Nation celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr with religious zeal today

ISLAMABAD: Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated today all-over Pakistan, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan with great religious zeal, fervor and festivity, marking the culmination of the holy month of Ramazan.

Big Eid congregations will be held all-over Pakistan. Special arrangements had been made to offer Eid prayer across the country.

On the occasion, special prayers will be offered for the progress and prosperity of the country, unity of the ‘Ummah’, solution of their problems and liberation of Muslim territories, including occupied Kashmir.

In the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the Eid congregations too place at more than 300 places. In Islamabad, the largest congregation will be held at the grand Faisal Mosque, where the high-ups of the government also offered Eid prayers.

In Rawalpindi, the biggest Eid congregation will be held at the historic Liaquat Bagh. Following the Eid prayers, Muslims spent their time feasting with family and friends and feeding those who are less fortunate.

In Karachi Eid congregations will be held at Memon mosque, Bagh-e-Jinnah, Nishtar Park, National stadium and other small and large places and mosques.

Sweets and other special dishes are being prepared for serving the guests. People also exchanged gifts on the occasion.

Immediately after the announcement that the Shawwal moon has been sighted on Tuesday night, a wave of happiness surged through the masses. People swarmed the markets and Eid bazaars for shopping and women crowded the beauty parlours and shops, selling bangles and mehndi. Till late night people were busy in shopping in the markets.

Meanwhile foolproof security measures have been adopted on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Policemen have been deputed outside the bazaars, shopping centres and sensitive public and private buildings. Strict security measures had also been adopted outside the ‘Eidgahs’, while police kept patrolling.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have greeted the people of the country on the occasion of Eid, and urged them to promote affection, tolerance, patience and brotherhood. The two leaders said these principles were needed to create a society according to the tenets of Islam

Heavy rains lash interior Sindh

 HYDERABAD: Heavy rains lashed various districts of Sindh province, displacing a large number of people, and sending low lying areas inundated.

Rains coupled with winds lashed Naushehro Feroze, Moro, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Khairpur and other areas, compelling administration to call an emergency.

A large number of people were displaced after low lying areas went flooded. Makeshift camps were set up for the displaced families in the building of government schools when food and other facilities were being provided to them.

Several other areas of the province including Hyderabad, Mirpurkahs, Nawabshah and Ghotki also received heavy showers.

Eight killed in Chechnya suicide attack

MOSCOW: Eight people, seven of them police, were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Chechnya's capital Grozny on Tuesday during celebrations at the end of the Muslim festival of Ramazan, a police source told Interfax news agency.

A man detonated an explosive device when a police patrol tried to detain him and a second blast occurred soon afterwards, an unidentified police official told the privately-owned agency.

State-run RIA news agency quoted a police source as saying two suicide bombers were behind the blasts.

The explosions killed seven police officers and an emergency services worker, and wounded at least 16 people, Interfax said.

The scene of the explosion, in a densely populated district of Grozny 50 metres from a local parliament building, was cordoned off by police.

Residents told they heard gunshots after the explosions. 

Eid Mubarak to all bro & sis...

Shawwal moon sighted, Eid-ul-Fitr on Wednesday

ISLAMABAD: The moon for the Islamic month of Shawwal has been sighted and therefore Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated with traditional zeal across the country on Wednesday.

Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman, Chairman of Central Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan made the announcement during a press conference after the Committee's meeting held here at the Met Complex, University Road on Tuesday.

The members of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan, Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Karachi and officials of the Met Office and SUPARCO attended the meeting.

Meetings of all Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committees were also held at their respective headquarters.

Mirza’s accusations are false: MQM

KARACHI: MQM held a news conference on Tuesday and reacted to statements made by Zulfiqar Mirza, Geo News reported. Addressing the media, MQM leader Faisal Sabzwari said that accusations against his party and chief Altaf Hussain were baseless and false. 

He said accusations of the MQM trying to break up Pakistan were false and this had been proven in the past as well. On the issues of ethnic violence in the Karachi, Sabzwari said that prior to Mrza’s appointment as Home Minister, there were no problems between the Mohajirs and Baloch people. He added that Zulfiqar Mirza should take his evidence to the court and the MQM was ready to face it.

“These accusations show the mental condition of Zulfiqar Mirza” Sabzwari said. There should be indiscriminate action against criminals in Karachi, and it is the responsibility of elected officials to serve people, Sabzwari added.

Court stays execution of Rajiv assassins for eight weeks

 NEW DELHI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday stayed for eight weeks the execution of three Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts. 

The three — Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan — lodged in Vellore Jail, were scheduled to be hanged on September 9.

Granting the interim stay, a bench comprising justices C. Nagappan and M. Sathayanarayanan observed there had been a delay of over 11 years in the disposal of the mercy petitions filed by the convicts to the President seeking clemency.

The matter involved a question of law, the judges said and admitted the writ petitions and issued notices to the Centre, the state and Tamil Nadu police.

Their case was taken up by senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani and others.

A crowd that had gathered outside the court welcomed the court order. MDMK leader Vaiko, who strongly pleaded for the commutation of capital punishment, was also present in the court. 

August tax recovery up by 6 percent: FBR

 KARACHI: Pakistan’s tax recovery during the month of August recording a rise by 6 percent amounted to about Rs89 billion, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said.

Last year in August, FBR had recovered Rs83.75 billion, which compared to the current year August recovery of Rs89 billion shows an increase by 6 percent.

FBR sources told that the current year August tax recovery amount constituted of the first 29 days of the month’s available data.

Sources further said that the recovery from local taxes viz. direct tax, sales tax and federal excise duty amounted to over Rs76 billion as against Rs73.66 billion of the corresponding month previous year showing a rise of 3.6 percent.

PCB announces itinerary of Sri Lanka series

KARACHI: Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play a three Test series, five one-day internationals and a T20 match in the United Arab Emirates from Oct. 18 to Nov. 26 this year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Tuesday.

The series will also see the revival of Test cricket at the Sharjah stadium after 11 years after Pakistan and Australia last played Tests at the desert venue in 2002. Pakistan has been forced to play its home series against Sri Lanka in the UAE after the Lankans refused to tour Pakistan because of security concerns. Sharjah will also host an ODI between the two teams marking its return as an international venue after eight years.

The PCB announcing the itinerary of the series said the matches would be played at Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi as the venues were cost effective. "We had a choice of neutral venues but we opted for UAE because it allows us to manage things smoothly," chief operating officer, Subhan Ahmad said.

The Sri Lankan team came under attack by militants in March, 2009 in Lahore in which six Pakistani policemen and a van driver were killed and five visiting players wounded. Since then no foreign team has toured Pakistan. Sri Lanka had also offered to host the series at home but the offer was declined by the PCB.

Pakistan is also due to host England in Jan-Feb next year in the UAE for a full series. 

63 more suffer from dengue in Punjab

 ISLAMABAD: The number of patients affected by deadly dengue virus continues to grow across the country as another 63 people have been tested positive for mosquito-borne disease. 

Another 16 cases of dengue virus have been reported in Karachi. The recent rain spell has further aggravated the already terrible situation.

According to Health Department, 51 new dengue-hit patients have been brought to various hospitals in Punjab. Eight patients have been reported in Faisalabad. While four cases have appeared in Sargodha.

Overall, 1263 cases of dengue virus have been verified in Punjab.

According to Sindh Health Department, 16 more cases of dengue have been reported in Karachi.

The number of people affected by dengue has reached 37 in August.

Medical experts say that ongoing rains could worsen the situation and its intensity could further grow.

ramzan end . Allah aap sab k rozay aur ibadaat qubool farmaye

Colors Of Life 

 Colors Of Lifeاللَّهُـمّ صَــــــلٌ علَےَ مُحمَّــــــــدْ و علَےَ آل مُحمَّــــــــدْ كما صَــــــلٌيت علَےَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ و علَےَ آل إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّك حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ اللهم بارك علَےَ مُحمَّــــــــدْ و علَےَ آل مُحمَّــــــــدْ كما باركت علَےَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ و علَےَ آل إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّك حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ  Colors Of Life  

It might be last sehri for this Ramadan ... Allah aap sab k rozay aur ibadaat qubool farmaye aur aap sab ki hifazat farmaye.. Ameen!