Rescue teams are resuming their operation this morning to search the remaining bodies of the victims of Yesterday’s Margalla Hills air crash in Islamabad.

The operation was halted last evening when 131 bodies were recovered and shifted to the hospital.

A Centre is also being set up at Community Centre at Aabpara in Islamabad to provide necessary information to the families of the victims. First relatives have been asked to register one of them with the Centre for the purposes of DNA test for proper identification of the mutilated bodies.

Meanwhile, the relatives of air-crash victims have arrived in Islamabad from Karachi through special flight.

MOURNING DAY

One day mourning will be observed throughout the country on Thursday in memory of those killed in the tragic incident.

The national flag will fly at half mast.

PIMS

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad has started handing over identified bodies of plane crash victims to their heirs.

Joint Executive Director PIMS, Jahanzeb Aurakzai says so far ten out of the twenty two identified bodies had been handed over to their relatives.

He said the dead have been identified with the help of identity cards and other identification marks.

The PIMS Executive Director said the process of DNA tests for the identification of unidentified bodies would start from on Thursday.

KAIRA

Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira has said, the Prime Minister has announced five hundred thousand rupees for families of every victim.

Briefing newsmen, he clarified that the Black Box of the aircraft has not been found as reported earlier.

He said the Prime Minister has constituted an inquiry into the accident and if someone was found responsible for any lapse in this regard would not be spared.

Kaira said that inquiry report would be made public as the government has nothing to get from hiding the facts.

CONDOLENCE

US President Barack Obama, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Afghan President Hamid Karzai have expressed profound condolences over the loss of lives in the air crash.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Secretary General of Interpol, Ronald K. Noble also expressed their condolences over the tragic plane crash.

PRESIDENT-NA

President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned the National Assembly to meet in Islamabad on the ninth of next month at five in the afternoon.

AJK ASSEMBLY

A special session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is being held in Muzaffarabad on Thursday to elect new leader of the house.

Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan of the Muslim Conference is the only candidate for the office.

US-PAKISTAN

The Obama Administration defending US military assistance for Pakistan has told New Delhi that a stable Pakistan should not be seen as threat to India.

A senior State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley underscored the importance of effective steps taken by India, Afghanistan and Pakistan towards the goal of regional stability.

He said a stable Pakistan is not a threat to India while a stable India does not need to be a threat to Pakistan.

SPOKESMAN

Pakistan says that terrorism is a global, regional and local issue and Pakistan and the United Kingdom had a robust and comprehensive partnership including on counter-terrorism.

About the reported remarks of British Prime Minister, David Cameron in Bengalore about Pakistan, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said, terrorists have no religion, no humanity, no specific ethnicity or geography.

The spokesman said that Pakistan has done much more than any other country in combating terrorism. Our people and security forces have rendered innumerable sacrifices.

UN-KASHMIR

The UN Secretary General has called for resumption of Pakistan-India composite dialogue to resolve the lingering Kashmir dispute.

In a statement, the World

Body Chief expressed concern over the prevailing security situation in Occupied Kashmir and urged all concerned to exercise restraint.

Mr. Ban Ki Moon welcomed the recent Foreign Minister level talks between Pakistan and India.

He said the United Nations encourages both the sides to revive the spirit of the composite dialogue and make renewed efforts to address all their outstanding issues including Kashmir.

US-IRAN

The United States hopes to have an other round of talks between the six World Powers and Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme.

A US State Department Spokesman said that Iran has recently responded to some queries over a nuclear fuel swap deal proposed by Brazil, Turkey and Tehran.

The spokesman said the US officials are reviewing a letter written by Iran to the International Atomic Energy Agency in this regard.

PETRAEUS

The new NATO Commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus has urged the foreign forces to avoid civilian casualties and damage to property.

In his guidelines to the NATO forces, he said otherwise they would create more enemies than their military operations could eliminate.

General Petraeus said that the people of Afghanistan are also facing problems due to inadequate governance, corruption and power abuse.

Meanwhile, two more NATO soldiers have been killed by Taliban in fresh bomb attacks in western parts of Afghanistan.

RAILWAYS

Pakistan Railways is going to regularize its more than two thousand temporary labourers who have been working for more than three years.

This was told by Chairman Standing Committee of National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq while briefing the newsmen after a meeting of the Committee in Lahore yesterday.

KURRAM

In Kurram Agency, four persons have been killed when militants set ablaze a small village in Sang pass area.

In another incident, two security personnel have been injured in a remote control bomb attack in Alizai area of Kurram Agency.

ACCIDENT

Eight persons have been killed and thirty five others injured when a bus over turned Ahmadpur Road in Bahawalpur.

According to Bahawal Victoria Hospital sources, six persons died on the spot while two in the hospital.

Eighteen injured are stated to be in critical condition.

TEST

The first cricket Test between Pakistan and England begins at Nottingham on Thursday.

Pakistan will play four Tests, two Twenty-20 and five One-Day Internationals against England during the tour.

FLOOD WARNING

The Lahore Met Office says that river Jhelum at Mangle is likely to attain a high to very high flood level this morning due to heavy rain fall in the upper catchment areas.

All the concerned authorities have been asked to take necessary precautionary measures to avoid or minimise losses to lives and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Mirpur District Administration has directed the population living along the periphery of Mangla Dam to shift to safer places in view of impending food.

And the District Administration Multan has also directed the people living in the low lying areas along river Chenab to shift to safer places to avoid a flood situation during the next couple of days.

WEATHER

There are reports of a widespread rain across the country during the last twelve hours.

Peshawar received one hundred and thirty six millimeter rain while Zhob seventy-three.

A met office spokesman told Radio Pakistan that rain is continuing in Islamabad/Rawalpindi Kohat, Jhelum, Attock and Chakwal.

Meanwhile, widespread rain with isolated heavy falls is also expected in Punjab, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa and Kashmir during the next twelve hours.

Thundershower is also likely at scattered places in Eastern Balochistan and Sindh during this period.

Temperature of some major cities this morning was: