Monday 18 April 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Djokovic, Williams win Laureus World Sports Awards

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BERLIN (AFP) - Tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams won the Laureus World Sports Awards at a gala in Berlin on Monday (Apr 18).The 28-year-old Serb Djokovic won sportsman of the year for the second successive year coming ahead of football’s Lionel Messi and the sprinter Usain Bolt after winning three Grand Slams in 2015 at Australia, Wimbledon and the US Open and also picking up six Masters titles.Williams won her third Laureus award for a similar feat having won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon before falling short in the semi-finals at the US Open.The American came out ahead of Ethiopian title-holder, the middle distance runner Genzebe Dibaba and skier Anna Fenninger of Austria.There was also joy for New Zealand’s Rugby Union World Cup winning side the All Blacks, who beat Australia 34-17 in the Twickenham final.

Resurgent Nadal targets Vilas record in Barcelona Open

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BARCELONA (AFP) - Fresh from claiming his first title in nearly two years at the Monte Carlo Masters, Rafael Nadal can tie Guillermo Vilas’s record of 49 clay court titles on home soil at the Barcelona Open this week.Nadal is a serial winner in the Catalan capital having won the title eight times, but has slumped to shock defeats in each of the past two years to Nicolas Almagro and Fabio Fognini.I had a tough season in the last few years, but I’ve had better preparation this year, even with a tough start to the season, said Nadal after lifting his 28th Masters title.I hope it helps my season with confidence for the next few tournaments. I’ve been able to play well for two events in a row -- Indian Wells and here -- winning against very tough opponents so that is very good for my confidence.Enigmatic Italian Fognini has been a thorn in Nadal’s side in the past two years as he has twice defeated the Spaniard on clay and came from two sets down to beat the 14-time Grand Slam champion at the US Open last September.The two could meet again in the quarter-finals as Nadal has been handed a tricky draw with compatriot David Ferrer also potentially awaiting in the semis.I’ve been given a tough route and, moreover, I am coming back from injury, said Fognini.I hope I can have a good tournament and take advantage of some players arriving a little tired after playing in the past few weeks.Nadal will start against another fellow Spaniard with the winner of Marcel Granollers and Daniel Munoz de la Navas awaiting him in round two.Japan’s Kei Nishikori has occupied Nadal’s thrown for the past two years and the world number six is seeded second on the other half of the draw.Nishikori is making his debut on clay this season having skipped Monte Carlo after reaching the final of the Miami Masters earlier this month.I am happy to be back in Barcelona, said Nishikori.I feel good and hope to win my third consecutive title here.Nishikori appears to have an easier route to the final than Nadal as he starts against either Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker or Sweden’s Eliam Ymer with the fourth top 10 player in the field Richard Gasquet potentially awaiting in the semi-finals.World number eight Ferrer starts against Santiago Giraldo or veteran Radek Stepanek, whilst Gasquet will face Malek Jaziri or Hyeon Chung in round two.

Becker hits out at Murray over doping comments

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LONDON (AFP) - Boris Becker has criticised world number two Andy Murray after the British tennis star voiced suspicions some of his opponents may have been taking performance-enhancing drugs.Murray has been vocal in condemning the use of drugs in sport and enthusiastically backed the suspension imposed on leading female player Maria Sharapova following her failed test for the banned substance meldonium at this year’s Australian Open.More controversially Murray, beaten by Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo on Saturday, has also spoken about being suspicious of opponents who he thought were not tiring as they ought to in matches.But six-times Grand Slam winner Becker, now the coach of world number one Novak Djokovic, said Murray was out of order in making his feelings known without proof.Becker, speaking at the Laureus World Sport Awards in Berlin, told Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper: We have random drug-testing and unless it’s proven, they are 100 percent innocent.So to assume something because somebody has won a Grand Slam or is fitter is totally out of order.Andy is one of the fittest players on the tour -- he often outlasts players and nobody is questioning his ethics, the German added.I believe 100 percent Andy is clean. Roger (Federer) is clean, Rafa is clean, all these guys are clean.Novak gets tested a lot. That can mean twice in a Grand Slam.Murray had told the Mail On Sunday, the Daily Mail’s sister paper: I have played against players and thought, ‘They won’t go away’ or ‘They don’t seem to be getting tired’.Have I ever been suspicious of someone? Yeah. You hear things.It’s harder to tell in our sport as people can make big improvements to a stroke or start serving better because they have made technical changes.If it’s purely physical and you’re watching someone playing six-hour matches over and over and showing no signs of being tired, you’d look at that.

Tennis: Australian Lindahl avoids jail for match-fixing

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MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian former professional tennis player Nick Lindahl has avoided a jail term after pleading guilty to match-fixing charges relating to a game in 2013.Lindahl, 27, appeared for sentencing in Sydney’s Burwood court on Monday and was fined A$1,000 ($767), a court official said.The charges related to a match Lindahl played against a junior in a low-level Futures tournament in northeastern Queensland state.Lindahl’s opponent was approached by a third party before the game but rejected the offer and reported it to a match official, the court was told earlier.It was alleged by the police prosecutor that Lindahl advised two other people that he was going to tank the match, and by providing that information, they were able to place bets, state broadcaster ABC said.A local betting agency suspended wagering on the match when it noted an unusually high number of bets.Lindahl, whose singles ranking peaked at 187 in 2010, and his opponent were interviewed by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) before the matter was referred to police.The court was told Lindahl had not received any personal benefit from the crime, ABC said.Tennis has been reeling over match-fixing allegations since media reports in January accused the TIU of failing to adequately investigate 16 players repeatedly flagged over suspicions they had thrown matches in the past decade.The TIU denied the reports but later announced an independent review panel would investigate the allegations and the effectiveness of its existing procedures.

Barcelona loss to Valencia leaves Spanish league wide open

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MADRID (AP) - The fight for the Spanish league title is tighter than ever thanks to a surprise collapse by Barcelona atop the standings.The once-unbeatable Barcelona fell to Valencia 2-1 at the Camp Nou on Sunday, losing its third straight game to allow Atletico Madrid to draw level on points with five rounds to go.Atletico erased Barcelona’s lead by beating Granada 3-0 earlier Sunday. Real Madrid is only one point behind after winning 5-1 at last-place Getafe on Saturday.Atletico was trailing by nine points three rounds ago, and Real Madrid was 12 points back four games ago.At the time, Barcelona was cruising toward a repeat of the Champions League, Spanish league and Copa del Rey treble. But Luis Enrique’s squad has won only one of its last six games, being eliminated by Atletico in the Champions League quarterfinals and seeing its league lead collapse. Its 39-game unbeaten streak ended with a home loss to Real Madrid earlier this month.We have to remain strong, Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. We need to win the last five games and I know we can do it.Atletico has three of its last five games at home, while Barcelona will play away three times. Real Madrid also is away in three of its last five matches. Barcelona remains ahead in the standings on tiebreakers.It will be hard, Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. We only have one option in our next games, which is to win, win and win.Valencia opened the scoring after Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic deflected a cross into his own net in the 26th minute. Midfielder Dani Parejo then provided a perfect pass for Santi Mina’s precise shot into the far corner in first-half injury time.Lionel Messi scored his 500th career goal in the 63rd to end a five-game scoring slump that was his worst with Barcelona in five years. He completed a cross by Jordi Alba to keep his team’s hopes alive, but it was not able to capitalize on its chances of equalizing.We created a lot of chances but we were unlucky, Luis Enrique said. We lost three points that we deserved to win. It’s part of football.Valencia had several opportunities to put the game away in counterattacks, but the best scoring chance of the match was squandered by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique in the 89th. He had only the goalkeeper to beat but missed from close range.Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves made a few great saves to help secure the win, including a spectacular one after a Rakitic shot from inside the area in the 75th.Luck was on Valencia’s side, Rakitic said. We had our chances, but the ball just didn’t go in.Barcelona had also squandered a lot of chances in the 1-0 loss at Real Sociedad in the previous round. Its last win was a 3-1 victory against Arsenal in the round of 16 of the Champions League on March 16.It was the second win in a row for Valencia after four straight losses, moving the club further away from the relegation zone. It has 40 points from 33 games and is in 12th place. It was only the team’s third game under new coach Pako Ayestaran, who replaced the fired Gary Neville.Atletico easily defeated Granada at the Vicente Calderon Stadium with goals by Jorge Koke Resurreccion in the 15th, Fernando Torres in the 59th and Angel Correa in the 83rd.The team’s seventh win in eight league games put it alongside Barcelona on 76 points.Sunday’s loss kept Granada with 30 points from 33 games, only one point clear of the relegation zone.Earlier Sunday, fifth-place Athletic Bilbao earned a 1-0 win at eighth-place Malaga to move within six points of fourth-place Villarreal, which lost 2-1 at Rayo Vallecano.Seventh-place Sevilla conceded a late equalizer in a 1-1 home draw against Deportivo La Coruna.

Lorenzo to leave Yamaha at end of season

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BARCELONA (Agencies) - Jorge Lorenzo is to leave Movistar Yamaha at the conclusion of the 2016 MotoGP campaign and make the switch to Ducati.Yamaha announced on Monday that its association with the defending world champion is to come to an end, with Ducati confirming an agreement with the Spanish rider shortly after.Lorenzo has spent his entire MotoGP career with Yamaha and has won 41 races, claimed 99 podiums and three world titles in his time with the team.But he is now set to take on a new challenge with Ducati, signing on to ride the Desmosedici GP for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. A Yamaha statement read: Yamaha is extremely grateful for Jorge’s contributions to its racing successes and looks forward to sharing more memorable moments during the remaining 15 MotoGP rounds of 2016, their ninth season together.Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. wishes Lorenzo the very best in his future racing endeavours and reconfirms the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team’s full support on his campaign to achieve his fourth MotoGP title.Having already reconfirmed Valentino Rossi for 2017-18, Yamaha will announce the future Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team riders’ line-up in due course after securing the services of the second rider.Tensions flared last season as Lorenzo and team-mate Rossi battled for the world title, which the former sealed with victory in the final race of the season in Valencia after Rossi had been pushed to the back of the grid having been deemed responsible for a collision with Marc Marquez in Sepang.Suzuki’s Maverick Vinales is the favourite to take Lorenzo’s place alongside Rossi.

PM convenes federal ministers, party leaders meeting on Wednesday

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a meeting of federal ministers and his party leaders in Islamabad on Wednesday to consult the Panama Leaks issue, Dunya News reported.Sources said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will reach Lahore from London today (Tuesday) after his medical checkup. He will leave for Islamabad on Wednesday where he will preside over the meeting.The PM will consult the federal ministers and his party leaders regarding formation of an inquiry commission on Panama Leaks. The federal minister will brief PM Nawaz on their contacts with opposition parties regarding formation of an enquiry commission to probe Panama Leaks issue. Prime Minister’s legal team will also brief him on the enquiry commission.

Karachi: Police arrest 16 suspects during search operation

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – At least 16 suspects were apprehended during search operations conducted by police in different parts of Karachi on Monday, Dunya News reported.Police launched a search operation in Darakhshan area of Defence and arrested two accused. The arrested persons were identified as Farhan and Ismail. Police sources said that arms were also recovered from them.Police also arrested an accused from Mahmoodabad area after an encounter. According to SSP South, the person is an activist of a political party. Police also recovered ammunition from his possession.Police also conducted separate search operations in Boat Basin and Shah Rasool Colony and apprehended 13 suspects.

PM Nawaz to return from London today

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LONDON (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will reach Lahore today (Tuesday) from United Kingdom after undergoing medical checkups in London. Doctors have declared his health condition satisfactory and allowed him to travel.Family sources said that PM is scheduled to leave for Pakistan from London’s Luton Airport at 9:00am UK time (1:00pm PST).Earlier talking to his brother and CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif on telephone from London the Prime Minister said that the whole nation had prayed for him for which he was thankful.PM Nawaz also held an hour long meeting with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan at the London’s Churchill Hotel on Monday and discussed important issues.

Ecuador quake toll rises to 350; rebuilding to cost billions

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The death toll rose to 350 on Monday from a devastating earthquake that hit Ecuador at the weekend, as rescuers hunted for survivors, victims clamored for aid and looting broke out in the Andean nations shattered coastal region.More than 2,000 people were injured in Saturday nights 7.8 magnitude quake, which ripped apart buildings and roads and knocked out power along the Pacific coastline.President Rafael Correa, giving the new tally of fatalities from the town of Portoviejo inside the disaster zone, told Reuters the number of dead had risen to 350 but feared that would rise further.Reconstruction will cost billions of dollars, said Correa, as survivors begged him for water, adding later on Monday the impact on economic growth could be huge.The normally upbeat socialist president looked deeply moved as he chatted with victims during a tour of the destroyed town in the South American OPEC nation, which was already suffering from the global slump in crude oil prices.One U.S. citizen is confirmed to have died in the quake, the State Department said on Monday, and Britains Guardian newspaper said Sister Clare Theresa Crockett, 33, a missionary nun from Derry in Northern Ireland, also died.It has been decades since such a strong quake struck Ecuador. In 1979, a magnitude 7.7 quake killed at least 600 people and injured 20,000, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.In other parts of Portoviejo, people stole clothes and shoes from wrecked buildings as police tried to control crowds. Armed men robbed two trucks carrying water, clothes and other basics to quake-hit beach locality Pedernales from the city of Guayaquil, authorities said, as fears of looting spread.To the north in Pedernales, survivors curled up on mattresses or plastic chairs next to flattened homes. Overnight, soldiers and police had patrolled the hot, dark streets while rescuers searched for survivors.Earlier, firefighters entered a partially destroyed house to look for three children and a man apparently trapped inside, as a crowd gathered to watch.My little cousins are inside. Before, there were noises, screams. We must find them, pleaded Isaac, 18.Tents sprang up in the intact stadium to store bodies, treat the injured, and distribute water, food and blankets. Bruised and bandaged survivors wandered around while the more seriously injured were evacuated to hospitals.

Syria talks close to collapse after opposition's pause

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Syrian peace talks came close to collapse on Monday, with the mainstream opposition announcing a pause in talks at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, although it agreed to keep its negotiating team in the city.The Western-backed opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) said in a letter to rebel fighters that government military advances meant a ceasefire was effectively over and it was calling a postponement in the talks.Rebels, who accuse the government of breaking the ceasefire to try to recapture the northern city of Aleppo, announced an offensive of their own, launching an assault against government forces in Latakia province on the Mediterranean coast.Opposition fighters made separate advances further east in Hama, while there were heavy government air strikes in Homs province to the south.Nevertheless, U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura played down the decision by the opposition delegation to stay away from his headquarters, saying his team would continue to meet the delegates elsewhere as long as they were still in town.He acknowledged that violence had become worrisome, particularly around Aleppo, and that he would call on Moscow and Washington to meet urgently to discuss it if the situation did not improve.Last month de Mistura convened the first peace talks attended by the warring parties since the conflict began five years ago. He has come further than any envoy so far in getting President Bashar al-Assads government and its opponents to negotiate, with the United States and Russia sponsoring a partial ceasefire since Feb 27 to allow the talks to take place.So far all sides have committed to some kind of political transition that would follow the war. But they still differ fundamentally on what that means, including whether it would require Assad to leave power.Assads opponents say they cannot participate in talks as long as fighting goes on. But they are also under strong pressure not to abandon altogether a peace process that has no real alternatives, at a time when Assads forces have benefited from Russias support.If they walk away, they will be held responsible and it will be difficult to return soon, a Western diplomat said.De Mistura said the opposition delegation had told him it would postpone its formal participation in negotiations at the U.N.s headquarters, known as the Palais.It is one way for them to display their displeasure and concern for what they perceive to be a substantial deterioration of the humanitarian situation and a deterioration of the security environment, particularly in Aleppo, he said.They told us however their intention to remain in Geneva, in their hotel, and possibly at my own suggestion, to pursue technical discussions with myself and my team.His team would continue to meet all sides in the Palais or anywhere else, he added, describing the format of proximity talks, in which the sides negotiate in separate rooms, as very flexible.De Mistura acknowledged both sides were not yielding a comma on their political demands, but said that was normal in a negotiation. He would take stock of progress on Friday.HALF-SOLUTIONSThe opposition considers government attempts to recapture Aleppo as a violation of the ceasefire. The government says it is trying to capture areas held by Islamist militants who are not covered by the truce.A letter signed by unspecified armed revolutionary factions expressed dissatisfaction within the opposition ranks, including towards de Mistura himself: We follow with great concern and outright rejection the moves of de Mistura, some of which show a total bias towards ... the demands of the regime and its allies.The oppositions coordinator at the Geneva talks, Riad Hijab, said it was unacceptable for talks to go on if the government and its allies pushed on with sieges and bombing civilian areas. Only three delegates met de Mistura for talks on Monday, instead of the usual 15.We asked for the postponement of talks, only a postponement until the conditions are right, Mohammad al Aboud, a member of the negotiating team, told Reuters.One senior Western diplomat said de Mistura needed to reassure the opposition by criticizing the government for violating the truce.He needs to make a public statement putting pressure on the government. It’s in his interest to keep the talks alive. He needs to say that the regime isnt listening.RELATED COVERAGE ›White House: Obama, Putin have intense talk about Syria, Ukraine ›Putin, Obama agree to continue building up coordination on Syria: KremlinNEW BATTLEThe Latakia and Hama assaults appeared to be part of a new battle announced by rebel groups early in the day, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. A Syrian military source confirmed intense fighting in the area.Today they attacked in the northern Latakia countryside in several areas, in violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement, and also in the northwestern Hama countryside, the military source said.The Observatory reported that in northern Homs province heavy government air strikes killed four people, and said the death toll was expected to rise, with more people wounded.Mohamad al-Shamsi, a doctor in the Homs area, told Reuters there had been at least 10 air raids from early morning on Rastan and nearby Deir Foul and al-Houla. Schools had been evacuated and hospitals shut.Groups including factions fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army and powerful Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham, said in their battle announcement they would respond with force against any government forces that fired on civilians.They announced the formation of a joint operations room to begin the battle ... in response to violations by the army.The Geneva talks aim to end a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the worlds worst refugee crisis, allowed for the rise of the Islamic State group and drew in regional powers. Russias intervention in the conflict swayed the war in Assads favor.(Additional reporting by Tom Perry and John Davison in BEIRUT and Tom Miles, Marina Depetris, Cecile Mantovani and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, writing by Philippa Fletcher and Peter Graff; editing by Ralph Boulton)

MQM rejects all anti-state statements

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LONDON (Dunya News) – Attending a press conference on Monday, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Rabita committee convener Nadeem Nusrat said that a conspiracy and propaganda has been plotted to misguide the public creating an anti-state image of the party. reported Dunya News.National circumstances demand that negative politics should be discarded. He also said that MQM has been accused in the past but people always elect the same party for the same reason.He said that facts should not be distorted and that MQM cannot be eliminated through propaganda. In 1990 MQM won the elections with overwhelming majority, Nadeem added.Nusrat said that he has been blamed for forming teams for 20 years and that he left MQM due to illness and unstable health in 2000. He said that he suffered immense illness for 4-5 years and those who were active members of the party in 2000 have started blaming the same party today.Nadeem Nusrat also said that everybody knows who is involved in china cutting. Mentioning Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Founder Mustafa Kamal he said that those who were awarded with mayor ship are questioning MQM chief.Those who were nothing are billionaires today.Those who were favoured in the past should keep themselves quiet. They are putting the same several years old allegations. Today Ashfaq Mangi has spoke to a press conference, the same Ashfaq Mangi who was being blamed as terrorist and extortionist few days ago. Despite ending the sense of frustration MQM is always blamed, said Nadeem Nusrat.Nadeem said that 6000 party members have been arrested from 2013 till now. Thousands of homes have been raided. No police encounter has been reported during raids then how come can anyone blame of MQM’s links with RAW? Nusrat questioned.Loyalties are being changed by force and we have proofs of those who are making this happen. Despite all the provocations we are doing politics with patience. Nadeem said that he rejects all the accusations that MQM is blamed of. People should not be forced to change their loyalties.He demanded to lift ban from MQM chief’s speeches. He said that MQM chief would have appointed his brother as mayor and brother-in-law as governor but he never did so.Mustafa would not have been appointed as mayor without the sacrifices made by the martyrs. MQM chief has been backstabbed despite being thankful to him.Nadeem said that workers participating in cleanliness campaign in Karachi have also been arrested. MQM should be given a chance to play its political role and raided should also be stopped, Nadeed ended.

Commission on Panama Leaks should be led by representative from opposition: Khurshid

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LAHORE (Dunya News, Web Desk) – Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Syed Khurshid Shah stated on Monday that the parliamentary commission to probe into the Panama Leaks should be led by a representative from an opposition party, reported Dunya News.Shah said that Justice retd. Jalal Osmany is quite a wonderful judge however based on his political affiliations with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), a commission led by him is not acceptable.He further added that he suggested the name of Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani to lead the commission based on his uncontroversial personality.

Won't step back in regards to Panama Leaks issue: Imran Khan

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan stated on Monday that the Panama Leaks issue shall be raised on every forum and that the party’s stance in regards to it will not shift, reported Dunya News.While addressing the meeting of PTI’s organising committee, Khan stated that the morale of the people went down after the sit-in however it has risen ever since the Panama Leaks issue surfaced. He added that he contacted forensic experts while he was in London and also stated that more revelations regarding corruption done by the rulers will be brought to light soon.Earlier, while speaking to the media, Khan said that the government’s commission is being formed on the basis of collusion. He stated that the party will continue its struggle until a commission led by the Chief Justice is not formed. Khan said that they will not step back from the investigation of the Panama Leaks whether anyone supports them or not.At the end of the meeting of the organising committee, PTI leader Naeemul Haque stated that the strategy to be adopted in the future will be made after consultation with other political parties.

Kasur video scandal: Culprits sentenced life imprisonment

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Special anti-terror court on Monday announced its verdict in regards to the Kasur video scandal case and declared that the culprits serve their entire life behind the bars, reported Dunya News.Kasur police presented charge sheets against the two perpetrators namely Haseem Amir and Faizan Majeed apprehended in regards to the case. The court made its verdict against case-256, announcing that the perpetrators be subjected to life imprisonment.A total of 17 First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed about the case however five of these FIRs were discarded on the bases of lack of evidence whereas decision is yet to be made regarding 10 of these FIRs.
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