Camps in Afghanistan fuelling unrest in Balochistan: IG FC

Over 120 insurgent centres in province

Quetta —Thirty camps to train the miscreants in sabotage activities are operating in Afghanistan to politically destabilize Balochistan. A number of Ferrari camps are set up in Dera Bugti, Sibi and Nasirabad districts and the administration is aware of their designs who are undermining the efforts of the government for restoring peace in the province.

We have put forth our successes, shortcomings: Shaikh

Islamabad—Finance Minister Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has said that the budget for the next financial year is aimed at maintaining economic stability, accelerating economic growth, checking inflation and bringing well-to-do in the tax net. He was addressing post-budget news conference along Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira and members of the economic team here on Saturday to explain salient features of the new budget. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said that the government was not hiding any figures or facts about the budget. To a question Dr Shaikh said we are not hiding anything. We have put forth all details, including our shortcomings and successes.

PM calls for legislation on missing persons’ recovery Chairs high-level meeting on Balochistan

Islamabad—Chairing a high-level meeting on the situation in Balochistan on Saturday, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said legislation should be done for the recovering of the province’s missing persons. The meeting also decided to ban issuance of new permits for transport corridors passing through Balochistan. The Prime Minister ordered a crackdown against illegal and unregistered vehicles in the province and directed the provincial government to immediately cancel temporary permits issued to owners of such vehicles. Law-enforcement agencies were directed to implement the directives with immediate effect.

Kayani invited to Moscow

Islamabad —Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kanayi has been invited to visit Moscow and the visit may take place shortly. Gen. Kayani may visit Russian Federation later this month. It is believed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to visit Pakistan in the second half of this year and his visit may open a new phase of Pakistan-Russian relationship. Early this week Russia’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan Ambassador Zamir Kabulov visited Pakistan and had meetings with Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and a separate meeting with Gen. Kayani.

Pak-India talks Siachen troop withdrawal tops agenda

New Delhi—India has agreed to discuss the sensitive Siachen issue at the June 11-12 secretary-level meeting with Pakistan, pushing the Sir Creek issue – another flashpoint – way down the agenda. Observers say the reason for resetting the priorities is that Siachen being a far more complex issue than Sir Creek, any leeway on that front may give Pakistan the domestic leverage necessary to push ahead with the peace process, Hindustan Times in a report said on Saturday.

Drone attack on SWA 2 commanders of Mulla Nazir group killed

Peshawar—In a fresh US drone attack in South Waziristan at least two people were killed who were reported to be important commanders of the Mullah Nazir group of Taliban. The CIA operated pilotless planes that had intensified their attacks in the recent months have hitherto been hitting the North Waziristan agency (NWA) killing scores of people. However, the South Waziristan agency was targeted after a pause. Reports reaching here from Wana the headquarters of SWA said the predator plane targeted a vehicle in Khusi Khel village some five kilometers west of the Wana City Saturday early morning with the hell fire missiles.

US to send more naval ships to Pacific

washington —The United States will shift the bulk of its naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020 as part of a new strategic focus on Asia, Pentagon chief Leon Panetta told a summit in Singapore on Saturday. The decision to gradually deploy more ships to the Pacific Ocean, along with expanding a network of military partnerships, was part of a “steady, deliberate” effort to bolster the US role in an area deemed vital to America’s future, he said.