Ousted Pak PM picks brother Shahbaz Sharif as successor

News Network
July 30, 2017

Karachi, Jul 29: Pakistan’s ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday picked his brother and Punjab province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif as his successor and nominated former Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as interim Prime Minister for 45 days.

“Now that I have left the Prime Minister’s Office, I propose the name of Shahbaz Sharif as Prime Minister. But it will take some time as he has to contest election on a National Assembly seat. So for an interim period, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has agreed to become the Prime Minister,” Mr. Sharif said in an address to party legislators in Islamabad.

Defiant note

Mr. Sharif, who was disqualified on Friday by the Supreme Court after a probe into his family’s assets following last year’s Panama Papers revelations that linked his children to offshore companies, struck a defiant note in the speech, taking credit for Pakistan’s nuclear tests and recalling the history of the country’s military coups.

“I have made Pakistan a nuclear power. I was offered $5 billion not to conduct nuclear tests, but I refused. I have made relations better with our neighbours. But I was handcuffed for that…. Whenever martial law is imposed in the country, it was because of a handful of people, not by the entire military,” he added.

The five-member bench of the top court unanimously ruled that Mr. Sharif had been “dishonest” in not disclosing his earnings from a UAE-based company in his nomination papers.

Mr. Sharif, however, said the Supreme Court ruling surprised him. “I was not holding any public office when my son set up the company in Dubai and we were in exile. I have not received any salary from my son’s company. I have not received any kickback and done anything wrong.”

He also recalled how prime ministers in Pakistan have been sent packing in the past 70 years. “Our 70 years’ history is regrettable. If the practice of sending Prime Ministers home is not stopped, the country will face greater problems.”

No Pakistani Prime Minister has completed a full five-year term.

Pakistan Muslim League-N sources said Mr. Shahabaz Sharif would contest from Mr. Sharif’s NA-120 constituency, a stronghold of the party. The Election Commission will issue the date of the election next week. Till the elections are over, Mr. Abbasi will remain the interim Prime Minister.

Mr. Abbasi, a Sharif loyalist, has been a member of the National Assembly since 1998. He has a masters degree in electrical engineering from George Washington University in Washington and had served as the chairman of the Pakistan International Airlines and the chief executive of private airline Air Blue. He was the Petroleum Minister in the out-going Sharif cabinet.

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Agencies
March 28,2025

Udupi: Deputy Commissioner K. Vidya Kumari has directed officials to expedite land acquisition for designated industrial zones in the district to facilitate new industries. She issued these instructions during a meeting at Rajatadri on Wednesday.

Lands have been identified across various taluks for industrial development. The DC emphasized that KIADB must acquire these lands and ensure essential infrastructure—electricity, roads, and drainage—to attract industries and generate employment.

A total of 77 acres of private land has been acquired and compensated, including 31.2 acres in Kerebettu village, Hebri taluk, and 45.7 acres in Shivapura village. However, approval for 36.5 acres of government land is still pending. She instructed the forest department to assess whether this land falls under an eco-sensitive zone.

For the Belapu Industrial Area, the DC urged officials to accelerate minor land acquisitions for road expansion and commence construction at the earliest. She also mandated rainwater harvesting systems for all units in the Miyaru Industrial Area to tackle water scarcity.

Currently, 22 export-based units operate in the district. The DC encouraged further promotion of exports and an increase in their number.

The meeting was attended by Joint Director of Industries Nagraj V. Naik, KIADB Development Officer Srinivasa Murthy, Small-Scale Industries Association District President Harish Kunder, Deputy Director of the District Industrial Center Seetharam Shetty, District Skill Development Officer Arun B., and others.

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News Network
March 28,2025

quake.jpg

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake, and an aftershock of 6.8, hit central Myanmar at 12.50pm (local time) Friday. The epicentre was 16km northwest of the city of Sagaing, and at a depth of 10km, the United States Geological Survey said. 20 deaths have been reported - in Myanmar so far - by local media.

Deaths have also been reported from a mosque in Mandalay city, which collapsed while people were inside, praying and a university building in which a fire broke out. And a 1,000-bed hospital in Myanmar capital Naypyidaw has become a "mass casualty area", news agency AFP said.

The Myanmar junta has declared an 'emergency' and has appealed for international aid.

Tremors were felt as far away as northern Thailand, where some metro and rail services were suspended in Bangkok. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is holding an "urgent meeting" to review the crisis and she too has declared a state of 'emergency' in the capital city.

China's Yunnan province also reported strong tremors; the China Earthquake Networks Center said the magnitude was 7.9. And mild tremors were also reported from Kolkata in Bengal and parts of Manipur, where tremors of 4.4 magnitude were recorded as well as Dhaka and Chattogram in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India is ready to offer any assistance needed. "Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone," he posted on X. "... have asked our authorities to be on standby."

Terrifying videos on X showed buildings shaking in Bangkok and other cities, with people running onto the streets in panic. "I heard it... I was sleeping in the house and then I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building," Duangjai, a resident of popular tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP.

One particularly horrifying video showed water from an infinity pool falling over the edge.

And another showed an under-construction skyscraper in Bangkok's Chatuchak neighbourhood collapsing. According to reports, 43 workers have been trapped amid the debris.

"When I arrived to inspect the site, I heard people calling for help, saying help me," Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bang Sue district, told AFP. "We estimate that hundreds of people are injured but we are still determining the number of casualties."

In Myanmar, an old bridge over the Irrawaddy River and some residential buildings having collapsed, with images from Mandalay (around 24km from Sagaing) suggesting more people may be trapped.

Other videos showed extensive damage to the airport in Mandalay and to a monastery near the city of Taunggyi, in Myanmar's Shan State that is on the border to Thailand.

Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or more struck between 1930 and 1956 near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the country.

A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake, in the ancient capital Bagan in central Myanmar, killed three people in 2016, also toppling spires and crumbling temple walls at the tourist destination.

The impoverished nation has a strained medical system, especially in its rural states.

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News Network
March 20,2025

Bhagalpur: A violent clash between two nephews of Union Minister Nityanand Rai in Bihar’s Bhagalpur resulted in one death and another critically injured on Thursday.

The incident occurred in Jagatpur under Parvatta police station, Navgachia district. The injured nephew is undergoing treatment at Bhagalpur hospital. Following the incident, top district officials rushed to the hospital, and an investigation is underway.

Naugachhia SP Prerna Kumar stated, "Around 7:30 am, we received information that two brothers shot at each other in Jagatpur village. One succumbed to injuries, while the other is critical. Initial reports suggest a dispute over a water tap escalated into gunfire. The deceased has been identified as Vikal Yadav, and the injured as Jaijit Yadav. Prompt action has been taken, and statements are being recorded. We also have information that they are relatives of a Union minister."

According to reports, the altercation between Jagjit Yadav and Vikal Yadav turned violent when one opened fire on the other. The injured man then grabbed the gun and retaliated. Both were taken to Bhagalpur hospital, where Vikal Yadav was declared dead, and Jaijit remains in critical condition.

During the clash, their mother, who tried to intervene, was shot in the hand. She is also receiving treatment at Dr. AK Yadav’s clinic.

Parvatta police station in-charge Shambhu Kumar confirmed that the dispute revolved around water and led to gunfire. Authorities are investigating further to determine the exact cause of the conflict.

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