Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf says no enmity with Taliban

Southeast Asia News.Net - Saturday 18th May, 2013

The coming provincial government was ready to hold talks with the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) senior leader has said. Pervez Khattak, who is soon-to-be Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said that they have no enmity with the Taliban. The PTI central Secretary General said the Taliban were also Pakistanis and requested the ...

Chinese man held in PoK over Koran desecration

Southeast Asia News.Net - Saturday 18th May, 2013

A Chinese man has been taken into protective custody in Pakistan administered Kashmir after he was accused of desecrating the Koran. The man, named only as Mr. Lee, works for a Chinese consortium that is building a dam in Kashmir. A police official was quoted by the BBC, as saying that Mr.Lee was held to prevent him from being lynched by an angry mob. Allegations of blasphemy are taken very ...

English officials to purely oversee anticipated India-Pak fixture at Champions Trophy

Southeast Asia News.Net - Saturday 18th May, 2013

The anticipated India vs Pakistan fixture of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, to take place at Edgbaston on June 15, is set to be purely overseen by English match officials, according to the International Cricketing Council (ICC). A list released by the ICC has seen former England wicket-keeper Ian Gould and Richard Kettleborough appointed as the on-field umpires with Nigel Llong monitoring ...

12 killed 25 injured as in twin mosque blasts in Pakistan

Southeast Asia News.Net - Friday 17th May, 2013

At least 12 people were killed and 25 others injured when twin blasts hit two mosques in Malakand town in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Friday afternoon, reported Xinhua citing local media. Both blasts took place almost simultaneously at about 2 p.m. local time in Bazdara Bala area of Malakand. Local paramilitary troops confirmed that the first blast happened before Friday prayer and ...

Kabul looking for tripartite mechanism with India and Pakistan

Southeast Asia News.Net - Friday 17th May, 2013

Afghanistan's Ambassador to India Shaida M. Abdali has said his copuntry is keen on creating a tripartite mechanism with India and Pakistan that would enhance cooperation between the three nations in the short and long term. Speaking ahead of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to India next week, Abdali said the proposed mechanism could also include a tripartite no-war pact. President ...

UK police launches investigation into Pak MQM chiefs separating Karachi comments

Southeast Asia News.Net - Friday 17th May, 2013

The London police are investigating complaints against UK-based Pakistani politician, Altaf Hussain, to see if he has violated UK law. Hussain, leader of the MQM party that controls Karachi, addressed supporters from London last Sunday after Pakistan's general elections. In response to accusations of electoral fraud, he is alleged to have threatened his accusers with violence, reports the ...

Pakistani PM to free 51 Indian fishermen as goodwill gesture

Southeast Asia News.Net - Friday 17th May, 2013

Islamabad, May 17 (Xinhua-ANI): Pakistan interim Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso has decided to release 51 Indian fishermen on humanitarian grounds in a goodwill gesture, the prime minister's office said Friday. These prisoners have already served their sentences, the office said in a statement. The prime minister expressed the hope that the Indian government will reciprocate the gesture ...

Pak election commission to begin thumbprint verification for votes in two weeks

Southeast Asia News.Net - Friday 17th May, 2013

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will begin the process of verifying votes by matching thumbprints with the NADRA database within two weeks, an official has said. The Express Tribune quoted ECP Secretary Ishtiaque Ahmed as saying, that following an appeal by the poll supervisory body, NADRA had agreed to boost the capacity of its verification system. The system has been introduced in ...

APML to launch movement to fight against political victimisation of Musharraf

Southeast Asia News.Net - Friday 17th May, 2013

Former Pakistan military chief and president, Pervez Musharraf, has decided to launch a 'peoples' movement in order to clear his name and stay politically relevant as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz comes to power next week. The movement called Tehreek-e-Muhibban-e-Pervez Musharraf (TMPM) will fight against political victimisation of Musharraf and his supporters, and will make efforts to get ...

Nawaz Sharifs PML-N invites JUI-F to join govt. in Centre

Southeast Asia News.Net - Friday 17th May, 2013

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has invited Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) to join its government at the Centre while turning down the latter's offer to form a coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where its rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the largest party in May 11 polls. PML-N's central leader Shahbaz Sharif extended the offer to JUI-F chief Fazlur Rahman. ...

Imran Khan to be discharged from hospital next week

Southeast Asia News.Net - Friday 17th May, 2013

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan will be discharged from Shaukat Khanum Cancer Memorial Hospital next week. Doctors said Khan is recovering at a quick pace and is all set to be discharged, adding that they are expecting him to make a complete recovery in the next few weeks, reports the Daily Times. Khan was injured on May 7 during his party's election campaign at Ghalib Market ...

Garuda to open new route from Bandung to Denpasar

The Jakarta Post - Saturday 18th May, 2013

Garuda to open new route from Bandung to Denpasar National flight carrier Garuda Indonesia has introduced its new domestic route from Bandung to Denpasar, which will start on Saturday. The new flight will be available on a daily basis and served by Boeing 737-800 with 156 passengers' capacity. "The flight will depart from Bandung at 12.25 p.m. and arrive in Denpasar at 15.05 ...

New mayor told to focus on environment

The Jakarta Post - Saturday 18th May, 2013

Paper Edition | Page: 9 Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo swore in Fatahillah as the new mayor of West Jakarta and instructed him to fully support the three main programs of expediting the city's revitalization work, repairing damaged public infrastructure and focusing on solving the problem of trash-filled rivers.Fatahillah, former Central Jakarta deputy mayor, was ...

Jokowi again talks of a new Jakarta

The Jakarta Post - Saturday 18th May, 2013

Paper Edition | Page: 9 Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo says he does not want to let horrendous traffic and a host of other urban woes blot out the good things about living in the capital.While Jokowi might have accepted such talk about Jakarta when he was mayor of the sleepy city of Surakarta, Central Java, the onslaught of bad publicity about Jakarta has apparently ticked him off ...

Retailers hesitant about pay for plastic campaign

The Jakarta Post - Saturday 18th May, 2013

Paper Edition | Page: 9 Retailers have expressed their reluctance over requiring customers to pay for plastic bags, which are usually provided for free, to support the Pay for Plastic campaign of the upcoming Jakarta Great Sale (JGS) festival.Spokesperson for PT Metropolitan Retail Mart, the company behind Metro Department Store, Mary Victoria Tarore, said on Friday that Metro would take care ...

Governor and human rights body meet on Pluit at long last

The Jakarta Post - Saturday 18th May, 2013

Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (center) planked by Chairwoman of the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Siti Noor Laila (right) and monitoring and investigation commissioner Siane Indriani brief the media on their meeting. Jokowi made a visit to the human rights body's office on Friday to explain the eviction of residents in connection with the ongoing Pluit dam ...

RI US reaffirm commitment to build stronger partnership

The Jakarta Post - Saturday 18th May, 2013

Paper Edition | Page: 12 Indonesia and the United States reconfirmed their commitment to further boost relations and expand their scope through the optimization of a joint commission, as the US underscored Indonesia's critical role in the balance of interests in the region.During a bilateral meeting in Washington, DC on Thursday with Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, the US Secretary of ...

Finland honors 2 Indonesians with medals

The Jakarta Post - Saturday 18th May, 2013

Paper Edition | Page: 11 People who do menial jobs are rarely recognized for the services they provide. But the Finnish government acknowledges the services of all kinds of people, including foreigners, who work for it. Finnish Ambassador to Indonesia Kai Sauer honored on Friday two Indonesians with first class medals for their meritorious service to the Finnish government."Our government ...

Hopes fade for those still trapped in Freeport Indonesia mine

The Straits Times - Saturday 18th May, 2013

This handout photograph received from Freeport Indonesia shows rescue personnel at the collapse section of a tunnel as they continue rescue operations for trapped mine workers in the tunnel of Big Gossan area at the Grasberg complex on May 17, 2013. Five workers were killed as search teams battled to reach 23 others still trapped in the US-owned mine Freeport-McMoRan, one of the world's ...

Myanmar S Korean firms sign MoU on economic cooperation

Global Times - Saturday 18th May, 2013

Myanmar and South Korean companies will cooperate in manufacturing cosmetics and LED bulbs in the Southeast Asian country, official media reported Saturday.According to a memorandum of understanding signed here Friday, the Long Luck Group of Companies of Myanmar and HANBAEK ITC Co., Ltd. of South Korea will also join hands to offer beauty courses and wedding services and launch a waste to energy ...

British woman may face death in Indonesia for drugs

West Australian - Saturday 18th May, 2013

JAKARTA (AFP) - A British woman could face the death penalty in Indonesia after being arrested for allegedly smuggling crystal methamphetamine into the country from China, an official said on Saturday.The woman, identified only by her initials AR, was arrested at a hotel in the city of Surabaya, East Java province, last month with 1.47 kilograms (three pounds, four ounces) of the drug, the ...

Philippines rejects Taiwan murder claims

West Australian - Saturday 18th May, 2013

MANILA (AFP) - The Philippines on Saturday rejected Taiwan's allegations that its coastguards had intentionally murdered a Taiwanese fisherman whose death has triggered a major diplomatic spat.The 65-year-old fisherman was shot dead by Philippine coastguards who said his vessel intruded into Philippine waters.Chen Wen-chi, head of the Taiwan team investigating the May 9 incident, said most ...