ANP leader's brother shot dead in Karachi

The Member of National Assembly of the Awami National Party, Pervez Khan's brother shot dead near airport, SAMAA reported Monday.

The deceased, Asif Jan was the account officer in the District Government.

“It is time to call the army. Our workers and leaders are being targeted. The civil government in Sindh has not taken appropriate measures therefore the army should be called according to the constitution,” demanded ANP leader Haji Adil Khan.

Adil Khan while talking to SAMAA tv said that Muttahida Qaumi Movement, on the one hand, oppose the army operation in Karachi against the criminals, while party chief, Altaf Hussain, support martial law in the country.

“It is vital that Karachi city should be deweaponized.”

Haji Adil said that more than 100 ANP workers have been targeted in couple of weeks.

Read more »

Pakistan accepts India’s offer, appeals for more aid

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi appealed to the international community to provide more and immediate aid to cope with the humanitarian crisis due to the floods.
Moreover, Pakistan has decided to accept flood aid from its neighbour India, saying the offer was a “very welcome initiative” as both countries look to improve their tense relations.

Foreign Minister Qureshi told India's NDTV television in an interview broadcast Friday that Islamabad would take India's offer of five million dollars which was made last Friday.

“I can share with you that the government of Pakistan has agreed to accept the Indian offer,” Qureshi said from New York, where he addressed a special session of the UN General Assembly called to boost aid for flood victims.

“I think this initiative of India is a very welcome initiative.”

India and Pakistan have made major efforts in recent months to build confidence in their relations, which were badly strained by the Mumbai 2008 terror attacks, which Indian blamed on militants from Pakistan.

The United States urged Pakistan earlier this week to accept the Indian offer and not let rivalry stand in the way of helping its citizens in flood-ravaged regions.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rang his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday “to express his sense of sorrow and to condole the deaths resulting from the huge floods,” Singh's office said.

The catastrophic floods in Pakistan have claimed nearly 1,500 lives and affected 20 million people. – AFP

Read more »

Losses worth Rs8b to K-P livestock sector

An official of the livestock department said that 15 districts were affected by the devastating floods in the province, which affected approximately 427,000 animals in 11 districts of the province,
while reports of the four remaining districts which included Dir Upper and Lower, Shangla and Kohistan, were still awaited.

The officials claimed that the death of thousands of animals has also affected milk production, adding that they needed at least Rs195 million for the treatment of sick animals, and for food purposes.

He said that at least 135,000 cattle head had died in the floods, adding that the poultry industry was also greatly affected as 550,000 hens were also killed.

The official further claimed that direct losses to the livestock sector stood at Rs5.23 billion, while indirect losses were approximately worth Rs8 billion.

He said that there were chances of milk scarcity in the Nowshera, Peshawarand Charsadda district.

The official also claimed that the department required fodder worth Rs160 million for the affected cattle, and an additional Rs25 to 35 billion for medicines.

He further informed that the department had run short of its stock of medicines and that some companies were helping the department in getting fodder for animals.

Provincial Minister for Livestock Haji Hidayatullah when approached said that around 70 medical and 36 mobile medical camps were working in the province to provide treatments, with atleast 6620 officials working on these camps.

He said that the biggest issue was to vaccinate the animals and to protect the cattle head, adding that around 2 million animals have been vaccinated currently, following the floods.

Read more »