Famous Saudi TV presenter found dead in Paris

JEDDAH: The well-known Saudi television personality, Saud Al-Dosari, was found dead in his house in Paris on Friday.
The award-winning talk show host died of a heart attack. He was 47.
As mourners took to social media to bid him farewell, many shared his last quotes. The last tweet by the popular host was posted during the holy month of Ramadan. It was: “It’s not important to have a Holy Qur’an in your pocket. What is more important is for your morals to be what the Qur’an calls for.”
Al-Dosari’s last TV appearance was during the talk show, “Le Yatmin Qalbi” (To Reassure My Heart) on Rotana Khaleejia in Ramadan. In that appearance, he interviewed Dr. Adnan Ibrahim about some prominent and thorny social and religious issues, Arab News reported on Saturday.
He began his career on the radio where he was a news presenter. He hosted a number of shows, including “Good Morning Arabia” and “Haneen,” which highlighted Arab celebrities with one-on-one interviews. He also hosted a live show from Cairo. He worked with several TV and radio organizations, including MBC, Orbit and Rotana Khaleejia.
His many accolades included being the recipient of the Best Arab TV Presenter Award in 1995 and the Gordons Trophy in 2010.

Japanese Ambassador requests Dar to clear refunds of motor companies

Harry Javed/ISLAMABAD: Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Inomata requested the Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar here Saturday to clear the outstanding tax refunds of the Japanese motor manufacturing companies operating in the country.

The Japanese Ambassador in Islamabad met the Finance Minister today and informed him about the visit of JICA team to Pakistan which would evaluate the progress on Energy Sector DPC-II. He also discussed with the Minister tax related matters, including sales tax refunds,  raised by Japanese companies operating in Pakistan. He also shared with the Minister the Japanese pharmaceutical company Otsuka Pakistan’s request for revision of prices of infusion solutions keeping in view the hike in their cost of production.

Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar on this occasion appreciated the contribution of the Japanese companies in the Pakistani market and said they were an important facet of Pak-Japan economic linkages. The Minister said that cases of sales tax refunds were being expedited by FBR under his directions.

He assured that tax related matters of Japanese companies would be discussed with Chairman Federal Board of Revenue. He said the government had embarked on a drive to expand the tax net and promote tax culture in the country and expected the traders and business community to contribute to the national exchequer. Hiroshi Inomata thanked the Finance Minister for taking time out of his busy schedule for this meeting.

It is a tradition that every year the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) withholds billions of rupees tax refunds of the manufacturers and exporters just to meet the annual target in June ever year.

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, FPCCI leaders and several other representatives of manufacturers and exporters and importers are demanding the tax refunds from the FBR since the outset of the new financial year from July, but the Finance Minister and FBR taking more and more time to delay refunds and to show rosy picture of tax collection.

end

Adnan Sami says his Pakistani nationality terminated

NEW DEHLI: Renowned Pakistani singer Adnan Sami, who thrilled fans with his soulful qawwali ‘Bhar do jholi’ in Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan, has said that it is India where his heart is and has always been.

He also added that people across the globe know him as an Indian artist. Elated to get an unlimited stay in India by the Indian government on humanitarian grounds, Sami said that people in Pakistan are not very happy with the news and are burning his effigies, reports Hindustan Times. Calling himself from a no man’s land, Adnan said that his Pakistani citizenship has been terminated now.

Adnan Sami is living in India for the past many years and signing songs there. He married Pakistani showbiz star Zeba Bakhtiar, but got separated several years ago.

end

Indian channels get show-cause for giving coverage to Yaqub Memon hanging

NEW DELHI: Unhappy with the coverage related to hanging of 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yaqub Memon by three leading news broadcasters, information and broadcasting ministry has issued show-cause notice to them, asking why action should not be taken against them.

Official sources said that it was felt that some parts of the coverage of these news channels were inappropriate following which they have been asked to explain how their coverage does not violate the sections of the Programme Code.

Officials said that sections of the Programme Code lay down that no programme should be carried which contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths.

As per other sections of the Code, no programme should be carried which is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote anti-national attitudes, Times of India reported on Saturday.

Another sections also tells channels not to carry anything which contains aspersions against the integrity of the President and judiciary. Officials said that in view of these provisions of the Programme Code, the ministry felt that there was a need to seek explanation from these channels.

A unit under the I&B ministry, Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC), monitors the content of around 600 channels.

Two of the broadcasters to whom notices have been sent had reportedly aired phone-in interviews of underworld figure Chhota Shakeel. Another channel is learned to have telecast remarks of Memon’s lawyer.

After the channels reply to the show-cause notice, an inter-ministerial committee which is headed by Additional Secretary in the I&B ministry and includes officials from several ministries, will consider the matter.

Memon was hanged in Pune jail on July 30 morning, hours after three Supreme Court judges rejected his appeal to stop his execution in an unprecedented hearing that took place in the middle of the night.

Memon was convicted in 2007 as the driving spirit of the deadly attack in Mumbai in 1993 in which 257 people were killed as bombs exploded back to back at landmarks across the financial capital.

CM Sindh special powers to Rangers

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Saturday extended the special powers to Karachi Rangers Sindh by another 120 days. Special policing powers given to the Rangers according to the Anti-Terrorism act in the province expired today and the CM Sindh extended powers for another four months.

Earlier, the Sindh government in July also extended the Rangers stay by one year to help police and civil administration in Karachi.

According to the recently compiled figures, since September 5, 2013 when the federal government decided to launch the Rangers-led ‘targeted-operation’ in Karachi with the provincial government consent, the paramilitary force has conducted some 5,795 operations and apprehended 10,353 suspects that ranged from street criminals to terrorists.