Tuesday 10 May 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

British PM calls Nigeria, Afghanistan 'fantastically corrupt'

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LONDON (AFP) - British Prime Minister David Cameron called Nigeria and Afghanistan possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world in inadvertently public remarks Tuesday, but hailed their leaders planned attendance at an anti-corruption summit in London.He was caught on camera making the remarks to Queen Elizabeth II and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at an event at Buckingham Palace.Weve got some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries coming to Britain, Cameron said, referring to the anti-corruption summit he is hosting on Thursday.Nigeria and Afghanistan, possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world, he said.Welby, who worked as an oil executive in West Africa before joining the church and who has also undertaken conflict resolution work in Nigeria, noted that this particular president is actually not corrupt.Hes really trying, Cameron agreed, and the queen noted to Welby: He is trying, isnt he?It was not clear to whom they were referring, but Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani are both due to attend the summit.In a statement, the Buharis spokesman Garba Shehu said the comments were embarrassing.This is embarrassing to us, to say the least, given the good work that the President is doing. The eyes of the world are on what is happening here, Shehu said in remarks released on social media.The Prime Minister must be looking at an old snapshot of Nigeria. Things are changing with corruption and everything else.Buhari has embarked on a widespread anti-corruption campaign since taking office one year ago, and is due to give a speech on the issue in London on Wednesday.In Afghanistan, Ghani also made a promise to rein in runaway corruption when he was elected in 2014.Signal of changeCobus de Swardt, managing director of global advocacy group Transparency International, said: There is no doubt that historically, Nigeria and Afghanistan have had very high levels of corruption, and that continues to this day.But the leaders of those countries have sent strong signals that they want things to change, and the London Anti-Corruption Summit creates an opportunity for all the countries present to sign up to a new era.Conversations between the prime minister and the queen are normally confidential, and Cameron had to apologise after revealing the monarch purred when she was told Scotland had voted against independence in 2014.On Tuesday, a Downing Street spokeswoman said it would not comment on a private conversation, but noted that both Buhari and Ghani have acknowledged the scale of the corruption challenge they face in their countries.She revealed that in a collection of essays to be published at the summit, Ghani writes that Afghanistan is one of the most corrupt countries on Earth.Buhari, for his part, writes that corruption became a way of life under supposedly accountable democratic governments, the spokeswoman said.She concluded: Both leaders have been invited to the summit because they are driving the fight against corruption in their countries. The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with them as they do so.

PTI all set to demonstrate political muscle in Bannu today

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BANNU (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is all set to demonstrate its political muscle in Bannu today (Wednesday). Preparations for the rally have been finalised. PTI chairman Imran Khan and other senior party leaders will be addressing the public gathering.After a show of political force in Peshawar, PTI will now be heading towards Bannu. PTI workers were seen over zealously finalising the preparations, their enthusiasm at an all-time high.PTI’s senior leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi earlier addressing the Tax Bar Association stated that the Terms of References (TORs) formed by the government for the commission that will probe the Panama Leaks case are not based on facts. He added that the Panama Leaks case has cleared that Pakistan has been robbed on a big scale which needs to be investigated, so that those involved in corruption should be held accountable.Mehmood also said that PTI leaders have been labeled as terrorists by Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif which is not ethical and added that law is equal for everyone, the same law will be implemented on PM’s children as that of PTI leaders.Meanwhile Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid said that PM Nawaz will attend the National Assembly proceedings on Friday.Replying to a point of order raised by Leader of the Opposition in the House, Pervaiz Rashid said the Prime Minister will answer all questions raised by the Opposition.

Target killer Saeed Bharam admits to 50 cases of murder

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Arrested target killer and militant commander of a significant political party Saeed Bharam Tuesday, during his interrogation, admitted to 50 cases of murder. Bharam also revealed that he had also seized lands in many areas of Karachi.According to the details, Bharam, who was earlier arrested from Dubai, further revealed that he had also been meeting members of the political party in India, Malaysia and Dubai.According to Bharam, he had close relations with other militant target killers as well including Ajmal Pahari, Qazi Minhaj and Raees Mama.Investigation officials have stated that suspect Bharam has also confessed to land grabbing in Karachi and also of firing on political leader Afaq Ahmed’s car.Bharam was highly wanted in cases of bomb blasts, target killings, extortion and abduction for ransom. He was arrested Dubai after Interpol’s collaboration with law enforcement agencies.Bharam had been hiding in South Africa and Dubai during his run from the law.

Ali Haider Gilani to be brought back to Pakistan today: Sartaj Aziz

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz Tuesday stated that the kidnapped son of former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Ali Haider Gilani, who was earlier recovered from Afghanistan by US and Afghan forces during an operation, will be brought back to Pakistan today (Wednesday).Talking to Dunya News during the program “Dunya Kamran Khan Kay Sath”, Aziz stated that Ali Haider Gilani will be transferred to Pakistan’s Ambassador in Kabul today, after which he will be shifted back to the country in a special flight from Pakistan. Aziz further added that Gilani was at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan and is safe.Aziz stated that Afghan officials had contacted Pakistan at 11 am on Tuesday and informed of Gilani being recovered. Aziz added that Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif had immediately contacted Yousaf Raza Gilani afterwards and informed him of the development.The Foreign Affairs adviser further stated that the former PM’s son had been recovered from an area between Paktika and Ghazni in Afghanistan after a joint operation of US and Afghan forces.Afghan forces have as of yet not informed under which group Gilani was being kept.

Motiur Rahman's execution draws condemnation from political leaders

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Bangladesh head Motiur Rahman Nizami’s execution drew strong condemnation from political leaders of Pakistan. JI chief Siraj-ul-Haq strongly condemned the hanging saying Nizami had been executed for his love for Pakistan. Expressing his outrage over the execution, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Tallal Chaudry declared Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government as ‘murderers’.Talking to Dunya News, JI chief Siraj-ul-Haq stated that Bangladesh’s government had executed Nizami on pressure from India. Siraj stated that contact was made with Prime Minster (PM) Nawaz Sharif and other higher authorities to make an effort for his release. He stated that the Bangladeshi government committed an atrocity by hanging the 71-year old Nizami.Siraj added that the party will continue to make such sacrifices for the country and that he is disappointed over the criminal silence of the leaders. JI chief stated that Nizami was ordered to apologise over the allegations placed upon him but he denied doing so.Meanwhile PML-N leader Tallal Chaudry stated that the execution of JI leaders in Bangladesh for political reasons was inhumane.

UK police apologise for Muslim phrase in terror exercise

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LONDON, May 10, 2016 (AFP) - British police apologised on Tuesday after officers shouted the Arabic phrase Allahu akbar during a terror training exercise in a shopping centre in northern England.In video footage of the exercise broadcast on British television, a masked man dressed in black could be seen running into the complex in Manchester shouting the words before setting off a bomb and falling to the floor.On reflection, we acknowledge that it was unacceptable to use this religious phrase immediately before the mock suicide bombing, which so vocally linked this exercise with Islam, said Garry Shewan, a senior officer at Greater Manchester Police.In a statement, Shewan said the scenario had been based on a suicide attack by an extremist Daesh-style organisation -- Daesh being an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group -- but added: We recognise and apologise for the offence that this has caused.The phrase is Arabic for God is greatest.Tony Lloyd, mayor of Greater Manchester, said using the phrase was ill-judged, unnecessary and unacceptable.It didnt add anything to the event, but has the potential to undermine the great community relations we have in Greater Manchester, he said.The role play exercise on the outskirts of Manchester involved 800 people, including actors made up to resemble gunshot victims with horrific injuries.Police said there was no specific threat in Manchester and that the exercise was devised in December a month after the Paris attacks which killed 130 people and were claimed by Islamic State jihadists.Britains terror threat level remains at severe, which means the security services consider an attack to be highly likely.

Dr Asim corruption case: Witness records statement before NAB

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Dr Zia-ud-Din hospital in-charge audit department Raheel Shahnawaz recorded his statement regarding Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Dr Asim’s involvement in corruption worth Rs 462 billion, before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), reported Dunya News on Tuesday.Shahnawaz recorded the statement on the basis of Article-161 of the criminal code. The witness stated that the hospital functions on funds but it was being run upon commercial basis, further adding that no fund was utilised for the betterment of humanity. He also said that money received in the form of charity was spent upon wrong causes and that no action was taken upon the report based upon the embezzlement of millions of rupees between the period of 2010-2014.Shahnawaz will record his statement in the NAB court on May 13. Dr Asim along with six others have been convicted for being involved in corruption worth Rs 462 billion.

Police rescue migrants from icy Danish waters

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COPENHAGEN, May 10, 2016 (AFP) - Two migrants were in hospital after authorities rescued them from icy waters off Denmark as they tried to reach Sweden to ask for asylum, Danish police said on Tuesday.They were part of a group of four men who attempted to cross on Monday the strait between Denmark and Sweden, where the water is around eight degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit).There were two who were taken to hospital after the rescue operation, police spokesman Henrik Svejstrup told local Danish broadcaster TV 2 Lorry.One was put on a respirator, but we expect him to be taken out of the coma later on Tuesday, he added.Many migrants perceive Sweden as a more attractive destination than Denmark, where measures to reduce immigration have included passing a law that allows police to search asylum seekers for valuables.Before setting out, the group had been staying at an asylum centre some 25 kilometres (16 miles) northwest of Copenhagen. Police said two of the migrants were from Morocco.The four men had tried to sail to Sweden but ended up on the sparsely populated island of Saltholm, around four kilometres off the Danish coast, after their boat sank.Two of the migrants knocked on one residents door, prompting her to call police on Monday.They asked if they were in Sweden, and said that they wanted to apply for asylum, the chairman of a local group for residents and farmers, Dirch Jansen Schmidt, told AFP.She told them they were still in Denmark. She gave them two glasses of water and then they left, he added.Two of the migrants -- police did not say which ones -- then tried to swim to an artificial island that is part of the Oresund bridge that connects Denmark with Sweden.The other two were standing in the water off of Saltholms shore, Copenhagen police said in a statement.This was not an isolated case of migrants trying to reach Sweden, which registered 163,000 asylum applications last year and is known for its generous asylum policies.Danish authorities said earlier this month that between January 4 and April 13, 46 people had tried to walk through a train tunnel leading to the Oresund bridge.Sweden on January 4 began requiring rail, bus and ferry companies to verify the identities of people travelling from Denmark, significantly reducing the number of migrants who are able to enter the country to claim asylum.Since a spike in applications last year, Stockholms centre-left government has said it would introduce temporary residence permits and make it harder to obtain family reunifications.

Dhaka: JI leader Motiur Rahman hanged over charges of war crime

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DHAKA (Dunya News/AFP) - Bangladesh on Tuesday executed leader of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Motiur Rahman Nizami over war crimes charges, officials said, a move set to exacerbate tensions in the country.Motiur Rahman Nizami, leader of JI, was hanged at a prison in the capital Dhaka, just days after the nations highest court dismissed his final appeal to overturn the death sentence for atrocities committed during the countrys 1971 war.Law and Justice minister Anisul Huq told AFP the 73-year-old leader was hanged just before midnight (1800 GMT) after he refused to seek mercy from the countrys president.He was executed between 11:50 pm and 12:00 am midnight, Huq said.The execution has sparked fears it could trigger a fresh wave of violence in the country, which is reeling after a string of killings of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities.In 2013 the convictions of JI officials for war crimes triggered the countrys deadliest violence in decades. Around 500 people were killed, mainly in clashes between supporters and police while thousands were arrested.Nizami is the fifth and highest-ranked opposition leader, and the fourth from JI, to have been executed since December 2013 for war crimes despite global criticism of their trials.Weve been waiting for this day, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters, adding that people will remember this day forever.Hours before the hanging, family members of Nizami met him for the last time at the Dhaka Central Jail, as hundreds of police and elite security forces cordoned off the British colonial-era prison.Security has been stepped up in the capital and in Nizamis home district of Pabna in the countrys west, with magistrates being deployed to hand down instant prison terms to any law-breakers.If anyone tries to commit sabotage, our security forces are ready to identify them and take proper measures, Khan told reporters.Deprived of justiceJamaat called a nationwide strike for Thursday in protest against the execution, saying the charges against Nizami, a former government minister, were false and aimed at eliminating the leadership of the party.Nizami has been deprived of justice. Hes a victim of political vengeance, the partys acting leader Maqbul Ahmad said in a statement posted on Jamaats website.He was convicted in October 2014 by the International Crimes Tribunal, which was established in 2010 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas government and has sentenced more than a dozen opposition leaders for war crimes.Rights groups say the trials fell short of global standards and lack international oversight, while the government says they are needed to heal the wounds of the conflict.Amnesty International had called for an immediate halt to Nizamis execution, citing concerns over the fairness of the trials.

Obama's Hiroshima visit can advance nuclear disarmament: UN

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United States, May 10, 2016 - The United Nations hopes that US President Barack Obamas visit to Hiroshima will highlight the need to abolish nuclear weapons once and for all, a spokesman said Tuesday.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon very much welcomes Obamas decision to visit the atomic bomb-struck Japanese city on May 27, Stephane Dujarric said.For the secretary-general, one of the enduring lessons of Hiroshima is the need to abolish nuclear weapons once and for all, he added.We would hope that the visit is again a global message on the need for nuclear disarmament, which is something that the secretary-general is calling for.Obama will be the first sitting American president to visit Hiroshima, 71 years after the US dropped an atomic bomb on the city, killing around 140,000 people.The White House described the trip as an effort to highlight the US commitment to pursuing the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.At a major conference held at the United Nations last year, member states failed to agree on the next steps needed to implement a major disarmament accord, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.The United States, backed by Britain and Canada, blocked a document on the way forward over provisions that called for Israel to agree to a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East.

General Raheel meets US General Nicholson, expresses gratitude over Ali Gilani's recovery

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RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Tuesday met with Commander Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan General Nicholson. General Raheel expressed his gratitude over the recovery of Ali Haider Gilani, the abducted son of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Yousaf Raza Gilani and had discussion upon other matters as well, reported Dunya News.According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) department, the meeting took place at the General Headquarters (GHQ). Bilateral affairs between Pakistan and Afghanistan along with border management and the security situation at the Pak-Afgan border were discussed during the meeting.General Raheel was thankful to General Nicholson over the recovery of Ali Haider Gilani who was freed as a result of a joint operation by the American and Afghan armies that took place earlier in the day in the Afghan province of Ghazni. Ali Haider will return home tomorrow (May 11) after undergoing a medical examination in Afghanistan.

Demand for accountability of PM alone is unacceptable: Barrister Zafarullah

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) for Law and Justice Barrister Zafarullah stated on Tuesday that the government rejected the Terms of References (TORs) of the opposition parties, adding that the demand that accountability should be done of PM Nawaz Sharif alone is unacceptable, reported Dunya News.While having an unconventional conversation with the media, Zafarullah said that the opposition’s TORs have been rejected as they are contrary to the constitution, further adding that they are also non-negotiable. He said that the points regarding the confiscation of property and proving one’s own innocence are unconstitutional. Zafarullah said that accountability should be carried out against all as everyone should be treated equally. He further said that the government is still in contact with the opposition parties regarding the investigation of the Panama Leaks.Barrister Zafarullah stated that the process of accountability can be completed within two to three months if the TORs proposed by the government are made effective. He said that no conclusion can be drawn without the application of established principles upon testimony, further stating that institutions have with them the data related to loan waiving.He said that the introduction of a constitutional amendment regarding appeal against suo moto notice against a case is under consideration, along with a constitutional amendment to increase the duration of quota system is also being considered.

Solar kids gain worldwide fame, start walking after sunset

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The solar kids who were unable to move after sunset were brought in the limelight by Dunya News and gained international fame on Tuesday, reported Dunya News.This rare diseases gained attention of doctors from the very first day of treatment but also made its space in international news as media across the world gave enough coverage to these kids.British Newspapers The Times and Gizmodo has published a report regarding these kids, Earlier The Guardian and Daily Mail also covered the story of solar kids.

848 target killers arrested in Karachi Operation: Spokesperson Rangers

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – As per orders of Supreme Court, law enforcement agencies started targeted operation against target killers of different political, religious and banned parties on September 5 2013, reported Dunya News.According to spokesperson Rangers’, Pakistan Rangers Sindh arrested 848 target killers from different areas of the city. The target killers killed 7224 people and have been taken into custody by the police for further investigation.The spokesperson also said that Rangershave been conducting operations without any discrimination and requested the citizens to immediately report to Rangers in any case of suspicious activity by anti-peace elements.

Ashraf Magsi handed over to NAB on 4-day remand

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QUETTA (Dunya News) – Accountability court on Tuesday handed over Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) former chairman Ashraf Magsi to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on a remand of four days, reported Dunya News.After being arrested, Ashraf Magsi filed an application in the court to be granted medical facilities as he got sick; it should be kept in view that Balochistan Finance Secretary Mushtaq Raisani also got ill after he was arrested.Former Provincial Food Minister Asfandyar Kakar obtained interim bail from Balochistan High Court after his arrest warrant was issued and presented himself before the accountability court; the court suspended his arrest warrant and suspended the hearing of the case till May 12. A case regarding Kakar’s involvement in corruption worth Rs 120 million is being heard in the accountability court against Magsi.
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