Tag: Pakistans

KARACHI - Pakistan's reputation as an exporter in the global market is likely to deteriorate, with the private sector seemingly taking a page out the book of state owned enterprises (SOE) like TCP on how it deals with international traders. Private sector exporters, which have recently received a green signal from Islamabad to export excess wheat on provincial level, are endangering the country's reputation exporting the commodity in almost 'unstitched' sacks.
According to

ISLAMABAD - Russia on Monday sought Pakistan's help in tracking down anti-Moscow militants from the Central Asian states, who have taken refuge in the country's Tribal Areas.
The Foreign Ministry officials from Pakistan and Russia held crucial talks on ways to increase cooperation in counter-terrorism and nuclear non-proliferation during the sixth meeting of the Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stability.
The Pakistan delegation was headed by Additional

ISLAMABAD - Telecoms operator Etisalat is holding takeover talks with internet provider Nayatel, one of Pakistan's fastest-growing companies. "They want to totally buy us out," Nayatel Chairman Rashid Khan told Reuters in an interview, adding that talks had slowed over the potential cost of a deal. "Ultimately it comes down to price," said Khan, adding that he also expects interest from Chinese and Norwegian companies.
No one from Etisalat was immediately available for comment.

LAHORE - Terrorism and inflation is on the rise and all the government can do is cut developmental budget and fire employees, former president Pervez Musharraf said in a statement released by the All Pakistan Muslim League's (APML) media cell.
Not only is the country's situation worsening but terrorism is also growing, he said, adding that people were never fired in his tenure but his regime generated new jobs, and raised developmental budget from Rs 100 billion to Rs 600

LAHORE - Pakistan's oldest surviving Test cricketer Mohammad Aslam Khokar breathed his last here at a local hospital after a prolonged illness. Khokar was a member of the touring side led by Abdul Hafeez Kardar on the historic tour to England in 1954.
He played one Test and stood as an umpire in three Test matches as well. Khokar was 91 years old. PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt, COO Subhan Ahmad and PCB management condoled the sad demise of Aslam Khokhar.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's crippling inflation rate has left trader Mohammad Farouk with a painful task at the end of each day - throwing out a large quantity of his fruits and vegetables because it's too expensive to sell. Soaring prices also mean he often has to purchase stocks on credit from wholesalers.
"We can't make money anymore because prices have been high for so long," said Farouk, sitting beside other idle merchants, warming their hands over a fire burning in a large can.

Pakistan weathered a hostile opening spell that reduced them to 42 for 3 in 13 overs in the first hour, worked their way to safety in the second session, and made a half-hearted attempt to win the Test before settling for a draw that gave them the series 1-0 on the fifth and final day of the second Test at Basin Reserve, Wellington, on Wednesday (January 19). It was their first victory outside the sub-continent since the triumph in New Zealand in 2003-04, and their first overall since

LAHORE - The Basin Reserve Test sparked into life on the fourth day frequent twists, turns and momentum shifts, as both the sides swapped game-plans several times.
With 273 to defend, New Zealand will begin as favourites on the last day (January 19), but Pakistan can take heart from the fact that seven years ago, they successfully chased similar target at this very ground. If they fall short, they will have their lacklustre start to the day to blame, a period when Brendon

LAHORE - Pakistan's refusal to launch a military operation in North Waziristan to eliminate terrorist sanctuaries on its northwest border may have created a magnet there for hundreds of fighters, which has a positive side for the US, according to a report in the New York Times (NYT).
The report said that a growing number of senior US intelligence and counterinsurgency officials were of the opinion that by bunching up there, insurgents were ultimately making it easier for American

LAHORE - The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has downgraded Pakistan's paddy production forecasts of 2010 by 3.9 million tonnes, which represents a sharp decline of 38 percent in the production level year-on-year (YoY).
FAO Rice Market Monitor (RMM) report states that consecutive weeks of torrential monsoon showers in late July and August led to the most devastating floods recorded in the history of the country. Extensive damage was inflicted in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (KPK)

LAHORE - Pakistan's former Test cricketer Sikandar Bakht has shunned the idea of retaining Shahid Afridi as captain of the team for the coming ODI series against New Zealand and the World Cup 2011.
His views on removing Afridi from captaincy came after Zaheer Abass, Aamir Sohail and Sarfraz Nawaz rejected the all-rounder in the role of a captain.
Sikander was quoted by German Radio Deutsche Welle Urdu Service as saying that Afridi has not been performing as a player and

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's trade deficit has swelled by 18.2 percent to $8.14 billion in July-December during the current financial year compared to $6.89 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year.
According to data released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday, exports in the first half of the current fiscal year jumped by 20.63 percent to $10.97 billion from $9.09 billion during the same period's last fiscal. Imports during July-December were up by 19.58 percent

ISLAMABAD: Whether it is Gandhara Art or Moghul forts, American archaeologists are extremely interested in learning about Pakistan's rich cultural heritage, US Embassy Minister Counselor for Public Affairs Walter Douglas said. Speaking at the opening session of the conference titled "Cultural Heritage Issues in Pakistan: Archaeology, Museums and Conservation" the other day.
"The US embassy supported an international conference in Islamabad in appreciation of Pakistan's rich

ISLAMABAD - Hailing Pakistan's role in the process of reconciliation and integration for peace in Afghanistan, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Saturday that the solution to the crisis in Afghanistan is political and not military. "We support the process of integration and reconciliation for peace in Afghanistan. It is our common interest to have stability there," German Foreign Minister said while answering questions of reporters in a joint press conference with

Sports This Week - England brought the curtain down on the Ashes series with a dominating triumph over Australia in the fifth Test. The issue, as it happened, was never in doubt. Australia's batting had no answer to the English pace attack of Anderson, Tremlett, and Bresnan, supported by the feisty off-spin of Swann.
Anderson is a master swing bowler, with the ability to bowl outswing as well as reverse swing. In Tremlett, England have a bowler who brings the ball down from a

ISLAMABAD - The Afghan High Council for Peace, a body formed by Kabul to reconcile with the Taliban, on Wednesday asked Pakistan to use its "good office" for the success of ongoing negotiations between the Karzai government and the Taliban.
"The request for Pakistan's help for the facilitation of peace talks between the Taliban and Karzai government was made here at a crucial meeting between the 25-member delegation of the High Council for Peace in Afghanistan led by former

Lahore - To paraphrase Shakespeare, when crises come to Pakistan they come not as single spies but in battalions. Among them is a burgeoning economic crisis with massive price increases and severe gas, electricity and fuel shortages, 15% inflation and the stoppage of a vital International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan, BBC has quoted Ahmed Rashid as saying.
There is unprecedented pressure on Islamabad from the US and Nato to eliminate extremists, with alleged terrorism plots linked to