Thursday 11 December 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

PTI devises strategy for Karachi 'shut down'

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KARACHI (Online) - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has prepared a strategy to hold protest in Karachi, demanding probe into last year general elections, sources said.According to sources, roads would be blocked for traffic at more than 15 places including Super Highway, National Highway and Hub River Road in the metropolitan city.PTI would also stage sit-ins and protest demonstrations at different locations on the city’s main artery Shahra-e-Faisal, Hassan Square, Numaish Chowrangi, Gurumandir and Native Jetty Bridge, they said.The protesting opposition party would also protest in Maripur and Sultanabad areas of the mega city, the source added.Meanwhile, transporters in Pakistan’s business hub have not yet decided whether to keep their vehicles off roads over PTI’s call for protest.

India out for 444 on day 4 of 1st test vs Australia

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ADELAIDE (AP) - India was dismissed for 444 before lunch Friday on fourth day of the first cricket against Australia at the Adelaide Oval.Nathan Lyon took 5-134 as Australia quickly dismissed Indias tail then reached 32-0, taking an overall lead of 105 runs at lunch Friday on the fourth day of the first test.Resuming at 369-5 in reply to Australias 517-7 declared, India lost its last five wickets for 75 runs in 19.4 overs to be out for 444, a first innings deficit of 73.Lyon took three wickets Friday to complete his sixth five-wicket bag in tests.While its top order produced a century to stand-in captain Virat Kohli and half centuries to Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, Indias lower order faltered.Rohit Sharma added 10 runs to his overnight score and was out for 43, wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha made 25 and Mohammed Shami took 34 from 24 balls.Australia were 32-0 in its second innings at lunch Friday, leading India by 105 runs on the fourth day of the first cricket at the Adelaide Oval.

Pillion riding banned for two days in Karachi

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Two-day ban on pillion riding has been imposed in Karachi from midnight today, Dunya News reported. According to the Sindh Home Department, the ban has imposed under Section 144 Cr.P.C. The ban on pillion riding has been imposed to maintain law and order during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest on December 12 and Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) on December 13.

'Big 4' will be hard to topple in Champions League

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MANCHESTER (AP) - With nine different winners in the last 11 years, no one could ever accuse the Champions League of being predictable.It does appear, however, that an established Big 4 has been created in Europes premier club competition and this years group stage backs up the theory.Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, the last four winners of European soccers top prize, were the top teams in group play, which finished Wednesday. In each of the last three seasons, at least three of that quartet has reached the semifinals of the Champions League. Madrid and Barcelona did so in 2011, too.So, heading into the knockout stage that kicks off in February, it would be a big surprise if this seasons champion didnt come from this small pool of juggernauts teams who currently are playing football at another level to the rest.Everybodys there, so the Champions League starts now, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said of a last-16 lineup that contains 11 of the teams who advanced in the 2013-14 season.No club has ever successfully defended the Champions League title since the competitions inception in 1992. Could Madrid be about to end that jinx?At top of the Spanish league, a team boasting the attacking talents of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema was the only one to pick up a maximum 18 points in the group stage. Madrid has won its last 19 games in all competitions and Ronaldo, the reigning world player of the year, has already reached 30 goals for the season.I know Ive got an extraordinary team, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said after Tuesdays 4-0 win over Ludogorets Razgrad. I dont tire from saying this.Any side that contains Lionel Messi will always have a great chance, and Barcelona will be expected to reach the semifinals after missing out last season. Barcelonas defense remains a concern although it has only conceded seven goals in 14 games in the Spanish league but Wednesdays 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at Camp Nou gave a taster of what to expect from its expensively assembled, all-star attack.Messi with his record-extending 75th Champions League goal was on the score sheet along with Neymar and Luis Suarez. The trio is six weeks into its new partnership and when the last 16 comes around it could be unstoppable.We know that together we can go places, Suarez said Wednesday after Barcelona sealed first place in its group for the eighth straight season.Bayerns only defeat in a tough-looking Group E came at Manchester City after playing more than 70 minutes with 10 men and conceding twice in the last five minutes to lose 3-2. The German champions have few weaknesses in their team, with their attack looking even stronger with the addition of Robert Lewandowski, and have a coach in Pep Guardiola who has gone all the way before in the Champions League, with Barcelona in 2009 and 11.Chelsea, meanwhile, has found a cure to its attacking frailties of last season with the signing of Spain striker Diego Costa and was the top-scoring team in the group stage, with 17 goals in six games. Traditionally strong in defense, Eden Hazard is developing into one of the worlds best wingers and Cesc Fabregas has brought more creativity into the teams midfield.Last season, for sure we were not one of the top four and we played in the Champions League semifinals, Mourinho said. Lets see what we can do this season.Mourinho said there will be some sharks in the ocean in Mondays draw for the last 16. He was probably referring to Man City, PSG and Italian champion Juventus, who appear to be the strongest teams among the runners-up.Europe has been waiting for big-spending City, English champions twice in the last three seasons, to find its feet in the Champions League. And a 2-0 win at Roma on Wednesday that sealed advancement was viewed by some as a coming-of-age result, secured without arguably its four key players in Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Vincent Kompany.Citys flaws and tactical limitations in Europe were exposed previously in the group stage, though, and it is unlikely to infiltrate the four favorites.

Qatar among 6 bidders to host basketball World Cup

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MIES (AP) - The United States team may be going to Qatar to defend its basketball World Cup title in 2019 as the emirate seeks to add to its sports portfolio.Qatar is among six bidders to host one of the tournaments next two editions, in 2019 or 2023, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) said Thursday.China, Germany, the Philippines and Turkey also want to host one of the events. Germany may bid alone or with France.The FIBA ruling board will choose the 2019 host in June, and may also pick the 2023 host from the remaining bidders.The commitment to growing basketball as well as to stage first-class sporting events is something they all have in common FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann said in a statement.FIBA did not specify when the 32-nation 2019 tournament would be played. Its mens world championship traditionally starts in late-August and finishes in mid-September.A USA team starring James Harden and Kyrie Irving beat Serbia 129-92 on Sept. 14 in Madrid to win the 2014 tournament.FIBA is switching to odd-numbered years in 2019 in part to avoid FIFA World Cup years when broadcasters and sponsors are focused on the soccer tournament.Qatar will host the soccer World Cup in 2022. The gas-rich emirates events portfolio also includes the athletics worlds in 2019, and the handball worlds in January.Though the IOC denied Qatari capital Doha candidate status for the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics, a third bid is expected for the 2024 Games.

McLaren signs Alonso to drive with Button in 2015

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WOKING (AP) - McLaren announced the return of Fernando Alonso and retained Jenson Button for the 2015 Formula One season on Thursday, giving the British team a lineup of former champions at the start of its restored partnership with Honda.Danish driver Kevin Magnussen was dropped after one season and will be the teams test and reserve driver.Alonsos departure from Ferrari after five seasons and return to his former team was widely expected. The Spanish driver, a two-time champion, had already been replaced at Ferrari by four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.Alonso said McLarens reunion with the Honda engine a combination that ruled F1 between 1988-92 was a key factor in his decision.Let the legend return: That is our challenge, Alonso said in a statement.It was a straight choice between Button and Magnussen to be McLarens other driver, with the Briton retained after outscoring Magnussen 126-55 in the 2014 season.Button, who won the drivers title in 2009 with Brawn, heads into his sixth year with McLaren and 16th year in F1 making him the most experienced driver on the grid.The 34-year-old Button was out of contract and the uncertainty over his future at McLaren had opened his eyes to other possibilities, with speculation he could join former F1 driver Mark Webber on the World Endurance Championship or drive in the Le Mans 24 Hours.I am very much looking forward to having a driver as fast and as experienced as Fernando as my teammate, said Button, who was also runner-up to Vettel in 2011. I am sure we will work extremely well together.McLaren was the final team to announce its driver lineup for 2015. It did not reveal the length of the contracts handed to Alonso and Button.Fernando and Jenson have started a combined total of precisely 500 grands prix between them a mighty aggregate and have won 47 of them, said Ron Dennis, McLarens chairman and chief executive. I can safely say, therefore, that we now have by an order of magnitude the best driver lineup of any current Formula 1 team.Alonso will look to revive his career after finishing sixth in last seasons drivers championship as Ferrari had its worst season in 21 years. He left McLaren at the end of 2007 after a breakdown in relations with Dennis, who was team principal at the time.The BBC reported that Alonsos deal is worth $40 million a year, which would make him the best-paid driver on the grid.I am joining this project with enormous enthusiasm and determination, knowing that it may require some time to achieve the results we are aiming for, which is no problem for me, said Alonso, who added that he was contacted by McLaren more than a year ago.The McLaren-Honda partnership brought the team eight titles (drivers and constructors) and 44 victories in 80 races between 1988 and 92.

Ronaldo joins NASL team's owners in Florida

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FORT LAUDERDALE (AP) - Retired Brazilian superstar Ronaldo has joined the ownership group of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.Ronaldo said in a statement by the North American Soccer League team on Thursday that he plans to be very involved with the management of the club and hopes to help make the Strikers a global powerhouse.The Strikers are named after the original NASL franchise. They play in a new version of the NASL, which is in the second tier of North American pro leagues.

UN rejects Iran's latest nuke probe offer

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VIENNA (AP) - The U.N. nuclear agency on Thursday turned down an offer by Iran to visit a site, saying access to it would not help advance its probe of suspicions Tehran worked on atomic arms.Iran has said since 2012 that experts of the U.Ns International Atomic Energy Agency are free to visit Marivan, an area near the Iraqi border that the agency originally suspected might have been the location of high-explosive experiments linked to setting off a nuclear charge. Those initial suspicions were not borne out, however, and more recently, the IAEA shifted its interest to Parchin, southeast of Tehran.Diplomats have said that Iran first suggested a visit to Marivan instead of Parchin two years ago and the agency has repeatedly refused any tradeoff. But Thursday appeared to be the first time it did so publicly, possibly reflecting exasperation with the lack of progress in its probe since its first attempts more than a decade ago.The Agency explained clearly to Iran - on more than one occasion - that an offer of a visit of Marivan does not help address specific concerns related to the issue of large-scale high-explosive experiments, said IAEA public information director Serge Gas in an email.The probe is separate from newly extended talks between Iran and six world powers meant to reduce Irans technical capacity to make nuclear weapons. But its failure would throw hopes of a deal at the talks into doubt because the U.S. says an agreement can be reached only if the IAEA is satisfied with the probe and its final results.Tehran denies wanting nuclear arms and says the allegations are based on falsified evidence, mainly from the U.S. and Israel.Earlier Thursday, IAEA chief Yukiya Amano asked key members of the organization to provide 4.6 million euros ($5.7 million) in extra funding that he says are needed to continue monitoring a preliminary deal that temporarily restrains Irans nuclear programs as the sides work on a longer-term agreement.

Twin blasts hit Nigerian city, kill at least 31

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JOS (AP) - Activists said at least 31 people were killed Thursday when twin explosions rocked downtown Jos in central Nigeria in what appears to be the latest attack by Islamic extremists.The blasts occurred as store owners were shutting their shops and Muslims were preparing for evening prayers.One blast went off at an outdoor food stand called Mr Bigs and the other at the nearby entrance to the Terminus market in the center of the city, according to witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.Soldiers and police said they were ferrying the wounded to hospitals.Rescue workers had evacuated 31 bodies and operations were continuing, civil rights lawyer Ahmed Garba told The Associated Press. Mark Lipdo of the Stefanos Foundation charity said rescue workers also told him at least 31 people were killed and several were injured, some critically.In May, twin car bombs in Jos Terminus marketplace killed at least 130 people.Those attacks were blamed on Islamic extremists from the Boko Haram group and were seen as an attempt to ignite fighting between Muslims and Christians. Jos is in Nigerias Middle Belt, where the mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south meet and violence between the two groups is commonplace.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Thursdays attack but it bore all the signs of Boko Haram.In northern Kano, Nigerias second largest city, police commissioner Aderenle Shinaba told reporters they safely detonated a bomb hidden in a handbag. The bag had been planted Thursday in a supermarket favored by foreigners.Separately, police in Kano arrested a teenage girl wearing a jacket primed with explosives, according to an officer who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to give information to reporters.Several bombs in recent months have been detonated by female suicide bombers, raising fears that Boko Haram is using some of the hundreds of kidnapped girls and young women for its attacks.Twin bomb blasts killed at least 102 people at the main mosque in Kano on Nov. 29, when gunmen also shot at people trying to escape.At least 75 people have been killed in bomb blasts by female suicide bombers in recent weeks in Maiduguri, the northeastern capital of Borno state that is the birthplace of Boko Haram.The extremist group has taken over several towns and villages along the northeast border with Cameroon, where it has declared an Islamic caliphate.Thousands of people have died and 1.2 million have been forced from their homes in the 5-year-old insurgency.

Kerry to climate talks: No excuse for inaction

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LIMA (AP) - Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday tried to spur slow-moving U.N. climate talks, telling governments to stop blaming each other for global warming and urging developing countries to not take the cheap route of high-polluting coal to grow their economies.In a speech in Lima, Kerry said neglecting to mount a collective response to fight climate change would be judged as a moral failure of historical consequences.If we dont lead, future generations will not forgive us, Kerry said. We must take giant measurable clear steps forward that will put us on a new path.He also took a swipe at U.S. politicians who continue to deny the assessment by an overwhelming majority of scientists that climate change is man-made, mainly caused by emissions from burning fossil fuels.You dont need a Ph.D. to see that the world is already changing, Kerry said.Negotiators in Lima are trying to define the elements of a global climate agreement that is supposed to be adopted a year from now in Paris. The optimism injected into the negotiations last month by a joint U.S.-China announcement on their planned efforts to limit emissions has faded during the two-week session as age-old splits between rich and poor countries re-emerged over who should do what.Some delegates said they were surprised that China continued to take a tough stance on keeping clear dividing lines between the climate action expected from developed and developing nations.I thought that they would not be as stern as they used to be in the past, said Tony de Brum, the foreign minister of the Marshall Islands, which is among the small island states that fear they will be submerged by rising seas caused by global warming.Earlier Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged big carbon polluters to follow the examples of China, the U.S. and the European Union and announce emissions targets for the Paris deal. India, Russia and Japan and other major carbon emitters havent made pledges.Im really urging them to follow suit, Ban said.Governments are supposed to submit their pledges by the end of March, though many have indicated they need more time.Rich countries insist the pledges should focus on efforts to control emissions and are resisting demands to include promises of financing to help poor countries tackle climate change.Scientific reports say climate impacts are already happening and include rising sea levels, intensifying heat waves and shifts in weather patterns causing floods in some areas and droughts in others. Ban said the message from scientists that emissions need to come down urgently is unambiguous.They are even shouting from the rooftops, he said. Scientists are saying that climate change is happening much, much faster than we expect, than we realize.

Senator: Bush misled nation in run-up to Iraq war

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee released new information on Thursday that he claims is evidence that the Bush administration misled the nation in the run-up to the war in Iraq.In a speech on the Senate floor, retiring Sen. Carl Levin, a Democrat, outlined a 2003 CIA cable that warns George W. Bush administration officials against making references to claims that Mohammad Atta the man who led the Sept. 11 hijackers met with an Iraqi intelligence officer in the Czech Republic before the Sept. 11, 2011, attacks. Levin claims Bush officials used the unconfirmed meeting to link Iraq to Sept. 11 to justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq.There was a concerted campaign on the part of the Bush administration to connect Iraq in the public mind with the horror of the Sept. 11 attacks. That campaign succeeded, said Levin, who cited opinion polls from that time showing many Americans believed former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was involved in the attacks. Of course, connections between Saddam and 9/11 or al-Qaida were fiction.He referenced a Dec. 9, 2001, appearance by Vice President Dick Cheney on Meet the Press. Cheney said: Its been pretty well confirmed that he (Atta) did go to Prague and he did meet with a senior official of the Iraqi intelligence service in Czechoslovakia last April, several months before the attack.Far from pretty well confirmed, there was almost no evidence that such a meeting took place, Levin said. Just a single, unsubstantiated report, from a single source, and a mountain of information indicating there was no such meeting. ... Travel and other records indicated that Atta was almost certainly in the United States at the time of the purported meeting in Prague.Levin released a letter he received earlier this year from CIA Director John Brennan. In the letter, Brennan offered this statement from the cable: (T)here is not one USG (U.S. government counterterrorism) or FBI expert that has said they have evidence or know that (Atta) was indeed (in Prague). In fact, the analysis has been quite the opposite.Levin has asked previous CIA directors to declassify the entire March 13, 2003, cable to no avail and has called on Brennan to fully declassify it too.Levin also shared a translated excerpt from a memoir released earlier this year by Jiri Ruzek, a former head of Czech counterintelligence. The book describes how U.S. officials pressured Czech intelligence to confirm that the meeting had taken place.It was becoming more and more clear that we had not met expectations and did not provide the right intelligence output, Ruzek wrote.Without any regard to us, they used our intelligence information for propaganda press leaks, Ruzek continued. They wanted to mine certainty from unconfirmed suspicion and use it as an excuse for military action.

Oil closes below $60, 1st time since July 2009

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NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil fell below $60 for the first time since July 2009 on Thursday and ended trading in New York at $59.95.Benchmark U.S. crude oil dropped 99 cents, or 1.6 percent. Oil has fallen steadily for nearly six months, and is down 44 percent since reaching a high for the year of $107.26 in late June.We dont see a price bottom, wrote energy analyst Jim Ritterbusch in a note to investors. He expects oil to fall further, toward $55 a barrel, in the short term.The drop is a result of rising global oil production, especially in the U.S., at a time when demand has weakened because of slowing economies in Asia and Europe.OPEC said this week that higher production from non-OPEC members and global economic growth will reduce demand for its oil to 28.9 million barrels a day next year. Thats the lowest level in more than a decade, and far less than the 30 million barrels per day that the group says it plans to produce next year.The price collapse has pushed down prices for gasoline, diesel and other fuels, lowering expenses for drivers, shippers and airlines and giving a boost to consumer-driven economies like that of the U.S.The average price of gasoline in the U.S. fell to $2.61 a gallon Thursday, according to AAA. Thats 64 cents below last year at this time, saving U.S. drivers $7 billion a month. The Energy Department predicted this week that lower gasoline prices next year will save a typical U.S. household $550 over the course of the year.Lower crude prices have sent the share prices of oil companies and drilling services companies spiraling lower, though, and caused many to cut back drilling projects.As a result, the Energy Department this week trimmed its forecast for oil production growth in the U.S. for next year, though it still expects a sizeable increase. BP announced a $1 billion restructuring plan this week that analysts said could result in the elimination of thousands of jobs.The lower prices are also pressuring government budgets in oil-producing U.S. states and cash-hungry oil exporters such as Iraq, Iran, Russia and Venezuela.

Pakistan, New Zealand 2nd ODI today

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SHARJAH (AFP) – Pakistan will face New Zealand in the second one day international of the five-match series in Sharjah today (Friday). Pakistan is leading the five match series 1-0 after they beat Kiwis by three wicket in first ODI in Dubai.New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said his team had the capacity to bounce back against Pakistan in the second one-day international in Sharjah on Friday.Pakistan overcame early batting jitters in the first one-day to win by three wickets in Dubai on Monday for a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.But Williamson, leading the side in the absence of regular captain Brendon McCullum who left for home to prepare for the series against Sri Lanka, hoped his team learn from mistakes made in the first game.Its important to bounce back, said Williamson on Thursday. We have done that in the past and in the Test and Twenty20 series on this tour.New Zealand staged a remarkable comeback to level the three-match Test series 1-1 after losing the first game and drawing the second and also had a come from behind parity in the two-match Twenty20 series.All-rounder Corey Anderson, who was hit by a bouncer in the first Twenty20, and opener Martin Guptill, who sustained a hamstring injury which forced him to miss the first one-dayer, will be assessed early Friday.Williamson said it would be enjoyable to bowl again after being cleared over an illegal bowling action on Tuesday.Its nice be back as a bowler, said Williamson, whose team failed to defend a 247-run target after having Pakistan reeling at 124-6.Haris Sohail (85 not out) and Shahid Afridi (61) led Pakistans recovery during their 110-run stand for the seventh wicket.Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul Haq admitted New Zealand can be dangerous.New Zealand is playing good cricket and they have improved a lot in the last two to three years and the way they have played on this tour we have to be at our best to win against them, said Misbah.Misbah hoped his pace bowlers deliver once more.Given the conditions our fast bowlers did well in the first game despite little support from the pitch and I hope they continue to bowl like that, said Misbah.Opener Mohammad Hafeez is likley to be retained for the second match before leaving for Chennai, India for remedial work on his bowling action.He was suspended from bowling after his action was deemed illegal last week.Pakistan have the option of replacing paceman Umar Gul with seamer Sohail Tanvir but Misbah is averse to change a winning combination.Teams (from):Pakistan: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Bilawal Bhatti, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Younis Khan, Zulfiqar Babar.New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Dean Brownlie, Anton Devcich, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori.Umpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG) and Ahsan Raza (PAK).Tv umpire: Joel Wilson (WIS).Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI).

Talks will be held, but people's rights won't be sold: Shah Mehmood

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LAHORE: (Dunya News) – Vice Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that the PTI has accepted government’s offer for talks with an open heart but will never budge on people’s rights, Dunya News reported.Appealing trade unions for cooperation in strike call on Thursday, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that 15 sittings have so far been held with the government for talks. He asked the traders to pay attention to Chairman PTI Imran Khan’s call for strike on 15thof December. He said that if the traders stood with Imran Khan in Lahore on 15thDecember, the government will have to budge.

Talks will be held, but people's rights won't be sold: Shah Mehmood

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LAHORE: (Dunya News) – Vice Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that the PTI has accepted government’s offer for talks with an open heart but will never budge on people’s rights, Dunya News reported.Appealing trade unions for cooperation in strike call on Thursday, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that 15 sittings have so far been held with the government for talks. He asked the traders to pay attention to Chairman PTI Imran Khan’s call for strike on 15th of December. He said that if the traders stood with Imran Khan in Lahore on 15th December, the government will have to budge.
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