Govt reluctant to table ‘Access to Information’ bill in parliament

Islamabad —The government seems to be reluctant in tabling a bill regarding ‘Access to Information’ in the parliament which if passed may totally change the charter of the information ministry, sources privy to this told Pakistan Observer on Tuesday. If the bill is turned into a law it will provide unprecedented access to all especially media persons to government’s affairs except some defence and security related issues.

PM says foreign elements involved in Balochistan

Islamabad—Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf has said that the turbulence in Balochistan, though foreign abetted, is an internal issue for the state and people of Pakistan to resolve. He was addressing participants of the workshop on Balochistan situation “Perception and Realities - the Way Forward” at the National Defence University in Islamabad on Tuesday.

UN medic, driver hurt in gunfire

Karachi—Gunmen opened fire on a UN vehicle in Karachi Tuesday, wounding a foreign doctor working on a polio immunisation campaign and a local driver, officials said. The shooting, which happened in the low-income eastern neighbourhood of Soharb Ghoth, was the latest sign of disturbing resistance to a widely publicised three-day vaccination campaign, which began Monday. The Taliban have banned immunisations in the northwest, condemning the campaign as a cover for espionage since a Pakistani doctor was jailed after helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden using a hepatitis vaccination programme.

Laws must be implemented on organ-transplantation: SC

Islamabad—Supreme Court has issued orders to the four provincial Chief Secretaries to present reports about the implementation of the existing laws in relevance to organ transplantation. Directing the Chief Secretaries to prevent smuggling of human organs the apex court said the relevant record be presented before the court.

ATC rejects Mumbai attacks commission probe report

Rawalpindi—A local Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) declared illegal the proceedings of the commission that visited India in connection with Mumbai attacks. The Special Anti-Terrorist Court-1 Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman heard plea filed against judicial commission by the accused arrested in Mumbai attack case. The judge in his order said that all the proceedings and the report of the Pakistani judicial commission that visited Mumbai in March were illegal.

US biggest enemy of Pakistan: Munawar

Bara—The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Syed Munawar Hassan on Tuesday said the US is the biggest enemy of Pakistan and the Nation would not tolerate drone strikes anymore. Addressing a large number of participants of the a protest rally, the JI chief criticized the army operations in tribal areas and said thousands of people were rendered homeless in Bara region due to military offensive.

Steps against judiciary not to be tolerated: Imran

Islamabad—Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan Tuesday threatened government of long march, in case any step was taken against the judiciary. He was talking to media men at the inauguration ceremony of the Mobilink-Jazz Summer Cricket organized by the National Press Club. He stated that his party would not support any unconstitutional step against the judiciary.