Woman allegedly sets husband on fire in Karachi

KARACHI: A woman allegedly burnt her husband to death on Thursday in New Karachi?s Bilal Colony.

The 37-year-old resident of F.B. area, Muhammad Suhail, had gone to conciliate with his disgruntled wife at her home on Tuesday night. His wife reportedly, with the help of her family members, doused Suhail with petrol and set him on fire.

According to deceased Suhail?s sister, her brother had been married since 15 years and was a father of four girls.

Suhail?s wife used to quarrel with him regularly, said the sister. She alleged that this time around, her brother had gone to meet his kids and reconcile with his wife, however, he didn?t return home alive.

According to the deceased?s wife, he used to abuse her most of the time and this time also she went home due to his behavior.

His mental condition wasn?t stable, said the wife, adding that he had self-immolated.

Police said that a case has been registered naming five people. The deceased?s wife, father-in-law and a relative were arrested.

According to the investigation officer, raids are being conducted to arrest more suspects.

In another incident of domestic violence, a man with the aid of his family members allegedly made his wife drink acid in Muzzaffagarh.

It was said that the husband was agitated with the wife for coming home late from her parent?s home.

The woman was admitted to Nishtar Hospital and an FIR was registered over the issue.

 

 

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Stranded Pakistani in Saudi Arabia: Ambassador visits camps

DAMMAM: The Pakistan ambassador to Saudi Arabia visited a camp in Dammam where over 800 stranded Pakistanis are struggling to survive.

Over 8000 Pakistani labourers are stranded in various cities of Saudi Arabia after their employers failed to pay them salaries.

According to the foreign office, supply of food at two camps in Jeddah has been restored. In the other three camps stipend for food will be provided to the occupants.

Pakistan?s embassy in Riyadh has set up a special facilitation centre and fund for jobless Pakistani labourers stranded without wages in Saudi Arabia, the prime minister's office said on Tuesday.

Thousands of jobless Pakistanis, Indians, and Filipinos are stranded and destitute in the Kingdom after a plunge in oil prices sparked construction layoffs.

According to a spokesman for the Prime Minister House, the special centre would provide aid, food, medicine and shelter for the stranded Pakistani nationals.

"The (Pakistani) embassy has further informed that the Saudi King has issued a decree for urgent payment of dues to workers by the concerned," the office of the prime minister said.

The spokesman said the prime minister has issued directions for the assistance and complaint resolution of the labourers in Saudi Arabia.

On July 29, the National Assembly?s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development was briefed about 450 Pakistani workers facing financial problems in the Dammam area of Saudi Arabia.

The committee meeting at the Parliament House noted that overseas Pakistanis were facing severe financial problems as the company that hired them did not pay them salaries for the last several months.

Earlier it was reported that more than 1.6 million Pakistanis had proceeded to Saudi Arabia during 2011-15 for employment purposes, making the country the largest market for Pakistani workers across the world.

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Stranded Pakistani in Saudi Arabia: Ambassador visits camps

DAMMAM: The Pakistan ambassador to Saudi Arabia visited a camp in Dammam where over 800 stranded Pakistanis are struggling to survive.

Over 8000 Pakistani labourers are stranded in various cities of Saudi Arabia after their employers failed to pay them salaries.

According to the foreign office, supply of food at two camps in Jeddah has been restored. In the other three camps stipend for food will be provided to the occupants.

Pakistan’s embassy in Riyadh has set up a special facilitation centre and fund for jobless Pakistani labourers stranded without wages in Saudi Arabia, the prime minister's office said on Tuesday.

Thousands of jobless Pakistanis, Indians, and Filipinos are stranded and destitute in the Kingdom after a plunge in oil prices sparked construction layoffs.

According to a spokesman for the Prime Minister House, the special centre would provide aid, food, medicine and shelter for the stranded Pakistani nationals.

"The (Pakistani) embassy has further informed that the Saudi King has issued a decree for urgent payment of dues to workers by the concerned," the office of the prime minister said.

The spokesman said the prime minister has issued directions for the assistance and complaint resolution of the labourers in Saudi Arabia.

On July 29, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development was briefed about 450 Pakistani workers facing financial problems in the Dammam area of Saudi Arabia.

The committee meeting at the Parliament House noted that overseas Pakistanis were facing severe financial problems as the company that hired them did not pay them salaries for the last several months.

Earlier it was reported that more than 1.6 million Pakistanis had proceeded to Saudi Arabia during 2011-15 for employment purposes, making the country the largest market for Pakistani workers across the world.

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First Hajj flight carrying pilgrims sets off today

ISLAMABAD:  Over 329 pilgrims set off for Medina in the first Hajj flight by Pakistan International Airline on Wednesday.

The pilgrims set off at 4:30 AM. They expressed satisfaction at the arrangements the government had made for them.

Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousuf and the Saudi ambassador bid them farewell.

?Sufficient arrangements have been made to train the pilgrims. They have been provided appropriate accommodation,? Yousuf said.

The pilgrims were warned against carrying anything suspicious in their luggage.

A private airline from Lahore also carried 217 pilgrims to Medina today.

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Pentagon not to pay Pakistan $300 million in military reimbursements

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon will not pay Pakistan $300 million in military reimbursements after US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter decided not to tell Congress that Pakistan was taking adequate action against the Haqqani network, a US, official said.

Relations between the two countries have been frayed over the past decade, with US officials frustrated by what they term Islamabad´s unwillingness to act against groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

"The funds could not be released to the Government of Pakistan at this time because the Secretary has not yet certified that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network," Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said on Wednesday.

The $300 million comes under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), a US Defense Department program to reimburse allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations. Pakistan is the largest recipient.

"This decision does not reduce the significance of the sacrifices that the Pakistani military has undertaken over the last two years," Stump added.

According to Pentagon data, about $14 billion has already been paid to Pakistan under the CSF since 2002.The decision by the Pentagon is a sign that while it sees some progress by Pakistan in its military operations in North Waziristan, much work remains.

Pakistan rejects harboring militants but says there are limits to how much it can do as it is already fighting multiple terrorist groups and is wary of a "blowback" in the form of more terror attacks on its soil.

"(The) Coalition Support Fund is one of the many cooperative arrangements between Pakistan and the United States to pursue common objectives," said Nadeem Hotiana, a spokesman for the Pakistani embassy in Washington.

Relations between the United States and Pakistan were tested in May by a US drone strike that killed Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour on Pakistani soil.

There has been growing resistance in the US Congress to sending money to Pakistan.

Many lawmakers have expressed concern about its nuclear program, commitment to fighting terrorist organizations and cooperation in the Afghanistan peace process.

In March, Republican Senator Bob Corker said he would use his power as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to bar any US funding for Islamabad´s purchase of $700 million of Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighter jets.

 

 

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Pentagon not to pay Pakistan $300 million in military reimbursements

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon will not pay Pakistan $300 million in military reimbursements after US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter decided not to tell Congress that Pakistan was taking adequate action against the Haqqani network, a US, official said.

Relations between the two countries have been frayed over the past decade, with US officials frustrated by what they term Islamabad´s unwillingness to act against groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

"The funds could not be released to the Government of Pakistan at this time because the Secretary has not yet certified that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network," Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said on Wednesday.

The $300 million comes under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), a US Defense Department program to reimburse allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations. Pakistan is the largest recipient.

"This decision does not reduce the significance of the sacrifices that the Pakistani military has undertaken over the last two years," Stump added.

According to Pentagon data, about $14 billion has already been paid to Pakistan under the CSF since 2002.The decision by the Pentagon is a sign that while it sees some progress by Pakistan in its military operations in North Waziristan, much work remains.

Pakistan rejects harboring militants but says there are limits to how much it can do as it is already fighting multiple terrorist groups and is wary of a "blowback" in the form of more terror attacks on its soil.

"(The) Coalition Support Fund is one of the many cooperative arrangements between Pakistan and the United States to pursue common objectives," said Nadeem Hotiana, a spokesman for the Pakistani embassy in Washington.

Relations between the United States and Pakistan were tested in May by a US drone strike that killed Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour on Pakistani soil.

There has been growing resistance in the US Congress to sending money to Pakistan.

Many lawmakers have expressed concern about its nuclear program, commitment to fighting terrorist organizations and cooperation in the Afghanistan peace process.

In March, Republican Senator Bob Corker said he would use his power as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to bar any US funding for Islamabad´s purchase of $700 million of Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighter jets.

 

 

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First Hajj flight carrying pilgrims sets off today

ISLAMABAD:  Over 329 pilgrims set off for Medina in the first Hajj flight by Pakistan International Airline on Wednesday.

The pilgrims set off at 4:30 AM. They expressed satisfaction at the arrangements the government had made for them.

Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousuf and the Saudi ambassador bid them farewell.

“Sufficient arrangements have been made to train the pilgrims. They have been provided appropriate accommodation,” Yousuf said.

The pilgrims were warned against carrying anything suspicious in their luggage.

A private airline from Lahore also carried 217 pilgrims to Medina today.

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PM directs minister to proceed to KSA to help stranded Pakistanis

ISLAMABAD/RIYADH: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the Minister for Overseas Pakistanis to immediately proceed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as more than 8000 Pakistani workers remain stranded there facing shortage of food after not being paid by their employers.

These expatriates have neither been paid salaries for the last several months nor their work permits renewed by the companies which employed them, according to media reports.

Premier Sharif, taking notice of these reports, today directed the Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development to immediately proceed to Saudi Arabia to coordinate relief measures for stranded countrymen.

He directed the ministry to coordinate with Pakistani Mission in Saudi Arabia to mitigate the plight of these workers and help ensure that their issues are resolved, a statement issued from the PM Office said.

The prime minister also directed Pakistan Baitul Maal (PBM) to provide financial resources to the Pakistanis stuck in the kingdom for no fault of them.

"We will make every possible effort to resolve the plight of our brethren in Saudi Arabia," said the premier, directing the Foreign Office (FO) to submit its report to him on daily basis.

Pakistan's Ambassador to KSA Manzoor Ul Haq, meanwhile, visited the camp where these Pakistanis are staying in Dammam and listened to their problems, said the FO. The camp is housing nearly 800 Pakistanis.

Earlier on Wednesday, Haq had said that the Pakistan Embassy had provided basic amenities including food to countrymen stuck there.

The government of Saudi Arabia had directed the concerned companies to provide dues and arrears to stranded Pakistani workers, he had said, while talking to a private news channel.

The ambassador had further stated that various other steps had also been taken to address the issue.

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UK to ?consider? help request in Samia Shahid murder case

LONDON/BRADFORD: West Yorkshire Police has said that Pakistani authorities have not yet made any contact with the police here in relation to the murder investigation of Bradford-born British Pakistani girl Samia Shahid in Jhelum but a request to assist the investigation will be “carefully considered”.

A forensic examination of the body of Samia Shahid established on Wednesday she was suffocated to death and there were injury marks on her body, according to reports in Pakistan.

Samia Shahid’s husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam believes that she was the victim of a so-called honour killing because she had rebelled against wishes of the family, divorced her first husband Muhammad Shakeel and married him in Bradford in 2014.

Samia Shahid’s family insisted she died of natural causes but Syed Mukhtar Kazam believes she was killed because of her marriage with him. Shahid's family in Pakistan and Bradford has strongly denied any involvement in her death.

Speaking to The News, a spokesman for the West Yorkshire Police confirmed that Samia Shahid’s mother and sister are in Bradford now. The News understands the duo flew out of Pakistan as soon as the investigation started â€" following the murder story was first written in this paper and highlighted by Geo News.

The police spokesman said: “We believe they are both in the UK, but this is a Pakistan Police investigation and all enquiries are being directed by the investigating force.”

He added that the West Yorkshire Police was “continuing to liaise with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding their investigation”.

Asked whether Samia Shahid had reported to the Bradford police that she feared for her life after getting married to Syed Mukhtar Kazam, the police spokesman said that she never told the police about threats to her life. “No allegations were made to police concerning immediate threats to her safety.”

The spokesman, however, said that “Samia was spoken to by officers after she was reported missing”. It is understood that Samia was reported missing by her family after she married Kazam and left for Dubai.

The spokesman said: “We can confirm that Samia Shahid was reported missing to West Yorkshire Police on May 14, 2015.”

When asked if anyone has been arrested or spoken to in Bradford, he said:  “No arrests have been made in Bradford in relation to the investigation. Any request from the Pakistan Police for assistance with enquiries will be carefully considered. This is a Pakistan Police investigation.”

Bradford West Labour MP Naz Shah, who has campaigned for the case to be thoroughly investigated in Pakistan, said: "We're actually very pleasantly surprised at the way the Pakistan authorities have responded to this and the urgency that they've placed on this investigation, which is quite impressive. The communication, to say we're so far apart, has been pretty good."

It’s understood that if police in Pakistan ask for any extradition in this case through the FCO then the British authorities would be bound to cooperate with the request.

Samia Shahid, 28, a British national who had reportedly been visiting family in Pakistan last month, was found dead on July 20. Her family had claimed she had died of natural causes; however, her second husband Mukhtar Kazam denied the claims. He had maintained that Samia had been killed by her family for ‘honour’.

Earlier on Wednesday, the forensic report of the deceased confirmed that she was murdered and her death was not due to natural causes, according to sources.

The report, stating that Shahid died of suffocation, was handed over to the investigation committee formed on the directives of the Punjab CM last week.

Investigations picked up momentum earlier in the week after her father Chaudhary Shahid was found to have omitted important information in his statement to the police.

According to a copy of his statement obtained by Geo News, Chaudhary Shahid did not mention that Samia’s first husband went missing after the murder.

This omission gave the police new reasons to suspect the father. The police are already probing Samia’s mother and sister in the case.

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Rangers' special policing powers in Karachi extended for 90 days

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: On the request of the Sindh provincial government, the federal government on Wednesday extended the special policing powers of the Rangers paramilitary force in Karachi for 90 days, said an interior ministry notification.

A second notification was also issued by the federal ministry, extending the Pakistan Rangers deployment in Sindh province for another year for the paramilitary force to continue to discharge functions and assist the Sindh Police in the maintenance of law and order within the province.

"Pursuant to the request made by the Home department, government of Sindh, dated 1st August, 2016 and in continuation of this Ministry's Notification No.9/1/95-R (Sindh) dated 9th May, 2016 the powers conferred upon Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) in Karachi Division under clause (i) of sub section-3 of section-4 of Anti Terrorism Act, 1997, (XXVII of 1997), are extended for another period of 90 days with effect from 20th July, 2016," said the notification extending the force?s special policing powers in Karachi.

The terms of both special policing powers of the Sindh Rangers in Karachi under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the stay of the paramilitary force in the province in aid of civil administration and the police had ended on 19 July, 2016. 

Previously, the Sindh government had extended in May 2016 the special policing powers of the Sindh Rangers in Karachi for 77 days while the term of stay of the Rangers in the province in aid of the civil administration and police had been extended for a year in July 2015.

Sindh government?s 'conditions' rejected

The notifications were issued after newly elected Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah signed the letter to the interior ministry for extending the stay of the Sindh Rangers in the province to extend their special policing powers.

According to reports from sources, the Sindh government had also sent a list of 15 conditions limiting the Rangers' powers to operate without the permission of the Sindh government.

But, speaking on the Geo News programme Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Saath, Law Adviser to CM Sindh Murtaza Wahab said that he had not yet received a copy of the official notifications but only learnt about them from media reports.

Wahab denied that any such conditions had been sent by the Sindh government, claiming that federal interior ministry had accepted the provincial government's request in letter and spirit.

The interior ministry notifications ended a long-running row between the Sindh government, federal government, and the Rangers over the issue of the force?s stay and policing powers in the province.

Apart from straining relations between the Sindh government and the Rangers, the lingering issue regarding the stay and special powers of the Sindh Rangers also strained relations between the provincial authorities belonging to the PPP government and the interior minister in Islamabad as the latter repeatedly called for immediate extension of the special powers of the Sindh Rangers for the sake of the continuity of the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi against terrorists and lawless elements.

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'Day of accountability' begins from Peshawar on Aug 7: ImranÂ

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that a "day of accountability" will begin from Peshawar on August 7.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Imran Khan said the protest march will begin from Peshawar and will end in Attock.

"Rulers are answerable to people in democratic set up," he said, adding that those who were terming the PTI's street movement as a ploy against democracy do not know the meaning of it.

Imran said he was not launching a protest movement but just mobilizing the masses against corruption, adding that they were giving another chance to the government over terms of references for the inquiry commission on Panama Leaks.

"We are preparing our people to raise their voice against corruption. We are in essence strengthening democracy here," he said.

Imran said he was considering moving the Supreme Court against corruption and indifference of government over Panama leaks.

He said PTI would participate in the next meeting of the ToRs committee.

The PTI chairman also criticised the National Accountability Bureau, saying corruption had instead only risen since the establishment of NAB 15 years ago.

Meanwhile, a woman disrupted Imran Khan?s press conference to voice her grievances against the provincial education department.

The woman, who said she was an assistant sub-divisional education officer, began crying soon after getting in front of the cameras.

Imran had to stop the press conference as the woman started protesting against the alleged corruption of some officers of the KP education department who she said had lodged an FIR against her.

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'Day of accountability' begins from Peshawar on Aug 7: ImranÂ

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that a "day of accountability" will begin from Peshawar on August 7.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Imran Khan said the protest march will begin from Peshawar and will end in Attock.

"Rulers are answerable to people in democratic set up," he said, adding that those who were terming the PTI's street movement as a ploy against democracy do not know the meaning of it.

Imran said he was not launching a protest movement but just mobilizing the masses against corruption, adding that they were giving another chance to the government over terms of references for the inquiry commission on Panama Leaks.

"We are preparing our people to raise their voice against corruption. We are in essence strengthening democracy here," he said.

Imran said he was considering moving the Supreme Court against corruption and indifference of government over Panama leaks.

He said PTI would participate in the next meeting of the ToRs committee.

The PTI chairman also criticised the National Accountability Bureau, saying corruption had instead only risen since the establishment of NAB 15 years ago.

Meanwhile, a woman disrupted Imran Khan’s press conference to voice her grievances against the provincial education department.

The woman, who said she was an assistant sub-divisional education officer, began crying soon after getting in front of the cameras.

Imran had to stop the press conference as the woman started protesting against the alleged corruption of some officers of the KP education department who she said had lodged an FIR against her.

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Judoka Shah Hussain Shah to be Pakistan's flag bearer at Rio Olympics

The biggest sporting extravaganza of 2016, Rio Olympics, is set to commence on Friday with only seven athletes participating from Pakistan â€" the lowest number of participants from the country ever in the history of the games.

For the first time, Pakistan’s Olympic contingent will be without the Hockey team hence the tradition of Hockey team’s captain being contingent’s flag bearer will not be met.

Reliable sources from Pakistan Olympics Association (POA) have informed this correspondent that in the absence of the Hockey captain, Judoka Shah Hussain Shah is going to be Pakistan's flag bearer in the games.

Pakistan's campaign in Rio Olympics will commence on 6th August when two of country’s athletes will be in action at the games.

The first Pakistani athlete to be in action at Rio will be the shooter, Minhal Sohail, who will participate in qualification rounds of 10m Air Rifle event for women, which is scheduled to commence at 4:30pm PST.

Also on Saturday, swimmer Haris Banday will jump in the pool for his 400m freestyle heats.

Pakistan's possible medal hope at the games, Shah Hussain Shah, will fight his first bout on 11th August. He is participating in -100kg weight category of Judo competition.

Another shooter, Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, participating in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol competition will be in action on 12th August.

Swimmer Lianna Swan will also be in action on the same day for the heats in the women’s 25m freestyle category.

Sprinter Mahboob Ali will run for the heats in the men's 400m on August 13th while Najma Parveen will compete in the women's 200m heats on 15th August.

If any of athletes qualify for the next stage at the games, his/her schedule will be announced accordingly.

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IG Sindh's peculiar advice to public: Use licensed weapons for self-defence, not showoff

 

KARACHI: The Sindh police chief on Wednesday urged citizens of Karachi to use licensed weapons for self-defence against criminals and praised efforts of citizens who had recently shot robbers in Nazimabad.

Addressing a press conference here earlier today, Inspector-General Sindh Allah Dino Khawaja encouraged citizens to use their licensed weapons for self-defence against criminals and robbers, instead of keeping them for mere decoration and showoff.

"If a citizen owns a licensed weapon then that means they have the legal right to use it for self-defence," the police chief said.

He praised the efforts of the police in cracking down on criminals and terrorists, saying that it is the duty of the police to help the citizens and that it is to everyone's advantage if people use guns to fight crime in the city.

Talking about the recent attack on army personnel in Karachi, the IG Sindh said that had the citizens cooperated that day, the gunmen could have been caught and brought to justice.

Two Pakistan Army personnel were martyred last month when unidentified gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in the congested, downtown Saddar area of Karachi.

The police chief praised the citizens who had recently shot robbers in Nazimabad and announced a cash reward for them in a bid to encourage the public to take action against criminals.

He also shed light on the police's efforts to curb crime in the city, saying that there have been 490 police operations during the past six months in Karachi alone.

Between three and four criminals are being arrested on a daily basis, the IG Sindh noted, adding that there has been a visible reduction in incidences of street crimes in the city.

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IG Sindh's peculiar advice to public: Use licensed weapons for self-defence, not showoff

 

KARACHI: The Sindh police chief on Wednesday urged citizens of Karachi to use licensed weapons for self-defence against criminals and praised efforts of citizens who had recently shot robbers in Nazimabad.

Addressing a press conference here earlier today, Inspector-General Sindh Allah Dino Khawaja encouraged citizens to use their licensed weapons for self-defence against criminals and robbers, instead of keeping them for mere decoration and showoff.

"If a citizen owns a licensed weapon then that means they have the legal right to use it for self-defence," the police chief said.

He praised the efforts of the police in cracking down on criminals and terrorists, saying that it is the duty of the police to help the citizens and that it is to everyone's advantage if people use guns to fight crime in the city.

Talking about the recent attack on army personnel in Karachi, the IG Sindh said that had the citizens cooperated that day, the gunmen could have been caught and brought to justice.

Two Pakistan Army personnel were martyred last month when unidentified gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in the congested, downtown Saddar area of Karachi.

The police chief praised the citizens who had recently shot robbers in Nazimabad and announced a cash reward for them in a bid to encourage the public to take action against criminals.

He also shed light on the police's efforts to curb crime in the city, saying that there have been 490 police operations during the past six months in Karachi alone.

Between three and four criminals are being arrested on a daily basis, the IG Sindh noted, adding that there has been a visible reduction in incidences of street crimes in the city.

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Sohail and Rahat tear through England top order

BIRMINGHAM: Pacers Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali struck in the early hours of the third Test against England at Edgbaston, reducing the opponents to 100 for 3 at lunch on Wednesday.

Sohail Khan, recalled to the Pakistan side to replace Wahab Riaz for the third Test, struck twice in the opening hour of the match, leaving England’s top-order looking shaky.

The 32-year-old pacer had England opener Alex Hales caught behind at 17.

Sohail then sent newcomer Joe Root back to the pavilion at just 3, when the Old Trafford double-century scorer got a thick outside edge to Hafeez’s hands.

Rahat Ali later had Captain Alastair Cook trapped for lbw at 45.

Earlier, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq elected to field against England after winning the toss.

Pakistan made two changes to the side. 20-year-old Sami Aslam replaced opening batsman Shan Masood while Sohail Khan is in for Wahab Riaz.

Pakistan won the first Test at Lord’s by 75 runs, only to be crushed by England’s 330-run win in the second Test at Old Trafford.

The four-match Test series sits at 1-1.

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Sohail and Rahat tear through England top order

BIRMINGHAM: Pacers Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali struck in the early hours of the third Test against England at Edgbaston, reducing the opponents to 100 for 3 at lunch on Wednesday.

Sohail Khan, recalled to the Pakistan side to replace Wahab Riaz for the third Test, struck twice in the opening hour of the match, leaving England?s top-order looking shaky.

The 32-year-old pacer had England opener Alex Hales caught behind at 17.

Sohail then sent newcomer Joe Root back to the pavilion at just 3, when the Old Trafford double-century scorer got a thick outside edge to Hafeez?s hands.

Rahat Ali later had Captain Alastair Cook trapped for lbw at 45.

Earlier, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq elected to field against England after winning the toss.

Pakistan made two changes to the side. 20-year-old Sami Aslam replaced opening batsman Shan Masood while Sohail Khan is in for Wahab Riaz.

Pakistan won the first Test at Lord?s by 75 runs, only to be crushed by England?s 330-run win in the second Test at Old Trafford.

The four-match Test series sits at 1-1.

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Latest North Korea missile launch lands near Japan waters, alarms Tokyo

SEOUL: North Korea launched a ballistic missile on Wednesday that landed in or near Japanese-controlled waters for the first time, the latest in a series of launches by the isolated country in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The main body of the missile landed in Japan's economic exclusion zone, a Japanese defence official said, escalating regional tensions that were already high after a series of missile launches this year and the decision by the United States to place a sophisticated anti-missile system in South Korea.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described the launch as a "grave threat" to Japan and said Tokyo "strongly protested". Japan also said its self-defence force would remain on alert in case of further launches.

A US State Department spokesman condemned the launch, and said it would "only increase the international community's resolve to counter" North Korea's actions.

The US Strategic Command said it had detected two missiles, one of which it said exploded immediately after launch.

The missile that landed in the Sea of Japan was launched at about 7:50 a.m. Seoul time (2250 GMT Tuesday) from a region in South Hwanghae province to the southwest of North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The launch showed North Korea's ambition to "directly and broadly attack neighbouring countries and target several places in the Republic of Korea such as ports and airfields", the South Korean office said, referring to South Korea by its official title.

The missile appeared to be a Rodong-type medium-range missile that flew about 1,000 km (620 miles), it said. 

Tensions high

The United States will begin large-scale annual drills with its ally South Korea later this month that it bills as defensive in nature and not provocative. North Korea typically protests against the drills, which it says are a rehearsal for invasion.

"The North Koreans seem to have been timing their recent short-range and medium-range missile tests to the weeks ahead of US-South Korean joint exercises," said Joshua Pollack, editor of the US-based Nonproliferation Review.

"If the allies can exercise their armed forces, so can the North," he said.

On July 19, North Korea fired three ballistic missiles that flew between 500 km and 600 km (300-360 miles) into the sea off its east coast.

The North later said the launches were part of an exercise simulating preemptive strikes against South Korean ports and airfields used by the US military.

The latest launches follow an agreement last month between South Korea and the United States to deploy an advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defence anti-missile system in the South.

North Korea had threatened a "physical response" against the deployment decision.

The North came under the latest round of UN Security Council sanctions in March after its fourth nuclear test in January and the launch of a long-range rocket the following month.

Tensions have been high on the Korean peninsula since the January nuclear test. The two Koreas remain technically at war under a truce that ended fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.

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Emirates Airline flight crash-lands at Dubai airport

DUBAI: An Emirates Airline flight coming from India crash-landed and burst into flames on Wednesday at Dubai International Airport, but all 300 passengers and crew escaped from the burning fuselage and were evacuated to safety, authorities said.

A spokesperson for operator Dubai Airports said all passengers and crew aboard flight EK521 coming from Thiruvananthapuram had been safely evacuated and emergency services were managing the situation.

Emirates Airline said there had been 300 passengers and crew aboard the plane, a Boeing 777-300.

"An Emirates plane coming from India has been involved in an accident on landing at Dubai International," the government's Dubai Media Office said on its Twitter account. 

"All passengers were evacuated safely and no injuries have been reported so far," it said.

The airline said the passengers included 226 Indians, 24 UK nationals, 11 UAE citizens, six nationals each from the United States and Saudi Arabia, five from Turkey, four from Ireland, two each from Australia, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia and Thailand, and one passenger each from Croatia, Egypt, Bosnia, Lebanon, Philippines, South Africa, Switzerland, and Tunisia.

Video purportedly of the incident showed a tower of flame bursting from the front of the aircraft, and then a thick black plume of smoke rising into the sky. 

Video shows exact moment when explosion took place in Emirates aircraft at Dubai airport | https://t.co/kLDCxdryIC pic.twitter.com/RWkcd8OY2e

? Geo English (@geonews_english) August 3, 2016

Photographs of the incident posted on social media showed the plane lying crumpled on its belly on the tarmac with black smoke pouring from its upper section.

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Emirates said it had "no further information on what may have caused the accident".

Emirates flight crash-lands at Dubai airport: Govt media office https://t.co/kLDCxdryIC pic.twitter.com/9x9YYciJe7

? Geo English (@geonews_english) August 3, 2016

Planemaker Boeing said in a statement it was monitoring the situation in Dubai and it would be working with Emirates to gather more information.

All departure flights from Dubai international, the world's busiest airport for international travel, were delayed until further notice, authorities said.

The flight involved was EK521 coming from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

 

 

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Pakistan win toss and bowl at Edgbaston

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq elected to field against England after winning the toss at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

Pakistan made two changes in the side. 20-year-old Sami Aslam will replace opening batsman Shan Masood while fast bowler Sohail Khan is in for Wahab Riaz.

Pakistan won the first Test at Lord’s by 75 runs, only to be crushed by England’s 330-run win in the second Test at Old Trafford. The four-match Test series sits at 1-1.

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Samia Shahid was murdered, forensic report confirms

JHELUM: The forensic report of deceased Samia Shahid confirmed that she was murdered and her death was not due to natural causes, sources said on Wednesday.

The report stated that Samia’s death had occurred from suffocation. The forensic report was handed over to the Chief Minister's investigation committee.

Samia, 28, a British national who had reportedly been visiting family in Pakistan last month, was found dead on July 20. Her family had claimed she had died of natural causes; however, her second husband Mukhtar Kazam denied the claims. He had maintained that Samia had been killed by her family for ‘honour’.

Investigations picked up momentum earlier in the week after her father Chaudhary Shahid was found to have omitted important information in his statement to the police.

According to a copy of his statement obtained by Geo News, Chaudhary Shahid did not mention that Samia’s first husband went missing after the murder.

This omission gave the police new reasons to suspect the father. The police are already probing Samia’s mother and sister in the case.

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Army Chief General Raheel meets General Fang in Urumqi

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif arrived in Urumqi, China for a day long visit where he held meetings with Chief of General Staff General Fang of the Peoples Liberation Army.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) branch of the Pakistan Army, the two leaders discussed military to military relations, bilateral security cooperation and all dimensions of long term CPEC security.

The Army Chief also held a separate meeting with Party Secretary Xinkiang province, Mr. Zhang Chun Xian in Urumqi. Pak-China bilateral relations and regional security issue with particular reference to CPEC completion and security were discussed during the meeting.

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Army Chief General Raheel meets General Fang in Urumqi

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif arrived in Urumqi, China for a day long visit where he held meetings with Chief of General Staff General Fang of the Peoples Liberation Army.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) branch of the Pakistan Army, the two leaders discussed military to military relations, bilateral security cooperation and all dimensions of long term CPEC security.

The Army Chief also held a separate meeting with Party Secretary Xinkiang province, Mr. Zhang Chun Xian in Urumqi. Pak-China bilateral relations and regional security issue with particular reference to CPEC completion and security were discussed during the meeting.

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Samia Shahid was murdered, forensic report confirms

JHELUM: The forensic report of deceased Samia Shahid confirmed that she was murdered and her death was not due to natural causes, sources said on Wednesday.

The report stated that Samia?s death had occurred from suffocation. The forensic report was handed over to the Chief Minister's investigation committee.

Samia, 28, a British national who had reportedly been visiting family in Pakistan last month, was found dead on July 20. Her family had claimed she had died of natural causes; however, her second husband Mukhtar Kazam denied the claims. He had maintained that Samia had been killed by her family for ?honour?.

Investigations picked up momentum earlier in the week after her father Chaudhary Shahid was found to have omitted important information in his statement to the police.

According to a copy of his statement obtained by Geo News, Chaudhary Shahid did not mention that Samia?s first husband went missing after the murder.

This omission gave the police new reasons to suspect the father. The police are already probing Samia?s mother and sister in the case.

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Misbah tells Pakistan to 'go big' against England

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has urged his top order "to go big" in the third Test against England at Edgbaston starting Wednesday.

England levelled the four-match series at 1-1 with a crushing 330-run win in the second Test at Old Trafford -- a margin of victory that was testimony to the tourists´ batting woes.

It was all a far cry from Pakistan´s 75-run win in the first Test at Lord´s, which featured an inspiring century from Misbah.

Poor starts have been a problem for Pakistan in this series.

But Mohammad Hafeez and Shan Masood are not the first Pakistan opening pair to struggle in English conditions.

Indeed you have to go back to 1996 for the last time a Pakistan first-wicket duo put on a 50 stand in a Test against England in England.

Masood has become something of a ´bunny´ for James Anderson, England´s all-time leading Test wicket-taker.

He has fallen six times for just 15 runs in 57 balls to Lancashire paceman Anderson dating back to last year in the UAE.

Pakistan could promote number three Azhar Ali to open and bring Sami Aslam, yet to feature this series, into the side in place of Masood.

"We need to really improve," said Misbah.

"After getting starts -- 20s, 30s and 40s -- we really need to go big," the middle-order stalwart added.

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Republican rift widens as Trump declines to endorse Ryan, McCain

WASHINGTON: US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump ratcheted up tensions in his party on Tuesday by denying two leading figures, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator John McCain, support in their re-election bids.

Trump told The Washington Post in an interview that he could endorse neither Ryan, the top US elected Republican, nor McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona and a former Republican presidential nominee, as they face challenges in their states' primary contests ahead of the Nov. 8 general election.

Both Ryan and McCain had criticized Trump's feud with the family of Army Captain Humayun Khan, who died in the line of duty in Iraq in 2004 and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for bravery after his death.

The discord comes just two weeks after the Republican National Convention in Cleveland that formally nominated Trump for president.

It is the latest rift in a party already frayed by internal dissent over its standard bearer, seen in stark relief at the convention where McCain was among high-level party members who essentially snubbed Trump by choosing not to attend. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, and former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush also did not attend the convention.

Trump has had a running dispute with Khizr and Ghazala Khan since they took the stage at last week's Democratic convention to cite their son's sacrifice and criticize Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The uproar has led many Republicans to distance themselves from Trump and voice support for the Khan family.

Trump, mirroring the language Ryan used about supporting the nominee before his eventual endorsement, told the newspaper he was "not quite there yet" on endorsing Ryan in next Tuesday's Wisconsin primary, and that he had "never been there" with McCain, who will be on the ballot in primary elections in Arizona later this month.

McCain had a "very friendly" meeting with Trump's vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, on Tuesday in Arizona, where Pence was visiting, a McCain spokeswoman said. 

Trump said Ryan had sought his endorsement, but that as of now he is only "giving it very serious consideration."

Ryan's campaign office quickly responded that "neither Speaker Ryan nor anyone on his team has ever asked for Donald Trump's endorsement."

"And we are confident in a victory next week regardless," campaign spokesman Zack Roday said in a statement.

Ryan is favored to win against primary challenger Paul Nehlen, who Trump praised as running "a very good campaign." In a mid-July survey by Harper Polling, Ryan was ahead of Nehlen by nearly 50 points.

Trump, a former reality TV star, has troubled many in the Republican establishment with his off-the-cuff, often insulting style, and controversial policies, including the proposed ban on Muslims and his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border to keep out illegal immigrants.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday blasted Trump as unfit to be president and questioned why any Republican would support the New York businessman, who is seeking his first public office.

"The question I think that they have to ask themselves is, if you are repeatedly having to say in very strong terms that what he has said is unacceptable: Why are you still endorsing him?" Obama, a Democrat, said at a White House news conference with Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong.

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PM Nawaz attends conference of Pakistani envoys in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday attended the conference of Pakistani envoys at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and said that he was pleased over the existing harmony on issues related to foreign affairs.

The prime minister was addressing the three-day conference that began on Monday at Islamabad and said that some significant issues need consideration and should be resolved.

During the meeting, the premier was given a briefing related to the Pakistani diplomatic missions.

The media reports earlier had stated that nine Pakistani envoys in US, UN, India, China, Moscow, EU, Afghanistan, Geneva and Austria were attending the meeting.

The envoys who have been invited are Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani (Washington DC), Ambassador Masood Khalid (Beijing), High Commissioner Abdul Basit (New Delhi), Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi (UN New York), Ambassador Ayesha Riyaz (Vienna), Ambassador Naghmana Hashmi (Brussels / EU), Ambassador Abrar Hussain (Afghanistan), Ambassador Tehmina Janjua (UN/Geneva) and Ambassador Qazi M. Khalilullah (Moscow).

The Envoys' Conference is a regular feature in which Pakistan's representatives in various regions brief the government on important developments in their respective areas of accreditation, and challenges and opportunities arising out of such developments, the FO’s earlier press release had mentioned.

The envoys also present their recommendations towards existing foreign policy with a view to review, adapt and recalibrate policy in accordance with the prevalent strategic, political and economic trends. Last year's Envoys' Conference had focused on connectivity, and regional issues and developments.

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PM Nawaz attends conference of Pakistani envoys in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday attended the conference of Pakistani envoys at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and said that he was pleased over the existing harmony on issues related to foreign affairs.

The prime minister was addressing the three-day conference that began on Monday at Islamabad and said that some significant issues need consideration and should be resolved.

During the meeting, the premier was given a briefing related to the Pakistani diplomatic missions.

The media reports earlier had stated that nine Pakistani envoys in US, UN, India, China, Moscow, EU, Afghanistan, Geneva and Austria were attending the meeting.

The envoys who have been invited are Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani (Washington DC), Ambassador Masood Khalid (Beijing), High Commissioner Abdul Basit (New Delhi), Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi (UN New York), Ambassador Ayesha Riyaz (Vienna), Ambassador Naghmana Hashmi (Brussels / EU), Ambassador Abrar Hussain (Afghanistan), Ambassador Tehmina Janjua (UN/Geneva) and Ambassador Qazi M. Khalilullah (Moscow).

The Envoys' Conference is a regular feature in which Pakistan's representatives in various regions brief the government on important developments in their respective areas of accreditation, and challenges and opportunities arising out of such developments, the FO?s earlier press release had mentioned.

The envoys also present their recommendations towards existing foreign policy with a view to review, adapt and recalibrate policy in accordance with the prevalent strategic, political and economic trends. Last year's Envoys' Conference had focused on connectivity, and regional issues and developments.

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Building collapses in Karachi, injures at least 10

KARACHI: At least 10 people were injured when a commercial building on Wednesday collapsed on Karachi?s Abdullah Haroon Road.

Rescue teams rushed to the spot and started rescue activities.

Initial reports suggested that the two-storey building was built on a nullah and a build-up of sewer gases caused an explosion due to which the building caved in.

The injured were shifted to a hospital for medical treatment.

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Building collapses in Karachi, injures at least 10

KARACHI: At least 10 people were injured when a commercial building on Wednesday collapsed on Karachi’s Abdullah Haroon Road.

Rescue teams rushed to the spot and started rescue activities.

Initial reports suggested that the two-storey building was built on a nullah and a build-up of sewer gases caused an explosion due to which the building caved in.

The injured were shifted to a hospital for medical treatment.

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