Rehman Malik arrives in Oman on day long visit

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior, Rehman Malik on Wednesday said Pakistan attached great importance to its ties with Oman and efforts would be made to further enhance and broaden bilateral cooperation in all areas of common interest.

The Minister said this upon his arrival at Muscat Airport where Deputy Minister for Interior of Oman, Syed Muhammad Bin Sultan and other senior officials received the distinguished guest.

During his day-long visit, Rehman Malik would hold talks with his Omanese counterpart to discuss issues relating to mutual interest and of Pakistani prisoners in Oman.

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Gilani discussing ways to probe memo scandal

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday started consultations with high civilian and military officials regarding an investigation into the memogate scandal which had already cost Ambassador Husain Haqqani his post in Washington, FTNews reported.

According to a statement issued from the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday night, Haqqani was asked to resign from his position after the government announced it would initiate a ‘detailed probe’ into allegations that the former envoy sought American help for preventing a possible military takeover in May.

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Sherry Rehman appointed Pakistan’s ambassador to US

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan appointed a former information minister and human rights campaigner as its ambassador to the United States on Wednesday, moving quickly to fill a post left vacant after Husain Haqqani’s resignation.

“The prime minister is pleased to appoint Sherry Rehman as the new ambassador to the United States,” said the spokesman for the prime minister’s office, Akram Shaheedi.

Rehman is veteran member of President Asif Ali Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party and a staunch proponent of civilian rule.

Former ambassador Husain Haqqani resigned on Tuesday, days after a Pakistani-American businessman accused him of being behind a memo that said the military was plotting a coup and appealed to the Pentagon to help ward it off.

Haqqani denied any connection with the memo.

Rehman, a former journalist, was information minister for Zardari. She resigned in March 2009 over a crisis in which the government was refusing to reinstate judges sacked under the military regime of President Pervez Musharraf.

Rehman has been a strong advocate of women’s and minority rights and faced death threats for her calls to reform the country’s blasphemy laws.

Haqqani resigned on Tuesday, days after a Pakistani-American businessman accused him of being behind a memo that accused the Pakistani military of plotting a coup in May.

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Militant hideouts pounded in Kurram; dozen killed

PARACHINAR: Helicopter gunships attacked militant hideouts in Kurram, a northwestern tribal region on the Afghan border, killing around a dozen militants and wounding 14, local officials said.

Four hideouts were destroyed, they said. On Tuesday night, at least 11 militants were killed and six soldiers wounded in clashes the same region.

There was no independent confirmation of the death toll. Militants often dispute the government’s version of events.

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Points for review in NRO verdict should be specified: CJ

KARACHI: During Wednesday’s hearing of the petition to review the Supreme Court’s verdict against the NRO, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry said the points which needed to be considered should be pointed out, FTNews reported.

The petition is being heard by the apex court’s full bench.

Moreover, Chief Justice Iftikhar stressed that the country would only operate under the constitution and rule of law.

In his remarks, Justice Asif Saeed said that on the one hand, the government supported the ordinance and said it had been approved by the parliament but on the other hand it said the parliament does not support it.

During the hearing, the federal government’s lawyer, Babar Awan, said he would present certain documents in the court but avoided disclosing any details regarding the said documents.

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