33 rebels killed in Afghanistan

KABUL: A bomb blast in the Afghan capital Wednesday wounded three people, the government said, as the NATO-led military announced it had killed 33 rebels.

The bomb was planted outside a petrol station in a western suburb of the city and wounded three civilian passers-by, the interior ministry said.

In a statement late Tuesday, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said troops clashed with militants on Saturday in Kapisa province, northeast of Kabul, and an assessment of the battle was ongoing.

Aitzaz smells conspiracy in air

ISLAMABAD: Former president Supreme Court Bar Association Chaudhry Aitzaz Wednesday said he could smell conspiracy in the air.

Speaking at Meet The Press programme here at Islamabad Press Club, Aitzaz said restoration of the Chief Justice was a national issue and it was not mutually exclusive for the province of Punjab. Statements issued by some of the leaders in this regard did hurt, he added.

Chaudhry Aitzaz said had the government erected a China Wall like barrier with the help of containers, the ocean people would have easily washed it away as well.

On the occasion he also announced his return as a lawyer after two years. “I did not want to attend courts in the presence of PCO judges,” Aitzaz said

Nawaz sees no justification for governor rule

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif has said that restoration of judiciary is not the victory or defeat of any individual, but it is a triumph of Pakistan and rule of law.

Addressing a news conference here on Wednesday, he said: “Our society has witnessed a revolution through people power and this process should continue in the future too.”

He praised the whole nation for its struggle in the restoration of judiciary. PML-N chief lauded the media too for playing a leading role in the lawyers’ movement.

“Following the restoration of judiciary, 17th Amendment and other controversial issues should be resolved through implementation of the charter of democracy (CoD),” he added.

Two-time prime minister said that all outstanding issues would be jointly resolved and he had talked to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in this connection.

To a question, he said that Punjab’s mandate had been crushed and there was no justification for the governor rule in Punjab.

Commenting on the disqualification, he said that nobody had accepted this verdict.