Afghan presidential election campaign under way

Afghan presidential election campaign under way

KABUL: Candidates for Afghanistan’s April 5 presidential election officially launched their campaigns Sunday with a series of rallies held in Kabul, but it remains to be seen whether the next president will have a closer relationship with the United States than the obstreperous incumbent Hamid Karzai.

There are 11 candidates vying to replace Karzai, who cannot run again, reports the BBC. The president has repeatedly held back from signing a security deal that would allow the U.S. military to carry out operations against the Taliban and suspected terrorists in the war-torn country, saying his successor could handle negotiations.

The academic Ashraf Ghani, who is running with former Uzbek warlord Gen Abdul Rashid Dostum and ethnic Hazara tribal chieftain Sarwar Danish as vice-presidents, promised at his rally Sunday to bring change. And the candidate Abdullah Abdullah said the world should not be frightened of Afghanistan, and Afghans should not be frightened of the world.

“There are actually a number of fairly strong candidates, people who we have worked with very closely in the past,” said former Defense Department official David Sedney on PBS on Jan. 27. ”And most importantly, the election gives the Afghan people themselves a chance to choose. And then I think we will have a much better chance of moving forward.”

It’s not just the outcome of the election that will shape Afghanistan’s future, but also whether voting can be carried out safely. A peaceful election process would set a precedent for future democratic elections with diminished coalition and U.S. involvement. But on Saturday two workers for Abdullah Abdullah were shot and killed in the western city of Herat, and the Taliban has threatened to derail the campaign. Voters expressed anxiety about the safety of the polls, and said it could prevent people from casting ballots.

Violence in Afghanistan has continued in recent months, with a recent Taliban attack on a Kabul cafe that served Western clientele killing 21 people.

PTI, JUI-F summon high level party meetings over Taliban decision today

PTI, JUI-F summon high level party meetings over Taliban decision today

ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have summoned high level meetings of their party, respectively, to deliberate on the decision of Taliban pertaining to representing TTP.

 

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had proposed a five-member team, comprising four clerics and a politician, to hold peace talks with the government on its behalf.

 

"TTP wants Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) chief Maulana Samiul Haq, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam cleric Mufti Kifayatullah, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Professor Ibrahim, Lal Masjid’s Maulana Abdul Aziz, and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan to be part of their team", TTP spokeman Shahidullah Shahid told Geo News program "Capital Talk" anchor, Hamid Mir over the telephone.

 

Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), has urged the banned TTP to nominate its members for holding dialogue with the government representatives.

 

Other proposed team members have yet not come up with a confirmation whether they are ready to represent Tailban in talks.

 

Talking to media here Sunday, the JUI-F chief said that the meeting would review the representatives of the committee proposed by the TTP.

 

He said that both the Taliban and the tribal people have confidence over Jirga system. Why the Tribal Jirga System is being ignored, he questioned.

 

There is a need of peace not war in the country, he said.

 

Professor Ibrahim of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) said his top brass had allowed him to play a mediator's role in the peace talks.

 

"I will only act as a Salis-e-Khair (intermediary for a good cause). That's it."

‘Healthcare justice’ campaign begins in Peshawar Sunday

‘Healthcare justice’ campaign begins in Peshawar Sunday

PESHAWAR: Healthcare campaign would begin here from Sunday under which 0.8 million children would be vaccinated across the district against nine diseases including polio.

“Healthcare justice” campaign was postponed on January 26 for a week due to security fears and lack of preparations.

Peshawar administration has also imposed ban on motorbike riding for Sunday from 7 AM to 5 AM, according to the notification issued here Saturday.

Oscar-winning actor Maximilian Schell dies at 83

Oscar-winning actor Maximilian Schell dies at 83

VIENNA: Austrian actor Maximilian Schell, who won the best actor Oscar in the early 1960s for his portrayal of a defense attorney in the drama "Judgment at Nuremberg," has died. He was 83.

 

Schell's agent Patricia Baumbauer said Saturday that Schell died overnight at a hospital in Innsbruck following a "sudden and serious illness," the Austria Press Agency reported.

 

The Vienna-born Schell won his Oscar in 1961 and later was honored with further Oscar nominations — in the best actor category for "The Man in the Glass Booth" in 1975, and for best supporting actor in "Julia" in 1977.

 

Born to a Swiss writer and an Austrian actress, he was the younger brother of Maria Schell, an icon of the German-speaking film world, who died in 2005. (AP)

Two petroleum products prices reduced, rest unchanged

Two petroleum products prices reduced, rest unchanged

ISLAMABAD): While keeping the prices of rest of the petroleum products unchanged, the government Friday reduced that of kerosene and light diesel oil (LDO), by Rs1.24/litre and by Rs1.02/litre respectively for February, Media reported.

A notification has been issued for the same takes effect from February 1, 2014 (12:00 AM).

Ministry of Finance, in a statement issued, said that the step had been taken on the directives of Prime Minister, Mian Nawaz Sharif, who ordered the concerned authorities to pass on the reduction in the prices of kerosene and light diesel oils to the masses along with maintaining current prices of petrol, HOBC, and HSD.

Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar, called on the prime minister on Friday and discussed with him the recommendations made by Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).

It must be noted that OGRA had suggested that the per litre prices of petrol, HOBC, and high speed diesel (HSD) be increased by Rs0.71, Rs4.33, and Rs1.06 respectively, whereas the prices of kerosene oil and light diesel oil be reduced by Rs1.24 and Rs1.02 respectively.

Ishaq Dar said that in order to maintain the current prices of petrol, HOBC and HSD the government would have to bear a subsidy of approximately Rs1 billion.

Umar Akmal released on personal bound

Umar Akmal released on personal bound

LAHORE: Test cricketer Umar Akmal, who was charged for allegedly assaulting a traffic warden following a heated argument, has been released on personal bound.

 

Police said the incident happened near Firdous Market when Umar Akmal violated a traffic signal and then not only had a heated argument with the traffic warden but also threatened him.

 

According to Umar Akmal he told the traffic warden that he had to get to a function and was already late, after which the warden not only abused him but also assaulted him. Akmal added that his face had been injured in the altercation.

 

Witnesses said the argument between Umar Akmal and the warden started when Umar refused to show the car documents to the warden.

 

According to police, Akmal had torn the uniform of the traffic warden and there was no mark on his face to support his claims of being assaulted.