Thursday 29 May 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

POF to be modernized to international standards: Nisar

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ISLAMABAD (Online) - Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said the government plans to modernize the Pakistan Ordnance Factories to international standards.He was addressing a meeting at POF on Thursday, which was attended by Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanvir and heads of civil armed forces.Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the government would provide all possible assistance to make Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) a strong and viable defence institution.The Minister exchanged views with heads of police and civil armed forces on security matters and issued instructions on the future strategy.

Sisi sweeps election as Egypt military reasserts grip

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CAIRO (AFP) - Ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has scored a crushing presidential election triumph and consolidated the military's grip, 11 months after the overthrow of the only Egyptian president not drawn from its ranks.Ninety-six percent of voters, at least 21 million Egyptians, chose Sisi, who deposed elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, with ballots counted from all but a handful of 352 stations, state television reported Thursday.Sisi's only rival, leftist Hamdeen Sabbahi, won less than four percent, according to the preliminary results.The longtime opposition figure conceded defeat Thursday but cast doubt on the estimated turnout of 47 percent after calls for a high participation rate as a sign of legitimacy.Ahead of the final results due within a week, hundreds of Sisi supporters took to the streets on Wednesday night to celebrate, waving Egyptian flags, setting off fireworks and honking car horns.It's a victory for stability, said Tahra Khaled, among the crowd in Cairo's Tahrir Square, nerve centre of the mass protests that forced autocratic president Hosni Mubarak to step down in 2011.Sisi, who retired from the army to run for office, becomes Egypt's fifth president from the military, reasserting the institution's grip on politics in the Arab world's most populous nation.The military has always formed the backbone of political life in Egypt and the institution has provided its leaders ever since army officers toppled the monarchy in 1952.The only exception was Morsi, elected a year after the fall of former air force commander Mubarak.Few would have imagined that... three years after Mubarak's toppling, a field marshall, a new pharaoh, would be elected again with 96 percent, without even unveiling a programme and without campaigning, said analyst Karim Bitar.Sisi rode on a wave of support for a potential new strongman who can restore stability and revive the economy after three years of turmoil.But his opponents say that since he ousted Morsi last July, Egypt returned to autocracy.A state crackdown targeting Morsi supporters has left at least 1,400 people dead in street clashes and seen more than 15,000 others jailed.Dozens of young activists have also been jailed for violating a law banning all but police-authorised protests.A European Union team that observed the election said Thursday the vote was conducted in line with the law, but regretted the lack of participation of some stakeholders, a likely reference to Morsi's banned Muslim Brotherhood and youth dissident groups.Amid the crackdown on dissent condemned by rights groups and Western governments, the military-installed authorities had aimed for a high turnout as a sign of legitimacy.Private and state-run media pressed Egyptians to go out and vote, and the election was extended for a third day in a last-minute decision which sparked protests.Sisi had called for at least 40 million of Egypt's almost 54 million electorate to go to the polling stations.Although it could edge higher, authorities put actual turnout at about 25 million, or 47 percent, down from 52 percent when Morsi was elected in 2012.Ultimately, we have no real way to verify (government) turnout numbers or Sisi's victory margin, Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Institution's Saban Center wrote on Twitter.He pointed to the absence of parallel counts and not enough (international) monitors.Egyptian authorities are touting the election as a milestone on the road to democracy following Morsi's ouster, but Human Rights Watch says the crackdown stripped these elections of real meaning.The intense crackdown on dissent over the last 10 months has created a repressive environment that severely undermines the fairness of the elections, it said.In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States was waiting for official results, but that we remain concerned... about the continued restrictive political environment leading up to the elections and its implications for inclusivity and stability in Egypt, including politicised arrests and limits on freedom of the press.Democracy is more than elections, and we will continue to press for progress on all of those areas.The Muslim Brotherhood hailed what it sees as a successful boycott.The great Egyptian people have given a new slap to the military coup's roadmap and... written the death certificate of the military coup, said its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party.All of the movement's main leaders are now in jail or exile, and Morsi himself is being tried on charges that could carry the death penalty.Prominent activists behind the uprising that ousted Mubarak three years ago had also called for a boycott, charging that Sisi is an even worse autocrat in the making.

UN calls for Lebanese election 'as soon as possible'

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council expressed disappointment and concern Thursday that an election of a new Lebanese president has not occurred and demanded that polls be held without delay.In a unanimous declaration, the Council's 15 member states urged the country's parliament to uphold Lebanon's long standing democratic tradition and to work to ensure that presidential elections take place as soon as possible and without external interference.Over the past two months, Lebanon's parliament convened five times to try to elect a successor to President Michel Sleiman but failed each time due to a lack of quorum.Meanwhile, Sleiman's term expired on May 25.The Council said it reiterates its full support for the government of Lebanon to discharge its duties during this interim period.It also emphasized the need for sustained international support to Lebanon in addressing the economic, security and humanitarian challenges.In addition, the Council stressed the importance for all Lebanese parties to... refrain from any involvement in the Syrian crisis.Consensus on a presidential candidate was complicated by the conflict in neighboring Syria.Lebanon's political paralysis is mainly due to a deep rift between two rival camps: Lebanon's Hezbollah faction backs Syria's regime, while the March 14 bloc largely backs the uprising next door.Damascus dominated Lebanon for nearly 30 years until 2005, and still exerts significant influence over the Mediterranean country through Hezbollah, which is also a close ally of Iran.

Downing of Ukraine helicopter 'disturbs' US

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House expressed concern Thursday that pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine were using advanced weapons from the outside after they shot down an army helicopter killing 12 soldiers.The downing of the aircraft came amid escalating clashes between Kiev's forces and separatists in the eastern part of the country, following the election win of chocolate magnate Petro Poroshenko.We are disturbed by the ongoing violence in eastern Ukraine, including reports that separatists have shot down a Ukrainian military helicopter, White House spokesman Jay Carney said.Now we cannot yet verify the details of these reports, but we are concerned that this indicates separatists continue to have access to advanced weaponry and other assistance from the outside, Carney added, again hinting that Russia was boosting the separatist forces.Moscow has consistently denied accusations of providing assistance to the pro-Russia separatists.Secretary of State John Kerry phoned his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday to voice concern about reports of foreign fighters crossing the border from Russia into Ukraine, particularly reports of Chechen fighters, the State Department said.He pressed Foreign Minister Lavrov to end all support for separatists, denounce their actions and call on them to lay down their arms, spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, adding that de-escalation is the proper path forward, but many challenges remain on the ground.The Mi-8 helicopter gunship was shot out of the sky with a sophisticated surface-to-air missile. Among the dead was a Ukrainian general.Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said the weapon used was a Russian man-portable air defense system.As well as hinting at Russian assistance, Carney voiced concern for a team of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe observers being held by separatists in the city of Slavyansk.It is unacceptable for observers to be detained, and they should be released immediately. We urge Russia to use its influence with these groups to get them to release the observers, disarm and participate in a political process, Carney said.Separatists confirmed that they detained the four observers, who have been missing since Monday.

Boko Haram kills 35 in attacks on Nigeria villages

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KANO (AFP) - Boko Haram gunmen killed 35 people in attacks on three villages in Nigerias restive northeast Borno state near the border with Cameroon, a military source and residents said Thursday.Dozens of Boko Haram gunmen dressed in military uniform stormed Gumushi, Amuda and Arbokko in all-terrain trucks and motorcycles, opening fire on residents and torching homes with petrol bombs, they said.Boko Haram attacked the three villages Wednesday morning in which 35 people were killed, including 26 in Gumushi, a military officer in the state capital Maiduguri told AFP on condition of anonymity.The insurgents hurled petrol bombs into homes, setting them ablaze and shot residents as they tried to escape, he said.He said the gunmen raided Gumushi around 6:00 am (0500 GMT) where they killed 26 residents.Local media however put the death toll in Gumushi at 42.Witnesses said the gunmen also launched coordinated attacks on the neighbouring farming villages of Amuda and Arbokko, 125 kilometres from Maiduguri, killing nine people and destroying scores of houses.The attackers came at 2:00am (01:00 GMT) when people were asleep and went about throwing Molotov cocktails into homes which exploded and set fire, resident Pirda Takweshe told AFP.They then opened fire on people as they ran out of their homes, killing nine and injuring 13 others.Boko Haram which means Western education is forbidden, has stepped up deadly raids in northeast Nigeria in recent months, pillaging and burning entire villages and killing residents as part of its five-year-old campaign to establish an Islamic state in the north.Violence blamed on the Islamist group has killed thousands since 2009.News of the latest deadly raids came on the same day as Nigerias President Goodluck Jonathan vowed a total war against terrorism.

Tennis: Murray into French Open third round

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PARIS (AFP) - Seventh seeded Andy Murray reached the French Open third round on Thursday with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 over Australia's Marinko Matosevic.Wimbledon champion Murray, who made the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2011, faces Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber for a place in the last 16.Talking to media after the match, Andy Murray admitted he can be foul-mouthed on the tennis court, but when it comes to swearing there are a lot worse offenders around than him, he believes.Murray let fly with a few more expletives in his French Open second round match at Roland Garros on Thursday despite comfortably seeing off Marinko Matosevic of Australia 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.Asked if he thought it would be a good idea at times for players to have mini microphones attached to their shirts during games, Murray said it could work.I think with a lot of the players it would be very interesting, he said.I think the players that speak in English everybody picks up on that. But some of the stuff that guys say in other languages is a lot worse than the couple of words that I tend to use on the court.There are a few phrases that some of the guys use, and they're not pretty.Asked who the offenders might be Murray replied: Some of the ones in Spanish aren't great. Some of the Italian phrases, as well, are not so good. Some of the Serbian phrases also aren't great, either.I'm not the only one that talks to myself. I think what I say is fairly mild compared to the guys that speak the other languages that people don't pick up on.Asked again if he was any nearer to naming a new coach to replace Ivan Lendl and to comment on the latest rumour that former French star Amelie Mauresmo was in the running, Murray gave little away.To be honest, ever since I stopped working with Ivan, there has been a lot of different names that people have mentioned, he said.Obviously Amelie this week. There was (Mats) Wilander. There has been (Jonas) Bjorkman, John McEnroe, (Martina) Navratilova, Leon Smith, who is the Davis Cup captain, Bob Brett. There has been a lot of people that people have talked about.You just have to kind of put up with it. When the time is right I will make an announcement. But nothing to say just yet.Next up for Murray will be a match against Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber, who brushed him aside 6-2, 6-1 on clay in Monte Carlo four years ago in the only meeting they have had to date.Very, very tough match for me. I played him once before on clay and I think I got three games or something, he said.He obviously won a tournament (in Dusseldorf) last week. He's not dropped a set here, I don't think. So, yeah, he will be very tough, very good player.

Football: Ronaldo joins Portugal training camp

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LISBON (AFP) - Real Madrid trio Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Fabio Coentrao joined Portugals World Cup training camp in Obidos on Thursday, bringing the squad up to its full contingent of 23 players.The three players had been granted a few extra days to recover before linking up with the national team following Saturdays Champions League final in Lisbon where Real defeated city rivals Atletico 4-1.Ronaldo, who was still feeling the effects of a thigh injury sustained late in the season, was not expected to take part in a late afternoon training session and remains a doubt for Saturdays friendly against Greece in Lisbon.The Portugal captain instead carried out rehab work at the teams hotel, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) said in its daily medical report.Having played 120 minutes in Saturdays Champions League final, Ronaldo had admitted he wasnt at 100 percent having struggled with muscle problems towards the end of the La Liga season.Portugal have been drawn in Group G at the World Cup and will face Germany on June 15 in Salvador, the United States a week later in Manaus and then Ghana on June 26 in Brasilia.

Football: Cameroon fall to Paraguay in World Cup friendly

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KUFSTEIN (AFP) - Cameroon's preparations for next month's World Cup took a knock when the Africans fell 2-1 to Paraguay in a pre-tournament friendly in Kufstein on Thursday.Volker Finke's men had secured a 2-0 win over Macedonia in Austria earlier this week as they build towards the World Cup, which they begin against Mexico on June 13.But they were trailing early on Thursday after forward Oscar Romero put the South Americans ahead after just four minutes with Malaga striker Roque Santa Cruz netting a second after 68 minutes.Mainz striker Maxim Choupo-Moting, who also scored against Macedonia, pulled one back 15 minutes from time for Cameroon who are reportedly locked in a battle with their federation over bonuses for the tournament.The Africans are in a tough World Group Group A with hosts and favourites Brazil, Croatia and Mexico as they bid to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time since 1990.But with their provisional 28-man squad to be cut to 23 by June 2 they showed problems in defence with Nicolas N'Koulou and Joel Matip in a central role, supported by Allan Nyom and Gaetan Bong on either side failing to provide the necessary guarantees.Samuel Eto'o, who remained on the bench Thursday as planned, is expected play at least 20 minutes against Germany on Sunday.Paraguay have not qualified for the World Cup with their focus on the 2015 Copa America.

Golf: McIlroy grabs Memorial lead with 63

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DUBLIN (AFP) - Two-time major winner Rory McIlroy fired a nine-under par 63 on Thursday to seize the lead after the opening round of the PGA Tour's $6.2 million Memorial Tournament.The 25-year-old McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, is fresh off a victory at the European PGA Championship last week, but is seeking his first win on the US PGA Tour since the 2012 BMW Championship.I obviously played really well from tee to green. I holed a lot of putts as well, two really good up and downs at the last two holes, said McIlroy.Masters winner Bubba Watson, Paul Casey and Chris Kirk each posted six-under 66s to share second place, while Keegan Bradley, Michael Thompson and JB Holmes were tied for fifth at five-under 67 at the Muirfield Village Golf Club.Hunter Mahan, Ryan Moore and Justin Leonard shared eighth at four-under 68.World number one Adam Scott of Australia, who also won last week at the Colonial in Texas, Jordan Spieth and Aaron Baddeley were among a group of 10 players to share 11th place on 69.Scott and McIlroy are playing in the same group for the first two rounds of the tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus. They are joined by Australian Jason Day, who fired an even-par 72.McIlroy's round included two eagles on the back nine. The world number six also had seven birdies and one double bogey, on the par-four 14th hole.I'm really happy and obviously a really good opening round, said McIlroy. It could have been even better, apart from a double bogey on 14.McIlroy's win last week at Wentworth was his sixth European Tour title but first on European soil.It capped a roller-coaster week in which he announced his split from tennis star Caroline Wozniacki on the eve of the tournament and he came from seven shots off the pace to triumph.McIlroy opened his superb round on Thursday with a par followed by a 10-foot birdie putt at the second. After converting a nine-foot birdie at the fourth hole, he drained three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the seventh to get to five-under.His 27-foot eagle putt at the 11th and a 15-foot birdie putt at the 13th got him to eight-under.Scott overtook Tiger Woods on May 19 to reach number one in the world rankings for the first time, winning the Colonial in his first outing as the number one. He finished with six birdies, one bogey and one double bogey.Watson caught fire with four birdies over his final five holes to end at six-under.Today there was really no wind for the whole round. A little bit of rain yesterday softened it up, so conditions were favorable for good scores, said Watson.American Phil Mickelson was near the top of the leaderboard until he dropped five shots on the last three holes for a 72.

Cycling: Mountain king Arredondo takes Giro 18th stage

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MILAN (AFP) - King of the mountains leader Julian Arredondo won the 18th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday as fellow Colombian Nairo Quintana held onto the overall race lead.Trek's Arredondo broke clear of an escape group in the final 4km and held off another compatriot, Fabio Duarte, to claim his maiden victory in the race.I've been trying since the start to win a stage, said Arredondo, who was quick to thank his team's for keeping faith.I want to thank the team for believing in me when I was a total unknown. I've been making huge sacrifices over the years without anyone really believing in me.Irishman Philip Deignan of Team Sky took third on the stage, 37sec back at the end of the 171km stage from Belluno to the Panarotta Refuge.Australian 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans was the big loser as he was dropped by the group of favourites and lost his podium place.The 37-year-old BMC rider dropped from third overall overnight to ninth.Quintana, who took the leader's 'maglia rosa' (pink jersey) by winning Tuesday's 16th stage, leads another Colombian, Rigoberto Uran, by 1min 41sec with Frenchman Pierre Rolland up to third overall at 3min 29sec.I'm satisfied, said Quintana, who will be happy to have saved precious energy for two tough stages ahead, a crucial individual time trial to Monte Grappa on Friday and the mountain stage to Monte Zoncolan on Saturday's penultimate day.The stage was pretty easy. There were a few attacks going up the final climb, but we managed to control the riders who were a threat to us.I had good legs and I'm feeling better as the days go on. I'm optimistic of doing well in the Monte Grappe time trial.Quintana, however, added: The Giro isn't over yet.Uran, runner-up last year to Italian Vincenzo Nibali, said: The time trial to Monte Grappa will be crucial, for me and the Giro.Arredondo had signalled his credentials earlier this season with two stage wins at the Tour of San Luis in Argentina and a fifth place overall at Tirreno-Adriatico, the latter prompting ambitions of a stage win at this year's Giro, where he is also hoping to secure the climber's jersey.In a thrilling finale in which the lead changed hands several times, the Colombian achieved one of those objectives and boosted his chances in the second by soloing to the biggest win of his career.After Belgian Thomas De Gendt and Italian Franco Pellizotti had both tried their luck, Arredondo finally made a solo break stick.Duarte, who had covered an earlier dig from Arredondo 6km out, tried to respond but this time could not bridge the gap.Arredondo added: I got into the breakaway early on to try and score some points for the climber's jersey. On the final climb I wanted to attack, but my team kept telling me to relax, to wait a little.In the end it was good advice because it paid off.Behind the breakaway riders, the battle was on for podium places as Movistar's Quintana expertly marshalled any danger to his overall lead.Evans was the first to crack giving Rolland, whose attacks thinned out the favourites' group, the chance to snatch a podium spot.I'll keep on going as I have from the start, said Rolland. Taking things day by day. Today I tried to snatch back some time in the final climb. I dug deep about four kilometres from the finish, but the chasers came back to us.However, he has two riders just two seconds back after Italian Fabio Aru of Astana pulled back a handful of second on the Europcar rider.Aru is fourth on the same time as fifth-placed Rafal Majka with Italian Domenico Pozzovivo just 23sec behind Roland in sixth.

Tablet sales losing steam, survey shows

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Global sales of tablet computers are likely to slow this year, hurt in part by saturation and adoption of large-screen smartphones or phablets, a market tracker said Thursday.The research firm IDC said its updated forecast sees tablet sales up 12.1 percent this year, after a 51.8 percent expansion in 2013.IDC said sales are likely to total around 245.4 million units this year.Two major issues are causing the tablet market to slow down. First, consumers are keeping their tablets, especially higher-cost models from major vendors, far longer than originally anticipated, said IDC analyst Tom Mainelli.And when they do buy a new one, they are often passing their existing tablet off to another member of the family.The second factor is the rise of phablets -- smartphones with 5.5-inch and larger screens, the analyst said.The emergence of phablets is causing many people to second-guess tablet purchases as the larger screens on these phones are often adequate for tasks once reserved for tablets.In the past year, IDC said, the phablet share of smartphone shipments has more than doubled, from 4.3 percent in the first quarter of 2013 to 10.5 percent in early 2014.IDC said consumers are now looking at tablets and related devices with larger screens like Microsofts 12-inch Surface Pro 3.The shift back toward larger screens will mark a welcome sea change for most vendors as the average selling price for these devices will remain roughly 50 percent higher than the average sub-8-inch device, said IDCs Jitesh Ubrani.Microsoft is also expected to benefit from this shift, as the share for Windows-based devices is expected to double between now and 2018.A previous IDC report said sales of tablets including newly introduced convertible PCs totaled 50.4 million units in the first quarter of 2014.That was just 3.9 percent higher than the same period a year earlier, and down 35.7 percent from the busy holiday season that included the fourth quarter of 2013.

Would-be smuggler hides Cuban birds inside his trousers: press

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HAVANA (AFP) - Airport officials in Cuba arrested a passenger attempting to leave the island with scores of native birds hidden inside his trousers, press reports said Thursday.The detained man, described only as a resident of the United States tried to smuggle 66 Cuban Grassquits inside his low slung pants, the Juventud Rebelde newspaper reported.The daily wrote that the mans bulky attire drew the attention of customs officials, leading to his arrest.The incident occurred last month at the international airport in the city of Camaguey, some 530 kilometers (330 miles) east of Havana, Juventud Rebelde wrote.The Cuban Grassquit is a small bird with a short beak, with brown and olive green plumage, with black and yellow around the face and throat.The bird, whose biological name is Tiaris canorus, is not considered to be at risk of extinction but nevertheless is protected under Cuban law.

Oil back above $103 ahead on supply drop

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NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil rose above $103 barrel Thursday on a drop in supplies at the main U.S. oil trading hub and signs of growing gasoline demand in the U.S.Benchmark crude for July delivery rose 86 cents to close at $103.58 a barrel in New York. On Wednesday, the Nymex contract dropped $1.39 to close at $102.72.Brent crude, a benchmark for international oil used by many U.S. refineries, rose 16 cents to close at $109.97 a barrel in London.The Energy Department said Thursday that supplies fell by 1.5 million barrels last week in Cushing, Oklahoma, where U.S. benchmark crude is priced, although overall U.S. inventories rose by 1.7 million barrels.Gasoline supplies fell by 1.8 million barrels, suggesting demand for fuel is strong and refiners will need to buy more oil to keep up.Internationally, prices were still supported by the crisis in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russia rebels shot down a government military helicopter, killing 14 soldiers. Ukraine is a main transit route for Russian energy shipments to Europe.

Dollar slips after mixed US data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar slipped against the euro Thursday after a sharply downwardly revised estimate of US economic growth but encouraging data on the recovering labor market.A day after hitting a 15-week high against the euro, the greenback pulled back, pushing the euro to $1.3601.Foreign-exchange traders weighed revised Commerce Department data showing the US economy contracted in the first quarter by 1.0 percent, double the amount analysts estimated.But analysts pointed out the slowdown, mainly winter weather-related, set the stage for a strong rebound in the second quarter.New claims for unemployment insurance benefits fell sharply last week to 300,000, pulling the trend line to its lowest level in nearly seven years.Forex trade was pretty thin with parts of Europe out for the Ascension Day holiday, said XE Market Analysis.

PTI wins PP 107 Hafizabad by-poll

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HAFIZABAD (Dunya News) – According to unofficial result, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s candidate Nighat Intisar secured PP 107 Hafizabad seat after bagging 44033 votes.Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N)’s candidate Sarfraz Bhatti was second with 38732 votes.It is pertinent to mention here that PP-107 was vacated after an independent candidate Shoaib Shahnawaz was declared ineligible by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after allegations of rigging were proved.
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