LAHORE: Two accused of fraud in Bank of Punjab (BoP) have been arrested in Malaysia with the help of Interpol.

According to sources, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has arrested owner of Haris Steel Sheikh Afzal – the key accused of Rs nine billion fraud in Bank of Punjab – and his son Haris Afzal in Kuala Lumpur.

The accused had borrowed Rs9 billion from Bank of Punjab in collaboration with the managing director of BoP.

Bank accounts of the two accused were traced in Dubai and Malaysia, NAB sources added.

PESHAWAR: As Eid ul Azha is round the corner, another controversy started surfacing in NWFP regarding Eid moon sighting.

The NWFP government has announced that provincial Ruet-e-Hilal committee meeting will be held with non official Ruet-e-Hilal committee in Masjid Qasim Ali Khan.

Provincial Minister for Religious Affairs Nimroz Khan while talking to Geo News correspondent Amjad Aziz Malik made it confirmed that Eid will be celebrated according to the decision of provincial Ruet-e-Hilal committee instead of central Ruet-e-Hilal committee and decision of moon sighting or otherwise will be taken in a joint meeting with non official Ruet-e-Hilal committee of Masjid Qasim.

Nimroz Khan said NWFP government wishes that Eid should be celebrated on the same throughout the country. Pakistan should celebrate Eid a day after Eid in Saudi Arabia, he added.

PESHAWAR: Government of NWFP has decided not to take part in the next meeting of National Finance Commission (NFC) scheduled to be held in Karachi on November 18, said the government sources on Saturday.

The NWFP government has not yet received the payment of Rs10 billion as announced by the Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to clear the electricity dues and this has prompted the NWFP government’s decision to stay out of the next NFC meeting in Karachi, source said.

Another reason for the decision is that the NWFP government had demanded of the federation in the previous meetings of NFC to increase by 5 percent the amount of money provided for tackling terrorism but so far there is no progress in this regard, source said.

LAHORE: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani Sunday said the government did not let National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) become an issue of ego and that nobody won or lost on this issue.

Talking to media, the Premier said NRO is a thing of past, therefore, there is need for bringing it up anymore.

He said the government reinstated the Chief Justice and the deposed judiciary through an executive order.

He said Balochistan issue is not a new one, as the province has been facing deprivation for the last 62 years. We are also well aware of the terrorist activities in Balochistan and that exchange of views will be held during meeting with PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif, he added.

To a question, he said Kerry Lugar Bill is a US law and not Pakistan’s. “No compromise will be made on the national security and nuclear program of Pakistan,” he asserted, adding, it is up to us to either accept or reject the aid under KLB.

He said it was the decision of the judiciary to present NRO before the Parliament.

BeBe Winans wife is pisssed! So after Oprah basically black balls Chris Brown for beating up Rhianna, she goes and decides to have gospel artist BeBe Winans, who has a domestic violence charge pending on him now, on her show.

What kind of foolishness is that? Our friends over at eurweb.cpm are reporting that Winans ex-wife she is very hurt that Oprah would make the decision to have BeBe Winans on the show.

The crazy thing is, BeBe Winans was arrested in February, the day right before Oprah had aired her domestic violence special as her response to the Chris Brown and Rhianna incident. And not only is BeBe going to be on the show, he is the host of “Oprah’s Karaoke Challenge,” which is a nationwide competition to find the best karaoke singer.

In my opinion Oprah is being a little contradictive. If she is going to allow BeBe on the show, then why not Chris Brown? What do ya’ll think?

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said we are sincere about the promises made in charter of democracy and we will eliminate 17th amendment and 58-2B.

Addressing in National Assembly, Gilani said Peoples Party had never accepted emergency and always put resistance against it. Parliament should not be split over non issues as the decision of not presenting NRO in parliament has been taken in accordance with the desire of the parliament.

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) MNA Khawja Saad Rafique Sunday said Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) earned slur for supporting the government of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to protect the system.

Talking to Geo News and addressing a ceremony hosted in his honour by party workers here, he said the country would never be put at stake just to save the system.

Saad said the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) should not be presented in the Assembly in the presence courts, as tabling it in the Parliament would be an affront to National Assembly.

Saad Rafique vowed that his party would fervidly oppose the NRO in the NA, if it was presented at the House.

TALA GANG: Amir Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman Sunday said his party will arrive at the decision on whether to support the NRO or otherwise at the party’s Shura meeting.

Addressing a press conference, he said NRO has nothing to do with JUI and it has no relevance to the basis on which his party made coalition with the government.

Fazl-ur-Rehman denied having any differences with PML-N.

He said JUI rejects Kerry-Lugar Bill because it is against the interests of the country and nation.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira Wednesday said terrorists challenging government’s writ will be punished, while 80 percent of terrorist activities have links in South Waziristan.

Talking to media after attending cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to review security situation, the Information Minister said SWA operation is not to target a particular tribe or clan.

Kaira said that Pakistan wants elimination of terrorism from the entire world.

He also said that Federal cabinet has condemned the attacks in Iran, and that Pakistan would fully cooperate with Iran.

Federal minister also told reporters that Pakistan is in favor of having good relations with its neighboring countries.

Regarding Kerry Lugar-Bill, he said that the proposed aid to Pakistan has been increased three times in the revised draft of the bill. The cabinet has been taken in confidence regarding Senator John Kerry’s visit to Pakistan.

Qamar Zaman Kaira further said that country’s nuclear assets are completely safe from any kind of threat.

Kaira told media about the upcoming visit of Turkish Prime Minster to Pakistan, starting from 24th to 26th October. Turkish PM will also address joint session of the Parliament.

Kaira said that total foreign exchange reserves have risen to 14 billion dollars while the inflation rate has been brought down to 10.7 percent.

Regarding elections in AJK he said anyone who wins will be handed over the government. He said no interference will be made in the elections for AJK Assembly’s leader of the house.

KARACHI: The security at Sindh High Court (SHC) has been stepped up in view of security concerns, Geo News reported Wednesday. The personnel of Law enforcement agencies have been deployed with temporary bunkers set up at both the entrances of the court’s premises.

This decision has been made in a meeting held here with head of SHC admin affairs committee Justice Maqbool Baqir in chair.

The meeting decided to take up every possible step to avert any untoward incident. The individuals and vehicles entering the premises are being searched.

Meantime, the guards would soon be deployed at the rooftop of the high court.