ISI chief gets another extension for one year

Islamabad, Apr 2: Confusion surrounding the extension granted to Pakistan's ISI chief Ahmad Shuja Pasha has been cleared after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the General would remain in the post for another year.

Media reports had earlier said that the PPP-led government had given an extension to Lt Gen Pasha, a close aide of Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, after a previous one-year extension ended on March 18.

However, no official notification regarding the extension was made public and the duration of the extension was not revealed by officials.

During an appearance on "PM Online," a monthly show on state-run PTV that allows viewers to interact with the Prime Minister, Gilani said the government had decided to retain Pasha as the ISI chief for another year because of the prevailing security situation in the country.

"We need continuity in the current situation and the extension was very necessary," Gilani said.

He described Pasha as "an intelligent person."

This was the first time a senior government functionary had spoken about the duration of the extension given to the ISI chief following intense speculation about his new tenure.

Some media reports had said the military establishment wanted Pasha to be given a two-year extension so that he could remain in office until a three-year extension given to Kayani ends in 2013.

When pressed by an interviewer on the TV show last night about why the government could not pick a successor to Pasha from within the army, Gilani said: "Why is there confusion over the extension for the ISI chief? It is very much the right of the government and we have given him one year's extension in the same position."

PTI

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Another quake jerks Japan; fresh Tsunami alert issued

Monday, March 14, 2011, 8:52 [IST]Tokyo, Mar 14: Once again earthquake reported from the land of rising Sun - Japan on Monday, Mar 14. Local media reported that on wee morning, the country experienced another bash from nature. This time the quake was 5.8-magnitude, sources informed.

Fresh tsunami alerts also has been issued in the country as the new quake shook Japan. Sources reported that on Monday, the shake was heavily observed from the capital of the country and struck at a depth of 18 kilometers off Ibaraki prefecture. Recent earthquakes in past 7 days.

Residents are advised to vacate the sea level areas and are ordered to higher ground as the sea was reportedly seen retreating off Iwate prefecture in the north-east of Honshu island, a phenomenon that occurs before the massive waves hit.

Meanwhile, a fresh hydrogen explosion has occurred in the third reactor of Fukushima nuclear power plant. 160 people are feared to have been poisoned over the radioactive rays.

More than 18,000 people were shifted from the near regions of the nuclear power plant. The total death toll is estimated crossed 10,000. Though 2,000 deaths have been declared officially.

Japan experienced earthquake of 8.9 magnitude followed by a devastating tsunami on Friday, Mar 11. Now, fresh volcano eruption was also reported. Japan's Kyodo news agency reports that about 2000 bodies have been found on the shores of Miyagi prefecture. Miyagi was one of the the worst effected places during Friday's quake and tsunami.

OneIndia News

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Japan: Another Nuke reactor loses coolant; meltdown on cards

Tokyo, Mar 13: Japan confronted more threats as another nuclear reactor in Fukushima reportedly lost its coolant. Despite the country's immense effort to cease meltdown, the worst effect soon may occur, sources informed.

Japanese news agency Kyodo on Sunday, Mar 13 reported that The cooling system had stopped working in a sixth reactor.

Kyodo agency also reported that radiation levels have risen above the safety limit around Tokyo Electric Power Co's (TEPCO) nuclear plant hit by a massive earthquake and the company has informed the government of an "emergency situation".

After several tests, 18 people reportedly were found poisned by the radiation leak and the total death toll is estimated to cross 1,800.

Japan ordered to evacuate almost 170,000 people from the area near the damaged nuclear power plant, informed the UN nuclear watchdog. People were ordered out of a 20-kilometre radius surrounding the Fukushima, sources reported.

Earlier reports showed that the explosion was not of the reactors, but occurred in the plant. The outer wall of the building holding the first reactor was blown off in the impact.

Authorities informed that if the cooling system remains inoperative for many hours, the water will eventually boil away, and the fuel will begin to melt.

However, Secretary of States, Hillary Clinton informed, "We just had our Air Force assets in Japan transport some really important coolant to one of the nuclear plants." Confirming Clinton's statement, Presindent Barack Obama also earlier claimed, "So Air Force planes were able to deliver that. So we're really deeply involved in trying to do as much as we can on behalf of the Japanese and on behalf of US citizens."

The crisis at the aging plant confronted Japan with its worst nuclear accident and perhaps the biggest mishap at nuclear plant since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

OneIndia News

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