DINA for the issue of January 2, 2014

	January 02, 2014 | Safar 29, 1435
The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news service from Pakistan’s largest English language newspaper, the Daily DAWN.
Plan to strengthen NSC, says Sharif By Khaleeq Kiani ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said here on Wednesday that he planned to strengthen the National Security Council (NSC) and make it an institutionalised forum with the power to take relevant decisions.	For suggestions and comments: Email: webmaster@dawn.com Website: http://dawn.com Fax: +92(21) 35693995
China to give $6.5bn concessional loan for N-plants By Our Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has signed a $6.5 billion ‘concessionary loan’ agreement with China for projects under civil nuclear cooperation, including development of two power plants near Karachi of 2,200MW, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said here on Wednesday. “This is a very big loan that China has extended. It is very cheap and will ensure uninterrupted power supply,” he said at a briefing on the economic situation for members of his cabinet and the media.
8,900MW nuclear power generation planned By Baqir Sajjad Syed CHASHMA: Pakistan plans to have seven functional nuclear plants of 1,100MW each by 2030 in addition to four units of 300MW, producing a total of 8,900MW of electricity. Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Dr Ansar Parvez told newsmen on Wednesday at the Chashma Nuclear Power Complex, 280km southwest of Islamabad, that nuclear power was set to become a major player in the country’s power sector.
Suicide blast hits pilgrims’ bus By Saleem Shahid QUETTA: In a ghastly terrorist attack on the New Year day, at least one person was killed and 34 others — children and women among them — were injured when an explosives-laden vehicle targeted a passenger bus carrying Shia pilgrims on Wednesday. The banned militant outfit Jaish al Islam has claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had been carried out to “avenge the Ashura assault on a madressah in Rawalpindi”. Most of the victims belong to Dera Ismail Khan and Kohat and were returning from Iran after visiting holy sites.
Musharraf ordered to appear for hearing today By Malik Asad ISLAMABAD: It was not a happy beginning of the year for former military ruler retired General Pervez Musharraf as the special court constituted for his ‘high treason’ trial refused to give further exemption and ordered his appearance on Thursday (today). The three-judge court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court, did not appear to have been satisfied with the defence lawyers’ excuse of security concerns and indicated that it would issue arrest warrants if Gen Musharraf failed to appear before it.
Supreme Court seeks defence ministry report By Nasir Iqbal ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has sought a report from the defence ministry in a case about a missing person after the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance (CIED) concluded that the matter pertained to enforced disappearance. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Justice Nasirul Mulk and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan took up on Wednesday the case of Atiquer Rehman, an engineering student at the University of Lahore, who had gone missing from Ferozwala in Sheikhupura in July 2012.
Iranian embassy explosion suspect held BEIRUT: Lebanese troops have arrested the leader of the Al Qaeda-linked group that claimed a double suicide bombing at the Iranian embassy in Beirut in November, the defence minister said on Wednesday. Majid al Majid, the emir of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, “was arrested by the intelligence services of the Lebanese army in Beirut”, Defence Minister Fayez Ghosn said.
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