Tag: Promises

CAIRO - Egypt's new Prime Minister Essam Sharaf on Friday vowed to respond to demands for democratic change as he addressed thousands of protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square a day after his appointment.
"I am here because I get my legitimacy from you... I will exert all my effort to respond to your demands," Sharaf told the flag-waving supporters in the square, the centre of protests that toppled president Hosni Mubarak last month.
The premier was named by the country's new

LAHORE - Broken promises of the Zardari regime and poor performance of the federal government made it inevitable for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to part ways with the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in Punjab, PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said on Sunday.
"The PML-N is now free from shackles of the PPP coalition and will focus all its energies on improving its government in Punjab showing that corruption-free, merit-based and citizen-centered governance is

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Friday promised to take every step to address the deprivation of the backward and underdeveloped regions of the country. Talking to the vice-chancellor (VC) of the Hazara University, the prime minister described education as a priority sector of his government, saying it was key to solve of all problems faced by the country including extremism and terrorism.
He appreciated Higher Education Commission (HEC)'s efforts for compiling a

LAHORE - Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa has assured students of University of Education (UoE) of taking a merit based decision on the sacking of two varsity professors; he said this after meeting with the Student Action Committee representatives of UoE on Monday.
Five students of UoE tabled their demands in front of the Sardar Latif Khosa, where he also took notice of the self immolation by a UoE student in front of Governor House and appreciated the students who were

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met the minister for Minorities Affairs in a show of support for religious freedom as tensions mount in Pakistan, he said Friday. Minorities Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, who has faced a wave of threats, said he spoke with Clinton on Thursday and explained his initiative to set up local committees around Pakistan to promote interfaith harmony.
"She was very supportive of religious freedom," Bhatti told AFP. "She said religious

LAHORE - There will be less load shedding in summer, as the Pakistan Electric and Power Company (PEPCO) has made various arrangements to cope with energy demand, PEPCO Energy and Management Conservation (EMC) Director General Muhammad Khalid said on Tuesday in a press conference.
He said that various distribution companies have been given 0.3 million connections in the last six months. "Around 0.2 million domestic connections, 26,180 commercial, 4,058 industrial, 6,484 tube well

KARACHI - The Turkish authorities have assured Pakistan of an impartial enquiry before determining its verdict on the imposition anti-dumping duty on Pakistan's textile exports. It has also been clarified that Ankara is still in a probing phase and that the final decision might take as long as eight to nine months.
The pledge was made when a Pakistani business delegation, led by Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh on Investment Muhammad Zubair Motiwala met MNA and Chairman

LAHORE - The Pakistan hockey team management will be given a free hand during tours and series so that they would be answerable for the team's performance.
Talking to journalists here on Tuesday, PHF president Qasim Zia said that the selection committee will only be eligible for selection of the players during training camps.
He further said that he wanted to develop a solid domestic hockey structure so that future hockey officials don't face any problem in the revamping of

DUBAI - ICC chief executive Harron Lorgat Saturday said that all the details of the Pakistan spot-fixing investigation will be revealed once the verdict is announced on February 5.
The six-day tribunal in Doha concluded without a final decision and it was revealed two Tests were now under scrutiny. The key development over those days, where information was scarce and carefully controlled, was the charges brought against Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt in relation to

WASHINGTON - Pakistan's ambassador to the US defended his government's decision last week to reverse an unpopular increase in fuel prices, insisting Pakistan has not abandoned efforts to reduce subsidies and raise taxes to bring its budget deficit under control.
"We are not the only country to adjust fuel prices because of public opinion," Ambassador Husain Haqqani said in an interview in the Bloomberg Washington bureau yesterday. "There is no wavering in our commitment to

BUENOS AIRES - Defending champion Carlos Sainz has vowed to show respect and modesty as he sets about his hunt for a second triumph in the gruelling 13-stage Dakar Rally which starts on Saturday.
The 48-year-old Spaniard, the world rally champion in 1990 and 1992 who converted to cross country rallying in 2005, led last year's Dakar from the fifth stage to finish ahead of Volkswagen teammates, and chief rivals, Nasser al-Attiyah and Mark Miller.
"Following my career in the

LAHORE - Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who recently made a return to Pakistan squad against South Africa after almost two years gap, said he has not dropped his pace and is looking to play a match-winning role in the World Cup.
Shoaib, who was once discarded as a spent force, said he can still bowl at 150 kmph.
Shoaib said on Wednesday he has modified his run-up and is feeling comfortable even after bowling longer spells. "I have shortened my run-up but am still bowling at

PERTH: Recalled opener Phil Hughes has promised Australia the kind of brisk starts which Virender Sehwag so frequently provides for India. Replacing the injured Simon Katich for the third Ashes test starting on Thursday, Hughes insisted he would not be curbing his attacking instincts against the dangerous English bowlers.
"That's how I've always played. I've been quite aggressive especially the last few years," Hughes told reporters on Tuesday. "That's my natural game and

LAHORE: PML-Q shall resist the Reformed General Sales tax (RGST) in the Punjab Assembly, with a showdown to be expected in both the provincial and the National Assembly, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, former Punjab chief minister and senior Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid leader declared.
Punjab Assembly Parliamentary Committee meeting held on Friday at his residence. Elahi said that the "donkey pump" chief minister was duping the poor public once again on the RGST matter. He promised to

CAIRO: United States President Barack Obama's pledge on Wednesday to strive for better relations with the Muslim world drew scepticism in Cairo, where last year he called for a new beginning in the Middle East after years of mistrust.
In a visit to Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, Obama acknowledged more needed to be done to repair ties with the Muslim world. "As soon as Obama took over, he said he would do this and that -- a lot of things. But he

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf, while discussing achievements of the present government, revealed that 1700 Mega Watt electricity had been added to the system since he had taken charge, and said that a further 1000 to 1200 MW would be installed in the coming three to four months.
Addressing a ceremony, he said that the government was making optimal use of its available resources to overcome the power crisis.
"Power is a public utility and is the