Pakistan

IMAGE: The prime minister and leader of the opposition walk to cast their vote in favour of the 20th Constitutional Amendment. PHOTO: APP] ISLAMABAD:? After some last-minute fine-tuning, the National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the 20th Constitutional Amendment. The amendment – the third by the incumbent government – has set down a process to install a caretaker set-up and hold free and fair elections in the future. “The passage of the 20th Constitutional Amendment has...Read Full Story

IMAGE: All over the place. ] Throughout the most of this Tuesday, Syed Khurshid Shah remained on his toes and kept punching various numbers on his cell phone, almost frantically. His task was to ensure the presence of maximum number of MNAs in the house who belong to the ruling party and its allies. After many days of tough negotiations with the opposition, the final draft of the 20th amendment in the constitution was now ready and the PML-N had committed to vote for it without much ado...Read Full Story

IMAGE: Overseas Pakistanis Minister Farooq Sattar said, “This decision will enable them to become a part of Parliament, as they are sending over $11 billion in remittances (to Pakistan) per annum”. PHOTO: ONLINE/ FILE] ISLAMABAD:? Voting rights were finally granted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to 3.7 million overseas Pakistanis on Tuesday.  “The decision will pave the way for overseas Pakistanis to actively take part in national politics,” observed ECP Secretary Ishtiak...Read Full Story

IMAGE: Defence ministry official quoted Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar as saying that permission has been given for food items. PHOTO: AFP/FILE] ISLAMABAD:? Islamabad is making no secret of its responsiveness to Washington’s overtures. Days after the interior minister attempted to avoid the question, Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar told journalists that the country has allowed Nato to use its airspace for ferrying supplies to troops stationed in Afghanistan. “We have allowed them to...Read Full Story

Tue, Feb 14 2012 12:00 IST | 5 Views | Add your comment SHARE: The contempt of court case in which Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has been indicted by the Supreme Court is a defining moment in Pakistan’s history, said a Pakistani daily. Gilani was Monday indicted by the Supreme Court for refusing to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari . An editorial in the News International Tuesday said that Gilani has been defying the Supreme Court’s orders for...Read Full Story

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai will press Pakistan to provide access to senior Afghan Taliban leaders when he visits Islamabad this week in a bid to advance a nascent peace process with the militant group, senior Afghan officials said on Tuesday. Pakistan is seen as critical to efforts to reach a settlement to Afghanistan’s conflict, now in its eleventh year, and is believed to have influence over Afghan insurgent groups. “We hope that Pakistan will arrange a purposeful meeting...Read Full Story

IMAGE: Afghan President Hamid Karzai hopes that Pakistan would arrange for meaningful dialogue between Afghan and the Taliban. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE] KABUL:? Afghan President Hamid Karzai will press Pakistan to provide access to senior Afghan Taliban leaders when he visits Islamabad this week in a bid to advance a nascent peace process with the group, senior Afghan officials said on Tuesday. Pakistan is seen as critical to efforts to reach a settlement to Afghanistan’s conflict, now in its...Read Full Story

IMAGE: The Federal cabinet, earlier in the day, approved the Amendment draft during a meeting. PHOTO: APP/ FILE] ISLAMABAD:? Law Minister Maula Bakhsh Chandio has presented the 20th Amendment bill in the National Assembly (NA), Express News reported  on Tuesday . The Federal cabinet, earlier in the day, approved the Amendment bill draft during a meeting in Islamabad. Opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar, during the NA session, stated that the government has presented the bill without...Read Full Story

Latest Business News / KARACHI: Share prices at Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) ended marginally higher on Tuesday as investors bought middle tier shares but gains were restricted because of political uncertainty after the country’s prime minister was indicted for contempt of court on Monday, dealers said. The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) benchmark 100-share index rose 0.10 percent, or 11.85 points, to 12,261.85 points. The index made an intra day high at 12,347.46 points. Turnover rose to...Read Full Story

IMAGE: Pakistan Peoples Party's Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and former law minister Babar Awan have submitted their nomination papers for the March 2 Senate elections.] Pakistan Peoples Party’s Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and former law minister Babar Awan have submitted their nomination papers for the March 2 Senate elections. “As members of the parliament, we will work to ensure supremacy of the constitution and the law,” Aitzaz told reporters in Lahore on Tuesday after the two leaders submitted...Read Full Story