OGRA issues new petroleum prices applies from Monday

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Sunday issued notification of increase in the prices of POL products.

According to new notification the new price of petrol after the increase of Rs.06.10 is Rs.71.21, price, the new price of HOBC after the increase is Rs 86.85, price of Kerosene oil after the increase is Rs.64.60, price of high speed diesel after the increase is Rs.71.89 and that of light diesel after the increase is Rs. 61.07.

The new prices will be implemented from tomorrow.

I tamper ball to help my bowlers: Afridi

Cricket star Shahid Afridi has sought apology from the nation after admitting that he tampered the ball ‘for helping the bowlers’ in the last ODI against Australia played here on Sunday.

Talking to Local TV channel, Shahid Afridi said: that he wanted to help out his bowlers“every team has been involved in ball-tempering” he added. However, he said he is ashamed of what he did and apologized the nation for the same.

International Cricket Council (ICC) has slapped two-match ban on the all rounder after which Shahid Afridi will not be able to participate in the upcoming Twenty20 match against Australia.

Afridi out from T-20 after tampering the ball

The captain of Pakistan cricket team Shahid Afridi, has embarrassed the whole Pakistani team and the people of Pakistan by tampering the ball with his teeth at a time when this act was not even needed at all.

Afridi has been banned from the two T-20 matches, decision made by match referee after Afridi admitted that he did tried to bite the ball.

All this happened Just when Australia needed 35 runs to win on 30 balls, a footage, captured by one of the 26 cameras that were covering the match, come on screen which showed Afridi seen biting the ball with his teeth and he did this twice during the match.

It’s not yet clear why such an experience player in Pakistani squad did such a shameful act in his first ever ODI match as a captain.

U19 Cricket World cup: Pak team in the finals

All-rounder Hammad Azam inspired Pakistan to a four-wicket win over the West Indies at Christchurch on Monday to book their place in the finals of the under-19 cricket World Cup.

The second finalist will be determined in the other semi-final between Sri Lanka and Australia on Wednesday.

Pakistan won the toss and struck early with two wickets in the first four overs before West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite led the fightback as the Caribbean side posted 212 for eight in their 50 overs.

Brathwaite, who top scored with 85 before he was run out, anchored the recovery with Andre Creary in a 101-run stand for the third wicket.
The West Indies appeared to be in command when they tied the Pakistan openers down and had them at 49-4 after 20 overs.
But man-of-the-match Azam turned the innings around with a whirlwind 92 off 93 balls including 10 boundaries as Pakistan reached their target with 16 balls to spare.

Azam put on 90 in 19 overs in a fifth-wicket stand with Rameez Aziz (39) before adding 64 in nine overs with wicketkeeper Muhammad Waqas (29) for the sixth wicket.

Indian govt declares Pakistan’s Former Air Chief a “hero”

The Indian government’s issued a full-page ad on the occasion of the National Girl Child Day featuring the photograph of former Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed along with its national heroes such as cricketers Kapil Dev, Virender Sehwag and classical musician Amjad Ali Khan.

The advertisement, splashed in all major newspapers and thereafter on all television channels and the electronic media, who then started to criticize their government for publishing the picture of Pakistani Air Chief by saying “don’t we have our own heroes to be displayed in the advertisement”.

The ad was issued by the Indian Ministry for Women and Child Development on Sunday, Jan 24.

The Indian Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement and said it apologises for the inclusion of photograph of a “foreign national” in the government advertisement on girl child. The PMO has also ordered an internal inquiry into the lapse.

On the other hand the former PAF chief Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed (2006-2009), amused over his photo in the Indian government advertisement and described it as in “innocent mistake”

On being informed about the faux pas, Ahmed said: “I wasn’t aware about this as I don’t really watch much of the media. Anyway, I was busy with a golf match and didn’t know about this development.”

“I guess it’s just one of those errors. It must be an innocent mistake,” said Ahmed, who retired as PAF chief in March last year.

US drone crashes in North Waziristan

The state TV of Pakistan has claimed that a suspected US drone has crashed in North Waziristan, on Sunday.

The unmanned aircraft came down in Humzoni area of Datta Khel in North Warisitan bordering Afghanistan.

According to state TV, the drone was shot down while the tribesmen have also claimed that they fired down the pilotless aircraft.

The area of Datta Khel is dominated by Taliban and where there have been over 14 drone strikes over the past few weeks.

New currency note of RS.500 to be issued from 25 January

The State Bank of Pakistan today announced that all offices of SBP Banking Services Corporation will start issuing new Rs 500 note with an Optical Variable Ink (OVI) Feature from 25th January 2010.

According to a spokesman of the Central Bank, the new Rs 500 banknote with OVI feature will bear the signature of Syed Salim Raza, sitting SBP Governor.

The launching of Rs 500 banknote with OVI feature is part of SBP’s continuous efforts to improve the security, durability and aesthetic quality of banknotes.

The Optical Variable Ink (OVI) design appears at the obverse right side as the crescent and five-pointed star printed with the surrounded design of Intaglio Optical Variable Ink which changes color from green to magenta and vice versa when Rs 500 banknote is viewed from different angles.

The introduction of OVI feature in Rs 500 banknote distinguishes it from the new design banknote of the same denomination launched in November 2006.

Dacoits loot PM’s nephew

The dacoits have looted Syed Imran-ul-Hassan Gilani, the nephew of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and son in law of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi while police have registered an FIR in this connection.

According to details the nephew of PM was traveling with his family from Multan to Lahore on his personal car numbered PP-18

The dacoits stopped them near Patoki at 9 pm and robbed them of three mobile phones, cash in thousands and gold Jewelry on gun point. After looting the dacoits succeeded to escape from the scene.

Why are we taking IPL so seriously are we some kind of losers?

Well Well Well, Not a single Pakistani cricketer is invited in IPL. So what? Can’t we see what IPL stands for “INDIAN PREMIER LEAGE” it is not “International Premier League” I do not understand why our Ministers, the anchors of TV channels and those retired cricketers are taking this so seriously. Though I can understand why the retired cricketers are making this an issue because they wanted to come on TV as they have nothing else to do but why do they are saying all the Pakistanis to boycott IPL because they (Indians) did not invite Pakistani cricketers? Why our Government is blaming the Indian Government by Saying “your hand is in the absence of Pakistani Players in IPL” Array baba it is their personal right that who ever they invite and whoever they do not, but by saying we will boycott and why they did not invite we are making the impression of losers, and for GOD sake Indians will laugh on this, the more we protest the more they enjoy. Come-on guys what have we lost? Have we spent any money on IPL so that now when they did not invite our players we decided to protest because we lost bundle of money? No we don’t, so please stop reacting like a loser, and show the Indians the attitude that “we do not care what ever you do as we have nothing to do with IPL”.

MQM richest party, PPP poorest

56 registered political parties of the country including PPP, PML-N, MQM, ANP and PML-Q have submitted the details of their assets and bank accounts with the Election Commission under the Article 13 of the Political Parties Orders 2002.

All the submitted details of the assets have been verified by the Chartered Accountants.
According to reports received by the Election Commission MQM is the richest party of the country whose moveable, immovable and cash assets are near Rs 90 million. The party income for year 2008-09 stands around at Rs 77.04 million while expenditures were Rs 37.67 million.

The ruling party PPP surprisingly has no property in the country and the cash assets are merely RS 435,000.

During year 2009 only Rs 600 were spent from party accounts.

PML-N moveable, immoveable and cash assets stand at more that Rs 70.6 million and the income of party was Rs 5.80 million while expenditures were RS 4.10 million.

PML-Q immoveable assets for 2009 were Rs 54.62 million and cash assets Rs 1.34 million.

During the last year the party income was Rs 11.88 million while expenditures were Rs 12.11 million.

PML- and PML-N also not only have declared PML buildings in Lahore and Islamabad as their property but also have shown the expenditures on it in their declarations.

Awami National Party has also declared its moveable and immovable property for 2009 at Rs 27 million and RS 1.8 million account balance.

The party income for last year was RS 3 million and expenditures 0.50 million. Jamaat-e-Islami declared its moveable and immoveable property of more than Rs 1.5 million. During last year JI income was at more than RS 4 million while expenditures were more than RS 5 million.

PML Functional income last year was Rs 1.4 million and expenditures more that Rs 1.3 million.

The moveable and immovable assets of the party are more that RS 0.6 million. Awami Muslim League has no bank balance while Tehrik-e-Istaqlal Bank Balance is mere Rs 5000.