Tuesday 11 November 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV


PTI 'tsunami' to strike Nankana Sahib today

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NANKANA SAHIB (Dunya News) - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will hold a public meeting at the Guru Nanak High School’s ground, Nankana Sahib today (Wednesday).Preparations to hold public meeting at the Guru Nanak High School’s ground are in full swing. More than 15,000 chairs have been set up at the stadium.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and other party leaders are scheduled to address the public meeting. Police have made fool proof security arrangement for the rally. More Than 1,000 policemen have been deployed by the provincial government to ensure security at the venue.

Iran, world powers fight to save nuclear deal

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MUSCAT (AFP) - Iran and world powers sought Tuesday to avoid a nuclear deal falling apart on November 24, with a top Russian official expressing optimism and urging key countries to build bridges.After 24 hours in which the chances of a deal seemed to nosedive after senior officials from the United States and Iran failed to make progress, the other parties to the nuclear talks met in Oman.The one-day meeting between Irans nuclear negotiating team and officials from the P51 -- the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China, plus Germany -- was held behind closed doors.But Russias chief negotiator, Sergei Ryabkov, said Iran and participants in the talks should not kill the chances of a comprehensive deal by November 24, warning that in the absence of creativity and responsibility failure was possible.We are not working on plan B, thats for sure, he told reporters in Muscat, though he did not rule out an extension to an interim deal that expires later this month.If by whatever reason, by whatever development, we are not there, I think we will have time on the evening of the 23rd to develop an alternative, said Ryabkov, Russias deputy foreign minister.Asked why the talks appeared to be in stalemate, Ryabkov cited the inability of parties to build bridges over still deep gaps on issues like enrichment, like sanctions.His comments came after lengthy discussions between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif broke off in the Gulf sultanate late Monday with no signs of progress.Tuesdays talks, chaired by former EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, were scheduled to brief the P51 members on Kerry and Zarifs talks.The West still appears unconvinced of Irans assurances that it has not sought and will not attempt to develop an atomic bomb, while Tehran wants clearer undertakings on when sanctions will be lifted, as well as fewer curbs on its nuclear activities.The US State Department said Kerry and Zarifs head-to-head meetings -- more than 10 hours across Sunday and Monday -- proved tough, direct and serious, adding that there is still time for progress.Irans deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi, quoted by state media, was more candid.To reach a result by November 24 is very difficult but we do not despair, he said.In Muscat, the Iranian delegation held bilateral talks with Russia and China, with similar discussions with Britain, France and Germany also scheduled.As the talks in Oman got under way, Iran signalled its intent to pursue bigger atomic plans, announcing a deal that will see Russia build two new nuclear reactors at the Bushehr plant in southern Iran, taking its total number of reactors to eight.The P51 wants Iran to reduce the scope of its nuclear activities -- in exchange for an easing of punitive economic sanctions imposed since 2012 which have hobbled Irans economy.Iran says its nuclear programme aims to produce atomic energy to reduce the countrys reliance on fossil fuels, but the West and Israel suspect the fuel could be enriched to produce a bomb.The Iranian delegation is under domestic pressure to deliver a quick and total lifting of US, UN and European sanctions under a deal. But US President Barack Obama said Sunday that sanctions would only be slowly reduced.The key sticking points are thought to be the number and type of uranium-enriching centrifuges Iran should be allowed to keep spinning, the process for relieving sanctions and the duration of the final deal.Iran has said five years but world powers have suggested at least double that.The interim deal implemented in January has already been extended once -- when a July 20 deadline was missed.The meetings in Muscat follow the revelation that Obama recently wrote to Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to push for a deal, arguing the Islamic republic and the West have shared regional interests.This apparent reference to the fight against Islamic State group militants in Syria and Iraq was played down by Kerry, with the US diplomat saying there is no linkage whatsoever with the nuclear talks.

Spain rejects Catalan self-determination after vote

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MADRID (AFP) - Spains government Tuesday rejected Catalonias calls for self-determination after more than two million people took part in a symbolic vote on independence for the region.Catalonias leader Artur Mas reached out to Madrid for talks on a definitive and binding vote, but the national government, which had tried to ban Sundays ballot, dug in its heels.The right to self-determination... is not possible, neither under our constitution nor in any of the other democracies around us, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria told parliament.Demands for greater autonomy for the rich northeastern region have grown over recent years, fanned by Madrids resistance and the recent economic crisis.Catalonia accounts for a fifth of Spains economy but also about six percent of its debts, according to official figures.Mas said he had written to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday inviting him to set the conditions for a dialogue that is permanent and as constructive as possible.The ultimate aim is to hold a definitive and politically binding consultation vote, Mas added.Rajoy fiercely opposed Sundays symbolic vote and has not reacted since the polls, in which 1.86 million people voted for independence.Mas had hoped the vote would strengthen his hand in trying to force concessions from Rajoy, who has vowed to defend the unity of Spain as it recovers from recession.But Madrid showed little sign of bending on Tuesday, with some members of the ruling Popular Party wanting to go after Mas in the courts.If what you want is independence for Catalonia, it will be difficult for us to come to an agreement, the deputy prime minister told the upper house Senate.Neither this party nor this government will vote for an agreement on secession.The dispute looked set to drag on.Mas did not rule out calling a snap regional election to be fought exclusively on the independence issue.He said he would hold talks over the coming weeks with other Catalan political parties to gauge support for such a move.State prosecutors are meanwhile taking their time investigating whether Catalan authorities breached court injunctions by opening polling stations in public buildings.Mass regional government said Monday that 2.3 million people took part in the vote, despite legal challenges and objections from the central government.Anti-independence parties boycotted the referendum, saying the results would be skewed in favour of a break from Spain. It was organised by pro-independence volunteers.There was no official electoral roll but the regional government said 5.4 million of Catalonias 7.5 million residents were eligible to vote.Recent polls have indicated that about half of Catalans favour independence overall.Political analyst Jose Antonio Zarzalejos said Mas would likely hold a snap election by February, in order to leave enough time before municipal polls due in May.Madrid will not make any moves in the meantime, Zarzalejos said. Rajoy has one eye on the next general election, due a year from now.Mariano Rajoy will not give any ground, because his electorate would not forgive him, the analyst said.A solution will not come until the next legislature. In the current one, it is impossible.Mas said on Tuesday that Catalan authorities suffered a massive cyberattack before and during the vote.Hits on his governments computer systems multiplied 20,000 times on Saturday and 60,000 on Sunday in hard, organised cybernetic attacks, Mas told reporters.We suspect that it could not just be a few amateur hackers or Twitter users who organised such a thing, he said. We are examining another possibility.

Football: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan as S.Asia women's cup kicks off

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ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Sri Lanka beat hosts Pakistan 2-1 as the third South Asian womens football championship kicked off in Islamabad on Tuesday.The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) womens cup, which runs until November 20, features eight teams including Pakistans arch-rivals India and neighbour Afghanistan. The tournament is the first high-profile regional womens sports event in deeply-conservative Pakistan.A young home-side were contained in their own half for most of the match by a composed Sri Lanka team, going one down before half time to a goal from midfielder Ishara Madushani.After the break Pakistan had several chances to equalise, but Sri Lankan forward I.L.E. Kumudumala added a second goal in the 86th minute.On the stroke of full-time, Pakistan captain Hajra Khan scored a face saving goal in the 89th minute.Womens sports were taboo in conservative Islamic Pakistan, but military ruler General Pervez Musharraf opened the way during his near decade-long tenure from 1999 to 2008.The first womens national championship was held in 2005 but players were required to follow a strict dress code, wearing trousers instead of the shorts normally worn by the players.Pakistan skipper Khan said the tournament would give her youthful side good experience of international competition.We lack exposure, I am pretty sure if we get more international exposure, we can perform well, she told AFP.We are a very young team and I think we gave them a good fight specially in the second half.The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) promised tight security for the teams, after a suicide attack at a border post with India last week killed nearly 60 people.Doubts had been raised over whether the tournament would go ahead following the incident.Monika Staab, a FIFA consultant for women football, told AFP she had no security worries and said the tournament would send a good signal to budding young female players.I hope all parents watching this and give the girls permission to play, she said.Its a beautiful game and its not only for the boys, its also for girls.India will play their opening game against Maldives in a group A match on Thursday while Afghanistan will face Bangladesh on the same day. Nepal take on Bhutan in the second match of the group B Wednesday.

Tennis: Murray keeps semi bid alive, Federer strolls

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LONDON (AFP) - Andy Murray kept alive his bid to reach the semi-finals of the ATP Tour Finals with a crucial 6-3, 7-5 victory in his shoot-out with Milos Raonic on Tuesday.Murray knew he would have been eliminated from the prestigious season-ending event at Londons O2 Arena if he lost to Canadas Raonic, but the world number six produced a strong performance to secure his first Group B win and remain in the hunt for a last four berth.The former Wimbledon champion now has to beat six-time winner Roger Federer in his final group match on Thursday to qualify, while Raonic, having lost both matches, is almost certain to be knocked out.On Sunday, there wasnt much magic. Today I came up with some good shots in the right moments. Milos didnt serve as well as he can and that helped, Murray said.Its a nice match against Roger to look forward to. Itll be a great atmosphere again.Murrays victory also meant Federer is not 100 percent certain to make the semis despite winning both his group matches, including a 6-3, 6-2 stroll against Japans Kei Nishikori earlier on Tuesday.After playing for six consecutive weeks in a successful bid to qualify for the Finals after briefly falling out of the top 10, Murray chalked up titles in Shenzhen, Vienna and Valencia to salvage his ranking.Yet he looked totally devoid of inspiration and energy in his lacklustre loss against Nishikori on Sunday.Murray knew he had to improve dramatically against Raonic, who had won three of their four previous meetings.Raonic had hit 1,103 aces this year and he tried to send a statement of intent with a venomous 138mph ace in his first service game.Murray wasnt intimidated by the early barrage and carried the fight back to the world number eight, earning two break points in the fourth game.Although Raonic got out of trouble on that occasion, he wasnt landing enough first serves in to keep Murray on the back foot and the Scot, taking advantage of a series of forehand errors from his opponent, eventually broke for a 4-2 lead.That proved decisive as Murray closed out the first set and he kept up the pressure in the second.Raonic seemed to be cruising at 40-0 in the third game, but the Canadians double-fault gifted Murray a break point which he converted with a superb crosscourt return.Murrays concentration wavered then and he allowed Raonic to break back with a sloppy service game.But he was still reading Raonics serve well and landed the knockout blow with a break in the 11th game before serving out the win.At 33, Federer is the oldest player to qualify for the Tour Finals in his 13th consecutive appearance, but he has been in age-defying form over the last three days.The 17-time Grand Slam champion has defeated Raonic and US Open finalist Nishikori without dropping a set and will guarantee top spot in the group, which would bring the added bonus of likely avoiding a semi-final showdown with Novak Djokovic, if he beats Murray.Federer, who last won the Tour Finals in 2011, didnt need to be at his very best against Nishikori, who made 30 unforced errors in a sloppy effort that left him with one win from two matches.Ive know Kei since he was 17 years old and always thought he was a great talent. Hes going to have a great future so Im very pleased with the way I played, Federer said.Nishikori needed treatment on his right wrist during the match, but he hopes to be fit to face Raonic.It was just a little bit of soreness. I have one more day off, so I will try to recover well and hopefully I can win the next one, he said.

Tennis: Federer eyes 1,000 win landmark

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LONDON (AFP) - Roger Federer has set his sights on another memorable milestone as the 17-time Grand Slam champion eyes the 1,000th win of his illustrious career.Federers 6-3, 6-2 victory over Japans Kei Nishikori at the ATP Tour Finals on Tuesday took him to 70 match wins for the season -- the sixth time he has hit that mark -- and up to 993 career victories from his 1,219 matches.The 33-year-old can add three more wins at the Tour Finals if he goes all the way to take the title for the seventh time.That would leave him needing only four more victories to join Jimmy Connors, who had 1,253, and Ivan Lendl, with 1,071, as the only men to have broken the 1,000 barrier.With seven Wimbledon titles, five US Open crowns, four Australian Opens and one French Open on his glittering CV, Federer has already experienced almost every high the sport can offer.But he believes making to 1,000 wins would be an especially significant moment because it is a tribute to a players longevity at the very top.I played only the big tournaments this year. Basically, again, I chased all the Masters 1000s, Grand Slams, so forth, he said.Its not easy to win matches there, as we know, because guys are always very good, margins are small.More importantly for me is getting closer to the thousand number. It would obviously be cool to get there. I think its a great number.

Tennis: Clement unveils France team for Davis Cup final

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BORDEAUX (AFP) - France captain Arnaud Clement on Tuesday named a team with no surprises to contest the Davis Cup final against Switzerland in Lille from November 21-23.Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet, Julien Benneteau and Gilles Simon had been recalled after helping France beat the Czech Republic 4-1 in the semi-finals in September.Tsonga, Monfils, Gasquet, and Simon are already training with France in Bordeaux and could be joined by Benneteau this week should he suffer an early elimination from the ATP Tour Finals in London where he is playing the doubles with Edouard Roger-Vasselin.Its a childhood dream that Im living, there is just one step to go but its a relatively high step, said Tsonga. I hope that I will be at the highest level and were going to fulfil the challenge that awaits us with this team, added the French number one. Were thinking every day about the matches against (Roger) Federer and (Stan) Wawrinka and each training session will help us be ready for the final. It is a combination of fear and excitement added the former Australian Open finalist. Swiss captain Severin Luethi named his team last week for the tie at the 27,000-seater Stade Pierre-Mauroy.Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, who are also playing the ATP Tour Finals, will be joined in northern France by Marco Chiudinelli and Michael Lammer, ranked 198th and 513th respectively.The draw for the France-Swiss tie will take place on November 20. Until then both teams have the option of changing two of their five players.It will be the 13th meeting between both countries with France leading 10-2, having won their last meeting in 2004.France have won the Davis Cup nine times, most recently in 2001, but also reached the 2010 final where they were beaten 3-2 by a Serbia side led by world number one Novak Djokovic in Belgrade. Switzerland have never lifted the famous trophy and came closest to victory in 1992 when they were beaten 3-1 in the final by the United States.

Two killed in Argentina football brawl

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BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - Two Argentine football fans have died after being shot in a street brawl between supporters of rival fourth-tier clubs in Buenos Aires, their families said Tuesday.The fight erupted Monday when fans of Dock Sud, a club from a working-class neighborhood in the capital, encountered fans of San Telmo, another local club that is the favorite to win promotion to the third-tier league this season.Neighbors said the clash soon escalated into a gunfight that drew in riot police and claimed at least three victims.Family members said San Telmo fans Javier Araujo, 29, and Daniel Sanchez, 28, had died of their wounds.A third victim is in hospital after being hit in the face by a rubber bullet, San Telmo club officials said.The brawl erupted after separate matches in which Dock Sud drew 0-0 with Talleres de Remedios de Escalada and San Telmo tied 1-1 against Defensores de Cambaceres.Under a 2013 law aimed at curbing violence by Argentinas infamous barrabravas, or football hooligans, visiting fans are barred from watching matches at the stadium.The San Telmo fans, whose side was playing away, had set up a giant outdoor screen to watch their teams match.San Telmo supporters said the Dock Sud fans ambushed them, a claim they latter denied.Argentine cabinet chief Jorge Capitanich condemned the brawl.These violent acts are crimes committed by murderers who deserve the harshest punishment, he told a press conference.The fight came five days after another between rival factions of supporters of third-tier club Almirante Brown left one person dead and a child wounded.The latest deaths bring the number of people killed in football-related violence in Argentina to 10 so far this year, according to watchdog group Lets Save Football (SAF).The group says football violence has killed 195 people in the South American country in the last four decades.

Oil prices mixed amid OPEC output cut speculation

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices traded mixed Tuesday as the market gauged the outlook for an OPEC oil production cut amid abundant global supplies. The benchmark US futures contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for December, rose 54 cents to close at $77.94 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent North Sea for December shed 67 cents, settling at $81.67 a barrel in London, its lowest close since mid-October 2010.Volumes were modest in New York as some traders were absent on the Veterans Day holiday.Traders kept a close eye on OPEC members comments ahead of the cartels next meeting in Vienna on November 27, with dissent evident in the 12-nation group on the need for a production cutback.I hope that (oil) prices will not reach a level where they harm (the) national economy, Kuwaiti Oil Minister Ali al-Omair told the official KUNA news agency on Tuesday. Oil income makes up around 94 percent of the countrys public revenues.Omair attributed the slide in oil prices to oversupply and a weak global economy.He said OPEC would discuss oil prices and take appropriate decisions that serve the economic interests of its members when they meet at the end of the month.WTI had tumbled $1.25 in New York on Monday after he downplayed the likelihood of the 12-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries cutting output.A top Kuwaiti industry official said Tuesday that Kuwait plans more than $40 billion of investment to significantly increase its capacity to produce oil and gasThe Gulf nation aims to raise the amount of crude oil it can pump by one-quarter, to 4.0 million barrels per day, by 2020, the head of planning at state-owned Kuwait Oil Co., Mohammad Abduljalil, told the Al-Jarida newspaper.OPEC, which pumps about a third of global crude, now produces nearly 31 million barrels per day, around one million barrels more than its official ceiling. Doubts regarding OPEC production policy continue to weigh on market sentiment with recent comments from OPEC officials providing little support, said Tim Evans of Citi Futures.The US Department of Energys closely watched weekly report on oil inventories, normally released on Wednesdays, will be published Thursday due to the Veterans Day holiday.

Dollar hits 7-year high on yen

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar eased against the euro but hit a seven-year high on the yen Tuesday in a market quiet because of the Armistice Day and Veterans Day celebrations in Europe and the United States.The dollar topped 116 yen before pulling back slightly.Fawad Razaqzada of Forex.com called the yens slide merely a continuation of the selling that came as a result of the Bank of Japans surprise decision to increase its asset purchases program at the end of last month.But adding to the momentum was a fall in the Japanese consumer confidence index for October, when a slight increase was anticipated, he said.

Pakistan to apply for Aamer's clearance next week

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Pakistans cricket chief on Tuesday said that an appeal will be lodged with the anti-corruption unit to clear the way for seamer Mohammad Aamer to play domestic matches before his five-year ban expires.The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday revised its anti-corruption code which means that banned players can feature in home matches a few months prior to the end of their ban, specifically benefitting Aamer.The ICC said it will be up to the home board, the Anti-Corruption Security (ACSU) chairman Ronnie Flanagan and ICC Board to take the final call.Aamers ban expires in August 2015.The 22-year-old bowler was banned along with then captain Salman Butt and pace partner Mohammad Asif for accepting money in return for deliberate no-balls during the Lords Test against England in 2010.The ICCs anti-corruption tribunal banned Aamer for five years, Butt for ten years with five suspended and Asif for seven years with two suspended.The trio were also jailed in Britain.Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan said his board was in the process of filing an appeal.The ball is in our court now, Khan told AFP on the sidelines of the first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand.As soon as the code was revised and passed we started to prepare a paper and in the next few days we will send it to the ACSU chairman and he will decide, said Khan. Khan said the PCB was satisfied with Aamers rehabilitation, made mandatory for the banned players by the ICC tribunal.We are satisfied that Aamer has done the rehab and from the beginnig he was co-operative and the case was ready for us and we hope that in the next ICC meeting on January 26 we will have a final decision, said Khan, a former diplomat.The way is open for Aamers return.Before the ban, Aamer was playing for leading Pakistani team National Bank, but his employers terminated his contract after he was banned.Khan said Butt and Asif have not done enough rehab to warrant the same relaxation.The other two players have not shown the remorse or they have not helped others to avoid this pitfall, Aamer has done that so his case is different from Butt and Asif and we have told the other two that until their rehab is not completed they will not get that relaxation, said Khan.Butt and Asif last week objected to the help offered to Aamer and had claimed that they had finished their rehab.

Disgraced Butt begs for PCB help to end ban

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LAHORE (AFP) - Pakistans disgraced former captain Salman Butt said Tuesday he expected his countrys cricket board to help him get an early end to his ban for spot-fixing.Butt was banned in September 2010 for a minimum of five years by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and jailed in Britain accepting money in return for deliberate no-balls in the 2010 Lords Test against England.Fast bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were also banned over the incident, one of the most notorious scandals in the history of the sport.The ICC on Monday revised its anti-corruption code, paving the way for banned players to feature in domestic matches a few months before their bans expire.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to apply for Aamer to be allowed to play again but not for Butt or Asif.The bans are due to expire next August.Butt said he expected the PCB to help him as well.Cricket is my bread and butter and I hope the PCB take up my appeal as well as this is the only chance I can relive my passion, that is cricket, Butt told AFP.But PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told AFP in Abu Dhabi that Butt and Asif have not completed their rehabilitation, a claim Butt contests.I have been to the PCB offices a dozen times in the past year to know what else I have to do to complete my rehab but I am still waiting for their final reply, said Butt.While handing out the bans, the ICC Anti-corruption tribunal, headed by Michael Beloff, directed the players to publicly apologise for their crime, tell future players how to avoid the pitfalls and to co-operate with the ICC.

Money row hits Zimbabwe cricket

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HARARE (AFP) - The disconnect between players and their boards at the lower end of Test cricket has come to the fore once again, with Zimbabwes franchise cricketers refusing to take the field for the start of the first-class season on Tuesday.It is the second time in a year that Zimbabwes domestic players have gone on strike over wages and contractual issues, and comes less than a month after the West Indies players quit a tour of India following a protracted pay structure dispute between the players, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association.That action has put the very future of West Indies cricket in doubt with the Board of Control for Cricket in India presenting a big damages claim to the WICB, whose last set of accounts showed a bank balance only marginally in the black.Zimbabwe Crickets financial problems are equally well known and led to the number of franchises being cut from five to four for the new season, while player salaries have been restructured.The ZC only confirmed their contract offers on Friday, two days before the season began with a round of limited-overs fixtures, with the highest earners promised $1500 per month and the lowest getting just $300.Zimbabwes harsh tax laws mean the players would only take home about half of those amounts, and they would still need to pay 40 per cent of their medical aid costs out of their own pockets.A wider issue is ZCs delay in signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Zimbabwe Professional Cricketers Association, who have been waiting for feedback on the document since April.As long as our issues are not addressed there is no way that we can keep playing, ZPCA representative Eliah Zvimba told AFP. This is the only language (ZC) understand.We had September, we had October and now its November. We were supposed to have discussed these issues without rushing, but thats not happened.ZC subsequently confirmed that they would meet with Zvimba on Friday to discuss the issues, leading Zvimba to urge the players to take the field on Wednesday.However he said that further strike action would be forthcoming if no agreement was reached with ZC.

Ex-Governor Punjabs son Hussain Khar kidnapped

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – According to details, former Governor Punjab Ghulam Mustafa Khar’s son Hussain Khar was kidnapped from Johar Town on Tuesday night.Police sources said that Hussain Khar was kidnapped by unidentified persons when he was returning to his house, situated in Johar Town, on his car. The motives behind kidnapping are not yet known.

Sialkot: Indian forces open unprovoked fire at Working Boundary

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SIALKOT (Dunya News) – Indian security forces opened unprovoked fire on the Sialkot Working Boundary on Tuesday.According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Indian forces started firing at the boundary in Palkhi sector and the fire was reciprocated by the Pakistan Army with zest.However, no loss of life or property was reported.

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