MULTAN: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Friday that Pakistan will chase the terrorists to rid the country of the menace of terrorism.Talking to media persons at the local airport, he said that operation will be carried out wherever needed, adding that “we will have to face the terrorists wherever they are and chase them to defeat terrorism”.When asked whether operation will be expanded to other areas, he said that it was carried out with proper planning and keeping in view the resources needed and their availability. He said that a well thought-out strategy was adopted in Malakand and Swat by virtue of which tribal people are supporting the government, and they have formed Lashkars and are asking the miscreants to leave the area. That is how the operation will move ahead, he added.To a question, Foreign Minister said that if there exists foreign elements in Waziristan, they will also be chased.

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has achieved the targets set by International Monetary Fund (IMF) in connection with its assistance to the government besides those relating to the local and foreign assets of the banks.According to a statement issued by SBP, the IMF had asked the government in the previous financial year to bring the debts down to Rs1181 billion. The government has not only achieved this target but it even succeeded in bringing the debts down to Rs1126 billion. The IMF also set a target of cutting down the banks’ local assets to RS1314 billion which the SBP has managed to bring down to Rs1181 billion. The foreign assets of the banks were to be raised to Rs2.78 billion dollars which has been enhanced to 4.50 billion dollars.

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said that the stability of democratic institutions is impossible without good governance, for which a good system of justice is necessary- the system which deliver justice independently without pressure. Addressing the National Judicial Conference on Saturday, the Chief Justice said that the new judicial policy will provide a roadmap for timely and inexpensive justice. He urged the judges for early settlement of the cases without unnecessary dragging

KARACHI: Over 800 Pakistanis, went to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia, have been betrayed by Travel Agent Mafia working in Pakistan, as the money of their return tickets have been refunded here in Pakistan, leaving them in Lurch in Saudi Arabia.Over 800 Pakistanis went Saudi Arab through separate airlines belonging to various cities who are unable to get back to country due to lack of their return tickets while travel agents in Jeddah have denied them of any support or help to avert this malfunction.According to sources, the corrupt travel agents in Pakistan have refunded the money of the return tickets of over 800 Pakistanis currently staying in Jeddah for Umrah and their subagents have advised the Saudi authorities to hand them over to Saudi Security Agencies.Reports have also reached here regarding the involvement of country managers of some airlines in all this corruption while those victimized told Geo news that they cannot afford to buy return tickets again.Complaints have been registered with Saudi Ministry for Hajj and the investigations are underway in this connection, sources said adding that the money for their return tickets will be deducted from their banks in Pakistan which they had deposited as guaranteed money for Umarh travel.