LATEST NEWS UPDATE: 13.06.2012

Nato route negotiations continuing with Pakistan: Pentagon

WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday said it continued discussions with Pakistan towards re-opening the supply routes into Afghanistan as the Pentagon dismissed the impression that negotiations with Islamabad had been cut off.
“The team that negotiated directly with Pakistan has mostly left Pakistan. It’s important to note though that we do continue dialogue through ODRP (Office of Defence Representative) in Islamabad. So it is not as if we have completely cut off discussions altogether,” Press Secretary at the Department of Defence George Little said.
“We continue to have dialogue on this issue. Yes the negotiating team is coming home for what we hope will be a short period of time. We hope that GLOCs (ground lines of communication) are opened soon. And we look forward to having our officials go back to Islamabad to seal the deal at some point in near future,” he said at a Pentagon briefing.
The two sides have not reached agreement obviously on every single issue but agree on many of the technicalities.
The Press Secretary would not go into specifics of negotiations but believed there is a window of opportunity to reopen the ground supply routes.
Pentagon Spokesman Capt John Kirby added the teams have themselves taken it as far as they can right and now it is up to Pakistan to make decisions.
Negotiations with Pakistan continue: US: WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday said it continued discussions with Pakistan towards re-opening the supply routes into Afghanistan as the Pentagon dismissed the impression that negotiations with Islamabad had been cut off.
“The team that negotiated directly with Pakistan has mostly left Pakistan. It’s important to note though that we do continue dialogue through ODRP (Office of Defense Representative) in Islamabad. So it is not as if we that we have completely cut off discussions altogether,” Press Secretary at the Department of Defense George Little said.
“We continue to have dialogue on this issue. Yes the negotiating team is coming home for what we hope will be a short period of time. We hope that GLOCs (ground lines of communication) are opened soon. And we look forward to having our officials go back to Islamabad to seal the deal at some point in near future,” he said at a Pentagon briefing.
The two sides have not reached agreement obviously on every single issue but agree on many of the technicalities.
The Press Secretary would not go into specifics of negotiations but believed there is a window of opportunity to reopen the ground supply routes.
Pentagon Spokesman Capt John Kirby added the teams have themselves taken it as far as they can right and now it is up to Pakistan to make decisions.

Strike observed in Karachi

KARACHI: A shutterdown strike was observed Wednesday in Karachi against the lawlessness in the city, as eight more people lost their lives, DawnNews reported.
Due to the strike, most educational institutes were shut on Wednesday whereas scheduled board examinations were postponed and majority of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and petrol filling stations were closed for business as the transport association had announced support to the strike call.
Traffic remained sparse on the roads.
Chairman of Karachi Traders Association, Atiq Meer had announced a strike call for Wednesday against the lawless situation in Karachi, after extortionists killed Qarar Ali and Syed Zakir Ali, who were brothers of former MQM lawmaker Shakir Ali and traders in Shershah’s Kabari market on Tuesday.
Sindh’s Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah directed Sindh IG Police and DG Rangers to intensify security arrangements and deploy additional persoennel to ensure security during the strike called by the traders.
He ordered for immediate action against criminal elements in the city in irder to bring them to justice.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) supported the call for strike announced by the traders in Karachi.
MQM demanded security for trader and the immediate arrest of those persons involved in the killings of traders.
Apart from the MQM, the traders’ strike call was endorsed by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Sunni Tehrik (ST) and many other political parties.

LATEST/BRIEF  NEWS:

·       Negotiations with Pakistan continue: US

·       Al-Qaeda releases new Libi video

·       MQM supports traders today’s strike

·       Malik Riaz claims he was blackmailed

·       Mansoor Ijaz receives death threats

·       Zardari not linked with memo: commission report

·       Two tortured, limb-tied bodies recovered from Karachi

·       Britain voices concern over Pak-US deadlock

·       Dollar jumps by Rs 3 in one week to Rs 96

·       UK keen to expand bilateral trade with Pakistan

·       Textile exports may decrease to $2b by FY end, fears PTEA

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MOHAMMED SALEEM MANSOORI