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CJ constitutes full court to hear challenges to 18th Amendment
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By Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, May 12: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry constituted on Wednesday a full court comprising all 17 judges to define and determine the exact contours of Supreme Court's authority for reviewing the mechanism of appointing superior court judges introduced through the 18th Constitution Amendment. It will begin hearing on May 24.
The federal government and Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq have been asked to appear before the court...
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Hafeez hints at new taxes, hike in power tariff
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By Khaleeq Kiani
ISLAMABAD, May 12: Finance Adviser Dr Hafeez Shaikh said on Wednesday that the electricity tariff would be increased by six per cent during the current fiscal year, civil servants would be compensated for inflation in the coming budget and that the government "may have to take a follow-up" IMF programme to pay debts.
Addressing his first media briefing after becoming the prime minister's adviser about two months ago, Mr Shaikh identified five challenges facing the country -- preservation of macroeconomic stabilisation, securing assistance from foreign partners and domestic and international investors, getting out of the worst situation and ensuring a broad-based growth, managing energy shortages in the short term and prioritising subsidies...
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PPP legislator accuses govt of running a 'banana republic'
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By Amir Wasim
ISLAMABAD, May 12: Pakistan People's Party's leader from Sindh Zafar Ali Shah left his party stunned in the National Assembly on Wednesday when he accused it of turning Pakistan into a 'banana republic'.
His harsh criticism came during the debate on President Asif Ali Zardari's address to a joint session of both houses of parliament...
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Obama deflects criticism of Pakistan
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By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, May 12: US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that his administration was working with both Pakistan and Afghanistan to break down some of their old suspicions and bad habits.
At a White House news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the US president also indicated that Pakistan dominated at least part of his almost three-hour long consultations with the Afghan leader and his team...
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Two girls, 3 seminary students die in blasts
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By Ali Hazrat Bacha
PESHAWAR, May 12: Three students of a seminary and two girls were killed in two bomb blasts in two suburbs of Peshawar on Wednesday.
According to police, in the first bombing in Faizullah Garhi area, some men planted a home-made bomb and detonated it through a remote control when students of a seminary were returning home...
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Double digit inflation persists in April
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By Kalbe Ali
ISLAMABAD, May 12: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose in April by 13.26 per cent over the same month of last year and 1.73 per cent over the previous month.
Despite repeated announcements by the government that inflation would be reduced to a single digit by the end of the current fiscal year, the CPI remains in double digits...
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Details of evidence in Benazir Bhutto's case submitted
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By Mohammad Asghar
RAWALPINDI, May 12: Police officials accused of destroying vital pieces of evidence after Ms Benazir Bhutto's assassination have submitted to investigators details of about 30 items from the crime scene.
The documents provided to a three-member inquiry committee formed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on the hosing down of the crime scene and to a Joint Investigation Team of the Federal Investigation Agency, include a statement of evidences collected by police from other crime scenes...
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PM orders maximum facilities for pilgrims
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By Ahmad Hassan
ISLAMABAD, May 12: The federal cabinet deferred approval of the new Haj policy on Wednesday and called for providing more economical and decent accommodation to pilgrims and for making the process of renting the lodges more transparent.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ordered changes in the Haj policy 2010 to provide maximum facilities to pilgrims...
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Father calls Saif-ur-Rehman's arrest in Chile a trap
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, May 12: The father of a Pakistani boy detained in Chile for allegedly having traces of explosives on his clothes while visiting the US embassy alleged on Wednesday that a trap was laid for his son.
Saif-ur-Rehman, 28, was detained by Chilean police on Monday on a charge of entering the US embassy with traces of explosives...
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Pakistan's humanitarian response plan under-funded: IOM
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By Masood Haider
UNITED NATIONS, May 12: Pakistan's Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks to meet the needs of the "vulnerable" displaced families in the country's northwest region, is under-funded due to poor response from the international community, an official said here on Tuesday.
Jared Bloch of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) regretted that the United Nations appeal for US $537 million launched two months ago had received a "lukewarm" response from international donors...
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Afghan man dies in oil tanker blast
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By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, May 12: An Afghan national was killed and two others were injured when an oil tanker carrying fuel for Nato forces in Afghanistan was blown up near the border in Chaman on Wednesday.
According to sources, the tanker was parked in the border town after arriving from Karachi when a powerful bomb exploded under it. The tanker caught fire and the man died of burns, a police official said...
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Four killed in Kashmir
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SRINAGAR, May 12: An army soldier and three suspected militants were killed in occupied Kashmir during a raid on a house where they were hiding, the military said on Wednesday.
"In the initial firing by militants a soldier was killed and another injured," army spokesman Vineet Sood said after the incident late on Tuesday, adding that three militants died in the retaliatory fire...
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Karachi Stocks Up 13.22 Points:
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KARACHI, May 12: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 10222.04, up 13.22 points.
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Forex Update:
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KARACHI, May 12: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 84.30 to the US Dollar in the open market.
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