Supreme court asks J&K chief secretary to file affidavit on Kishtwar clashes

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir to file a detailed affidavit on the communal clashes in Kishtwar district and subsequent steps taken by the state government to control the situation.

The apex court directed the chief secretary to file the affidavit by August 21 on a PIL seeking direction to the government to provide safe passage to the pilgrims stranded there due to curfew in Kishtwar to enable them to return home.

Pakistan violates ceasefire again, fires at Indian posts in Samba

JAMMU: Heavy exchange of fire erupted on the border as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire yet again on Tuesday morning — the eight in the last four days — targeting Indian border posts in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir.

"There was firing by Pakistani Rangers on Narianpur border out post (BoP) in Ramgarh forward area in Samba district around 0730 hours", a BSF officer said.

Militants kill 44 people praying at a mosque in Nigeria

MAIDUGURI: Suspected Islamic militants wearing army fatigues gunned down 44 people praying at a mosque in northeast Nigeria, while another 12 civilians died in an apparently simultaneous attack, security agents said on Monday.

Sunday's attacks were the latest in a slew of violence blamed on religious extremists in this west African oil producer, where the radical Boko Haram group, which wants to oust the government and impose Islamic law, poses the greatest security threat in years.

SSP, two army officers killed in Chilas firing incident

CHILAS: Three people, including a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Diamer and two army officers, were killed on Tuesday as their convoy came under attack in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Chilas area.

According to DawnNews, unknown gunmen opened fire on a government convoy in Chilas, killing SSP Diamer Muhammad Hilal and two army officers Colonel Ghulam Mustafa and Captain Ashfaq Aziz on the spot.

Zardari, Nawaz felicitate president-elect

ISLAMABAD: Notwithstanding PPP’s boycott of the presidential election, President Asif Ali Zardari, who is co-chairman of the party, felicitated Mamnoon Hussain on Tuesday on his election as the 12th president of the country.

“In his message of felicitation President Zardari wished the president-elect well in the discharge of his responsibilities as head of the federation,” president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said.

Pakistan donates 1 mln USD to quake-hit China

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met on Wednesday with Pakistan's Ambassador to China Masood Khalid and received a humanitarian donation of one million U.S. dollars from the Pakistani government.

A 6.6-magnitude quake hit northwest China's Gansu Province on Monday morning, leaving 95 dead and 1,001 injured.

"A friend in need is a friend indeed," said Wang, calling Pakistan a devoted friend of China.

Supreme Court stops trial court from delivering verdict against Lalu Yadav

In what comes as a major relief for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Yadav, the Supreme Court today restrained the trial court in Ranchi from delivering its verdict in the fodder scam case in which Mr Yadav is accused of embezzling Rs. 30 crore from the government during his earlier term as chief minister of Bihar.

Mr Yadav had asked for his case to be transferred to a different court, alleging that Pravas Kumar Singh, the judge handling the verdict, is related to a senior minister in the current Bihar government headed by Nitish Kumar.

Roadside bomb kills 17 villagers in Afghanistan

KABUL: A roadside bomb struck a motorcycle-drawn cart carrying women and children between two villages Tuesday in western Afghanistan, killing all 17 people on board, a grim reminder of the dangers facing Afghan civilians ahead of the 2014 withdrawal of foreign combat troops.

SC disposes of Musharraf treason petitions, directs govt to continue course

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday disposed of the petitions calling for the registration of a treason case against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and directed the government to continue approaching the matter in light of its official statement presented to the court.

The government had in its statement said that it would proceed in accordance with the law and prosecute Musharraf for treason — after taking the political forces into confidence.

Egypt teeters on brink of overthrow, 23 reported killed in Tuesday clashes

Egypt teetered on the brink of overthrow late Tuesday after a defiant Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi rejected an ultimatum issued by the military and at least 23 people were reported killed in clashes between his supporters and opponents.

Defense officials have pledged to intervene if the government does not address public demands and end the political turmoil engulfing Cairo.

In a speech to the nation broadcast live late Tuesday, Morsi said he would not step down and would protect his "constitutional legitimacy" with his life.

Benazir murder case: ATC orders authorities to produce Musharraf on July 9

RAWALPINDI: During Monday’s hearing of the Benazir Bhutto murder case, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi categorically ordered the authorities to produce former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, the main accused in the case, on July 9 before it as it adjourned the matter to the said date, DawnNews reported.

The ATC was hearing the case pertaining to the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

One of the accused persons in the murder, Aitraaz Shah’s application requesting bail was presented in the court, which was accepted for today's hearing.

Quetta shuts down to mourn attack as blast toll rises to 30

QUETTA: The death toll in the Quetta suicide bombing reached 30 on Monday morning as two of the injured persons succumbed to their injuries in the Combined Military Hospital.

Earlier on Sunday night, at least 28 men and women of Shia Hazara community were killed and 60 others injured in a suicide blast in the Aliabad area of Hazara town.

Shehzada Farhat, a senior government official, told Dawn.com that the condition of some the injured persons was still serious. The wounded were being treated at the army run CMH.

Hopes for revival of dialogue with India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is hopeful of resumption of stalled peace dialogue with India in a few weeks in which trade is likely to take precedence over core bilateral disputes.

Soon after its installation, the PML-N government had signalled to India its desire for restarting the talks held up since January due to flare-up of tensions along the Line of Control. The Indian government has promised to send its proposals for resumption of talks, which are being awaited.

Court clears Chandy in palm oil import case

The Kerala High Court yesterday dismissed petitions of opposition leader V S Achuthanandan and former bureaucrat Alphons Kannanthanam to against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the 1992 palm oil import case.

Upholding the trial court decision, the high court also wondered if the petitioners were trying to delay the trial and making political capital out of it. The court also observed that the petitioners did not approach any court after it was taken up for trial in 2004.

NDFB chairman granted bail

Guwahati: National Democratic Front of Bodoland chairman Ranjan Daimary, the prime accused in the October 30, 2008 serial blasts, has been granted bail by Kamrup District and Sessions court.

Daimary was granted bail yesterday against Rs three lakh, with two sureties of the same amount each.

Daimary was, however, restricted from moving out of Assam without permission. He was also asked and to deposit his passport and driving license.

BJP prez Rajnath Singh arrives on 2-day visit to Bihar

BJP president Rajnath Singh today arrived here on a two-day visit to bolster the party's preparations for the next general elections post the separation with NDA partner JD(U).

Singh was accorded a warm reception by the Bihar BJP leaders at the Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport, from where he drove to Sanjay Gandhi stadium to address party workers later in the day.

Pakistan defends allocation of funds to Jamaat-ud-Dawah

LAHORE: The government of Pakistan's Punjab province has justified its allocation of over Rs 61 million to the largest centre of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, saying the funds are needed to continue the services being provided to people by the facility.

A spokesman of the Punjab government said the Punjab government had taken "administrative control of the welfare institutions being run by (the JuD) in compliance with Security Council resolutions of the United Nations".

India to take up with Pak financial aid to JuD: Khurshid

India today said it will take up with Islamabad the allocation of over Rs 61 million in Pakistan's Punjab province budget to a centre of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the parent body of terror group LeT that had carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

"I can't comment on what the state government in Pakistan is doing. Whatever comes to our knowledge and is a concern for our security will be taken up with Pakistan federal government," External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said.

Hafeez Saeed group gets 61 mn from govt

The government of Pakistan's Punjab province has allocated millions of rupees in its budget for fiscal 2013-14 for the largest centre of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, considered a front for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Besides a grant-in-aid of over Rs. 61 million for the JuD centre known as

'Markaz-e-Taiba', the provincial government has allocated Rs. 350 million for setting up a "Knowledge Park" at the centre and other development initiatives.

Details of the allocations were presented in budget documents tabled in the Punjab assembly on Monday by the PML-N government led by chief minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Turkey threatens to deploy army to end unrest

Turkey has said it may bring in the army to help end nearly three weeks of nationwide anti-government protests.

The warning came as two major union federations went on strike on Monday over police violence against demonstrators.

The government raised the threat of putting soldiers on the streets after a weekend of violent clashes prompted by the eviction of campers occupying Istanbul's Gezi Park, the epicentre of the protest movement.