AGL 39.17 Increased By ▲ 0.63 (1.63%)
AIRLINK 129.86 Increased By ▲ 0.36 (0.28%)
BOP 5.77 Increased By ▲ 0.16 (2.85%)
CNERGY 3.89 Increased By ▲ 0.03 (0.78%)
DCL 8.84 Increased By ▲ 0.11 (1.26%)
DFML 41.40 Decreased By ▼ -0.36 (-0.86%)
DGKC 89.80 Increased By ▲ 1.50 (1.7%)
FCCL 35.15 Increased By ▲ 0.15 (0.43%)
FFBL 66.70 Decreased By ▼ -0.65 (-0.97%)
FFL 10.88 Increased By ▲ 0.27 (2.54%)
HUBC 109.20 Increased By ▲ 0.44 (0.4%)
HUMNL 14.85 Increased By ▲ 0.19 (1.3%)
KEL 4.76 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.21%)
KOSM 7.05 Increased By ▲ 0.10 (1.44%)
MLCF 42.65 Increased By ▲ 1.00 (2.4%)
NBP 59.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.10 (-0.17%)
OGDC 180.47 Decreased By ▼ -2.53 (-1.38%)
PAEL 26.34 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (0.34%)
PIBTL 6.00 Increased By ▲ 0.03 (0.5%)
PPL 147.63 Increased By ▲ 0.93 (0.63%)
PRL 23.70 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (0.38%)
PTC 16.90 Increased By ▲ 0.34 (2.05%)
SEARL 69.50 Increased By ▲ 1.20 (1.76%)
TELE 7.27 Increased By ▲ 0.04 (0.55%)
TOMCL 36.00 Increased By ▲ 0.05 (0.14%)
TPLP 8.20 Increased By ▲ 0.35 (4.46%)
TREET 14.54 Increased By ▲ 0.34 (2.39%)
TRG 50.90 Increased By ▲ 0.45 (0.89%)
UNITY 27.00 Increased By ▲ 0.25 (0.93%)
WTL 1.24 Increased By ▲ 0.03 (2.48%)
BR100 9,857 Increased By 51.6 (0.53%)
BR30 29,759 Increased By 80.6 (0.27%)
KSE100 92,735 Increased By 430.3 (0.47%)
KSE30 28,929 Increased By 88.3 (0.31%)

A US-educated Palestinian academic agreed on Monday to replace Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh as part of a bid by rival factions to bridge differences and ease a Western aid blockade, a Palestinian official said.
The nomination of 60-year-old Mohammad Shbair, a former head of the Islamic University in Gaza considered close to the governing Hamas, has still to be endorsed by President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate from the previously dominant Fatah faction.
Palestinians hope a new prime minister and a coalition cabinet will ease Western sanctions imposed after Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction, came to power in March. "We are facing a new era in which we will all work side by side and shoulder to shoulder in order to be able to protect the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people," said Ahmed Qurie, a senior Fatah official who is also a former prime minister. "The coming days will witness the true breakthrough, and the responsibilities upon the leaders will become greater."
Hamas declined comment. It was not clear that Hamas was ready to have Shbair named until all members of a unity government were worked out. "We can say that Fatah did not give any objections. Mohammad Shbair is a candidate by Hamas, and Fatah has no objection. Therefore, he has a big chance," said Rudwan al-Akhras, a spokesman for Fatah's parliamentary bloc.
Abbas, who travelled to Jordan for a two-day visit on Monday, was not expected to be able to endorse Shbair formally until the end of the week, at the earliest.

Copyright Reuters, 2006

Comments

Comments are closed.