The Supreme court of Pakistan has temporarily suspends Babar Awan’s licence

An 11-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry resumed the hearing of the Bhuttoo reference case.

The counsel for the government, Babar Awan requested the court to give him time to submit his reply regarding the contempt notice served to him.

The court observed that no one would be allowed to ridicule the courts.

Babar said that he respects the court.

The apex court rejected Babar’s stance and suspended his licence on temporary basis. The court also ordered the government to appoint a new counsel to pursue Bhutto reference case.

The Supreme Court will take up National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case today

A seven-judge larger bench headed by Justice Nasir ul Mulk will commence hearing into the important case.

Attorney General Maulvi Anwar ul Haq will appear before the apex court to give his arguments.

In the previous hearing, a five-judge bench had said that government and NAB had implemented the NRO ruling. The Supreme Court proposed six options and directed the AG to come up with his arguments in the next hearing before a larger bench.

On the other hand, Justice Qazi Essa-led three-member commission will resume meeting in Islamabad High Court.

The commission has summoned Mansoor Ijaz, Hussain Haqqani and DG ISI and others.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said US cannot confirm that Hakimullah was killed in drone strike

We cannot comment on Hakeemullah Mehsud s death because we don t have any information on it, White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

He said that the stories on Mehsud’s death originated from Pakistani intelligence officials.

He said that there was no communication from Pakistan about the parliamentary committee recommendations on relationship with US.

Earlier, a foreign news agency quoted Pakistani intelligence officials as saying that they intercepted militant radio communications indicate leader of Pakistani Taliban may have been killed in a recent US drone strike.

A Taliban official denied that.

The claim that the Pakistani Taliban chief was killed came from officials who said they intercepted a number of Taliban radio conversations. In about a half a dozen intercepts, the militants discussed whether their chief, Hakimullah Mehsud, was killed on Jan 12 in the North Waziristan tribal area. Some militants confirmed Mehsud was dead, and one criticized others for talking about the issue over the radio.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to reporters.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Asimullah Mehsud denied the group’s leader was killed and said he was not in the area where the drone strike occurred.

Arfa Karim, Pak talent and world's youngest Microsoft Certified Professional, has passed away

She breathed her last after being in coma for over 26 days at CMH Lahore. Arfa had earned the certification at the age of 9. She died at the age of 16.

She suffered an epileptic seizure that caused severe heart and brain damage. This ultimately led to a heart attack. She had been on life support.

Arfa suffered cardiac arrest on December 22, and had been under treatment at CMH since.

Microsoft had also arranged a team which was following her case closely along with Pakistani doctors.

Her funeral will be offered in native city Faisalabad.

Army Chief is furious with prime minister for statements criticising Army

And he wants that they should be either clarified or withdrawn, a senior military source told Reuters on Saturday.

"The army chief complained to the president about the prime minister s statements, and said they needed to be either clarified or withdrawn," the source told Reuters.

"He said such statements were divisive and made the country more vulnerable."

Earlier, President Zardari met Army Chief amid a civilian-military standoff that is shaking the government, a spokesman said.

"Chief of the army staff General Ashfaq Kayani called on President Zardari in his office today," the president s spokesman Farhatullah Babar told AFP.

He gave few details about the unscheduled meeting beyond that, saying the "current security situation came under discussion". --Agencies

Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) rejected CENTCOM finding on NATO attack on Salala posts

Rejecting CENTCOM probe’s report on Salala posts, Defence Committee of the Cabinet Saturday endorsed the report prepared by Pakistani army on the NATO attack carried out on November 26.

According to sources the committee that met here in the Prime Minister House under chairmanship of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani also observed that only regrets on the incident claiming 24 lives of Pakistani soldiers is not sufficient.

The committee noted that the GHQ report saying that Pakistani forces were not taken into confidence prior to the attack launched by NATO at the dawn of November 26 and then despite intimidation about the strike on Pakistani posts another attack was carried out is based on facts.

The committee also suggested further tough steps as far supply to NATO in Afghanistan is concerned and recommended for approval of more taxes in this connection.

The committee was supporting stoppage of drone attacks in Pakistani areas and submitted recommendations on Pak-US relations.

The meeting expressed its satisfaction over the 35 recommendations of Parliamentary Committee on National Security.

The defence committee demanded apology on part of US and NATO for the sad incident of November 26 besides compensation for the damages and causalities.

The NATO attack along Afghan border in November created reaction across Pakistan and Islamabad ordered US to vacate Shamsi base besides blocking NATO supply via Pakistan.

Several countries including US vowed to launch impartial probe into the incident. A couple of weeks ago US made its investigation report regarding the NATO attack public and expressed only regrets over the incident but findings of the report were rejected by Pakistan. Pakistan army submitted its own report on the attacks.

Sources privy to the committee’s meeting informed that the Pakistani Investigation report would soon be shared with US, NATO and international community.

The meeting of Defence Committee of the Cabinet was attended by Senior Minister for Industries and Defence Productions, Minister for Defence, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, Interior Minister, Information Minister, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of Army Staff, Air Chief, Naval Chief, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Director General of Intelligence Bureau.

Four suicide bombers have been killed in attack on Dera Ismail Khan DPO's office

A suicide bomber blew himself up as militants armed with guns launched an attack on a police station in northwest Pakistan Saturday, officials said.

The attackers targeted the main police station in Dera Ismail Khan city, provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told AFP.

The body of a suicide bomber was lying at the gate of the police station, he said. Two other militants were also dead.

Police spokesman Mohammad Hanif said police shot dead two militants and at least two others blew themselves up.

One policeman and three civilians were al;so reportedly killed.

About half a dozen militants stormed the station located in a sensitive area housing government offices, district courts and lawyers offices, he said.

They hurled hand grenades and opened fire on the office of district police chief, he said.

Authorities summoned troops and commandos ringed the area, police said.

A heavy exchange of gunfire erupted between militants and law enforcement agencies. The situation remains tense in the area that mostly houses government offices and courts. A heavy contingent of security forces was still present at the scene late into Saturday night.