Police failed to maintain law & order in Balochistan: CJ

Quetta—Supreme Court has granted two days time to I.G police to produce Mahmood ul Hassan, a missing person, before the Court by tomorrow (Saturday). While Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked on Thursday that Police failed to maintain law and order situation in Balochistan. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawad S. Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain resumed hearing of petitions on law and order and human rights violations in the province at Quetta registry of the court.

9 security personnel gunned down in Lahore

Lahore—Unknown armed assailants gunned down nine police and prison staff and wounded three others after storming a building in Ichhra area on Thursday early morning. Police said in the dawn attack, 10 gunmen stormed a residential property housing officials from the KP who were in the city for training. The attackers came on three motorcycles and one car, armed with Kalashnikov rifles and hand grenades. They stormed the building where up to 35 police and prison staff were sleeping. Among them nine died in this attack.

No extra-constitutional step will be acceptable: CJ

Quetta—Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry Thursday said no extra-Constitutional step will be acceptable and now there will only be the supremacy of law and Constitution in the country. Addressing a gathering at dinner reception hosted in his honour by the Balochistan High Court here, the Chief Justice said nothing but rule of law is the solution for Pakistan’s problems.

Nation heading towards polls

Islamabad—The latest order of Supreme Court to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf setting July 25 as dead line for writing letter to Swiss authorities has once again sent tremors to the corridors of power to ponder over the proposal of certain PPP stalwarts to go for early elections to steer out of the present mess. These elements are optimistic to return to power with the help of coalition partners after seeking fresh mandate from the people. A ruling party source close to the policy makers told this scribe the party is not gaining anything from the stand off and it will be better to open dialogue with the opposition to prepare ground for the elections.

3-judge bench gives July 25 deadline to Raja

Islamabad—The Supreme Court has set a deadline of July 25 for Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to submit a compliance report in National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case. The Supreme Court Thursday heard the NRO implementation case and ruled that Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf must write the letter to Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. The SC ruling said: “The Prime Minister of Pakistan / Chief Executive of the Federation shall cause a report to be submitted before this Court regarding compliance of the directions (in July 25th hearing).”

Bodies of 7 kidnapped miners found near Quetta

Quetta—Seven coal mine workers who were earlier kidnapped have been murdered in cold blod by a group of terrorist active in Balochistan. They were earlier kidnapped from Marwar coal field and their dead bodies were found Thursday in Degari coal field some forty kilometers from Quetta. The deceased belonged to Sawat including one doctor who was deputed for medical treatment of the mine warless. The Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has taken a cognisance of this brutal incident and directed the law enforcing agencies to apprehend the culprits within three days.

Saudi Arabia gives lavish reception to Mursi

Jeddah—Saudi Arabia gave a lavish reception to Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi on Thursday, a gesture analysts said indicated the Arab world’s wealthiest country was ready to put old tensions behind it to do business with the new Islamist president. In his first official foreign visit since his election in June, Mursi, who belonged to Egypt’s influential Muslim Brotherhood movement which had long had strained ties with Saudi Arabia, arrived in Jeddah late on Wednesday.