Saturday 12 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV


Lahore: Rain turns weather pleasant

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Weather has turned pleasant after intermittent rain in different cities during night between Saturday and Sunday.Light rain was reported in most parts of Punjab, including Lahore, Gujranwala and Faisalabad. Rain was also reported in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.The Met Office has predicted more rain during the next 24 hours.

110 abducted by Taliban in Khyber Agency

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KHYBER AGENCY (Dunya News) – According to details, armed men belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) stormed village Haider Kandow of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency and abducted 110 people.The sources informed that Taliban had asked the villagers to refrain from holding a fair in the area but as the fair started they stormed the village and kidnapped 110 people. The sources further informed that 40 people were later released while the others are still in custody of Taliban.

17th Speakers Conference begins today

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ISLAMABAD (APP) - Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will inaugurate the 17th Conference of the Speakers here today (Sunday). The conference will be attended by Chairman and Deputy Chairman Senate of Pakistan, Speakers and Deputy Speakers of Provincial Assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Speakers of Legislative Assemblies of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The Speakers, during the course of deliberations, will review the decision taken in 16th Speakers Conference held in Lahore besides deliberating upon issues concerning legislation, working of committees and other administrative issues of their respective Houses and promotion of healthy Parliamentary traditions in the country.

Ukraine accuses Russia of 'aggression' amid unrest in east

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SLAVYANSK (AFP) - Ukraine accused Moscow of aggression on Saturday after Kalashnikov-wielding gunmen seized two security buildings in its restive eastern rust belt amid spreading protests demanding the Russified region join Kremlin rule.The coordinated attacks and a series of gunfights between militants and police in two eastern towns underscored the volatility of the crisis ahead of first direct talks between EU and US diplomats and their Moscow and Kiev counterparts in Geneva on Thursday.They also threaten to lead to further violence as far right forces which hold sway over the ex-Soviet state's western regions, and which played a decisive role in this winter's anti-government protests, watch the nation of 46 million veer toward a possible breakup.The authorities of Ukraine view today's events as a display of aggression by the Russian Federation, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov wrote on his Facebook page.Kiev said Ukraine's interim Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov by telephone on Saturday to stop the provocative activities of Russian special services in the eastern regions of Ukraine.But Moscow said Lavrov firmly rejected the accusation and noted that similar claims... have been made by Washington, although we still have not been presented with any concrete proof.Acting Ukrainian president Oleksandr Turchynov convened an emergency security meeting after his interior minister reported that a gunfight had erupted between local security forces and militants who had attacked a police station in the eastern town of Kramatorsk.The meeting broke up around midnight (2100 GMT) with no announcement except that the participants were considering measures to allow normalisation of the situation in eastern Ukraine.Ukraine's interim government has been facing relentless pressure from Russia since its February ouster of an unpopular Kremlin-backed president and decision to seek closer ties with the West.The seizures highlight how little sway Kiev's untested leaders have over pro-Russians who have since April 6 also controlled the Donetsk government seat and a state security building in the nearby eastern city of Lugansk.Moscow has massed tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine's eastern border after annexing the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and nearly doubled the rates it charges Kiev for gas.Russia is now ready to demand prepayment from the cash-strapped government for future gas deliveries or halt supplies -- a move that would impact at least 18 EU countries and deepen the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War.A letter obtained by AFP and dated April 11 showed European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso calling for a common EU response to President Vladimir Putin's latest energy warning.A note sent by Putin on Thursday cautioning that gas transits through Ukraine may cease due to Kiev's debts to Moscow raises serious issues for Europe's collective energy security, Barroso wrote.Barroso said the issue would be raised at a meeting on Monday of EU foreign ministers and in a conference call with the 28-nation bloc's energy chief. US Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Ukraine on April 22 to stress support for Kiev and steps to improve its energy security, a White House statement said Saturday.

Biden to travel to Ukraine later this month

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WASHINGTON - (AP) - Vice President Joe Biden will visit Ukraine later this month to meet with government and citizen leaders.The White House says Biden will travel to the capital of Kiev on April 22 for a visit that will focus on the international community's efforts to help stabilize and strengthen Ukraine's economy.The White House said Saturday that Biden also will assist Ukraine in its efforts aimed at constitutional reform, decentralization, anti-corruption, and free and fair presidential elections set for May 25.As Ukraine deals with possible bankruptcy, uprisings in the east by pro-Russian separatists have unsettled the country. With tens of thousands of Russian troops deployed along the Ukrainian border, Ukraine and its allies worry that Russia could follow its annexation of Crimea by invading eastern Ukraine.

7.6 quake strikes off Solomon Islands: USGS

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SYDNEY (AFP) - A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off the Solomon Islands early Sunday, US geologists said.The US Geological Survey said the quake was measured at a depth of around 29 kilometres (18 miles) and was about 300 kilometres south east of Solomon Islands' capital Honiara. The US Geological Survey issued a green alert, indicating there was a low likelihood of casualties and damage.The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission initially put out a tsunami warning for the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea, but has since cancelled the alert.The Solomons have been hit by flash floods in the past week, which have left at least 23 dead. As many as 40 people are still missing in Honiara after the city's main river burst its banks following days of heavy rain, creating a torrent of water that swept away entire communities.The Solomons are part of the Ring of Fire, a zone of tectonic activity around the Pacific that is subject to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.Earlier this month, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck.In February last year, the islands were hit by a major 8.0 magnitude quake that generated small but deadly tsunami waves which washed away houses and reached as far away as Japan.In 2007, a tsunami following an 8.0-magnitude earthquake killed at least 52 people in the Solomons and left thousands homeless. The quake lifted an entire island and pushed out its shoreline by dozens of metres.

Maoists kill 14 in India poll-related violence

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RAIPUR (AFP) - Maoist rebels killed 14 people in two poll-related blasts Saturday in an insurgency-hit region of central India, police said, highlighting the major security challenges faced in staging the nation's marathon general elections.The violence, the deadliest since the elections began last Monday, came as Indians cast ballots in the southern resort state of Goa and in the far-flung northeast in another round of the multi-phase elections that wind up May 12 with results four days later.Most of those killed Saturday were charged with ensuring election voter safety or other polling-related tasks.Seven polling officials died when Maoists blew up their bus in the state of Chhattisgarh, senior police officer Gurjinder Pal Singh told AFP. Five others were injured.The Maoists triggered the landmine blasts, Singh, a key official in ensuring election safety in the state, told AFP.Five security men who were carrying out an election safety sweep and who hitched a ride in an ambulance were killed in another landmine blast.The ambulance driver and a paramedic were also killed in that blast, which created a huge crater. Four men were injured two very seriously Singh said.The security men had been securing the area for polling teams to travel, Singh said.The Maoists have called for a boycott of the elections.There was no voting in Chhattisgarh Saturday -- polling began there on April 10 with two more rounds scheduled in the state on April 17 and April 24.The Maoists sometimes target ambulances, as security officials are reported to use such vehicles to attract less attention.But in this case, Singh said the security men had taken a lift in the ambulance as it was travelling without a patient.The blasts, less than an hour apart, came days after Maoist rebels killed three soldiers guarding polling officials in Chhattisgarh in a gunbattle.The deaths underscored security difficulties facing election organisers in India. Separatist and Maoist insurgencies occupy large swathes of India's northeast, northwest and central regions.The opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party are tipped to win the elections, ousting the Congress party after a decade of rule.The vote is being held in stages to allow security forces to move around the country to protect voters.Maoist rebels killed 16 people in a massive attack on security forces in central India in March in the deadliest assault this year.The Maoists, described by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the most serious internal security threat, have been fighting since 1967 for a communist society by toppling what they call India's semi-colonial, semi-feudal form of rule.The insurgency has cost thousands of lives. The rebels are believed present in at least 20 states but are most active in Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

Football: Fabianski stars as Arsenal reach FA Cup final

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LONDON (AFP) - Lukasz Fabianski saved two penalties as Arsenal beat holders Wigan Athletic 4-2 in a shootout at Wembley on Saturday to reach their first FA Cup final for nine years.Having stunned Manchester City in last season's final, before being relegated from the Premier League, Wigan looked set for another famous Wembley day when Jordi Gomez put them ahead with a 63rd-minute penalty.But Per Mertesacker made amends for conceding the penalty by heading in an 82nd-minute equaliser and with the score still 1-1 at the end of extra time, Fabianski took centre stage in the shootout.The Pole, usually a deputy to compatriot Wojciech Szczesny, saved Wigan's first two attempts, from Gary Caldwell and Jack Collison, before Santi Cazorla dispatched the decisive spot-kick to send Arsenal through.I'm relieved, because we were under big pressure, but I expected a difficult game and I was not disappointed, said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.We needed to show some character, and some resilience, and as well some nerves, and we did it in a very united and resilient way.Victory took Wenger's team into their first FA Cup final since 2005, when they last won a trophy, and helped ease the pain of being knocked out of the Premier League's top four by Everton earlier in the day.They will play the winners of Sunday's second semi-final between Hull City and third-tier Sheffield United.Uwe Rosler's Wigan, meanwhile, must turn their attentions back to the Championship promotion chase, having been thwarted in their attempt to become only the seventh club to retain the FA Cup.I couldn't ask for any more than what they've given me, said Rosler, whose side eliminated his old club Manchester City in the last eight.Arsenal are one of the top teams in the country and we did very well. I'm absolutely proud of how they played and what they put in.The game was preceded by a minute's silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool fans killed in the Hillsborough disaster, which occurred during an FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield 25 years ago this weekend.Ninety-six seats were also left empty on the halfway line.Boosted by the return to fitness of Aaron Ramsey, who made his first start since December, Arsenal attacked the game with purpose on a mild, sunny afternoon at the national stadium.Wigan goalkeeper Scott Carson smartly repelled a Yaya Sanogo header and then rushed out to thwart Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, while Bacary Sagna blazed wide from a tight angle after Thomas Vermaelen nodded a corner down.Wigan were content to mass their ranks behind the ball, but they gradually began to show signs of life in attack.Gomez saw a misdirected cross skim the crossbar, the livewire Callum McManaman fired narrowly over, and Marc-Antoine Fortune forced Fabianski into a near-post save.It was Arsenal who finished the half on top, however, with Sanogo cantering onto a pass from Lukas Podolski, only for his heavy touch to allow Carson to make a save.Wenger's side continued to monopolise possession early in the second period, but with just under half an hour remaining, Wigan went ahead.After a weaving run into the box from the right, McManaman was felled by the sliding Mertesacker, and although Fabianski correctly guessed the direction of Gomez's subsequent penalty, the Spaniard's shot eluded him.To compound matters for Arsenal, Nacho Monreal had to go off after colliding with McManaman in the build-up to the penalty, with Kieran Gibbs coming on. Olivier Giroud entered the fray in place of Podolski soon after.Arsenal piled forward, Sagna hitting the post with a header and Carson saving brilliantly from Gibbs, before Mertesacker atoned for his earlier error by steaming in to head home a cross-shot from Oxlade-Chamberlain.Wenger's men continued to force the issue in extra time, with Sanogo drawing a parry from Carson and Oxlade-Chamberlain rattling the crossbar, but it was their goalkeeper who finally saw them home.

Barcelona lose, Madrid win to move 2nd

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BARCELONA (AP) - Barcelona compounded its exit from the Champions League by losing 1-0 at Granada on Saturday, letting Real Madrid move ahead into second place in the Spanish league with a 4-0 win over Almeria.Barcelona's stumble ensured the same Atletico Madrid that ousted it from Europe's top-tier competition would maintain the league lead with five more rounds to go, as it was level on points with Madrid but ahead on goal difference before it visited Getafe on Sunday.Granada's Yacine Brahimi scored what proved to be the winner in the 16th minute and goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis made saves to deny Lionel Messi and Neymar amid a plethora of scoring chances that Barcelona failed to finish.Barcelona has four more days to regroup from back-to-back defeats before it plays Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final in Valencia.It's a step back, said Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta, whose late shot trickled by the post with Granada bunkered down in its area.It hurts more given how few games are left. Sometimes it's difficult to explain it when you lose. We did everything but score. We controlled everything else, but just couldn't finish our chances. That's the hard part.With his centerbacks Gerard Pique, Marc Bartra and Carles Puyol all injured, Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino shifted Sergio Busquets into his back line and started Alex Song in midfield.It didn't take long for the shuffling to backfire, when Song lost the ball and Granada sprung a counterattack. Fran Rico quickly played Brahimi through for the forward to ride Martin Montoya's mark before he shot beyond goalkeeper Jose Pinto.I don't think the lineup changes were decisive in a match that Barcelona should have won, Martino said. Normally Barcelona wins this game by four or five goals. After two losses, the squad feels that something important is slipping away, but on Wednesday we must try and win the final (of the Copa).I can't feel good after these results, but we will keep fighting for the league. We can't confuse sadness with giving up.Barcelona peppered Granada's area with crosses and shots but went no closer in the first half than Neymar's long-range attempt in the 30th that Karnezis pushed wide, while Messi tried in vain to dribble through the middle of the defense.The visitors kept pressing after the restart and Karnezis was called on to stab Cesc Fabregas' volley around his post in the 54th. He then stretched to palm Messi's free kick before he was well positioned to block Busquet's try.Granada's Youssef El Arabi almost grabbed a second goal two minutes from time but he couldn't better Pinto one-on-one.Madrid didn't miss injured star Cristiano Ronaldo as it bounced back from its poor performance at Borussia Dortmund with a dominant victory.Angel Di Maria, Gareth Bale, Isco Alarcon and Alvaro Morata scored at the Santiago Bernabeu to keep Almeria in the relegation zone.Di Maria hit the crossbar to set the tone early and followed up in the 28th minute by curling in Madrid's opener.Madrid toyed with Almeria until Bale scored his 14th league goal of the season from Karim Benzema's pass in the 53rd, with Isco hitting three minutes later. Morata went on to score five minutes from time.Also, Villarreal striker Jeremy Perbet headed in a free kick five minutes into stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 win over Levante.The otherwise dull match appeared destined to end scoreless until a late foul earned by Javier Aquino on the right side of the area let Manuel Trigueros find Perbet unmarked at the near post.Villarreal's first win at El Madrigal in six straight games lifted it into sixth place, one point ahead of Real Sociedad after it allowed 10-man Celta Vigo to fight back twice for a 2-2 draw.Sociedad led twice on goals by Sergio Canales and Antoine Griezmann and was ahead 2-1 when Celta's Jon Aurtenetxe was shown a red card early in the second half. But Santiago Mina scored for Celta in the 82nd to split the points.

Golf: Spieth, Watson share lead after Masters third round

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AUGUSTA (AFP) - Jordan Spieth, bidding to become the youngest ever Masters winner at 20, and 2012 champion Bubba Watson will take a share of the lead into Sunday's final round at Augusta National.After a gruelling day of jousting atop a packed leaderboard under a hot sun that scorched the already devlish greens, the two Americans emerged tied at five-under par 211.Spieth had a two-under 70, while 35-year-old Watson, who had led by three overnight, settled for a 74.In second place, a stroke behind, were American Matt Kuchar, who had a 68, and unheralded Swedish newcomer Jonas Blixt with a 71.But with 13 players under par and within four strokes of the lead, the stage was set for yet another Sunday afternoon of action-packed drama under the Georgia pines.Spieth, who last year at age 19 became the youngest winner of a PGA Tour event since 1931, said that it had been the toughest of tests on an unforgiving layout.We could tell early on that the greens were ridiculous. They were so fast that balls would pass the hole and come back a couple of feet, he said.But that is just the Masters. You can't let your focus go astray for a moment.(The course) is a great fit for my game and so far so good.If he wins, Spieth would take the youngest Masters winner tag from Tiger Woods, who was 21 when he won his first major at Augusta National in 1997.He would also be the first rookie to win the Masters since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 and just the third ever to do so.Waston, who struggled with his putter all day said he was looking forward to playing with Spieth in Sunday's final pairing.That's my worst day, but I am still tied for the lead, so it's not too bad, said Watson.Being in the last group gives you confidence for heing in that position. It will be interesting -- me trying to win, him trying to win. Hopefully one of us will win.Watson opened with a bogey, but on the back of an eagle at the second, he had a five-stroke lead while teeing off at the third.But four holes later he had been reeled in by Blitz, Spieth and Danish veteran Thomas Bjorn, to be joined shortly after by Kuchar on five under.A superb approach for birdie at the 10th hole, where he clinched his playoff victory over Louis Oosthuizen two years ago, stopped the rot and ahead of him his rivals started to falter. Both Bjorn and Blixt hit their approaches into Rae's Creek in front of the par-five 13th, Kuchar overcooked his approach from the back of the 18th and Spieth dropped one at the 11th to leave Watson two clear again at six under.Already in the clubhouse on three under were 50-year-old Spanish shotmaker Miguel Angel Jimenez, who had a tournament-best 66, and American favorite Rickie Fowler with a 67.Watson then had chances to extend his lead, but over-hit his approach to the par-five 15th and needed three to get down from the edge of the green at the par-three 16th.Spieth birdied the 15th and then parred his way in to get to five.Minutes later, Watson had a stroke of luck when his badly pulled approach to the last was bunted back by a packed gallery gathered around the hole and he managed to get up and down from there for par.British hopes will be with 40-year-old Lee Westwood, who moved up the leaderboard with a 70 to get to two under, tied for seventh with Bjorn (73)and US veteran Jim Furyk (72).Defending champion Adam Scott of Australia found himself going backwards as he stumbled to a 76 and at one over, his chances of becoming the first back-to-back Masters winner since Woods in 2002 looked dim.Earlier in the day, Gary Woodland produced a blistering display of shotmaking to match the Masters record of 30 for the front nine, generally regarded as being the harder of the two nine-hole stretches.But he came undone around Amen Corner, the feared trio of holes from 11 to 13 at Augusta National and had to settle for a 69 to leave him at one under.First out was former world number one and pre-tournament favorite Rory McIlory, who scraped into the weekend by sinking a nervy five-footer for par at the last on Friday evening.The Irishman, playing with a marker, sped round he course in double-quick time and three birdies in the last four holes gave him something to smile about for what is certain to be another doomed Masters campaign.

Tennis: Verdasco, Almagro to meet in Houston final

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HOUSTON (AFP) - Fourth seeded Fernando Verdasco beat Santiago Giraldo in straight sets to reach his first final of 2014, where an all-Spanish battle awaits.Verdasco eased past Giraldo 6-4, 7-5 in the first semi-final match at the U.S. men's clay court championship.Verdasco will try to earn his first title since 2010 against third seed Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro, who advanced when American Sam Querrey was cut down by a back injury.Almagro lost in last year's Houston final to American John Isner.

Motorcycling: Marquez takes pole in Texas

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AUSTIN (AFP) - World champion Marc Marquez set a new lap record on his way to securing pole position for the second race in succession on Saturday at the Grand Prix of the Americas.The Spaniard, who took pole in the season-opener in Qatar and then went on to win the race under the desert floodlights, clocked a record 2min 02.886sec on the factory Honda at the circuit where he celebrated his maiden MotoGP win last season.Marquez's Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa was second-fastest while Stefan Bradl ensured a Honda lockout of the front row.For Marquez, who broke his leg in February in a dirt-bike accident in his native Spain, it was an 11th premier class pole position and it was achieved with a 0.289sec advantage over Pedrosa.German rider Bradl was 0.423sec off the top.It will be an all-Yamaha second row for Sunday's race, with Aleix Espargaro edging the superstar factory pair of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.

Pakistan may cut Ajmal's English county stint

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LAHORE (AFP) - Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal's stint with English county Worcestershire may be set for a shorter duration to compensate for his country's hastily-arranged Test and one-day series against Sri Lanka.We are still discussing how much time he (Ajmal) can be away as we now have a scheduled series in Sri Lanka, Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed told AFP.PCB finalised a two-Test and three one-day match series in Sri Lanka, which is likely to interrupt Ajmal's stint with Worcestershire for whom he also played in 2011.The series was only finalised on the sidelines of an International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai last week.The 36-year-old spinner was due to arrive in the UK for Worcestershire's first championship game on Sunday, but the county said they were still waiting.It's hugely disappointing, Worcestershire chief executive David Leatherdale was quoted as saying by BBC.You have to get the PCB no objection certificate (NOC) before he is physically available to play.You are probably only talking about a few days, but we are in the hands of the PCB, who control his commitments. It's disappointing not to have him here when we had originally hoped.Worcestershire have also signed New Zealand paceman Mitchell McClenaghan who was due to replace Ajmal for a six-week period in July and August, when the spinner was due to feature in the Caribbean Premier League.But Ajmal will now tour Sri Lanka with Pakistan team in that period, making him doubtful for the Caribbean tournament as well.

Butt wants PCB to treat banned players equally

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ISLAMABAD (AP) - Former captain Salman Butt asked the Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday to treat banned players equally in their bid to resume domestic and international careers.Butt and teammates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were jailed and banned for a minimum of five years in 2010 by the International Cricket Council for spot-fixing in this case bowling deliberate no-balls during a test match against England. Butt was captain for the match.While Amir pleaded guilty and didnt contest the punishment, Butt and Asif saw their appeals rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last year. The minimum five-year bans for all three players are due to end in Sept. 2015.PCB chairman Najam Sethi has said he will fight at the ICC for Amir to resume playing at least domestic first class cricket later this year after ICC anti-corruption laws are amended at Junes board meeting.Sethi said top lawyers in UK have advised him that Butt and Asif do not have strong cases.I wish what he (Sethi) is doing for Amir, he should also do for other (banned) players too, Butt told reporters in Lahore. Pakistan does need Amir and I wish him all the best, but I think other players should also get similar treatment.ts not yet clear how the banned players would return to international cricket once the anti-corruption laws are amended. However, Sethi said he had strongly pleaded Amirs case at the board meeting in Dubai earlier this week, noting that Amir pleaded guilty and also underwent rehabilitation.Butt said he also wanted to start his rehabilitation, including attending lectures from PCB anti-corruption officials, but claimed nothing had yet been arranged.I have met with PCBs anti-corruption official at least 10 times, but he always says that the board will let me know, said Butt, adding that people do make mistakes, but once they serve their punishments they should be given a chance to revive their lives.

Badin: Mosque Imam rapes, kills 12-year-old girl

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BADIN (Dunya News) – A local mosque’s imam reportedly killed a 12-year-old girl student after sexually assaulting her along with three accomplices on Saturday, Dunya News reported.According to reports, a 12-year-old girl student reached seminary for religious education when Maulvi Ghulam Murtaza stopped her while sending other students home after dismissing class.Reportedly, Imam then called three other men of the villages and the four of them gang-raped the girl at one of the seminary rooms in the mosque.The gang then strangled the girl as a reportedly apparent attempt to cover the crime.The family reached the mosque to rescue the girl as they got the information but it was too late.Doctors confirmed she was killed after violent sexual assault. Following doctor’s confirmation, police arrested the cleric and registered an FIR; however, the other three men are still on the run.In another incident in Shujahabad, a traffic warden identified as Akhtar allegedly raped a 22-year-old girl after tricking her into a promise of marriage. Civil hospital’s medical report confirmed it was sexual assault. Police registered the case but the accused remains at large.

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