KARACHI: An earthquake jolted cities of the NWFP including Peshawar and Malakand division and the federal capital on Friday. The intensity of the earthquake was reported 5.0 on the Rector scale. There was no report of damage of property or life from anywhere so far.

Director General Metrological office Qamaruzzaman Chaudhry said the epicenter of the quake was at Pak-Afghan border.

On Thursday night, the earthquake jolted Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Attock, Sargodha, Peshawar, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir and some other cities of the provinces of Punjab and the NWFP, besides some parts of AJK and Gilgit and Baltistan.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday directed the federal and provincial governments to ensure the availability of sugar to domestic consumers at Rs 40 per kilogram and adjourned the hearing of sugar price case hearing for indefinite period.

The details of an agreement inked between both sides regarding sugar price has been presented before the bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

According to the details, it has been decided that the sugar will be provided to domestic consumers at the rate of Rs.40/kg whereas 70% sugar from present reservoirs will be used for commercial and 30% for domestic consumer.

LONDON: Quaid Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain has expressed deep grief over the killing of school-going children by Taliban firing in Orakzai Agency.

In his statement released from here on Tuesday, Altaf said Taliban in past have shattered scores of schools in the name of Islam located in separate cities and tribal areas of NWFP province while even today many schools are closed.

Taliban shed innocent blood of minor children through indiscriminate firing in Orakzai Agency, he added.

He appealed to president Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani of dealing the involved offenders with iron hands.

QUETTA: Gunmen in Quetta on Tuesday set ablaze eight trucks carrying fuel supplies for NATO forces fighting Taliban insurgents in neighbouring Afghanistan, officials said.

The attacks took place on the eastern outskirts of Quetta, the capital of oil and gas rich Baluchistan province bordering Iran and Afghanistan, where Taliban militants are active.

“Six gunmen riding on three motorcycles first sprayed bullets on the trucks, which triggered the fire,” local police official Qasim Ishaqzai told media.

A senior security official in the area confirmed the incident, but said nobody had yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan is also battling an insurgency by Islamist rebels, with Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants holed up in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan, often slipping across the border to attack foreign forces there.

NATO and US-led forces in landlocked Afghanistan are hugely dependent on Pakistan for supplies, with about 80 percent passing through Pakistan.

The bulk of supplies and equipment required by foreign troops is shipped through northwest Pakistan’’s tribal region of Khyber, where Taliban militants have carried out a series of attacks on trucks.

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister for Commerce, Makhdoom Amin Faheem has advised nation cut in use of sugar as he termed it as ‘Injurious to Helath’.

This he said during briefing to media and Senate Committee for Trade on Tuesday.

He dismissed allegations leveled on Trade and Commerce Ministry to create room for sugar crisis in country, adding that my ministry imported sugar as soon as we were directed.

On the occasion, secretary Trade Salman Ghani said the sugar price will be set no less than Rs50 per kilogram in forthcoming season owing to hike in sugarcane crop price.

Government will have to make sure provision of subsidized sugar on cheap prices, he concluded.

KARACHI: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin has asked sugar mills owners and hoarders to bring their sugar stocks into the market for sale otherwise stern action would be taken against them.

Talking to media in a seminar organized by Memon Forum, Tarin said sugar sale at Rs. 30 to 35 is not possible because of surge of price in international market. However, sugar price has now reached at Rs.52, which is more than government estimations and totally unacceptable.

Replying to a question, Tarin said government has increased the quota for utility stores from 40,000 to 70,000 tonnes to overcome sugar crisis.