Time to ‘move on’ over Nato supply lines: Hina

Six-month closure made national point clear

Islamabad— Pakistan’s foreign minister indicated Monday the time has come to reopen the country’s Afghan border to Nato troop supplies, saying the government had made its point by closing the route for nearly six months in retaliation for deadly US air strikes on its troops. “It was important to make a point, Pakistan has made a point and we now need to move on and go into a positive zone and try to conduct our relations,” Khar said during a press conference in Islamabad when asked whether she believed Pakistan should reopen the supply route.

NPC seminar, Women are redeemers of the nation

Islamabad—Women have always acted as redeemers of the country and they are fully prepared to steer the country out of present mess. This was gist of the speeches delivered at a seminar on” Role of Women in creating Pakistan and solidarity of the country” at Awain-e-Quaid organised by Nazriya Pakistan Council (Trust) Islamabad on Monday in connection with Mother Day. The seminar presided over by Zahid Malik, Chairman NPC and Editor-in Chief of Pakistan Observer was attended by a large number of educationists, students, intellectuals, literary figures, researchers and men of excellence. The auditorium was jam-packed.

Appointiment of CEC PML-N, PPP rift widels Nisar objects on PPP’s Chairmanship of PC body

Islamabad—The rift between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) wid-ened on Monday when PML(N) objected to PPP’s chairmanship of the 12-member parliamentary committee (PC) formed to appoint the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC.). The new CEC could face the critical issue of deciding Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s eligibility in the backdrop of his recent conviction in the contempt of court case. A prominent lawyers, SM Zafar says: “NA Speaker can say that no question arises of the Prime Minister’s dis-qualification as a member of the House after the SC ruling, and forward her opinion to the Election Commission. In this case, the Election Commission will not have to proceed any further. But her opinion can be challenged in the SC.”

UN asks Islamic countries to enshrine asylum in national laws

Islamabad—The United Nations has asked the Islamic nations via OIC “to take long-standing principles of providing asylum and enshrine them in their national laws”. In his first-ever address to an OIC-UN organized forum on refugees in the Muslim world, the top United Nations refugees official advised the Islamic countries to take up long-standing principles of providing asylum and enshrine them in their national legislation, says a UN report. “Islamic law and traditions embrace the principle of providing protection to those who seek asylum,” reminded the High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, to the participating delegates representing the 57-member States Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as well as non-members, NGOs and multi-functional international humanitarian agencies. “It also forbids the forced return of those asylum-seekers.

15 killed in Nepal plane crash

Kathmandu—A plane carrying 21 people has crashed while trying to land at an airport in the north of Nepal, leaving 15 dead. Police say that six survivors are being treated at a hospital in the city of Pokhara. Many of the dead and injured are Indian nationals. The Agni Air plane hit a hillside as it tried to land at Jomsom airport, a hub for trekkers and religious pilgrims.

RAW begins investigation into false terror plot

New Delhi—India’s Intel agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) started probe over its fake report declaring Pakistani traders as terrorists, Indian media reported on Monday. The Indian media earlier issued a news report claiming that five Pakistani nationals associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had entered Mumbai and planned to carry out an attack similar to 2008 Mumbai attack. The report said persons were identified as Pakistani traders and were later broadcast on Pakistani media.

Israel destroys EU Palestinian aid projects

Gaza—Israel demolished dozens of Palestinian homes, water cisterns and farm buildings built with European funds in 2011, and over 100 such structures are at risk, aid groups said in a report on Monday. The figures, compiled by a group of local and international NGOs chaired by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), were published just ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.The report from the Displacement Working Group (DWG) said Israel razed 62 European-funded structures last year, and another 110 such projects were at risk.