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Draft Constitution
US to deliver refurbished F-16s to Pak soon
Suicide bomber kills 2 in Afghanistan
Tania to get personal apology from defence chief
Amnesty for illegal Indians in Oman
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Kidnapped
Indian freed in Sudan
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PPP, PML-N form panel to reach consensus
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad The two main coalition partners, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), have constituted a joint committee to develop consensus on the draft constitution package proposed by the PPP. The panel was formed in a meeting between PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif here on Tuesday night. While both failed to resolve their fundamental difference on restoration of deposed judges, they agreed on many other major elements of the package designed to clip powers of the President; provide stringent punishment to anybody subverting the constitution; give selective indemnity to some of the legislative and administrative actions of Musharraf, including the elections and the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), that pardoned politicians and bureaucrats accused of corruption and political activists involved in criminal charges. The PML-N stuck to its stance that restoration of judges could not be linked to the constitutional amendments that would amount to legalising Musharraf’s unconstitutional purge of judiciary as envisaged in the package. The PPP agreed to the suggestion that the package be introduced in the Parliament after adoption of the budget. Both leaders, who were assisted by senior members of their respective parties, also discussed in detail the proposed long march threatened by lawyers on June 10. The PML-N has vowed to join it if judges are not restored. They further discussed issues related to the forthcoming budget as well as the overall political situation of the country. Zardari reportedly drew Sharif’s attention to grievances of his party's ministers and lawmakers in Punjab, where the two parties are in a coalition led by the PML-N. He greeted Shahbaz Sharif on his unopposed election and hoped he would take over as Chief Minister of the province within next couple of days. Shahbaz, too, pointed out that his party is not consulted at the centre on major decisions being taken by the PPP government. Zardari renewed his call to the PML-N to rejoin the federal Cabinet and hoped that this would remove much of its grievances. During the meeting, Shahbaz was assisted by PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif and Ishaq Dar, while finance minister Syed Naveed Qamar, law minister Farooq Naik and information minister Sherry Rehman accompanied the PPP co-chairman.
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US to deliver refurbished F-16s to Pak soon
Islamabad, June 4 The aircraft are part of a batch of 12 refurbished jets that Pakistan is getting from the US, and two F-16s have already been delivered. Pakistan will receive eight jets over two months — four each in June and July this year — while the remaining two F-16s will be delivered subsequently, state-run APP news agency reported. The jets were being supplied to Pakistan for its role as a "major non-NATO ally of the US" and the move reflected the close defence relations between the two countries, the report said. Pakistan signed a separate agreement with the US in 2006 for purchasing 18 new F-16 jets and associated weapon systems. The country had originally planned to buy 36 fighters but halved its order due to a financial crunch.
— PTI
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Suicide bomber kills 2 in Afghanistan
Kandahar, June 4 The attack occurred on a road in Spin Boldak's town which lies on the border with Pakistan. Smoke could be seen rising from the scene and soldiers had cordoned off the area, the officers said. In a separate suicide attack in the south-eastern province of Khost, another bomber drove a car into a govt building. The attacks come amid rising violence in Afghanistan since 2006 when the ousted Taliban started to regroup. The Taliban have vowed this year to focus more on suicide strikes as part of the insurgency against the government and foreign troops stationed in the country.
— Reuters
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Tania to get personal apology from defence chief
Melbourne, June 4 Air Chief Marshal Houston said there was no evidence of any such conduct by Zaetta during a concert tour in April, an AAP report said today. "A quick assessment has been completed," Houston told a Senate estimates hearing today. There was no substance to the allegations, and I will conclude the matter with a letter to the person in question. I will obviously apologise and express my deep regret about any hurt she has suffered," he said. Zaetta, who has worked in Bollywood movies, 'Mr Black, Mr White' and 'Salaam Namaste', was at the centre of a controversy last month after the Australian media reported that unsubstantiated claims that she had sex with troops at a base were detailed in a departmental briefing note prepared for defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon. The actress, who had paid a trip to the military bases along with other entertainers, had angrily denied the claims, describing them as "complete made-up lies". — PTI
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Amnesty for illegal Indians in Oman
Dubai, June 4 Indian Ambassador Anil Wadhwa said in 2007, the Oman government consented to allow illegally residing Indians to leave the country without paying any fines, but subject to normal checking of their antecedents. Subsequently, the embassy registered such cases and two lists, one containing 5,541 names of those who came to Oman on employment visas, and the other of 2,603 persons who arrived in the country on visitor’s visa, were prepared. The Oman government would start processing the cases this weekand the list would be published in newspapers, he said. Under a similar amnesty granted to the overstaying Indians earlier, 15,000 persons had registered with the embassy, of which 13,900 had left the Sultanate.
—PTI
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Kidnapped
Indian freed in Sudan
Khartoum, June 4 Local tribesmen are understood to have been behind the abduction of the four oil workers, which marked the first time that Indians have been kidnapped in the oil-rich African country. The Indians work for Petro Energy Contracting Services, which provides technical services to the oil industry. The technicians were travelling in a single vehicle when they were surrounded by kidnappers while returning from Neem oil field to Heglig.
— AFP
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Man admits plotting bombings in US, Europe Sharon Stone not on China film festival guest list Bodies of 6 Indians recovered 27 injured in Lanka blast 3 hurt in Pak blast 
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