DINA for the issue of October 4, 2013

	October 4, 2013 | Ziqa`ad 27, 1434
The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news service from Pakistan’s largest English language newspaper, the Daily DAWN.
31 enterprises up for sale By Khaleeq Kiani ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: The government directed the Privatisation Commission on Thursday to immediately start the process for sale of 31 public sector entities (PSEs) through initial and secondary public offering and transfer of 26 per cent shares, along with management control, to the private sector.	For suggestions and comments: Email: webmaster@dawn.com Website: http://dawn.com Fax: +92(21) 35693995 Karachi Stocks Down 37.32 Points: At the close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 22152.35, down 37.32 points. Forex Update : The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 106.90 to the US Dollar in the open market.
Sindh wants three-month ban on Skype, other services By Habib Khan Ghori and Kalbe Ali KARACHI / ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: The Sindh government has decided to impose a three-month ban on the use of instant messaging and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications, including Skype, Tango, WhatsApp and Viber, to make security operations effective and to smash terrorist works. Provincial Information Minister Sharjeel Memon told journalists that the decision had been taken at a meeting of the law and order committee which was held at the CM House on Thursday and presided over by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
Govt to defend power tariff hike in SC By Our Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: The government has decided to defend before the Supreme Court ‘an average 30 per cent increase’ in electricity tariff for domestic consumers announced this week, with ‘minor procedural adjustments’ to balance out an IMF programme with the national mood. As a last option, it may consider a slight reduction in the tariff hike for consumers using up to 300 units per month in view of the court’s concern for the low-income category.
Shooting near US Capitol; woman attacker killed By Anwar Iqbal WASHINGTON, Oct 3: Police lifted the lockdown of US Capitol late Thursday afternoon after a female suspect was shot and killed. The lockdown stayed in place for less than an hour — between 2.20pm and 3pm — but it alarmed the entire city as only two weeks ago a mentally disturbed man had killed 13 people in a nearby navy yard.
TTP attacks rival group, 13 killed By Abdul Sami Paracha KOHAT, Oct 3: At least 13 people were killed and 10 injured when a Taliban suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the house of commander of a rival militant group, Mullah Nabbi Hanafi, in Spin Thall area in Orakzai agency on Thursday. Tehreek Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.
Minister’s warning to KESC ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: The National Power Control Centre (NPC) was directed on Thursday to disconnect supply to Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) if it exceeded its allocated quota of 650MW. Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali told journalists after a visit to the NPC that he had directed the power control centre to write a letter to KESC, warning it of shutdown if it used even a single megawatt more than its allocated quota of 650MW.
SC calls for changes in civil service laws By Nasir Iqbal ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: The Supreme Court noted on Thursday a trend among civil servants seeking blessings from outside of their service hierarchy instead of claiming their recruitment or promotion on merit. “This ultimately makes obligatory upon them to oblige the persons who favoured them in promotion to the higher rank,” observed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in a verdict issued on a petition moved by Punjab’s Secretary Archives Orya Maqbool Jan seeking promotion to BS-21.
Foreign elements may be behind attacks: Aziz By Baqir Sajjad Syed ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: The government will continue to pursue dialogue with the Taliban and believes that the deadly attacks which followed the talks offer were sponsored by hostile external elements who wanted to sabotage the initiative. “Despite the setbacks, dialogue will be pursued,” Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz told reporters here on Thursday after meeting British Senior Minister of State at Foreign and Commonwealth Office Baroness Sayeeda Warsi.
PM, Karzai discuss next steps for peace By Our Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke over phone on Thursday, discussing the next steps they could jointly take to revive the reconciliation process. This is the first time the two leaders spoke since the government on Sept 20 fulfilled Afghanistan’s demand to release a key Taliban leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
Afghan Taliban refuse to meet Baradar PESHAWAR, Oct 3: Afghan Taliban commanders refused to meet Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar because he was accompanied by Pakistani security agents, dealing a blow to attempts to resume Afghan peace talks, sources said on Thursday. An Afghan Taliban commander said Taliban figures refused to come to Peshawar to meet him because he was accompanied by security officials. “Following his release, he spent some time in Karachi and now arrived in Peshawar to hold meetings with senior members of the movement,” the source said.
Zardari, family allowed to use bullet-proof vehicles, hire guards By Tahir Siddiqui KARACHI, Oct 3: The Sindh High Court has allowed former president Asif Ali Zardari and members of his family to travel in bullet-proof vehicles with tinted glasses and keep private armed guards at their own expense. The court also directed federal and provincial governments to enhance security for the former president.
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