By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir

ISLAMABAD: In a significant change in policy of hiring doctors and paramedics from Pakistan, the Saudi government has decided to acquire the services of specialists for different departments and recruit graduate nurses instead of diploma holders. A team of kidney specialists and senior officials of the Saudi government led by Dr. Adnan Alfi, director higher medical committee, has conducted interviews of kidney specialists and nurses for service in the Kingdom. The team has selected 115 specialists and 120 qualified graduate nurses to serve in various parts of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom has 200 kidney centres where so far 11500 patients have been registered for kidney ailments and are being treated.

Three sisters go missing in Muridke

By our correspondent

MURIDKE: Three sisters went missing here on Thursday. According to Alamdar Hussain Shah, his daughters 11-year-old Hina, 10-year-old Sidra Batool and five-year-old Muskaan Zohra went missing while returning to their house from a private school.

Muslims should avenge Aafia’s sentence: Zawahiri

DUBAI: Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri called on Muslims on Thursday to avenge the sentencing of Aafia Siddiqui, the Site monitoring service said. Zawahiri made the appeal in an audio message entitled “Who Will Avenge the Scientist Aafia Siddiqui,” which was released on Jihadist forums, the US-based Site Intelligence Group said. He promised “to attack ... (Americans) as long as they attack” Muslims and said “the Ummah (Islamic nation) will not stop pursuing you.” Zawahiri told Pakistanis their “government humiliated them by letting the Americans and Crusaders occupy the country.”

US slaps sanctions on LeT, Jaish

WASHINGTON: The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on two Pakistan-based terrorist organisations and a key leader of recent attacks in Mumbai. The Treasury Department said it targeted the financial and support networks of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM). It also took action against Azam Cheema, saying he had helped train operatives for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks and was the ‘mastermind’ behind the July 2006 Mumbai train bombings carried out by LET.

US reaffirms close ties with Pakistan, India

WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday renewed its commitment to close ties with both Pakistan and India and said Washington would continue to encourage its two South Asian friends to resolve their outstanding disputes. Mike Hammer, National Security Council spokesman, said on the eve of President Barack Obama’s visit to India, that the United States “supports efforts” by Pakistan and India towards resolution of outstanding disputes. “The US has positive relations with both” India and Pakistan,’ he told a Foreign Press Center briefing.

Landmine blast injures two security men

PESHAWAR: Two security personnel were injured in a landmine explosion in Tehsil Saafi of the Mohmand Agency on Thursday morning. One of the injured was stated to be in critical condition and shifted to Peshawar by a helicopter. Moreover, unknown miscreants blew up a tube-well in the Lakaro area of the same tribal agency. The militants have claimed the responsibility of the incident, saying the tube-well was used for provision of water to security force.

Abducted OGDCL employees recovered

DERA MURAD JAMALI: Four abducted employees of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) were recovered from Naseerabad on Thursday. Police said unknown armed men had kidnapped seven employees of Uchh gas field three days ago from Suhabatpur. Four of them, identified as driver Ahmad Khan, Qurbal Ali, driver Amam Ali and Imtiaz Ali, have been recovered by the police.