Nawaz, Qazi agree to participate in long march

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmed have agreed to fully participate in lawyers’ Long March.

Addressing a news conference with PML-N chief at Mansora, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that November 2 judiciary should be restored without any delay. He termed present situation in the country a constitutional deadlock.

JI Amir said that his party would fully participate in lawyers’ long march; he also thanked Mian Nawaz Sharif for visiting Mansora.

13 additional judges appointed in SHC

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has appointed thirteen additional judges in Sindh High Court (SHC).

A notification for the appointment of 13 additional judges has been issued according to which these judges have been appointed for the term of one year.

The newly appointed additional judges are Sofia Latif, Muhammad Iqbal Meher, Islam Talibuddin, Khadim Hussain Shaikh, Muhammad Ismail Bhutto, Amir Rizvi Naqvi and Muhammad Karim Agha.

Deposed judge Arshad Siraj also included among the additional judges whereas additional judge SHC Khalid Ali has been made permanent by the president.

ML-N deluge couldn’t be stopped: Zilfiqar Khosa

LAHORE: Punjab Muslim League-N President and member provincial assembly, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa has said that the restoration of judiciary movement could turn into ‘Remove Zardari’ movement, but its decision hinges on the mood of the people.

Zulfiqar Khosa accompanied by All Pakistan Anjuman Tajiran (APAT)’s president, Haji Maqsood Butt, while addressing a press conference here, claimed that offers in the range of Rs25 to Rs30 million were being made for the purchase of his party MPAs in Punjab. He said that those using vulgar language against the PPP leaders and desecrating the Benazir Memorial were not from ML-N albeit they were agencies people.

He said none of our demand was against the country and the constitution. He said efforts were made to destabilize Punjab. He said how many mobile courts would be set up and how many jails they would fill in.

Zulfiqar Khosa said that we would spark such a deluge, which Asif Zardari and Salman Taseer would not be able to stop. He said that Nawaz Sharif has offered that we would not poke into the government for five years, if the judiciary gets restored. He said that Altaf Hussain should first come back to Pakistan, then we would consider about his offer of mediation.

APAT president on this occasion announced in the press conference his support to Nawaz Sharif and gave a call for his association’s convention on March 6.

Militant sanctuaries pose biggest Afghanistan threat: Gates

WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Robert Gates said his biggest concern in the war in Afghanistan is the threat posed by sanctuaries for Islamic militants near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The threat is from “safe havens on the Pakistani side of the border, not just for al-Qaeda, but for the Taliban” and other groups “working together,” Gates said on a US news channel.

“After all, 20 years ago I was on the other side of that border as deputy director of the CIA, fighting the Soviets,” Gates said, referring to the Central Intelligence Agency. “And we had the safe haven in Pakistan, and let me tell you, it made a big difference.”

President Barack Obama in February ordered 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan to battle the Taliban and allied Islamic militant groups. Obama’s administration has increased criticism of President Hamid Karzai’s government as the White House prepares an overhaul of policies toward Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in January that the Afghan government is “plagued by limited capacity and widespread corruption.”

Turning to Russia, Gates said it’s “not entirely clear” where its policy is headed.

“As I said in the last administration, for the first time in American history you had a secretary of state and secretary of defense both with doctorates in Russian history, and we didn’t have a clue what was going on,” said Gates, 65, referring to himself and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Inter-bank initial interest rate slides below 13 pc

KARACHI: Inter-bank initial interest rate dropped down below 13 percent, as six months’ Kibor stood at 12.85 percent.

Money market dealers said that the interest rate of six months’ Kibor during January 1 till to date shrank by 2.83 percent due to existing additional liquidity in the banking system and, therefore, the money market dealers were expecting a cut in interest rate.

On the other hand, inter-bank one year T-Bills cut off yield was 13 percent on February 25, which now after the shrink traded at 12.85 percent.

Economists said that the banks preferring investment in government securities instead of giving loans to the private sector and avoiding taking any risk. In this backdrop, private sector was also reluctant taking loans at high rate of interest.

According to State Bank disbursement of loans to the private sector as against previous year remained 47 percent low.

Players want to extend league hockey contract term: Samiullah

LAHORE: Olympian Samiullah said senior players including Sohail Abbas seeking extension in league hockey contract term and this is the only reason of joining national team.

In an exclusive chat with Geo News, Samiullah said it was expected that present federation will take some positive steps for the improvement of the game but the federation, which is comprised of former famous hockey players has failed to do so.

He said the era of senior players including Sohail Abbas had been closed in 2006 now they are trying to be a part of national team to get extension in their league hockey contracts.