DINA for the issue of August 28, 2014

DAWN INTERNET NEWS ALERT	August 28, 2014 | Ziqa'ad 1, 1435
The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news service from Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, the Daily DAWN.
Govt negotiators ‘non-serious’: Qadri Baqir Sajjad Syed ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) shut the doors on negotiations with the government after last-minute attempt for a compromise deal failed and said it would observe “Yaum-i-Inqilab” on Thursday.	For suggestions and comments: Email: webmaster@dawn.com Website: http://www.dawn.com Fax: +92(21) 35693995
Deadlock persists as talks fail From the Newspaper Despite days of negotiations between the government and the protesting parties, neither side looked too happy with the outcome of the talks. Late on Wednesday night, Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Tahirul Qadri announced that talks with the government had broken down and said that he would make his final address to the sit-in on Thursday. At his side was Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad, who hinted that if the deadlock prevailed, MQM chief Altaf Hussain might lose patience.
Imran sees hope, delays ‘important announcement’ Irfan Haider ISLAMABAD: After nearly two weeks of deadlock, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan announced to his supporters that he was hearing good news, so he had decided to postpone an “important announcement” until Thursday. Earlier in the day, the PTI and the government met to iron out the final kinks in their agreement. The meeting was originally scheduled to be held in a local hotel, but was later shifted to the residence of PTI leader Jahangir Tareen.
Sharif vows to defend Constitution Raja Asghar ISLAMABAD: Breaking a long silence about the worst challenge to his government, an apparently defiant Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to a supportive National Assembly on Wednesday to stand by his oath to defend the Constitution, but gave no way out of a deadlock with protesters besieging parliament and seeking his ouster. “We are not the ones who will be afraid of such things,” he said of two weeks of protests starting with marches from Lahore to Islamabad by tens of thousands of supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PTI) on Aug 14 that were followed by days of their sit-ins in the capital and a siege of parliament for a full week now.
PAT offered inquiry under governor’s rule Amjad Mahmood LAHORE: The government has suggested to Dr Tahirul Qadri imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab for ensuring free and fair investigation into the Model Town case. According to a federal government official, the offer was made in response to the Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s demand for resignation of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif so that he could not influence the investigation.
Shahbaz back from China The Newspaper's Staff Reporter LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif returned from China late on Wednesday night. The chief minister had gone there on a two-day visit to sign some agreements, including the one pertaining to training of doctors and paramedics in China.
ECP rejects rigging allegations Iftikhar A. Khan ISLAMABAD. The Elec­tion Commission of Pakistan has expressed regrets over allegations of massive rigging in the 2013 general elections levelled by Pak­is­tan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chair­man Imran Khan and ECP’s former additional secretary Mohammad Afzal Khan. A meeting of the ECP held here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of acting Chief Election Commis­sioner Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali termed the demand for removal of its members unjustified and unconstitutional, a source told Dawn.
SC fears civil war if revolt becomes norm Nasir Iqbal ISLAMABAD: If the trend of toppling governments through agitation becomes the norm, the Supreme Court fears, civil war and chaos may reign in the country. “There would be chaos and civil war in the country if this trend of mobilising crowd to unseat the government of the day catches on,” observed Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali who is one of five judges on the Supreme Court bench — headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk — that heard identical petitions seeking to prevent extra-constitutional steps in the wake of the ongoing sit-ins.
Bid to lodge Model Town FIR thwarted Faisal Ali Ghumman LAHORE: A team of Pakistan Awami Tehrik lawyers faced delaying tactics by police and PML-N workers when they went to the Faisal Town police station here on Wednesday to seek registration of an FIR about June 17 Model Town incident. Fourteen supporters of the PAT had been killed and scores of others injured in the police action. The team, led by Advocate Mansoorur Rehman Khan Afridi, went to the police station to ascertain whether any action had been taken on an application filed earlier for lodging the FIR and to submit a fresh application with a copy of the Lahore High Court’s order.
Man held in UK over murder of Imran Farooq AFP LONDON: British police on Wednesday arrested a 30-year-old man in connection with the 2010 murder of influential politician Imran Farooq in London. Mr Farooq, 50, a founding member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was stabbed and beaten to death in Edgware, northwest London, as he returned home from work in September 2010.
Abdullah boycotts Afghan election audit Reuters KABUL: Afghanistan’s disputed presidential election veered further off course on Wednesday after both candidates withdrew their observers from a UN-supervised audit of votes that was meant to resolve the crisis. The crisis over the outcome of the vote has raised the spectre of instability, turmoil and perhaps even another round of fighting in a country already battling a potent Taliban insurgency.
UK Muslims outraged over sex abuse report AP ROTHERHAM: Members of Britain’s Pakistani community reacted with outrage on Wednesday amid reports that officials failed to act on sex abuse cases because of concerns about racism in the northern English town of Rotherham. Muhbeen Hussain, foun­der of the Rotherham Muslim Youth Group, told the Daily Mirror that Muslims were disgusted that justice was not done, leading to some 1,400 children being sexually exploited over a 16-year period, mostly by Pakistani men.
‘15 Australian fighters killed in ME’ AFP SYDNEY: Fifteen Austra­lians, including two young suicide bombers, are believed to have died fighting in Syria and Iraq, intelligence chief David Irvine said on Wed­nesday, warning that espionage and foreign intervention threats were increasing. Canberra has expressed alarm that around 60 Australians have joined violent groups such as the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Al Sham.
UN calls for Pak-India talks The Newspaper's Correspondent NEW DELHI: UN chief Ban Ki-moon has asked Pakistan and India to resolve their issues peacefully, through dialogue, against the backdrop of cancellation of foreign-secretary level talks between the two countries and continued ceasefire violations, local reports said here on Wednesday. “The secretary-general calls on both sides to resolve the issues peacefully and through dialogue,” a statement given to Press Trust of India from the office of Mr Ban’s spokesperson in response to questions about the cancellation of the talks and ceasefire violations said.
Poppy crop destroyed near Afghan border Saleem Shahid QUETTA: Personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) have destroyed poppy crop cultivated over thousands of acres in Murgha Faqirzai area of Qilla Saifullah district. According to official sources, local tribesmen had cultivated the crop over 1,988 acres in the Muslim Bagh sector, along the Afghan border.
Both state, non-state actors committing atrocities in Syria: UN committee Masood Haider UNITED NATIONS: Large-scale atrocities are being committed both by state and non-state actors in Syria, contributing to a spill-over of violence that adversely affects international peace and stability, a UN-appointed panel has said in a new report. In its report released on Wednesday, the independent International Commis­sion of Inquiry on Syria emphasised that with the continuous influx of foreign fighters and the success of extremist groups “risks of the conflict spreading further are palpable”.
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