Balochistan resolution: Demarche issued to US envoy again

For the second time in a week, the foreign office summoned the acting US ambassador to record Pakistan’s “strong protest” over a resolution recently tabled in the US House of Representatives backing Balochistan’s right to self-determination.

“Ambassador Richard Hoagland was told in clear terms that the move in the US Congress was contrary to the spirit of friendly relations and violative of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and recognised norms of inter-state conduct,” said a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Monday.

It may be added that the US administration may have expressed helplessness regarding the hearings and resolutions that have suddenly cropped up on Balochistan in Washington – but Pakistan isn’t buying it.

Read details: The Express Tribune

You may also read The Fire Within for an exclusive post on Balochistan

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Pakistan PM charged with contempt

Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani has been charged with contempt in an appearance before the country's Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has said Mr Gilani defied a court order to write to the Swiss authorities and ask them to re-open the cases against Mr Zardari.

The prime minister, who faces jail and being barred from office if convicted, pleaded not guilty.

Read more: BBC

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AusAid funded suspension bridge brings joy to villagers of Swat

The construction of a suspension bridge in Shinkat village in Swat valley has restored the only all-weather land link connecting villagers to Mingora.

AusAid funded suspension bridge in Swat 

The bridge, connecting Shaltalu village with Shinkat and Mingora, has been termed as a landmark by villagers, where life is slowly coming to normal after militants were cleared off the area by Pakistan Army.

Funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid), the bridge has been constructed by local people with technical support from Sarhad Rural Support Programme. AusAid has so far completed 82 development schemes in 19 union councils in Swat valley.

Read details: The Express Tribune

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No more Jailbreaking access to iOS!! Says a 14 years old Pakistani boy

There is no dearth of record breaking MCPs in Pakistan. Arfa Karim, whose tragic death made headlines around the world, was one of the world's youngest MCP of her time.

Now 14-years old Babar Iqbal from remote area of Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, has set a world record by publishing his first research paper on digital forensic science. The field of Digital Forensic Science covers the recovery and investigation of data in digital devices and is often used to aid computer crime investigations.

Babar’s research pertains to Apple iDevices (iPad, iPhone, iPod) and has been accepted by the 8th IEEE International Conference on Innovations in Information Technology. He has been invited to present his research at the conference as well.

Jailbreaking is gaining illegal root access to iOS, Apple’s operating system, through use of custom kernels. Devices which run iOS include the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. On a jailbroken device, one could download application, themes and other stuff that is unavailable through the official Apple store.

What sets his method apart is that it doesn’t require jailbreaking and can image an iDevice in less than 30 minutes.

Read more: Pro Pakistani

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Gilgit Baltistan - a Heaven on earth as captured by a photographer

Gilgit-Baltistan, formerly known as the Northern Areas is a region that attracts the world  of mountaineers, trekkers, holidaymakers and fun lovers. The region is home to five of the fourteen eight  thousanders and dozens of peaks above 7,000 metres besides the unbelievable and beautiful  Deosai Plains. The region is also home to the near extinct Snow Leopard, the Brown Bears of  Deosai and Marcopolo sheep, besides many other species of beautiful animals and birds.

Spread over an area of some 72,971 square kilometres, Gilgit-Baltistan borders Pakistan's Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province to the west, Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor to the north, China  to the east and northeast, Azad Kashmir to the southwest, and Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir to the southeast. The region is a meeting point of three great mountain ranges; namely the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Pamir. 

Explore more and see more photographs: Jaho Jalal [ A photographer's capture of Gilgit Baltistan]

Also Read:

The Eight Thousanders

Virgin lakes of Gilgit-Baltistan.

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