Death toll from toxic liquor consumption rises to 18

The death toll from the consumption of toxic bootlegged liquor in the southern port city of Karachi rose to 18, as at least nine more people lost their battle for life on Monday, hospital officials said.

At least half a dozen people were still admitted to the hospital in precarious condition, raising fears that the casualties may rise further.

“It is a sorry situation and seven more people passed away one by one during the course of the day,” a senior doctor at the Jinnah Hospital, the city’s biggest state hospital, said.

Police officer killed, six injured in Quetta

QUETTA: Unknown gunmen opened indiscriminate fire on a police van in Killi Almo area of Quetta killing station house officer (SHO) of City police station and injuring six others on Thursday.

SHO Mohibullah, along with four of his children and two other policemen, had left his residence in a police van when it came under fire from unknown motorcycle-riding gunmen in Killi Almo area of Balochistan's capital city.

D I Khan jailbreak: Police arrests suspected “Punjabi Taliban” commander

PESHAWAR: Police on Monday claimed to have arrested a suspected “Punjabi Taliban” commander involved in Dera Ismail Khan jailbreak last week, media reported.

According to official sources, the suspected militant, identified as Mujahid Ahmed alias Faqeer Baba has been arrested in injured condition.

Sarwar takes oath as 35th Punjab governor

LAHORE: Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar was sworn in as the 35th Governor of Punjab on Monday in a ceremony held at the Governor’s House in Lahore.

Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, administered the oath of office to Sarwar.

Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, ministers at the federal and provincial level, government officials and a number of foreign guests attended the oath-taking ceremony.

Shah urges all ECP members to resign

ISLAMABAD: After the resignation of the chief election commissioner (CEC), the PPP wants all the four members of the commission to immediately quit their posts.

“I am thankful to Fakhru Bhai for listening to my voice and tendering his resignation while admitting his mistakes in the May 11 elections. He took the right step by resigning after the Supreme Court’s act of undoing his orders in the presidential elections,” Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah said while talking to reporters here on Sunday.

Taliban plans to storm Musharraf's farmhouse: Report

Islamabad: After successfully pulling off a daring attack on a high-security prison in Northwest Pakistan, banned militant outfits have planned to attack former dictator Pervez Musharraf's farmhouse here, a media report on Wednesday said. Musharraf - who is an accused in multiple criminal cases - is being held at his Chak Shahzad farmhouse, which was declared a sub-jail on April 20.

Mobile phone services to be suspended for Yaum-e-Ali

ISLAMABAD: Mobile phone services would remain suspended in most cities of the country on Wednesday as part of security arrangements for Yaum-e-Ali being observed today, DawnNews reported.

Mobile phone services would remain blocked in Karachi from six am till 8pm whereas the services would remain suspended till 6 pm in certain areas of Lahore.

PPP announces boycott of presidential election

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Friday announced its decision to boycott the upcoming presidential election, DawnNews reported.

PPP's former Law Minister of Sindh, Ayaz Soomro, informed the Chief Election Commissioner in writing about the party's decision to boycott the presidential election.

Addressing a press conference in the federal capital city PPP's presidential candidate and senior leader Senator Raza Rabbani said that his party was left with no other option but to boycott the poll.

Secret govt document reveals scores of civilians killed in US drone strikes

A classified Pakistani government document has revealed that scores of civilians died in dozens of CIA-led drone strikes between 2006 and late 2009 in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and that Pakistani officials were “aware of those deaths for many years”.

The secret government document was quoted by the London Bureau of Investigative Journalism (LBIJ) in a report and reveals for the first time the Pakistani government’s evaluation of numerous drone strikes. It was prepared through field research by government officials and field agents stationed in Fata.

Mamnoon strongest PML-N candidate

ISLAMABAD: With two days remaining for submission of nomination papers for the presidential election, the PML-N is reported to have narrowed down the list to three candidates.

Senior PML-N leaders told Dawn that former governor of Sindh and party loyalist Mamnoon Hussain was the front-runner followed by PM’s adviser on foreign affairs and national security Sartaj Aziz and former chief justice of Pakistan Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui.

Expressing dissatisfaction: Gilani prefers jail over appearance before NAB

MULTAN: Former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that he would prefer to go to jail instead of appearing before the National Accountability Bureau for an inquiry.

In an interview with The Express Tribune, Gilani said that with every passing moment, every institution under the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s government was hatching conspiracies against the Pakistan Peoples Party, especially against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Musharraf's daughter target for terrorists: Sindh Home Department

KARACHI: Ayla Musharraf, daughter of former dictator on-trial Pervez Musharraf, is reportedly facing threats to her life according to a notification provided by the Home Department to the government of Sindh , reported Express News on Wednesday.

The home department was informed by intelligence agencies that banned terrorist organizations have drafted a plan to target the former dictator’s daughter in Karachi.

Presidential elections to be held on August 6, ECP

ISLAMABAD: Presidential elections have been scheduled for August 6 by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and a letter was sent to the Chief Election Commissioner Fakhrudin G Ibrahim in this regard, sources told Express News on Tuesday.

The chief election commissioner of Pakistan approved the date for presidential elections. According to the official schedule, the last day to submit presidential nomination papers will be July 24.

No double standards, says Nawaz

FAISALABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said here on Monday that unlike the previous government, his government would not adopt double standards on the issue of drone attacks. The previous regime used to criticise drone attacks, but silently supported them, he said.

“We hope that drone attacks will end in the days to come,” Mr Sharif said in an address to industrialists, exporters, traders and media personnel.

Egypt interim leader offers Brotherhood roles

The Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamist Nour Party will be offered ministerial positions in the transitional government, officials have said, hours after the appointment of a new prime minister.

Hazem el-Beblawi, a liberal economist and former finance minister, was named the new prime minister, the presidential spokesman, Ahmed al-Muslimani, said.

Liberal opposition chief and Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei was named vice president for foreign relations, Muslimani said on Tuesday.

Pakistan should hold talks with Taliban: Fazl

ISLAMABAD: Welcoming the initiation of Doha peace process, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday reiterated his desire that the Pakistan government should also hold talks with Taliban to bring peace and stability in the region.

“The use of force does not work all the time and in all situations,” said the JUI-F chief while talking to a group of reporters after his meeting with a delegation headed by the Special Representative of United Nations (UN) Secretary General on Afghanistan Jan Kubis.