Salem murder shza d: Mike Mullen's statement is highly irresponsible, Pakistan

Islamabad. . . . ... . Pakistani army chiefspokesman nyamryky the statement attributed toMr. Shahzad prrdaml Admiral Mike Mullen said ina statement it has a very irresponsible way, whichhelped get to the bottom of this issue can.government spokesman said Pakistan is to investigate the murder of journalist SaleemShahzad already an impartial, free andindependent Commission which was created toappeal to the people that have any connection withthis case If any evidence brought before the Commission. alaqumy a kumlky or internationallevel and have something to say before theCommission. in addition, any statements thatwould be tantamount to trying to influence theCommission's action be considered.spokesperson said it appears the issue is that some powers want to use against Pakistan anddemocracy. the Government can express thesorrow.

Non-discrimination action against the miscreants, Malik

Karachi. . . . . . . Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Interior RehmanMalik, law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order in Karachi and directed to act tough andlook the same bullet fired krnyualun be killed. Hethe order of the Chief Minister House Karachi'shigh security level during the session. the IG Sindh,Wajid Durrani, acting DG Rangers Sindh dygraalyofficials including Brig Zafar Iqbal. the InteriorMinister Karachi in the violent incidents in the lastthree days bryfnng about the arrests made ​​so farand been informed. the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah and federal Minister directed thepolitical uabstgun ozhar the ultraviolet dauٴnkrsrpsndun be put aside against the crack ofaurauam to ensure the safety of life and propertyand not leave any stone unturned. the Rangers inthe affected areas and deployed additional policeto the director.

Karachi: Municipality Town rocket fire, grenade attack

Karachi. . . . . . . Karachi Town Municipality in the field of rocket attacks at night by miscreants and Awan were bomb attacks in residential communities, residents in the area there is extreme fear uhras. Baldia Town neighborhood number 3 in the Gujarat, Turkish neighborhood, KS Mujahid Road at night by unidentified miscreants grenade, bomb and rocket attacks were Awan. miscreants were firing rockets from residential communities in the 4 fell over, causing damage to houses 4 people including children and women and one injured. uhras spread the field and in the extreme horror and protest demonstration outside their houses. nafzkrny area residents say the police and law at the Institute of Peace have failed to improve the situation. The area of ​​Town Municipality on police raided suspected houses and arrested 5 suspects, including ammunition and explosives were also recovered motorcycle

I didn`t ask Zardari to remove Qureshi: Fahim

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim has denied that he had spoken to President Asif Ali Zardari to express his annoyance over the reinstatement of FIA`s additional director general, Zafar Qureshi, or had asked for his removal.
Mr Qureshi, who was earlier tasked to investigate the NICL scam, was suspended by the government soon after his reinstatement on Supreme Court`s orders on the charge of violating government`s service rules.
Responding to a news story published in Dawn entitled, `Elements other than Moonis behind my suspension: Qureshi`, the minister said in a statement that “a portion of the news report attributed to him is fabricated, concocted and unfounded having not even an iota of truth in it”.
Contradicting the report, the minister said that to the best of his knowledge there had not been such a meeting with the president or “even he did not convey such a message to the president through any other means”.

Facebook launches video calls, group chat features

NEW YORK: Quick on the heels of Google’s launch of its latest social-networking venture, Facebook said Wednesday that its 750 million users will now be able to make video calls on the site.
The feature will be powered by the Internet phone service Skype. Facebook also redesigned its chat feature, so that the people a user messages the most often show up first.
To make video calls, Facebook users with webcam-equipped computers have to select the friends they want to chat with.
In the chat window that pops up, clicking on a small blue video icon brings up the video chat feature. Currently there is no option to video chat more than one person.
That feature is available on Google Plus, a social service that Google began testing last week with a small number of invited users.
Facebook is also adding a group chat option. This works much the same way as the group chat on Google Plus. Once you are chatting with one friend, you can click an icon to add more people to the conversation.
Facebook’s new products come after a relatively quiet period for the world’s largest online social network.
Zuckerberg, 26, said the company is embarking on ”launching season 2011.” Users can expect ”a lot of stuff coming out” from Facebook in the next couple of weeks and months, he said at an event at the company’s Palo Alto, Calif., headquarters.
Facebook updated its user count _ to 750 million users worldwide _ for the first time since last summer, when it reached half a billion people. Zuckerberg said that’s because ”we don’t think it’s a metric to watch anymore.”
Rather, Facebook is paying more attention to how much its users are sharing with one another. That number is growing at a much faster rate than its monthly user base.
Currently, people share 4 billion items, such as photos, status updates and links, every day using Facebook.
Without mentioning Google by name, Zuckerberg said that ”independent entrepreneurs and companies focused on one particular thing will always do better than companies that try to do everything.”
For Facebook, that one thing has been creating an online social infrastructure that other companies, such as Skype, can then add their own products to.
Skype has agreed to be bought by Microsoft Corp. for $8.5 billion in a deal expected to close by the end of the year. Microsoft owns a small stake in Facebook.

Afghanistan transition ‘train’ steaming ahead: UN

UNITED NATIONS: Security generally is improving in Afghanistan, making it a favorable time to transfer power to the Kabul government and hold peace talks with the Taliban, the UN special envoy to the country said Wednesday.
International diplomat Staffan de Mistura declared that Afghanistan finds itself at a “special crossroad,” despite a spate of recent attacks that have left scores dead in recent weeks.
The violence includes fighting Wednesday that killed up to 33 police and five civilians, after Taliban crossed over from Pakistan and attacked a remote region in eastern Afghanistan.
Still, de Mistura, who heads up the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, said it is a propitious time to lay the groundwork for the next phase of governance, in which Afghanistan takes responsibility for its own security and governance.
“Transition: it’s like a train and it’s moving forward. According to every indicator I have, it is on track,” the envoy said at a meeting of the UN Security Council.
As far as Afghanistan’s overall security situation is concerned, there exists “the perception of an improvement, which is true,” he said.
Still, de Mistura acknowledged the carnage of the past several weeks, amid a continuing barrage of border attacks along Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan.
“There have been attacks in the Intercontinental hotel, many of you — many of us — have been there. It was shocking,” he said, blaming the bloodshed on ‘anti-government forces.” “There have been attacks inside the city, inside the military hospital and the ministry of defense. There have been in Kandahar for two days, in Herat,” he said.
“There is a constant attempt during the spring offensive… and the summer to try to reverse that perception by giving signals of surgical, dramatic attacks,” de Mistura added.
He said however that the Kabul government so far has held its own against the rebel fighters and “been able to handle” the onslaught.
His remarks come some two weeks after US President Barack Obama announced that he would withdraw 33,000 US “surge” troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012, bringing total US forces there down to 65,000.
After that announcement, there was an up tick of violence in Afghanistan, including that attack on the Intercontinental, a hotel favored by the country’s elite.
In that assault, nine heavily armed Taliban militants, some in suicide vests, stormed the hotel last month, sparking a ferocious battle that left at least 21 dead, including the attackers.
In the face of such violence, the speed of the drawdown has been slammed by senior Republican lawmakers in the United States, and been met with a cool reception by US military commanders.
But France and Belgium have also announced the withdrawal of some troops from the Afghan theater, while Canada’s roughly 3,000-strong mission is due to end this week, as allied country keep wrapping up the nearly decade-long war.
De Mistura said the next step will be to ramp up efforts to hold peace talks with the Taliban, to ensure that the country is able to flourish in a climate of relative peace and stability.
“The need of a dialogue is clear,” he said, calling not only for “reconciliation,” but for “reintegration” of rebels fighting the government.

Move to hit exports: Turkey to raise duty on pet resin

ISLAMABAD: Turkey has decided to impose safeguard duty on import of pet (Polyethylene Terephthalate) resin from Pakistan for a period of three years.
The move will lead to reduction in market access for the export of raw materials to the Turkish market, it is learnt.
Technically, the safeguard duty will apply to imports of PET resin originating from all countries for a period of three years, which is extendable for another three years. However, this duty will specifically wipe out the market access for Pakistani exporters.
Pet resin is one of the leading materials for bottling carbonated soft drinks, mineral waters, juices, edible oils and personal care products and packaging pre-packed foods and meals etc.
A well informed source in the commerce ministry confirmed that the additional duty was Pakistan’s specific, as Islamabad has a share of one third in Turkey’s total imports of PET resin to bridge the domestic gap in production.
As per the Ankara decision, the source said Turkey has decided to enhance the normal customs duty from 3 per cent to eight per cent (5pc additional safeguard duty) to protect the European origin owners of the local production.
The local production in Turkey of PET resin stood at 150,000 tons, while it imports 160,000 tons to meet the domestic requirement.
Currently, the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Turkey stood at $997 million. Pakistan’s exports to Turkey stood at $640 million last year.
But of these, PET resin exports from Pakistan constitute 12 per cent share or ($71 million) to Turkey making it one of the leading exporter to Turkey.
Even the Turkish authorities, according to the source, are not considering Pakistan to be included in the list of those countries, which can qualify for availing 10 per cent duty-free quota of PET resin imports.
This indicates that the safeguard duty was directed at Pakistan, the source added.
However, an official in the commerce ministry said that the issue had been taken up by Pakistan’s ambassador to Turkey with relevant authorities to seek review of the decision.
This could be the second move of the Turkish government in a series against Pakistan’s exportable products as in March last it also proposed to impose 52 per cent duty on import of Pakistani garments, 24.5 per cent on denim fabrics and 24.5 per cent on woven fabrics.
This decision, experts say, will affect $250 million worth of exports. Pakistan’s total export of textile products to Turkey was $350 million last year.

Power plant equipment not cleared by customs

CHENGDU (China): An energy equipment provided by a Chinese company for easing electricity crisis in Pakistan has been awaiting customs clearance at Karachi for one year, officials said.
Addressing a Pakistani media delegation currently visiting China, Consul General Hasan Hameed said here that China’s biggest company DEC had sent the 315MW equipment a year ago but the customs authorities in Karachi had not been releasing it for reasons best known to them.
Because of the delay the energy sharing process was yet to be materialised, he said.
Mr Hameed said China and Pakistan were working in economic and social sectors to strengthen relations and it was because of this reason that an exhibition of photographs focusing on social and cultural aspects of the two countries had been organised in Chengdu.
The Information Officer of Sichuan provincial People’s Government, Hou Xiongfei, said that Pak-China friendship was time tested, adding that trade between the two countries would expand under the Pakistan China Trade Corporation.

Gilani hits out at US for pursuing narrow interests

MINGORA: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani cautioned the United States on Wednesday against pursuing narrow interests that hurt Pakistan’s sovereignty and self-respect.
“Pursuing narrow interests at the cost of coalition partners and aspirations of people will be self-defeating,” Mr Gilani said while speaking at a seminar held to showcase a ‘de-radicalisation initiative’ launched by the military which it bills as an expression of its resolve to fight terrorism and radicalism.
The prime minister’s speech in English before a largely Swati gathering suggested that the target audience was not the one seated before him. Mr Gilani’s words echoed the unease in army over Washington’s moves that discredit Pakistan government and military – constricting its space of cooperation with the US. Besides Obama administration’s ‘strong-arm tactics’ employed to pressurise Pakistan into ‘compliance’, the military is also upset over the leaks by US officials, which it says cast their counter-terror efforts in a negative light.
“Pakistan’s efforts in political and military domain for combating terrorism need recognition at international level. There is a need to bridge trust deficit and allow Pakistan space to manoeuvre and contribute significantly without international pressure.”
Mr Gilani’s words in Mingora sharply contrasted with his statement, heavily tinged with diplomatese, a couple of days ago at the US embassy’s national day reception. He categorically called for respecting Pakistan’s interests and the ‘red lines’ set by it.
The red lines, formulated shortly after President Obama’s inauguration in 2009, clearly state aversion to ‘foreign boots in Pakistan’, expansion of drone attacks to Balochistan and maligning of army and ISI.
“Cooperation in counter-terrorism warrants a partnership approach, which fully accommodates others’ interests and respect for the clearly stipulated red lines,” Mr Gilani noted.
He regretted that American actions adversely impacted his government’s counter-extremism measures.
Alluding to the issue of Kashmir, he said the problem of extremism could be ‘sustainably’ addressed by resolving “longstanding political issues”. He observed that the unresolved political problems were being exploited by militants as ‘psychological tools’.
Ties with India
He used the opportunity to speak on revived dialogue with India urging it to be more accommodating to Pakistan’s security concerns.
“Pakistan views India as most important neighbour and desires sustained, substantive and result-oriented process of dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir. We sincerely hope that ongoing process of comprehensive engagement will be fruitful. However, India will have to play more positive and accommodating role and respond to Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns.”
The prime minister said India would not find Pakistan lacking in will to write a new chapter in bilateral relations.
About Afghanistan, with whom Pakistan is locked in a fresh controversy over cross-border militant raids and exchange of mortar rounds, he reiterated his government’s commitment to “independent and sovereign Afghanistan without any external influence”.
On the counter-terrorism efforts, he said the government had enacted a Legal Framework Order ‘Actions in Aid of Civil Power’ in Fata and Pata for fighting terror.
The law was signed by President Asif Zardari on June 23, but the government has been reticent about it because of controversy over some of its clauses.
Trying to address the concerns of the detractors of the new law, he said: “In due course, it would be extended to the settled areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and subsequently to entire Pakistan through acts of provincial and national assemblies,
respectively.”
Advocating the new law, the prime minister maintained it would provide answers to a host of questions starting from requisitioning process of army in aid of civil power, prolonged detention of terrorists and, most importantly, expeditious dispensation of justice.

Kayani calls for collective response to terrorism

MINGORA: Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has called for a collective response by all organs of the state to terrorism and extremism.
In his key-note address at a seminar on ‘de-radicalisation’ here on Wednesday, he said: “No single organ of the state is configured to mount a wholesome response to the challenges confronting national security.”
He asked for expanding army’s initiative of de-radicalisation. “We have taken the first step here in Swat by initiating a de-radicalisation programme, it needs support and initiative of the society, intellectuals and policy-makers to take the lead and put into effect a counter-radicalisation construct, not only to sustain the de-radicalisation effort, but also to assure a free and progressive future for Pakistan.”
APP adds: Gen Kayani said Pakistan Army, being a national army, derived its strength from the people of Pakistan and was answerable to the people and their representatives in parliament.
“Accordingly, Pakistan Army considers people’s support vital for its operations against terrorists, and believes that only the
people of Pakistan can determine the national interest and army’s role in their achievement”.
He said that Pakistan’s commitment to war against Al Qaeda and its affiliates was total and unwavering as it firmly believed in taking stern action against all terrorist groups.
The army was determined to lead the fight on terror in partnership with other law-enforcement agencies and in line with the Constitution, he added.
The Army Chief reiterated that there was no military solution to terrorism since military strategy could only provide an enabling environment. The menace had to be tackled in the domain of national security which warranted a comprehensive
response entailing synergy by all elements of national power, he added.

PML-N, MQM to work together in assemblies

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-N and Muttahida Qaumi Movement agreed on Wednesday to work together as a ‘combined opposition’ in parliament and provincial assemblies.
“We have decided in principle to play our role as a strong opposition while remaining within legal and constitutional limits,” MQM’s deputy parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Haider Abbas Rizvi told reporters after a meeting between senior leaders of the two parties.
It was their first formal contact in recent years. Reading out a joint statement, he said the two parties had decided to “carry out a joint struggle” to solve problems being faced by the nation.
The PML-N team, headed by Senator Ishaq Dar, included senators Pervaiz Rashid and Mushahidullah Khan and MNA Khwaja Saad Rafique. MNA Waseem Akhtar and MQM coordination committee member Raza Haroon assisted Mr Rizvi in the talks which lasted more than two hours.
Mr Rizvi said the two sides had discussed the political situation, electricity and gas loadshedding, price hike, political patronisation of corruption, deteriorating law and order, poor condition of economy, rigging in Kashmir elections and misuse of government power.
Ishaq Dar said the two parties had set aside their differences and decided to work together in the interest of the country and to oppose the government through lawful and constitutional means.
“We have fought three wars with India. It does not mean that we should close the doors for dialogue,” he said when a reporter pointed out that in the past PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had declared the Muttahida a terrorist organisation.
Mr Dar admitted that the two parties had ‘reservations’ against each other because of past bitterness, but said they had now decided to put aside these issues in the best interest of the country.
When asked about the possibility of launching an anti-government movement, he said it depended on the performance of the government. “If the government does not perform we will use alternatives while living within the legal and constitutional domain.”
The two arch rivals of the past established informal and backdoor contacts soon after the MQM decided last month to part ways with the PPP-led coalition at the centre and in Sindh in protest against the ruling party’s alleged role in the postponement of elections for two seats of the AJK Legislative Assembly in Karachi.
Leaders of the two parties recently held talks in Dubai and London. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and MQM’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar and former Sindh governor Dr Ishratul Ibad are in London.
Talking to reporters after presiding over a party meeting in Lahore earlier this month, Nawaz Sharif had expressed his readiness to join hands with the MQM and ‘welcomed’ it into what he called a grand political alliance “to rid the nation of the present government”.
The statement came a day before the departure of Shahbaz Sharif to London on a week-long visit amid speculations that he might meet MQM chief Altaf Hussain. A PML-N spokesman, however, said such a meeting was no scheduled.
The MQM had taken Mr Sharif’s statement positively, but said it was not ready to join any move to topple the government.
“We recognise the PML-N mandate and will definitely cooperate with it on the opposition benches in parliament, but we do not believe in plans to topple governments to achieve certain political goals,” MQM leader Wasay Jalil had said.
When contacted, PML-N Senator Pervaiz Rashid said the two parties had not discussed any plan to launch an anti-government movement or form an alliance.
He said they had basically decided to jointly press the government on key issues like delay in the presentation of accountability law and energy crisis.
Senator Rashid, who is official spokesman for the PML-N-led Punjab government, said the issue of nomination of Mr Dar as the leader of opposition in the Senate did not come under discussion because the talks were held on a “broad-based agenda” to resolve larger national issues.
Although relations between the two parties have been tense since the early 90s when a military operation was carried out against the MQM in Karachi and Hyderabad during the first term of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister, their rivalry worsened when the PML-N came out with harsh criticism of the Muttahida for supporting former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf.
At a conference of opposition parties in London in 2007, the PML-N had declared that it would never establish contacts with the MQM in future because of its alleged role in the May 12 killings in Karachi during the visit of the then deposed chef justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
Leaders of the two parties kept issuing statements against each other and on a number of occasions even used abusive language against the each other’s leaders.
Political observers term the latest ‘friendship’ a significant political development which can have an impact on future events.

Pak-Afghan situation discussed by new US war cabinet

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has reviewed the situation in the Pak-Afghan region with his revamped war cabinet.
The White House confirmed that in a Tuesday afternoon meeting President Obama discussed his plans for a gradual transition of responsibilities from US to Afghan authorities with three key members of his new war team.
Two of these, the new US commander for Afghanistan and the new US ambassador in Kabul will be implementing his civilian and military strategy in the war-ravaged country.
Another key member, the new Secretary of Defence, Leon Panetta, will supervise US war efforts from his headquarters in Washington.
“The president and his team discussed implementation of the next phase of our strategy in Afghanistan,” the White House said in a statement. The talks focused on the “consolidation of the gains that have been made in breaking the Taliban’s momentum and training Afghan Security Forces”.
On Tuesday, President Obama also invited the outgoing Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen and Vice President Joe Biden to the Oval office as he discussed his war plans with Gen John Allen, who will take over the Nato and US command in Afghanistan, and the new US ambassador to Kabul, Ryan Crocker.

Nineteen killed on second day of Karachi violence

KARACHI: After the loss of ten lives on Tuesday in a new upsurge in violence in the city, another 19 people, including five passengers of a minibus, were killed and dozens others injured on Wednesday, taking the death toll to 29 in two days.
The violence which broke out in Orangi Town spread to Lyari, Baldia Town, Site and Gulshan-i-Iqbal areas.
Police said that armed men hijacked the minibus from Rashid Minhas Road and shot the five passengers, three of them relatives, in the head. The assailants managed to escape after dumping the vehicle in the Ziaul Haq Colony in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.In a few hours after Wednesday midnight, at least five people were killed in different parts of the city.
Police said that armed men on motorcycles shot dead two people near Met Office on the University Road.
In Garden area, two watchmen in the furniture market were gunned down in front of Madni Masjid.
At about the same time, a car came under fire and a man was killed and another injured.
A spokesman for the Awami National Party claimed that at least two of its workers were killed and seven wounded in incidents of firing on Wednesday.
Although the government claimed to have sent further reinforcements of police and Rangers to the affected areas, law-enforcement personnel failed to quell the violence.
Police claimed to have arrested 12 suspects in Orangi Town and recovered some weapons from them.

Massive dust storm engulfs US city

WASHINGTON: A massive dust storm engulfed the southwestern US city of Phoenix late Tuesday, blotting out the sun and knocking down electricity poles, local media reported.

The ABC 15 news outlet said the billowing cloud stretched 60 miles wide and packed winds of 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour). There were no immediate reports of casualties or of damage to homes or businesses.

The US National Weather Service confirmed that a "very large and historic dust storm" had moved through the area, without providing further details.

Photos and videos on several local news websites showed a mountain of dust drifting over the city. The storm had reportedly passed by late Tuesday night.

This year unusually severe storms have battered the United States, which is experiencing its deadliest tornado season in six decades and has also seen epic flooding along the Mississippi River and severe drought in the south

SC seeks suspension record of Zafar Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the NICL case on Thursday, July 7 and has issued a notice to the Attorney General in this regard, Geo News reported. The notice seeks the record of Zafar Qureshi’s suspension along with the transfer record of the other investigating officers. 

The NICL scandal case is heard by a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

During the last proceedings, the court suspended the transfer notification of Zafar Qureshi and resorted him as the investigative officer in the case.

'Transformers' fires up holiday weekend with $116M

LOS ANGELES: "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" followed the franchise's previous installments to quick blockbuster status, hauling in $115.9 million over the long Fourth of July weekend.

The movie raised its domestic total to $180.7 million in just over six days.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Monday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Tuesday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Paramount, $115,886,050, 4,088 locations, $23,937 average, $180,651,397, one week.

2. "Cars 2," Disney, $31,629,695, 4,115 locations, $6,385 average, $122,560,310, two weeks.

3. "Bad Teacher," Sony, $17,261,534, 3,049 locations, $4,758 average, $62,707,505, two weeks.

4. "Larry Crowne," Universal, $16,098,795, 2,973 locations, $4,405 average, $16,098,795, one week.

5. "Super 8," Paramount, $9,527,129, 3,088 locations, $2,565 average, $110,070,156, four weeks.

6. "Monte Carlo," Fox, $8,588,318, 2,473 locations, $3,014 average, $8,588,318, one week.

7. "Green Lantern," Warner Bros., $7,928,176, 3,280 locations, $1,999 average, $103,616,460, three weeks.

8. "Mr. Popper's Penguins," Fox, $6,702,940, 2,861 locations, $1,936 average, $51,727,662, three weeks.

9. "Midnight in Paris," Sony Pictures Classics, $4,382,382, 858 locations, $4,172 average, $34,582,454, seven weeks.

10. "Bridesmaids," Universal, $4,354,515, 1,389 locations, $2,625 average, $153,728,880, eight weeks.

11. "X-Men: First Class," Fox, $3,617,628, 1,602 locations, $1,842 average, $139,329,355, five weeks.

12. "The Hangover Part II," Warner Bros., $2,799,390, 1,568 locations, $1,525 average, $248,651,272, six weeks.

13. "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," Disney, $2,629,072, 1,473 locations, $1,487 average, $234,176,965, seven weeks.

14. "Kung Fu Panda 2," Paramount, $2,086,729, 1,281 locations, $1,300 average, $157,281,396, six weeks.

15. "The Tree of Life," Fox Searchlight, $1,307,156, 228 locations, $4,686 average, $7,810,592, six weeks.

16. "Beginners," Focus, $740,568, 108 locations, $5,539 average, $2,506,936, five weeks.

17. "Delhi Belly," UTV, $701,824, 89 locations, $6,539 average, $701,824, one week.

18. "Buck," IFC, $601,336, 131 locations, $3,671 average, $1,131,831, three weeks.

19. "Rio," Fox, $542,534, 308 locations, $1,451 average, $140,575,082, 12 weeks.

20. "Thor," Paramount, $470,820, 270 locations, $1,483 average, $177,988,100, nine weeks

Govt keen to develop Balochistan: Malik

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior Senator Rehman A Malik said that the Federal Government is taking keen interest in the development of Balochistan province and "Aghaaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package" is a step forward in this direction.

The Minister stated this while talking to Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani who called on him here on Wednesday.

During the meeting both the leaders discussed problems being faced by the people of Balochistan beside discussing law and order in the province.

They also reviewed the pace of implementation of "Aghaaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package" announced by the government for the socio-economic development of the province and improve the living condition of the masses of the province.

They also discussed the forthcoming Federal Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held in Quetta on July 13.

The Chief Minister Balochistan welcomed the decision of the Federal Government for holding the Cabinet meeting in the provincial capital terming it a good omen for the people of Balochistan. 

Taliban again refute claims of peace talks with West

KABUL: The Afghan Taliban again refuted on Wednesday claims they had entered into talks with the West to try and find an end to the war, saying any contacts with foreign countries had only been to negotiate prisoner exchanges.
In a statement emailed to media, the Taliban also repeated their long-standing position of rejecting any negotiations for peace as long as foreign troops were in Afghanistan.
“The rumour about negotiation with America is not more than the talks aimed at the exchange of prisoners. Some circles call these contacts as comprehensive talks about the current imbroglio of Afghanistan,” the Taliban said.
“However, this shows their…lack of knowledge about the reality. It is clear as the broad daylight that we consider negotiation in condition of presence of foreign forces as a war stratagem of the Americans and their futile efforts.”
Last month, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the United States was in direct talks with the insurgents but that talks were not at a stage where the Afghan government was sitting down with the militants.
Washington and London have both acknowledged there have been recent contacts with insurgents although former US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said he expected it could take months before any headway could be made.
But so little is known about these contacts that they have been open to widely different interpretations and any discussions that may be taking place are still not at a stage where they can be a deciding factor.
Despite trumpeting military gains, particularly in southern Afghanistan, foreign leaders and military commanders have long recognised the need for a political solution to a war that has now dragged on for almost 10 years.
In Wednesday’s statement, the Taliban said they had been in contact with “some” countries to arrange prisoner exchanges, including most recently with France for the release of two French journalists and their Afghan translator last month.
The men were seized outside Kabul on December 30, 2009 and held captive for 18 months.
France has denied any ransom was paid to secure the release of the two men, and their Afghan interpreter Reza Din. Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said revealing details of the negotiations could damage efforts to free other French hostages in Africa.
The Taliban said they were also continuing “direct and indirect” contacts to secure the release of US and Canadian prisoners.
In June 2009, insurgents captured US Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl in southeastern Afghanistan and have released videos showing him in captivity dressed in both Afghan clothing and in military uniform.
In those videos, Bergdahl is seen denouncing the war in Afghanistan and calling for the United States to withdraw its troops from the country, in what the US military has called illegal propaganda.
Bergdahl’s abduction prompted a large-scale manhunt but US officials have declined to comment whether they have tried to negotiate his release.

Gilani calls Karzai over militant raids

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called the Afghan president on Wednesday to convey “serious” concern over cross-border incursions by militants, his office said.
Gilani’s telephone call to President Hamid Karzai came as Pakistani officials accused several hundred militants of crossing the border and attacking a village in the Pakistani district of Upper Dir, killing an anti-Taliban elder and setting fire to three schools.
It was the latest in a series of cross-border incidents that have fanned diplomatic tensions between the neighbours.
Also on Wednesday, Afghan officials said up to 33 police and five civilians were killed in fighting after Taliban militants crossed over from Pakistan and attacked a remote region in eastern Afghanistan.
“The prime minister expressed Pakistan’s serious concern over the activities of the militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, especially in Dir, Bajaur (and) Mohmand on the Pakistan side and Kunar on the Afghan side,” an official statement said.
Gilani told Karzai that the Pakistani army was “exercising utmost restraint, despite repeated cross-border incursions by the militants’ raids from the Afghan side into Pakistan.” However, “the situation needs to be defused quickly,” he said, according to the statement.
Gilani called for an immediate meeting between regional commanders to avoid further killing of innocent people on both sides.
Karzai stressed that the two countries should maintain contact and “jointly frustrate the evil designs of the militants,” the Pakistani statement added.
There are Taliban strongholds on both sides of the border, but Afghan and US officials want Pakistan to do more to eradicate militant sanctuaries in its semi-autonomous tribal belt that is used to launch attacks in Afghanistan.
Afghan officials have also said that about 800 rockets, mortars and artillery shells have been fired from Pakistan into Afghan villages since late May, leaving dozens of civilians dead, injured or displaced.
The Pakistani army denies it has targeted Afghan territory, saying that a few stray rounds may have crossed the border.

PML-N, MQM agree to join hands for ‘stronger opposition’

ISLAMABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday agreed to work together as a joint opposition in the National, Provincial assemblies and Senate on key national issues, DawnNews reported.
Leaders from both parties met here and discussed the formation of a ‘grand opposition alliance.’ Raza Haroon, Haider Abbs Rizvi and Waseem Akhtar represented the MQM in the meeting while the PML-N was represented by Ishaq Dar, Saad Rafique, Mushaidullah and Pervez Rashid.
A joint statement read out by Haider Abbas Rizvi said that the two parties would work together on key national issues such as inflation, loadshedding, law and order situation, corruption and AJK elections ‘rigging.’
Senator Ishaq Dar said both parties will play the part of a stronger opposition in lawful and constitutional manner.
He added that both parties had set aside their differences and decided to work together in the interest of the country.