Wednesday 24 June 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

S. Korea reports two more MERS deaths

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SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea on Thursday reported two more deaths from its MERS outbreak and one more new case, bringing the total fatalities from the deadly virus to 29.The two fatalities from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) included a 65-year-old man who contracted the virus at a hospital at the central city of Daejon. He was diagnosed on June 6, the health ministry said.The other was a 70-year-old woman who was a relative of another infected patient. She was diagnosed on June 22.Since the first patient was diagnosed on May 20, a total of 180 cases have been confirmed in the outbreak, the largest outside Saudi Arabia.Of them, 29 have died, 74 have recovered and 77 are still being treated, including 15 who are in critical condition.The number of people in quarantine meanwhile fell by more than a sixth from the previous day to 2,642.

Obama urges China to 'cool' cyber, maritime tensions

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama urged Beijing to take concrete steps to ease tensions over cyber intrusions and maritime claims, as America and China wrapped up three days of candid talks.American officials have voiced deep concerns about both issues at the annual strategic and economic dialogue due to set guidelines for steering future ties.During talks with officials including Vice Premier Liu Yandong and Vice Premier Wang Yang, Obama raised ongoing US concerns about Chinas cyber and maritime behavior, and he urged China to take concrete steps to lower tensions, the White House said in statement.Ties have strained over US accusations of cyber espionage and this weeks talks come after revelations of huge breaches of US government computer networks at the Office of Personnel Management.US Secretary of State John Kerry, who hosted the talks along with Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, said cyber hacking raised questions about security and frankly harmed American businesses.But even though both sides have stressed they continue to have differences over various issues, they have also been at pains to emphasize that they can cooperate.Kerry said this, the third round of talks which he has hosted, had been one of the most constructive and productive.The United States welcomes the emergency of a stable, peaceful and prosperous China that can take a leading role in global affairs, he said.Areas where Beijing and Washington can collaborate include on nuclear non-proliferation efforts with Iran and North Korea, as well as in Afghanistan.Earlier, the two countries also launched a joint initiative to protect the oceans, and vowed to step up efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.China and the United States are two of the top fishing nations in the world, Kerry said, and also leaders in ocean science.We have a real opportunity here to be able to come together... to deal with conserving and protecting the oceans, he said, adding it could be a centerpiece in the newly defining relationship with China.Chinas State Councilor Yang Jiechi agreed, saying the oceans were a shared homeland of mankind, vital for our survival and development.Beijing and Washington are working together to try to create a marine protected area in Antarctica in the Ross Sea, Kerry said, referencing one of the worlds last true wildernesses.The United States has long sought to create a marine reservation in the Ross Sea stretching across 1.34 million square kilometers (517,400 square miles) in an area often referred to as the Last Ocean due to its pristine condition.Environmentalists say the Southern Ocean is home to more than 10,000 unique species, including penguins, whales and colossal squid.But to the dismay of conservationists, China blocked the move at a meeting in Australia last year.A new poll released this week by the Pew Research Center shows that the US bid to pivot more towards Asia has won general support on both sides of the Pacific.The US is also still seen as the worlds top economic power, even more so than last year. But 48 percent of 45,435 people surveyed across 40 nations believe that China will eventually replace America as the worlds leading super power.On their burgeoning economic ties, the US side stressed the need for transparency and proper regulation for businesses.China is the fastest-growing source of foreign direct investment in the United States, and in 2014 US exports to China reached $124 billion, making it Americas third-largest export market. A key ingredient is regulatory rule making that is transparent, predictable, and open to stakeholder input, said Lew at a roundtable with top chief executives from Chinese and American companies.It is also of vital importance that there are non-discriminatory technology policies and open trade in information and communications technology goods.

Kerry heading to Vienna for final push in Iran nuclear talks

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Vienna on Friday for what is set to be a final push to seal historic, marathon talks to thwart Irans nuclear ambitions.The announcement fires the starting gun on what is meant to be the last phase of a gruelling diplomatic mission which has seen Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif criss-cross the world to negotiate a ground-breaking deal.Kerry, who is still walking on crutches after breaking his leg late last month, will travel to Vienna, Austria, on June 26 to participate in the ongoing EU-coordinated P51 nuclear negotiations with Iran, his spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.Iran and the six world powers negotiating the deal known as the P51 -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - have set themselves a June 30 deadline to nail down one of the most complicated nuclear non-proliferation treaties ever achieved.It will end a 12-year standoff between the Islamic republic and the West, which has long accused Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear bomb.Tehran has denied the charge, insisting its atomic program is for civilian energy purposes only.There is the possibility that we can finish this by the deadline or a few days after the deadline, Zarif said earlier this week as he met his British, French and German counterparts in Luxembourg.In April, Iran and the P51 agreed the main outlines of the deal after a bruising rollercoaster round of talks in Lausanne, Switzerland.After two missed deadlines in July and then November last year, this built on an interim deal struck in Geneva in November 2013 after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was elected.According to the Lausanne framework, Iran will downsize its nuclear activities, slashing the number of centrifuges enriching uranium, which can be used in nuclear power but also when highly purified for a bomb.It return Iran wants the lifting of a crippling network of US, EU and UN sanctions which have damaged its economy and barred it from world oil markets.The powers hope the deal will ensure Iran would need at least a year -- compared with a few months in 2013 -- to produce a bombs worth of enriched uranium material. Tight UN inspections would give ample notice of any such breakout.But Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday restated his red lines for a deal including the immediate lifting of US and UN sanctions on banking and the economy.And he refused a key international demand that UN inspectors be given access to military sites to check whether they had been used for the possible development of a nuclear military program.State Department spokesman Kirby has insisted several times this week that the IAEA will and must have the access it needs to verify the totality of Irans nuclear program, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

14 killed in Iraq suicide bombing claimed by IS

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BAQUBA (AFP) - A suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at a gathering of Iraqi Sunni tribal leaders, killing 14 people in an attack claimed Wednesday by the Islamic State group, police said.Fourteen people were killed and at least 24 wounded, a police captain said of the Tuesday night bombing in the Baladruz area of Diyala province, north of Baghdad.A medical source at the Baladruz hospital confirmed the toll.The bomber struck a gathering of notables and figures, most of them from the Al-Nida tribe, the officer said.An army colonel said that the Al-Nida -- a major Sunni tribe in Diyala province -- had supported the government against Islamic State (IS) group jihadists.IS claimed the suicide bombing in an online statement Wednesday, saying a Tajik man carried out the attack.The jihadist group is made up of Sunni Muslims, but does not hesitate to attack Sunnis who oppose it.Iraq announced in January that Iraqi forces had liberated Diyala, significant parts of which had been overrun by IS after the jihadists launched a brutally effective offensive last June.But even if IS no longer fully controls towns in Diyala, jihadists can still carry out deadly bombings in the province, as they have for years.

UN appeals for Yemen ceasefire as famine looms

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN envoy for Yemen on Wednesday urged warring sides to agree to a ceasefire as fighting pushed the poor Arab country closer to famine and deeper into humanitarian crisis.Mauritanian diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said a ceasefire was a priority after reporting to the Security Council on his failed peace talks in Geneva last week.It is imperative for all the parties -- and for me everybody is responsible -- to find a truce, the envoy told reporters.He called for the ceasefire to take hold before the end of Ramadan on July 17.We are one step away from famine, said Ould Cheik Ahmed. We want to really find a way to lessen the suffering of the population.Some 80 percent of Yemens population -- 21 million people -- are in need of humanitarian aid and one million people have been displaced in the fighting, the envoy said.A recent outbreak of dengue fever and fears that polio will return to the country are compounding concerns about the humanitarian emergency in Yemen.Yemen slid deeper into turmoil when a Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes in late March to stop an advance by Shiite Huthi rebels who drove the president into exile.Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies are demanding that the Huthis pull back from territory seized in their offensive and that President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi be restored to power.The UN envoy said a ceasefire would provide for the withdrawal of militias from the cities and set up a monitoring mechanism to report on possible violations.Ould Cheikh Ahmed stressed there was no military solution to the conflict and said he would press on with his efforts to achieve a ceasefire and a return to political talks.No date was announced for a new round of talks, but the envoy is continuing consultations with all sides.A Security Council diplomat separately said it was essential that Saudi Arabia lift its maritime blockade to allow life-saving supplies to reach Yemen.Yemen is so dependent on imports for food, heatth services, fuel, said the diplomat, who asked not to be named. There must be some lifting of this blockade so that ships can get through.The diplomat also described prospects for a new round of political talks as bleak.

UN urges Israel to ease travel for Palestinians

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged Israel on Wednesday to ease restrictions on travel for Palestinians between the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank for Ramadan prayers.Israel has eased restrictions on Palestinians seeking to enter Jerusalem for Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa mosque, Islams third-holiest site, for Ramadan.But the Jewish state announced earlier Wednesday that it was revoking permits for 500 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to enter Jerusalem for prayers during the holy Muslim month because of rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave.Ban welcomes Israels measures to ease some restrictions on Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman told the Security Council.He encourages Israel to sustain and expand these confidence-building measures which enable the legitimate movement of people and goods in and between Gaza and the West Bank including East-Jerusalem, and improve the quality of life of Palestinians.Gaza, ruled by the Islamist movement Hamas and ravaged by three wars in the past six years, is under a blockade, with Israel maintaining strict control over the entry and exit of goods and people.The latest cancellations of travel permits only applied to this week, Israel said, meaning it should resume next week allowing up to 800 Gazans to travel for Friday prayers to Al-Aqsa, the third holiest site in Islam.Pro-Palestinian activists aboard a flotilla of boats plan to reach the shores of the Gaza Strip by the end of the month, in their latest bid to break Israels blockade of the tiny coastal enclave.But Feltman said the UN secretary-general continues to believe that a flotilla will not help to address the dire situation in Gaza.A similar attempt five years ago ended in bloodshed, after Israeli commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on a flotilla, killing 10 Turkish activists and triggering a diplomatic crisis with Ankara.

Boston bomber apologizes, sentenced to death

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BOSTON (AFP) - Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Wednesday apologized in court for the first time to his victims for the suffering he caused, moments before being formally sentenced to death by a federal judge.The US citizen of Chechen descent was sentenced to death on six counts over the 2013 bombings, one of the worst assaults on US soil since the September 11, 2001 attacks.I would like to now apologize to the victims and to the survivors, said the 21-year-old former university student in his first public remarks since the April 15, 2013 bombings that killed three people.I am guilty, he said, standing pale and thin in a dark blazer. Let there be no doubt about that.The former pot-smoker said he listened throughout the 12-week trial as he learnt about the victims from often harrowing testimony.I am sorry for the lives I have taken, for the suffering, the damage that I have done, he said, beginning his remarks in the name of Allah and asking for Gods forgiveness.I pray to Allah to bestow his mercy upon the deceased, he said. I ask Allah to have mercy upon me, upon my brother, upon my family.Judge George OToole officially imposed the death sentence, which had been reached unanimously by the 12-person jury on May 15.I sentence you to the penalty of death by execution, OToole told Tsarnaev, before he was led away by US Marshals.Throughout the trial the man who came to the United States as a child and took citizenship in 2012, sat in silence, at times fidgeting but expressing little emotion.On Wednesday, more than 20 victims and their relatives addressed the court, making harrowing impact statements summing up their grief, pain, anger and at times forgiveness. The first to speak was the mother of Krystle Campbell, a young woman killed in the April 15, 2013 bombings.The choices you made were despicable, said Patricia Campbell, addressing Tsarnaev directly as he bowed his head.What you did to my daughter was disgusting. The jury did the right thing.Bill Richard, the father of the youngest victim, eight-year-old Martin, said he would have preferred Tsarnaev receive a life sentence but said the attacks were all on him.Tsarnaev, Richard said, could have stopped his brother, changed his mind and walked away with a minimal sense of humanity.He chose hate. He chose destruction. He chose death, Richard said.We choose love. We choose kindness. We choose peace. That is what makes us different.Defense lawyer Judy Clarke told the court that Tsarnaev had offered to plead guilty last year, but Wednesdays remarks were the first time that her client had expressed any public remorse.At the penalty phase of the trial, a prominent Catholic nun, Sister Helen Prejean, who visited him in jail said that he did to her.No one deserves to suffer like they did, she quoted him as saying.The bombings wounded 264 people, including 17 who lost limbs, near the finish line at the northeastern citys popular marathon.It took the jury more than 14 hours to choose death rather than life imprisonment for Tsarnaev on six counts.It was a stinging defeat for the defense, who argued that Tsarnaev was a lost kid who would never have committed such horrors without being manipulated by his older brother.The brothers went on the run and killed a police officer, before Tamerlan was shot dead and Tsarnaev arrested, four days later.He was found, injured, in a grounded boat on which he had scrawled a bloody message defending the attacks as a means to avenge US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.The death sentence is possible only under federal law. The state of Massachusetts outlawed capital punishment in 1947 and opinion polls had suggested residents favored a life sentence for Tsarnaev.During the trial, government prosecutors argued Tsarnaev was a remorseless terrorist who deserved to die and declared that life imprisonment would be the minimum punishment.

Dollar slips as Greek talks fray

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar edged lower versus the euro Wednesday as new divisions between Greece and its official creditors raised the risk quotient in the market.Late-night talks in Brussels between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and EU President Jean-Claude Juncker aimed to resolve the differences holding up the release of 7.2 billion euros in new funds to help the country avert a disastrous default at the end of the month.The dollar, which had powered up 1.5 percent on the euro Tuesday as a deal seemed close, gave up 0.3 percent to $1.1208 per euro as caution filled the markets.With other risks around, the market did not reward the dollar when the third official estimate of first-quarter US growth showed a smaller contraction than earlier believed, 0.2 percent rather than 0.5 percent.Boris Schlossberg of BK Asset Management said a final deal would not necessarily help the euro.Any relief rally may be short-lived however, as markets could focus on the possible further liquidity expansion by the ECB in the wake of any formal agreement, he noted.

Oil prices fall as US ouput remains at record highs

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices fell Wednesday as the weekly US industry report showed domestic output still high and commercial fuel inventories generous.In New York US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for August delivery lost 74 cents at $60.27 a barrel in NYMEX trade.In London Brent crude for August dropped 96 cents to $63.49 a barrel.The weekly official US oil report showed domestic crude output edged up to a record 9.6 million barrels a day in the week to June 19, and that crude stockpiles, though down 4.9 million barrels in the week, were still at a near-record 463 million barrels.Nothing in the data suggested that the US oil industry, as the country enters the summer holiday driving season, was cutting back in the face of low prices.While the draw in crude was sizable, the build in gasoline inventories has more than offset it, noted analyst John Kilduff of Again Capital.Gasoline is the focus at this time of year, and those supplies are plentiful. Refineries are obviously cranking out high volumes of gasoline... in the face of already strong demand.Oil prices nevertheless remained in the same range of the past two months or more, on hold for signs of a demand pickup or cutbacks by major producers, neither of which has happened.Traders also have their attention focused on the Iran nuclear talks, with six days to go for the country and major powers to reach a deal on reining in the countrys nuclear program that would allow the lifting of controls on its oil exports.

Pakistan eager to mark Younis Khan's 100th Test with victory

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COLOMBO (AFP) - Pakistan are eager to celebrate senior batsman Younis Khans 100th Test appearance with a series-clinching victory against Sri Lanka in the match starting Thursday in Colombo.Misbah-ul Haqs tourists are riding high after a 10-wicket triumph in the opening Test in Galle even though the first four sessions of the match were washed out.Misbah wants his team to perform equally well in the 37-year-old Khans landmark Test at the P. Sara Oval and take an unbeatable lead in the three-match series -- a feat which has eluded them on Sri Lankan soil since 2006.Younis is the backbone and a very special member of the Pakistan team, Misbah told reporters on Wednesday. Playing 100 Tests is a huge achievement for any cricketer.He brings a lot of value to the team and brings a lot of good, positive energy. We all wish he can make his 100th Test memorable with a lot of runs. And we want to honour him by winning the match.Khan will become only the fifth Pakistani to play 100 or more Tests after Javed Miandad (124), Inzamam-ul Haq (119), Wasim Akram (104) and Salim Malik (103).Khans 8,594 runs put him in third place among Pakistans leading run-getters in Tests behind Miandad, who scored 8,832 runs, and Inzamam, who had 8,829.Khans 29 Test centuries, the same as Australian legend Donald Bradman, are the most by any Pakistan batsman. Inzamam is in second place with 25.Khan said it was a dream come true to be playing his 100th Test, but he still has goals to fulfil before hanging up his boots.Its like a dream come true because I wished for it, he told the Cricinfo website. When I played my first Test, I got a taste of this format and started developing a desire to play 100-plus Test matches.I will call off my career with grace, but I still have some goals in my mind and I am close to achieving those goals as well. I cant share that goal at this point, but you will know very soon.Misbah said the tourists were hungry for further success after they fought back from 96-5 in their first innings to record an emphatic win in Galle.Leg-spinner Yasir Shah ripped through Sri Lankas second innings with figures of seven for 76, leaving Pakistan a modest victory target of 90 runs.We gained a lot of confidence from the first Test and just want to carry that momentum in the remaining games, the 41-year-old Misbah said.Everyone is focused on tomorrows Test. We cant afford to live in the past. Every new match is a fresh start.Misbah hinted that all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez was likely to bowl in the match even though umpires reported his action after the Galle Test for a second time in seven months.Hafeez, who was cleared to bowl in April after being reported for the first time last November, is expected to undergo mandatory testing next week. But regulations allow him to bowl till the test results are declared.If his action is found to be illegal after testing, Hafeez will not be allowed to bowl for a year.Its very disappointing that he is under the radar again, said Misbah. It can be so frustrating for the bowler to be reported a second time.But the good thing is that he can still bowl in this match and thats a plus point for us. He has an important role to play.

Anderson wants end to Ashes 'sledging'

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LONDON (AFP) - James Anderson has called on both sides to ditch the verbals and cut out sledging during the upcoming Ashes series between England and Australia.New Zealand have just completed a tour of England which, although it ended in a 56-run Twenty20 defeat at Old Trafford on Tuesday, the Black Caps won praise both for the quality of their cricket and the way in which they conducted themselves on the field.Significantly, they showed it was possible to play aggressive cricket without resorting to sledging -- verbal abuse of opposition players -- and their approach had the knock-on effect of improving Englands behaviour as well.But doubts remain about whether the Ashes can be played in the same spirit, particularly if England feel obliged to match an Australia side who are never shy of a few words to their opponents.I hope its played in the same nature as the New Zealand series, that was a really positive series and the nature of both sides cricket was helped by the spirit the game was played in, England paceman Anderson told Sky Sports News on Wednesday.(But) theres a different relationship between the two teams, the Ashes is a huge series for both sets of players.If there is needle, its something I thought I thrived on or needed in the past but having played in the last few months, I think its important we get the balance right of playing in the right spirit, but also having that competitive edge to win a game of cricket for your country.But, in a sign of how tricky it is to agree on what is or isnt acceptable, Australias Shaun Marsh, speaking ahead of the first Ashes Test against England in Cardiff on July 8, said Monday: It is an Ashes series and I am sure there will be sledging from both teams, but I am also sure it will be in the spirit of the game.Things were widely deemed to have got out of hand between the two teams during the last Ashes campaign, which saw Australia whitewash England 5-0 on home soil in 2013/14.The first Test in Brisbane saw Australia captain Michael Clarke tell England tailender Anderson to get ready for a broken fucking arm.Clarke later apologised for the tone of his comments and on Sunday promised the upcoming Ashes would be played in the right spirit.Anderson himself has been known to exchange words with opposition batsmen and last years Trent Bridge Test saw him charged for his part in an alleged altercation with Indias Ravindra Jadeja, although the case was later thrown out.Someone else who could be on the receiving end of a few taunts is in-form England batsman Joe Root.The 24-year-old Yorkshireman, now a mainstay of the England side in all three formats, is desperate to atone for the disappointment of a lacklustre 2013/14 Ashes tour which saw him dropped foe the first time in his Test career.However, since his recall during the last English season, Root has scored 1,318 Test runs at 83.27, while his match-winning 78 in Tuesdays Twenty20 was his latest impressive effort in white-ball cricket. I feel quite confident at the crease at the minute, he said. Id like to be a bit more consistent -- Im either getting a big score or nothing at the minute.Obviously I want to get big scores all the time, Im greedy, but thats the nature of being a batter.Its really exciting that the Ashes is not far away now and we can get out there and hopefully put on a show again.Its obviously going to be massive for everyone involved. Its a very exciting time for English cricket and Im sure everyone has seen the way weve played over this summer in all three formats will be excited.

BBC report enough to open eyes of govt: Siraj ul Haq

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LOWER DIR (Dunya News) – Chief of Jamat-e-Islami Senator Siraj ul Haq said on Wednesday that BBC’s recent report is an eye-opener for the rulers, reported Dunya News.Addressing a public rally at Summer Bagh, Siraj ul Haq said that the rulers had closed their eyes shut to what was happening in Karachi for the last 30 years to keep their interests secured.Referring to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Siraj ul Haq said rulers’ silence and blind eye in the metropolitan city has allowed ‘enemies’ to settle down in the very nerves of city.

Kamran Khan on-air after a year, welcomed by tweeps

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LAHORE (Web Desk) – Senior journalist Kamran Khan came on-air for the first time on Dunya News after a year on Wednesday at 9pm. Kamran Khan hosted the special transmission on the issue of BBC report which accused MQM of getting financial aid and training from Indian intelligence agency RAW.Kamran Khan also discussed Karachi’s situation after the killer heat-wave. Kamran Khan talked to a panel of senior journalists and analysts including Iftikhar Ahmed, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami and Salman Ghani on the issue. Kamran Khan’s appearing on tv after such a long period of time made it a special event for the viewers.People welcomed Kamran Khan by showing positive reaction on social media website Twitter on his show: .to day we are very glad to see Kamran khan on dunyan news— Ghulam Ullah Bhutto (@gbhutto825) June 24, 2015 Dunya News Kamran Khan back on TV screen with Dunya Special http://t.co/FY7dbmxbkc— Latest News (@watchpkonline) June 24, 2015 After long time watching kamran khan talk show— ImPasarlay (@SajadAliMohmand) June 24, 2015 Coming up: @faisalsubzwari & Rao Anwar will be live on @DunyaNews with Kamran Khan.— Asmat Mallick (@AsmatMallick) June 24, 2015 @DunyaNews @AajKamranKhan well come to dunyanewz kamran ap ko bahot miss karta tha thanks dunya TV ap kamran khan ko le aae— Asghar Leghari (@asgharbughlani1) June 24, 2015 Kamran khan is a very good patriot journalist— Hamza rehman (@hamzarehman69) June 24, 2015 The wait is over; @AajKamranKhan is onair again @DunyaNews. pic.twitter.com/xgMNubDq5c— Sheraz Khan Rajput (@trulysheraz) June 24, 2015 Nice to see Kamran Khan back on DuniaNews— Muhammad Ahsan (@mecooolasever) June 24, 2015 @AajKamranKhan GOOD LUCK. WELCOME BACK— Shakeel Ahmed Baig (@s_a_baig) June 24, 2015 @AajKamranKhan welcom— Arshad Rana (@cityswl) June 24, 2015 @DunyaNews @AajKamranKhan. What an analysis after so long— Tariq Mushtaq Ahmad (@tariqmushtaqkh) June 24, 2015 @AajKamranKhan welcome back sir,, u r the genuine journalist and me and my whole family were waiting for you.— bilal (@kamranashiq) June 24, 2015 Very good special transmission about BBCprovesMQMisRAW @jawabdeyh @AajKamranKhan Mujeeb ur Rehman shami @DunyaNews— Atiq ch (@Atiqch1) June 24, 2015 @AajKamranKhan welcome back— SHAHID KHAN (@KHAN_GS) June 24, 2015 kamrankhan good to see you on screen after long break.— Syed Fawad Hacen (@fawadiii) June 24, 2015

Everything is blamed on MQM, will never bow down: Altaf Hussain

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Wednesday responded to the allegations leveled by BBC by saying everything is blamed on MQM, adding that he will never bow down.In his telephonic address to Raabta Committee members and officials of various departments, Altaf Hussain said he has never and will never bow down, adding that if someone wants to quit they can.He said they are going through a crucial situation and that their workers’ safety is something he cares about the most.MQM workers and officials renewed their allegiance to Altaf Hussain. The Raabta Committee said that MQM is a patriotic Pakistani party and believes in Pakistan’s unity and stability.MQM rejects allegations, terms BBC’s report continuation of ‘media trial’MQM earlier rejected BBC’s report alleging it of receiving Indian funding. MQM said it is a patriotic Pakistani party and that they fully believe in unity and stability of Pakistan.According to details, The Raabta Committee said that the allegations leveled against MQM are not new, adding that efforts to ‘malign’ MQM were done in the past as well but were proved wrong.MQM said it was accused of conspiring to create ‘Jinnah Pur’ in the past but the allegation was not proved.They said that it was accused of hoarding NATO’s lost weapons a while back, adding that the US State Department had itself rejected the assertion.It says that anti-MQM elements are repeating the allegations over and over again in order to subject MQM to ‘media trial’.MQM said that BBC’s reporter Owen Bennett-Jones has published anti-MQM reports in the past as well which, it said, were used by opponents for political gimmicks and MQM’s media trial.It said BBC’s report is a continuation of ‘media trial’ against MQM, adding that it rejects all allegations.

Kamran Khan returns on TV, leads Dunya News' special transmission

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(Web Desk) – Renowned investigative journalist Kamran Khan conducted a special show, his first after one year and discussed latest round of accusations hurled over at Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) by BBC.Quoting BBC’s recent report over revelations that one of the leading political party in Pakistan, Muttahida Qaumi Movement has been taking money from Indian intelligence agency RAW, Kamran Khan said that such claims are unique as no political party has ever been quoted to have obtained financial assistance from RAW by a foreign news agency.Citing MQM as the fourth largest political party in terms of seats in National Assembly, Kamran Khan said that report by BBC’s Owen Bennet-Jones is not the first one by the renowned investigative journalist on the party as he has made claims in the past that MQM’s leadership in London is under investigation for ‘grave’ accusations including money laundering, Dr Imran Farooq murder case among others.Talking to MQM leader Faisal Sabzwari via satellite link, Kamran Khan asked probing questions regarding MQM’s alleged involvement in acts of terrorism on Pakistani soil.Defending his party’s stance, Faisal Sabzwari said that his party and its leadership has zero tolerance for individuals involved in illegal activities.Declaring the latest rounds of accusations as a repetition of history, Faisal Sabzwari said that such allegations had been hurled against MQM in 1992 as well yet the party emerged victorious as it was innocent.Faisal Sabzwari said that he could quote a number of allegations against other political parties which have had baseless accusations against them yet no action had been taken against them.The panel of experts present at the show included Iftikhar Ahmed, Mujibur Rehman Shami, Salman Ghani, Zahid Hussain which posed a number of questions as to how the latest situation should be dealth with.Mujibur Rehman Shami said that MQM should stop comparing the latest series of accusations with the ones leveled in 1992 as the political landscape had altered drastically.He said that MQM’s leadership wasn’t present in London in 1992 nor had a murder taken place in London (referring to Imran Farooq murder case).He said that the ball is now in United Kingdom’s ‘courts’.He also took SSP Rao Anwar on board. SSP Anwar said that his earlier claims of MQM being involved in dubious activities had been reconfirmed as even BBC had reported that MQM was taking funding and military training from Indian intelligence agency RAW.SSP Rao Anwar claimed that Javed Langra is residing in India and has obtained nationality as well.Senior journalist and analyst Zahid Hussain said that if the authoritative source quoted by MQM knew the partys connection with India then they shouldve turned to law instead of media trial.Citing his own experience, Zahid Hussain said that a story like this cannot go on without credible source.Senior journalist Salman Ghani said that MQM was treated with pragmatism in the past since the political forces had their own interests.He said that intelligence agencies must come forward with the evidence they have on MQM so that the matter can move forward with haste.Kamran Khan also took Sheikh Rasheed on board for the show where the leader of Awami Muslim League said that eradicating MQM from thepolitical landscape is not possible and the only way to solve the issue is to pursue it legally.
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