Monday 14 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Obama calls for irregular forces to lay down arms in Ukraine

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday to press pro-Moscow groups to lay down their arms in Ukraine amid escalating tensions.Obama used the phone call requested by Moscow to express his grave concern about Russian government support for the actions of armed, pro-Russian separatists who threaten to undermine and destabilize the government of Ukraine, the White House said.The president emphasized that all irregular forces in the country need to lay down their arms, and he urged President Putin to use his influence with these armed, pro-Russian groups to convince them to depart the buildings they have seized.Washington said earlier it was consulting European allies and hinted that more sanctions on Russia's economy could be coming, to punish what it sees as Moscow's sponsorship of pro-Russia violence in eastern Ukraine.In the latest in a string of tense phone calls between the two leaders, Obama reiterated the importance of Russia withdrawing its troops from Ukraine's border in order to defuse tensions.He also hailed Ukraine's remarkable restraint in the face of what Washington brands as Russian meddling in its neighbor.The Kremlin had earlier said Putin told Obama the charges of interference were unfounded.The White House and the State Department signaled fresh sanctions could be coming for Russia over what Washington says are provocations in eastern Ukraine, including the seizure of administrative and police buildings by Moscow-backed armed groups.And Obama pointed out to Putin Russia's growing political and economic isolation as a result of its actions in Ukraine and made clear that the costs Russia already has incurred will increase if those actions persist, the White House said.In a sign of growing tensions in the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War, a Russian Su-24 fighter jet made several low-altitude, high-speed passes near the USS Donald Cook cruise missile destroyer over the Black Sea.EU foreign ministers also announced they were expanding the list of 33 Ukrainian and Russian officials and business leaders hit by asset freezes and visa bans for their role in the Ukraine crisis -- though the bloc stopped short of harsher measures ahead of a Geneva meeting of top EU, US, Russian and Ukrainian officials this week.Obama warned that while a diplomatic solution is still possible, it cannot succeed in an environment of Russian military intimidation on Ukraine's borders, armed provocation within Ukraine and escalatory rhetoric by Kremlin officials.

Militants close dam as Iraq violence kills 15

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Militants have closed all gates of a Euphrates River dam they control in Iraq, blocking a major water source, a minister said on Monday, while violence killed 15 people.The latest unrest comes amid a protracted surge in nationwide bloodshed that has claimed more than 2,550 lives so far this year and sparked fears of Iraq slipping back into the all-out sectarian killings of 2006 and 2007.The unrest has been driven principally by widespread anger among the Sunni Arab minority over claims of mistreatment at the hands of the Shiite-led government and security forces, as well as by the civil war in neighbouring Syria.Militants have completely closed the gates of the Fallujah dam since yesterday (Sunday) morning, Water Resources Minister Muhanad al-Saadi said in a statement.The move blocks a major source of water for central and southern Iraq.The militants, who seized the dam several weeks ago, had previously cut the flow of water through the dam near the city of Fallujah, just a short drive west of Baghdad, but reopened it when water accumulated and caused the area to flood.In a sign of both the reach of anti-government fighters and the weakness of security forces, all of Fallujah and shifting parts of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi, to its west, have been out of government control since early January.The US embassy issued a statement Monday condemning ongoing terrorist acts by powerful jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and the dam closure in particular.Targeting dams and other vital infrastructure victimises innocent Iraqi citizens. In the past week, hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis have suffered from water shortages as a result of ISIL's actions, the embassy said.It added that the US has provided Iraq with essential military equipment, and will continue to accelerate such deliveries in order to ensure Iraqi security forces are equipped with modern and effective weaponry appropriate to the serious threat that ISIL poses.Violence in various areas of Iraq left 15 people dead on Monday.Shelling and shoulder-fired rockets killed two people and wounded seven in Fallujah, while clashes in Ramadi left five militants dead. Bombings in three areas close to Baghdad killed five people, among them two Sahwa anti-Al-Qaeda militiamen, and wounded nine.And north of the capital, a firebomb thrown at a checkpoint killed a policeman in the city of Tikrit, while gunmen killed a Kurdish security forces member and a civilian in Kirkuk.Iraq's security forces will face a major test on April 30, when Iraqis go to the polls for the first parliamentary election since American forces quit the country at the end of 2011.While they were able to keep violence to a minimum during provincial polls last year, the security forces have failed to halt a subsequent year-long surge in unrest.

UN's Ban presses Netanyahu, Abbas over peace talks

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has spoken separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to encourage them to keep alive the faltering peace process.Ban spoke to the pair individually by telephone on Sunday, amid fears the US-backed peace talks are close to collapse.The United Nations chief strongly encouraged both sides to continue to negotiate constructively, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Monday.He also expressed the hope that the two leaders seize the opportunity offered by US efforts to find a way to move towards a two-state solution, Dujarric added.Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are scheduled to meet again Wednesday with US envoy Martin Indyk.

Second book claims Indian PM weak, indecisive

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - A second book published Monday accuses India's premier of being weak and unable to stem corruption on his watch, further embarrassing the ruling Congress party in the midst of a bitter poll campaign.The new book has been written by India's former coal secretary P.C. Parakh who retired in 2005 and was later implicated in the so-called Coalgate scandal related to allocation of mining rights.Titled Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and Other Truths, the book says an indecisive Prime Minister Manmohan Singh overlooked suggestions aimed at making the allocation process transparent.Unfortunately the prime minister was not able to control his ministers and my suggestion on coal block allocation was not accepted, Parakh, the coal ministry's former top official, said during the launch of his book in New Delhi.By continuing to head a government in which he had little political authority, his image has been seriously dented... although he has had a spotless record of personal integrity, he said.The Coalgate scandal came to light in 2012 after the government auditor accused the coal ministry of underpricing coalfields and potentially causing losses to the treasury running into billions of dollars back in 2004-2006.Singh, 81, who retires after this election, has denied any wrongdoing.The new book comes just two days after a controversial book written by an ex-aide to Singh hit the shelves.Sanjay Baru's book paints a damning portrait of a premier who was in office but not in power -- while Sonia Gandhi, party president and standard-bearer of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, called the shots.The books come as India's multi-phase election is in full swing, with the opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) widely tipped to overthrow Congress after polling ends on May 12.The BJP, led by firebrand conservative hawk Narendra Modi, Monday lashed out at the Congress leadership for keeping quiet despite the serious issues raised in the two books.In both the books, the PM is shown as somebody who was not in control. The (Gandhi) family can no longer run away from the responsibility of answering the serious questions raised in the books, BJP spokeswoman Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters.Sonia Gandhi released a video late Monday evening in which she didn't comment on Singh but said: Their (BJP's) vision is clouded with hatred and falsehood, their ideology, divisive and autocratic. She asked the Indian voters to think from their heart and decide. We are fighting this election for the heart and soul of India, to protect it from those who seek to change it and to divide us, Gandhi said.

Ronchi, Craig in NZ squad for West Indies tests

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WELLINGTON (AP) - Former Australia wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi and offspinner Mark Craig are the only new caps included in the New Zealand cricket team named Tuesday to play three tests in the West Indies in June.New Zealand-born Ronchi played four one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals for Australia in 2008 and 2009 and has gone on to play 19 ODIs and eight T20 internationals since meeting the residential qualification to play for New Zealand in 2013.He will act as understudy to incumbent wicketkeeper B.J. Watling during the test matches at Kingston, Jamaica from June 8, Port of Spain, Trinidad from June 16 and Georgetown, Guyana from June 26.Craig is the latest in a long succession of players to be tried as New Zealand's specialist spinner.

FIFA puts nearly 200,000 World Cup tickets on sale

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SAO PAULO (AP) - FIFA says nearly 200,000 tickets will be available in the last online sales phase for the World Cup in Brazil.Footballs governing body says fans will be able to purchase tickets for 54 of the 64 matches beginning on Tuesday at 1000 GMT (0600 EDT). The tickets will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis on FIFA.com.The 10 games that arent available are the final, the Brazil-Croatia opener, as well as eight other group stage matches: Mexico-Cameroon, England-Italy, Argentina-Bosnia, Brazil-Mexico, Spain-Chile, Cameroon-Brazil, Croatia-Mexico, and Australia-Spain.FIFAs marketing director Thierry Weil says its the last chance for fans to secure their tickets.More than 2.5 million tickets have already been allocated, including through FIFAs hospitality programs. The general public has purchased about 1.5 million tickets.

US vice president to attend World Cup

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Vice President Joe Biden will head to Brazil in June for the upcoming World Cup, the White House announced Monday.While in Brazil, the Vice President will attend a game of the US national team, it said in a statement.The exact date of Biden's trip was not released.But the United States is in Group G for the big event. They play Ghana June 16 in Natal and then head to Manaus, in the heart of the Amazon region, to take on Portugal on June 22.The third US match would be against Germany in Recife on June 26.The World Cup runs from June 12 to July 13.

Swimming: Legend Phelps to return to pool

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Olympic swimming superstar Michael Phelps, who retired from the sport after taking six medals at the 2012 London Olympics, will make his competitive comeback next week at a US Grand Prix series event in Mesa, Arizona, USA Swimming announced Monday.The 28-year-old American returned to the anti-doping test programme last year and his long-time coach, Bob Bowman, had indicated earlier that there would be a comeback, which could see the record 22-time Olympic medalist continue his career all the way to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.Phelps and fellow Olympic champions and world record holders Ryan Lochte and Katie Ledecky were announced as swimming in the Arizona event April 24-26.It will be Phelps' first competitive meet since the 2012 London Games.As of today, I definitely expect him to swim, Bowman told USA Today newspaper Monday. We're looking forward to it. I think it'll be great for the sport to have Michael compete again. We really don't have any expectations for what might happen. We just want to have some fun with it and see how it goes.Phelps won four golds and two silvers at London, giving him a record 18 gold medals, including an unprecedented eight in a single Games at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.A possible target for Phelps would be the US Championships in Irvine, California, August 6-10. That will be the American team selection meet for the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russia.Bowman said Phelps would likely concentrate on relays and shorter events, including the 100 metre butterfly and 100 metre freestyle. He is entered in both those events on the first day in Arizona.Those are both on the first day, and he'll probably try both of those (preliminaries) in the morning, see how it goes, and maybe do one final if he gets to the finals, Bowman said. The next day, he's entered (in the 50 free) and will probably do a 50 butterfly. We don't know yet.After this, we can decide what he wants to do next.Monday's news was not unexpected. Bowman told USA Today and the Chicago Tribune last month that Phelps has been training an average of five times a week.He looks like he is definitely in shape, Bowman said at the time.When speculation about a return began last May, Phelps would neither confirm nor deny at the time that he was considering trying to qualify for the Rio Olympics, He rejoined the US Anti-Doping Agency's testing pool last year, and now that he's been available for testing for six months is eligible to compete.

Oil prices gain on rising Russia-Ukraine tensions

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Crude oil prices marched higher Monday as traders kept a wary eye on escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine and the prospects of resumed Libyan oil exports.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in May finished the trading session at $104.05 a barrel, a gain of 31 cents from Friday's close.Brent North Sea crude for May jumped $1.74 to settle at $109.07 a barrel in London.The benchmark WTI futures contract traded in a narrow band of about $1, said James Williams of WTRG Economics.Investors are hesitant given the uncertainty about Ukraine and about when and how much of the Libyan production is going to come back, Williams said.Tensions mounted over Ukraine, which declared a full-scale military operation against pro-Russian forces amid deadly clashes in its restive, largely Russian-speaking east.Pro-Russian insurgents gained more ground Monday in eastern Ukraine, a tinderbox of separatist sentiment since pro-Western protests ousted Ukraine's Kremlin-backed government in February. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region last month.Rising tensions in eastern Ukraine and Russia have helped support the gains in Brent and WTI prices, CMC Markets analyst Desmond Chua told AFP.With Ukraine a key conduit for Russian gas to Europe, traders are concerned that any full-scale armed conflict will disrupt supplies and send oil and gas prices skyrocketing.Chua said dealers were also keeping a close watch on Libya after its prime minister, Abdullah al-Thani, stepped down Sunday, saying that he and his family had been victims of an armed attack the previous day.Chua said the move caused a stir in Brent -- the benchmark futures contract used in pricing Middle Eastern crude. The resignation came as traders also were watching Libya, a member of oil-producing cartel OPEC, after the government reached a deal with rebels to reopen shuttered terminals.A deal to reopen Libyan oil ports has yet to produce any exports and some are still skeptical that all is well in Libya, said Phil Flynn of Price Futures Group. Rebels' seizure of four eastern oil terminals in July in a bid for restored autonomy for the eastern Cyrenaica region slashed output from 1.5 million barrels per day to just 250,000.

Dollar firms slightly after upbeat US retail data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar moved higher against other major currencies on Monday after an encouraging US retail sales report and hints of more stimulus in the pipeline from the European Central Bank. Around 2100 GMT, the euro bought $1.3820, down from $1.3883 late Friday.The dollar also rose against the Japanese currency, to 101.82 yen from 101.59 yen. The euro fell to 140.74 yen from 141.13.A tug of war is shaping up in the EUR/USD with jawboning by European policy makers putting downside pressure on the pair and the recent decline in US yields providing upside support, said Kathy Lien, head of foreign exchange strategy at BK Asset Management.Currency traders digested comments from ECB chief Mario Draghi over the weekend warning that policy makers may need to take action to stem the euro's rise.Verbal intervention from the European Central Bank this weekend broke the euro's advance towards one-month highs against the US dollar, with markets bracing themselves for more central bank guidance this week, said Nawaz Ali, market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.Ali noted that Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen would be speaking publicly twice this week, starting Tuesday. Her comments could have a big impact on US dollar trade.The US government's report on March retail sales came in a bit better than expected, with sales rising 1.1 percent from February. But overall data in the report revealed little growth momentum in consumer spending, which accounts for most US economic activity.The steady but lackluster pace of improvements in US economic data was expected to keep the Fed taking measured reductions in massive stimulus to exit the asset-purchase program entirely before the year ends.A Fed hike in near-zero interest rates appeared unlikely until at least next year.Until more Fed officials get on board with the idea of tightening, the dollar will have a tough time recovering, Lien said.The dollar rose to 0.8796 Swiss francs from 0.8752 late Friday.The greenback also gained slightly against the British pound, which slipped to $1.6726 from $1.6729.

Chinese herb beats drug at rheumatoid arthritis: study

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PARIS (AFP) - A Chinese herb called thunder god vine works better than a widely-prescribed pharmaceutical drug at easing rheumatoid arthritis, a study published on Monday said.The herb has long been used in China to treat this potentially crippling autoimmune disease, which typically strikes hand and foot joints.It is known in Mandarin as lei gong teng and to botanists as Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F.Extracts of the herb have already fired the interest of drug laboratories as they contain hundreds of compounds, including intriguing molecules called diterpenoids which are believed to ease inflammation and immune response.In a study published in the British journal BMJ Open, Chinese researchers recruited 207 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and gave them either the herb; the drug methotrexate (marketed as Rheumatrex or Trexall); or a combination of the two.After six months, the patients were given a doctor's assessment and were also asked if they felt any change.The benchmark for improvement is called the ACR 50 -- named after the American College of Rheumatology -- which indicates a 50-percent improvement in the tally of tender or swollen joints and other criteria such as pain and disability.Of the 174 who completed the trial, 55 percent of those on the herb attained ACR 50, compared to 46 among those treated with methotrexate alone.But the biggest gain was among the group which took the herb-methotrexate combination: nearly 77 percent of them achieved the ACR 50 measure of improvement.Previous -- but small-scale -- trials involving thunder god vine have found it scored well against a harmless lookalike called a placebo and an anti-inflammatory called sulfasalazine.But some of that research also flagged potential side effects from the herb.The new study said that side effects this time were roughly similar among the herb and methodrexate users, being mainly gastrointestinal upsets. Among the herb group, some of the women experienced irregular menstruation.The investigation, led by Xuan Zhang, a rheumatologist at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing, acknowledged several limitations.One was that the doctors who treated the patients, and the patients themselves, knew what medication was being taken, although outside assessors were brought in to verify the results.Another was that the trial was too short to see if the herb arrested progression of the disease rather than eased the symptoms.A third was that the dose of methotrexate was limited to 12.5 milligrams a week. This is standard in Asia, although it is common in the West to use higher doses, the paper said.

Study: Snack might help avoid fight with spouse

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WASHINGTON (AP) - A quick candy bar may stave off more than hunger. It could prevent major fights between husbands and wives, at least if a new study that used voodoo dolls is right.That's because low blood sugar can make spouses touchy, researchers propose.In fact, it can make them hangry, a combination of hungry and angry, said Ohio State University psychology researcher Brad Bushman.We need glucose for self-control, said Bushman, lead author of the study, which was released Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Anger is the emotion that most people have difficulty controlling.The researchers studied 107 married couples for three weeks. Each night, they measured their levels of the blood sugar glucose and asked each participant to stick pins in a voodoo doll representing his or her spouse. That indicated levels of aggressive feelings.The researchers found that the lower the blood sugar levels, the more pins were pushed into the doll.In fact, people with the lowest scores pushed in twice as many pins as those with the highest blood sugar levels, the researchers said.The study also found that the spouses were generally not angry at each other. About 70 percent of the time, people didn't put any pins in the doll, said study co-author Richard Pond Jr. at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The average for the whole study was a bit more than one pin a night per person.Three people put all 51 pins in at one time and one person did that twice Pond said.Bushman said there's a good physical reason to link eating to emotion: The brain, which is only 2 percent of the body weight, consumes 20 percent of our calories.The researchers said eating a candy bar might be a good idea if spouses are about to discuss something touchy, but that fruits and vegetables are a better long-term strategy for keeping blood sugar levels up.Outside experts gave the study, funded by the National Science Foundation, mixed reviews.Chris Beedie, who teaches psychology at the Aberystwyth University in the United Kingdom, said he thought the study's method was flawed and that his own work disagrees with Bushman's conclusions. The better way to test Bushman's concept is to give people high glucose on some occasions and low glucose on others, and see if that makes a difference in actual acts of aggression, he said.But Julie Schumacher, who studies psychology and domestic violence at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, called the study well-designed and said it is reasonable to conclude, as the study did, that low glucose levels might be one factor that contributes to intimate partner violence.Still, she and Beedie said it might be a big leap to interpret the results with voodoo dolls as indicating risk for actual physical aggression against a spouse.The study procedure also raised another problem. Bushman had to handle a call from his credit card company, which wanted to make sure it was really he who had spent $5,000 to buy more than 200 voodoo dolls.

TTP agrees to extend ceasefire

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NORTH WAZIRISTAN (Dunya News) - A meeting of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) shura held at an undisclosed location on Monday.Key Taliban commanders attended the meeting and discussed matters including ceasefire and prisoners release.The meeting expressed concerns over the delay in release of non-combatant prisoners and govt refusal over formation of peace zone.However, Taliban agreed to extend ceasefire with the government.According to sources, TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid would formally announce ceasefire within few days.A pamphlet was distributed among the participants of the meeting of shura. The pamphlet said that there were no differences among Taliban groups.The statement further said that all members of the shura were united. It said that the enemies were planning to murder key Taliban commanders and all such plots would be foiled.On the other hand, Taliban’s negotiation committee member Professor Ibrahim said that the government and army were not on same page over the issue of prisoners release.Another Taliban committee member Maulana Yusuf said that a meeting with Taliban would be finalised soon and the ceasefire would remain effective.Meanwhile, Afghan Taliban has expressed concerns over the clashes among different factions. They appealed rival factions to end their differences.Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Umar in statement said that the rival factions should end their clash.It is pertinent to mention here that two groups of TTP, Shehryar Mehsood and Khalid alias Sajna have clashed over the issue of South Waziristan leadership.According to the sources, more than 40 members of both factions have been killed during these clashes.However, TTP statements have been differing in this regard.Tehreek-e-Taliban spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid in a statement said there were no differences while in another he said that media was exaggerating number of killings in the clashes while both groups have ended.

Dutch police arrest girl for Twitter airline threat

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THE HAGUE (AFP) - Dutch police have arrested a teenaged girl after she allegedly tweeted a threat to American Airlines posing as an al-Qaeda member, a police spokesman said on Monday.The 14-year-old girl named Sarah reported to the police this morning accompanied by a relative, Rotterdam polices Roland Ekkers said.Shes been taken into custody with a hearing against her to start soon, he told AFP.Sarah apparently posted the message that landed her in hot water on social network Twitter on Sunday morning.hello, my names Ibrahim and Im from Afghanistan. Im part of Al Qaida and on June 1st Im gonna do something really big bye, read the message, which has since been deleted together with her account.American Airlines then responded, saying Sarah, we take these threats very seriously. Your IP address and details will be forwarded to security and the FBI.Dutch public broadcaster NOS said Sarah, whose tweet earned her thousands of new followers, then furiously tried to rectify the situation.She tweeted: Im really sorry. Im really scared now. I made a joke, please... Im just a girl.Another tweet, published by the NOS read: Im not going to tell my parents. Theyll tell me to delete my acc (account) omg (oh my God) that will be the end of my life.I always wanted to be famous, but I meant like (teen idol) Demi Lovato famous, not Osama bin laden famous.Ekkers said police were investigating because of the uproar caused over the weekend.It is not sure how long Sarah will still be under arrest, he added. We would like to find out what her motives were.

Senate passes bill to ensure PM's presence in sessions

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ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - The Senate on Monday passed a bill that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would have to appear in the upper house of parliament at least once a week when the Senate session is underway.According to Senate Rule 61 (2A) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is bound to attend the session at least once a week.Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Senator Tahir Mashhadi submitted a resolution in the senate secretariat that alleged the Premier was not giving importance to the upper house and has not attended a single session since taking oath of office in June last year.The rules of the house should be amended to make it mandatory for the PM to attend the senate session, said Mashhadi.Earlier opposition parties had protested and staged a walk out on the point that the Prime minister has not attended a single upper house session since taking oath of office.The Senate also passed a Resolution unanimously demanding the government to prepare and make public a workable plan for FATA.The resolution was moved by Afrasiab Khattak and Farhatullah Babar.Speaking on the resolution, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch said the government is committed to bring peace in the country without bloodshed. He said all possible measures are being taken in this regard.He said the government has started dialogue with Taliban with a view to bring peace and this process will not be dragged for long period.The Minister said that about six thousand people have been martyred due to militancy in FATA and about same number injured in the area. He said rupees four billion have been paid to the victims of terrorism as compensation and rupees two billion more will be paid in the near future.Abdul Qadir Baloch said about one hundred thousand Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are living in camps while others are settled with their relatives. He said rupees twenty five thousand are being paid to each IDP family, but government is also considering increasing this package.The Minister said a plan is under consideration for the socio-economic development of FATA.The House also passed a resolution unanimously recommending the government to take steps to tender the contract of Reko Diq mines in Balochistan in a transparent manner.The resolution was moved by Hafiz Hamdullah.The House passed another resolution unanimously recommending the government to take immediate steps to provide clean drinking water to the people in Islamabad Capital Territory.Briefly speaking on the occasion, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said there are 133 villages in the capital territory and out of these 65 are provided with the water supply schemes. He said fifty-five of these schemes are functioning properly while ten are non-functional due to different reasons.Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed said the government has taken a number of steps to improve overall performance of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and due to these measures the deficit will be reduced significantly by the end of this financial year.Concluding the discussion on a motion regarding the overall performance of PIA moved by Muhammad Talha Mahmood, Aftab Sheikh said when the government took over, the total deficit of PIA was rupees 31.54 billion. He said after resuming the charge, the Prime Minister provided rupees 16 billion to the organization to meet the liabilities of the workshops.The Minister said some aeroplanes have been repaired and made functional. He said the government hired four planes on wet lease and two of them have been returned while two others will be returned by the end of next month. He said the government is now hiring eleven planes on dry lease to meet the requirements.The Minister said the government overall improved the management of PIA and the efficiency of the organisation has improved. He said measures are also being taken to provide quality service to the passengers.Earlier, the House offered Fateha for the departed souls of the victims of Sabzi Mandi blast and father of Senator Haji Ghulam Ali.Two bills were introduced in the House (Monday). They are the National Cyber Security Council Bill, 2014 and the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) (Amendment) Bill 2014).
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