Imran invites minorities to join ‘peoples tsunami’

Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan addresses a public gathering. – File Photo

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Wednesday held out an assurance that his party will not make any law depriving the marginalised religious minorities if comes into power.

He made this assurance while addressing the convention of minorities organised by PTI’s Punjab chapter in Green Town, Lahore.

Earlier, the party chief extended Christmas greetings to hundreds of participants, mostly belonging to the Christians community. Representatives of Hindu and Sikh communities were also present.

Referring to the examples of justice done by the Khulafa-i-Rashideen, Khan vowed to establish a justice-based society, wherein the rights of the Christian, Hindu and Sikh communities would be fully safeguarded.

He claimed that PTI’s December 25 rally in Karachi would turn Pakistan into such a state, where everyone would feel proud for being a Pakistani.

He viewed that the prosperity comes with peace. The PTI chief invited the religious minorities to join people’s tsunami that would bring a revolution in the country.

“The tsunami of people, especially youths, will wash away all the old political parties, old faces and crocodiles,” said Khan.

Representatives of religious minorities assured all out support to Imran Khan and emphasised that the potentials of the minorities should be fully utilised for development and prosperity of the country.

Zardari went to Dubai hospital because of life threats: Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said that threats to his life forced president Asif Ali Zardari to go to a Dubai hospital for treatment one week ago.

Speaking in the Senate, the Prime Minister said that the government and the president’s family convinced Zardari to go to Dubai for the treatment because there was a risk he would be attacked if he had treatment in a Pakistani hospital.

CJ admits Haqqani’s plea in memo case for hearing

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Wednesday rejected an objection by the Registrar Office on an application of former envoy Husain Haqqani in the memo case, DawnNews reported.

The judge heard the plea in his chamber and accepted the application for hearing. The court has fixed Dec 19 for hearing the plea.

Haqqani, through his lawyer Asma Jahangir, had challenged the Supreme Court office’s decision in which the registrar had rejected his petition against the court’s Dec 1 order in the case.

In the first hearing of the case on Dec 1, the court had appointed a commission to probe the scandal and had stopped Haqqani from leaving the country.

In addition, it had asked the president, the army chief, the ISI head and Haqqani to submit their replies to the court.

SC seeks replies from President, PM on NRO implementation

ISLAMABAD: Issuing a new order in the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case on Wednesday, the Supreme Court directed concerned authorities, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chairman NAB Fasih Bokhari, to submit their respective replies, DawnNews reported.

The order also calls for replies from the four provincial governors.

The apex court moreover requested the authorities for details on progress in the implementation of its verdict on the NRO.

Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing to the first week of January 2012.

PTI can hold rally in Karachi: Wassan

KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan, on Wednesday said that Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) can hold rally wherever it wishes to in Karachi as Sindh government has given the permission, DawnNews reported.

While talking to DawnNews, Wasan said that being the home minister he has given permission to PTI to hold rally at the Quaid’s mausoleum.

On the other hand, the resident of Quaid’s mausoleum engineer Mohammad Arif said that the permission to PTI for the rally cannot be granted by the Sindh government because this place belongs to mausoleum management board.

Qari Shahid involved in PNS Mehran, other attacks: Police

KARACHI: Karachi police on Wednesday claimed that the militant Qari Shahid, who was killed in a police encounter on Muharram 9, was involved in other terrorist attacks including PNS Mehran attack, DawnNews reported.

According to SSP anti-violent crime cell Ghulam Subhani, Sabiha, the widow of Shahid, revealed during investigation that her husband brought four unknown man to her house before the PNS Mehran attack. The men remained there for several days.

Subhani said she told the probing team about her visit to the PAF Museum (which is next to PNS Mehran) before the attack.

However she denied knowing those for men, said Subhani.

Sabiha also confirmed her husband’s involvement in CID building attack in November last year and an attack on Shia mourners in Malir earlier this year.

It is important to mention that CID police had already arrested Mustafa alias Rocketi of Lashkar-i-Blochistan group for the Malir attack.

President Zardari to be discharged Thursday: Farhatullah Babar

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari will be discharged on Thursday from a Dubai hospital where he has spent more than a week but will remain in the Gulf emirate to rest, his spokesman said Wednesday.

“All tests are clear and the doctors plan to discharge the president from hospital tomorrow to take rest at home and continue the heart medication,” Farhatullah Babar told AFP.

“The president is recovering and the doctors have advised him complete rest,” Babar said, adding that Zardari would remain at his house in Dubai.

The 56-year-old Zardari flew to the United Arab Emirates last Tuesday after falling ill in the midst of a major scandal over alleged attempts by a close aide to seek US help to limit the power of Pakistan’s military.

Babar declined to comment when Zardari would be returning to Pakistan.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has denied that Zardari had suffered a stroke or offered to resign, despite rumours and reports to the contrary.

Zardari, who has a long-standing heart condition, was being treated at the American Hospital in Dubai.

He is facing a major scandal over the extent to which he was involved in any attempts to rein in the military.

Pakistan is also battling its worst crisis in US relations after Nato air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on November 26.