ali Shah, ETPB vice-chairman Syed Awan Jafari, administrator Chaudhry Saeed Anwar, deputy administrator Asif Raza Sheikh, Naib Tehsildar Mohammad Saddique and former ETPB secretary for land and property Salim Sandhu were booked under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 109 (abetment), 420 (fraud and cheating), and 468 and 471 (wrong presentation of facts) of the Pakistan Penal Code..
EU for new accord with US on intelligence sharing BRUSSELS, Oct 25: A widening scandal over US spying on its friends and allies put the fight against terrorism on centre stage on Friday as EU leaders called for a new understanding with Washington on intelligence gathering. At the close of a summit overshadowed by the spying row, all 28 EU leaders stressed that intelligence gathering is a vital element in the fight against terrorism.
40 rebels killed in Damascus ambush DAMASCUS, Oct 25: Syrian troops on Friday ambushed rebels near the capital, Damascus, killing at least 40 opposition fighters, state media reported. The ambush was part of the military’s offensive against rebel strongholds around President Bashar Assad’s seat of power.
Coal scam: Singh happy to be quizzed by police NEW DELHI, Oct 25: India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said he is happy to be questioned by police over an alleged coal scam amid growing speculation he will be called to give evidence. Last week, police named leading industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla and former coal secretary P.C. Parakh as suspects in their probe into the allocation of coal mining rights.
Sharif’s US visit a new beginning in ties, says FO By Baqir Sajjad Syed ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned from his official visit to the United States on Friday after making “a new beginning” in the bilateral relationship plagued by mistrust. “The primary achievement of the visit is that a new beginning has been made by the elected leadership of Pakistan to build a relationship with the US based on mutuality of interest,” Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry said at his weekly media briefing.
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