Awaz Apni

  G8 sets timeframe for Afghan withdrawal Awaz Apni: The G8 group of major world powers set a five-year timeframe for the government of Afghanistan to take increasing control of its own security. The communiqué, released at the end of the two-day Muskoka summit in Canada, represents the first time the international community has put a clear timescale at the highest level for the conclusion of the foreign intervention in Afghanistan, which began in 2001. And it sets a probable end date for the withdrawal of Britain’s 10,000-strong deployment in the country. It came a day after Prime Minister David Cameron indicated that he envisages the bulk of UK troops coming home from Afghanistan by the time of the next general election due in 2015. The agreed communiqué by G8 members Britain, the US, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Japan – calls on the Afghan government to set out ...

AMagazine NEW DELHI: Britain, Canada and Australia have advised their citizens visiting India not to travel to Mumbai. The US have not yet updated any travel advisory. This follows reports that terrorists were specifically looking for British and US passport holders at the two five-star hotels which they attacked late Wednesday night in Mumbai. The British Foreign Office advised against “all non-essential travel to Mumbai until further notice”. “If you are currently in Mumbai we advise you to stay indoors and monitor the media,” it added, noting that they should contact their travel agent for information as some flights have been cancelled. The Foreign Office also gave Mumbai and Britain phones numbers for British citizens or their relatives to contact for information. “We advise all British nationals in the city to stay indoors until local authorities advise that it is safe to go outside,” the notice added. The Australian foreign ministry's travel advice also had a similar tenor, ...

CNews TEHRAN: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that Iran would not retreat in the face of demands by world powers for Tehran to halt sensitive nuclear work. "Taking one step back against arrogant (powers) will lead to them to take one step forward," Khamenei was quoted as saying by state television in a sermon. His comments come ahead of a Saturday deadline for Iran to respond to a package of incentives aimed at persuading it to freeze uranium enrichment, a process that makes nuclear fuel but also the core of an atomic bomb. Iran on July 19 held talks with representatives of major powers including EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and for the first time an official from Tehran's arch-foe the United States, William Burns. Iran was given until Saturday to give its final answer. But Iran has rejected any deadline, saying it was agreed in Geneva that it would during a two-week period examine the proposal put forward by permanent UN Security Counci...

CNews LONDON: Saudi Arabia has agreed to defer payments for the crude oil sales to Pakistan worth $5.9 billion during Pakistan's current July-June financial year, a British daily reported on Saturday. "There is an agreement to defer oil payments. The modalities are being worked out," Pakistan's de facto finance minister Naveed Qamar was quoted as saying in an interview on Friday night. Qamar would not discuss the time span for which payments on Saudi oil shipments would be deferred, but an official from the petroleum ministry in Islamabad separately told the British daily that the agreement involved deferring payments until at least June 2009 when the financial year ended. It was not clear if the deferred payments would be paid back. One western diplomat familiar with Saudi ties to Pakistan said the Saudis in 1998 began supplying crude oil under a deferred payment plan after Pakistan carried out its maiden nuclear tests and came under international sanctions. Saudi Ar...

CNews ISLAMABAD: Over 10,000 Pakistani and foreign observers are monitoring general elections in Pakistan. The election commission has issued 1050 accreditation cards to foreign observers and 4600 cards to the local observers. Foreign observers mostly came from United States, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Britain, Germany and France as well as from Japan, Bosnia, China, Nigeria, Belgium, India, Estonia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Moreover, observers have also arrived in Pakistan from Holland, Scotland, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Hungary. The foreign office has issued visas to 3000 foreign observers that will be lapsed on February 25. The election authorities have also issued observers’ cards to the diplomats of America, Britain, Canada and Japan. Provincial election commissioners of Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Lahore and 125 District Returning Officers have also issued accreditation cards to over 4400 observers. Mr. Grant, a representative of International Foundation For Electoral Sys...

CNews Kosovo: Tens of thousands of Kosovans have been dancing in the streets, setting off fireworks and waving Albanian flags. The festivities follow a statement by Prime Minister Hashim Thaci that Sunday would be a big day for "implementing the will of the citizens of Kosovo". But correspondent say the potential for trouble between Kosovo's Serbs and ethnic Albanians is enormous. Mr Thaci's comments on Saturday were the clearest indication yet that the province would declare independence from Serbia on Sunday. Without confirming the move, he said the influence of Belgrade had ended, and nothing Serbia could do would have an impact on developments in Kosovo. Flashpoint town Shortly after the announcement, scores of drivers took to the streets of Pristina, honking their horns. Strains of Albanian music blared from car stereos as distinctive red and black Albanian flags fluttered in the winter breeze. Posters have been stuck on the walls of buildings expressing thanks ...

CNews RAWALPINDI: Pakistan rejecting reports of the US administration considering granting the CIA right to carry out US operations in its tribal region said it is not up to the US administration to make such decisions as the Pakistan government is responsible for security in the country.Talking to French news agency Chief military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said that there are no overt or covert US operations being carried out inside Pakistan. “Such reports are baseless and we reject them." Arshad also dismissed comments from US White House hopeful Hillary Clinton that she would propose a joint US-British team to oversee the security of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal if she was elected president. "We do not require anybody's assistance. We are fully capable of doing it on our own," he said.

CNews ISLAMABAD: The British Scotland Yard (SY) team which arrived here on Friday was given a briefing by the Interior Ministry about the probe carried out so far by the local investigators into the assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto.Sources told CNews News that Special Investigation Group of FIA Anti Terrorism apprised the SY team about the evidence gathered so far in connection with the murder of PPP leader.The SY team, after holding detailed consultations with the Pakistan Government, will be embark upon a fully fledged probe into the incident and they will be extended full cooperation by SIG.However, the matters regarding the team’s contact with the eye witnesses besides autopsy of the body of Ms Bhutto are yet to be finalized. Meanwhile, the office bearers of Pakistan Peoples Party have been expressing distrust on locally conducted investigation and have demanded probe into the murder of Ms Bhutto under United Nations’ appointed investigators.President Pervez Musharraf had announc...

Corps Commanders vow to knock-off Extremism, terrorism (Updated at 1745) RAWALPINDI: President General Pervez Musharraf said that the imposition of emergency was a difficult decision but it was taken in the larger interest of the nation for knocking-off extremism and terrorism and for the political stability in the country. President General Pervez Musharraf told this to the participants of conference of the corps commanders, briefing them about the situation caused for emergency and the incidents which have taken place after emergency. He said that all necessary arrangements would be made for holding early the independent and transparent elections. The President said that the stabilized situation of law and order is vital for economic development and every possible action would be taken for knocking-off extremism. He praised the role of the Pak army in dealing with the extremism in the country. He gave a detailed briefing about the law and order situation in the country, particularly...

CNews LONDON: Dr Imran Farooq, the convener of the Central Co-ordination Committee of uttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has categorically denied the report published in a UK newspaper and a section of Pakistani press stating that MQM had been advised by British and American diplomats to show restraint when PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto returns to Karachi. According to a press release issued Wednesday, Dr. Imran Farooq said that no contact was made with MQM by American and British diplomats in this regard and the published report is totally baseless. He said that MQM welcomes the return of Benazir Bhutto just after her announcement to return to Pakistan. He stated that this decision was taken by the Central Co-ordination Committee of MQM. Dr Imran Farooq said that it is on record that during the last five years, being in the government, MQM never created any hindrance in political activities of any political parties including its opposition parties. All the political parties have complete ...

KARACHI: ‘Pakistan Idol’ program for the music-lover youths kicked off here from the Geo platform, aims at hunting out the talented youths from all across the world and help them achieve their right place in the society.This was announced here in a Pakistan Idol inaugural function marked by a colorful musical night studded with the renowned trendy vocalists winning the hearts of the audience at the PAF Museum and making Pakistan Idol a milestone in the promotion of music talents here.A British television program Pop Idol telecast on October 5, 2001 touching the height of success transcended to the different countries and the Geo Television Network in collaboration with the Pop Idol’s franchise company Fremantle Media laid the foundation of Pakistan Idol. This unique program aims at exploring talented singers and giving them their rightful place.Prior to Pakistan Idol, this program has successfully proved its worth in over 41 countries including Britain, US, Canada, Germany, United Arab...