Pakistan

US military in contact with Pak leaders over action against militants: Robert Gates

US Defence Secretary Robert GatesLondon, Sep 20: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said that American military chiefs are in close contact with the new Pakistani leadership and are on the ‘most productive path’ in dealing with al Qaeda, the Taliban and other insurgents in co-operation with the country.

Gates was in London for the NATO Defence Ministers’ meeting in which the United States is seeking 20 billion dollars from its allies to help stabilise Afghanistan by sending more troops to confront the growing insurgency.

US frustration, militants’ safe haven in FATA to dominate Zardari’s address today

Peshawar, Sep 20 : US frustration, militants’ safe haven in FATA to dominate Zardari’s address todayIncreasing home-grown militancy, mounting American frustration at the continued Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan and militant ‘safe havens’ in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas will dominate President Asif Ali Zardari’s maiden address to the joint session of parliament in Islamabad today.

US military advisers arriving soon to train Pak counter insurgency team

Lahore, Sep 20: A long-delayed plan to send dozens of US military advisers to Pakistan to train the Pakistani Army in counter-insurgency could begin in a matter of weeks on a training base north of Peshawar under a new agreement.

The Los Angeles Times quoted Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen as saying that the US and Pakistan had cleared the remaining obstacles to the arrival of the advisers.

Washington has been urging the Pakistani military to accept the training team for months, the report said. However, Pakistan has resisted such advice, and asked for additional weaponry and equipment that the paper said “some US officials believe is best suited for its standoff with regional rival India”.

Pak unveils plans to acquire nuke power plants

Blast kills seven near Pakistani capitalIslamabad, Sept. 19 : Pakistan today unveiled plans to acquire more nuclear plants and a satellite communications system.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced the setting up of a committee to work out modalities for the purchases after being briefed on strategic projects by top officials.

An official statement said the committee to "work out the modalities and financial arrangements before a formal decision is made on the purchase of nuclear energy plants and a satellite communication system."

Pak may review its rules of engagement with US in the wake of recent strikes

PakistanIslamabad, Sept 19 : Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that in the wake of the recent, rather ongoing, US strikes on its soil, the rules of engagement between Pakistan and the US in the war on terrorism needed to be reviewed.

“We can also sit as a government and see if they need to be reviewed,” said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while complaining that Pakistan had not been informed about Wednesday’s attack in South Waziristan.

Pakistan rupee hits new low against the dollar

Karachi - The Pakistan rupee plunged Friday to a new record low of 78 against the US dollar on global financial jitters and domestic economic woes, traders said.

The rupee closed at 78.00-05 against the dollar in both the open and inter-bank markets as compared with 77.70-80 on Thursday.

Traders said lack of inflow of foreign currency and import pressures were the main reasons for creating a shortage.

They said the weakness in major global financial markets would further decrease foreign investors' interest in small emerging markets such as Pakistan, which is facing a myriad of economic problems.

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