Opposition offers conditional support to 20th Amendment

ISLAMABAD: Major opposition party in National Assembly on Thursday offered conditional support to proposed 20th amendment in the constitution. Leader of the Opposition in the Lower House, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan proposed to the government certain measures for securing support of the opposition. "You might have the numbers. You could have passed the amendment. But, in this form we shall not support the amendment," Nisar said in the House on a point of order. He however offered support provided that the government also incorporates provisions in the amendment measures aimed at mitigating masses sufferings, appointment of an impartial person as next Chief Election Commissioner and ensure independence of the Election Commission and evolve a permanent mechanism for induction of the caretaker set-up to hold upcoming general elections.

109 boys’ secondary schools lack basic educational facilities

Schools need more scientific apparatus, libraries and playgrounds

PESHAWAR: Libraries, playgrounds and apparatus for laboratories were found lacking in some of the 109 boys' secondary schools monitored nationwide in November, according to a monitoring report of Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). The report said nearly two-fifths of the monitored schools did not have libraries, adding that it is important to encourage students to read books other than those prescribed by the syllabus to broaden their horizons. FAFEN Governance Monitors visited 109 boys' secondary schools in 68 districts across the country. Forty-six schools were monitored in 27 Punjab districts, 32 in 22 KP districts, 26 in 14 Sindh districts, two in as many districts in both Balochistan and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), while one school was monitored in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

Pak diplomat has met Aafia three times, Senate told

Islamabad: The Upper House of the Parliament, Thursday, was informed that Pakistani Consul General in Houston visited FMC Carswell prison on 15 April, 08 August and 22 November 2011 to meet Dr Aafia Siddiqui. During those visits, he discussed Dr Aafia Siddiqui's various concerns about her condition of detention with the prison authorities, who took appropriate action to allay most of these concerns.Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar apprised the House in black and white that the Embassy and the Consulate General were also able to arrange telephone calls between Dr Siddiqui and her family in Karachi. Dr. Siddiqui's brother Muhammad Ali Siddiqui was able to meet with her on 05 November 2011. "During the Consul General's visits to FMC Carswell, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui mentioned to him that she was suffering from poor health.

Merkel urges China to use influence on Iran

BEIJING: German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged China on Thursday to use its influence to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear weapons programme, at the start of a three-day visit when she will also seek China's support for the ailing euro. Merkel is expected to make the case for tighter sanctions on Iran, originally proposed by the United States and designed to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. She said she has already had "long discussions" with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on Iran sanctions. "If we talk about the European sanctions against Iran, the question is how China can make better use of its influence to make Iran understand that the world must not have another power with nuclear weapons," Merkel told an audience at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

  ο No Afghan peace sans Pakistan

  ο Libya sans Qaddafi

  ο Indian change of heart towards

     Pakistan

  ο  Coping with the physically

     challenged

   ο Pakistan wins WTO go-ahead for EU deal

  ο Afghanistan peace talks: The beginning
     of the end?

  ο Dismantling of the US empire in Afghanistan

  ο Change for the better

  ο There’s more to peace than Taliban

  ο Supreme Court pulls up Gillani

  ο Pakistanis rank high on World Giving
    Index 2011

Obama’s confession

At-last, Obama has officially acknowledged the US drone-attack campaign inside Pakistan. The drones have been wreaking havoc in Pakistan for many years on the pretext of hunting