ISLAMABAD – The federal cabinet on Friday approved a draft of amendments to anti-terrorism laws in an effort to further empower law enforcement agencies for better handling of terror-related cases. The bill also promises more powers for the Rangers and protection of witnesses in terrorism cases. Federal Minister Zahid Hamid presented the Anti-Terrorism (Third Amendment) Bill 2013 in the cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Pakistan releases top Taliban prisoner Mullah Baradar
Pakistan on Saturday released its most senior Afghan Taliban detainee, Abdul Ghani Baradar, a senior official of the interior ministry told AFP, in a move Kabul hopes will encourage peace talks with the insurgents. “Yes Baradar has been released,” Omar Hamid, a spokesman for interior ministry told AFP, without elaborating. Abdul Ghani Baradar, a one-time military chief often described as the insurgents’ former second-in-command, was the most high profile detained Taliban commander in Pakistan.
Brilliant Vettel storms to Singapore pole
SINGAPORE: Sebastian Vettel stormed to his fifth pole position of the season at the Singapore Grand Prix Saturday as the brilliant young German stepped closer to his fourth world title in a row. Red Bull’s German pilot timed a scorching 1min 42.841sec around the spot-lit Marina Bay street circuit to take first place on the grid ahead of Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg. Lotus driver Romain Grosjean will start third, ahead of Vettel’s Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, second in the overall standings behind Vettel, could only manage seventh fastest ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button, Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Gutierrez.
Three Balochistan doctors released by Taliban
QUETTA: The Taliban militants have set free three doctors kidnapped in Balochistan’s Killa Saifullah district more than three months back, family sources said on Saturday. Armed gunmen had picked up three doctors and two paramedicsfrom Killa Saifullah district on June 12 this year. Obaidullah Jan Babat, brother of one of the released doctors and member of Balochistan Assembly from Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), told DNA that all three doctors have been released by their captors.
Police bust Facebook kidnap gang in Gujranwala
LAHORE: Pakistani Police on Saturday busted a gang using a female member to lure youngsters through Facebook and telephone calls and then kidnapping them for ransom, police said. The gang, which included a lawyer, his wife, the son of a policeman and four others, was active in the industrial town of Gujranwala in central Punjab province and was traced by tracking phone calls. “This gang of friends was using their female member to trap youngsters on Facebook and through phone calls,” Shoaib Khurram, a senior police official, told AFP.
Asia-Pac financial market uncertainty could derail recovery
PETALING JAYA: The volatility in financial markets could still derail the recovery in Asia-Pacific in spite of the region’s resilience so far to global economic weakness, according to Standard & Poor’s (S&P). Its economist Vincent Conti said in a report that a key result of its analysis was that changes in global financial risk appetite mattered more to the regional investment outcomes than changes in real external demand for most of Asia-Pacific. “Our results suggest that despite the expected improvement in global growth prospects, the current bout of global risk aversion may temper investment growth in Asia-Pacific,” he said.
Singapore adapts to intensifying regional competition for tourists
BANGKOK: Singapore has been shifting its tourism strategy to deal effectively with intense competition in the region, especially from Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan. Ashlynn Loo, Singapore Tourism Board area director for Thailand and Myanmar, said the launch of low-cost carriers in the region allowed people to travel easily. “We are really an open country. We do not see any huge impact from the AEC, but higher competition in the region, especially in tourism sector, from major cities in the region,” Loo said, referring to the Asean Economic Community coming into full effect in 2015. She added that international tourists these days were looking for attractions they could not find at home. “We want to make sure we can cater to that market.”
Grenade attack wounds seven in Quetta
QUETTA: Seven people were wounded Thursday in a blast on Sariab Road in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province. According to television reports, unknown suspects threw hand grenades near the Balochistan Constabulary Lines area and managed to escape. The injured, which included one security personnel and six pedestrians, were taken by rescue workers to the Civil Hospital where, according to the doctors, they were all said to be out of danger. Security forces cordoned off the area after the attack and initiated investigation into the incident.
‘Afghan DPs to be sent home by Dec 2015’
ISLAMABAD: The government informed the National Assembly on Wednesday that it planned to complete repatriation of Afghan refugees by December 2015. In reply to a supplementary question, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions retired Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch said the new deadline to send the refugees back home was fixed at December 2015. However, he was quick to add that since the repatriation was on a voluntary basis, it could not be said with certainty whether or not the process would be completed by the new deadline. He said the country was bearing the burden of 1.63 million Afghan refugees, 1.4m among them unregistered.
No gas for Punjab industries in winter`
ISLAMABAD: The government is likely to stop gas supply to CNG stations, industries and fertiliser and captive power plants (CPP) in Punjab for more than two months in the winter and also reduce the supply to these sectors in Sindh. A proposal for gas load management was finalised here on Wednesday at a meeting presided over by the Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Formal approval of the revised plan will be given by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet at its next meeting.
