tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721985926820590792024-03-13T09:46:30.386-07:00TOP NEWS FROM PAKISTANGet the latest news from Pakistan.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.comBlogger186125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-22242610881620451242011-12-18T07:56:00.000-08:002011-12-18T07:56:27.110-08:00President Zardari expected to return tonight: sources<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yuYXxCpDDMo/Tu4M-6kUrsI/AAAAAAAAA2M/ZWZZTNsvlSE/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yuYXxCpDDMo/Tu4M-6kUrsI/AAAAAAAAA2M/ZWZZTNsvlSE/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari is due to arrive in Karachi in tonight. The Presidential Spokesman Farhatullah Babar also hinted on the early arrival of Zardari.</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
According to the sources the arrival arrangements for President Zardari are in its final stages. He is expected to arrive in Karachi where he will stay at his residence Bilawal House.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There have been tight security arrangements made for his route from Shahrah-e-Faisal to Bilawal House. Sources also said the president has been declared healthy by a team of doctors in Dubai.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is also expected in Karachi before the arrival of the president.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-45053668855311480442011-12-15T08:46:00.001-08:002011-12-15T08:46:53.569-08:00Kayani, Pasha submit memogate replies in SC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>ISLAMABAD: Cheif of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, DG ISI Shuja Pasha and other respondent on Thursday submitted their replies to the Supreme Court in the memogate case, DawnNews reported.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Speaking to media representatives, Attorney General for Pakistan Molvi Anwarul Haq said that the replies were submitted through his office.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Haq said there were no changes made to the replies of the COAS and DG ISI.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Replies have also been received from the cabinet, law, defence, interior and foreign secretaries.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Earlier the Supreme Court had also received replies from Mansoor Ijaz and Husain Haqqani.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
On December 1, a larger bench of the apex Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had directed the ten respondents that they might submit their replies on the issue till December 15.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The replies from the government functionaries were submitted through the AG office late in the evening.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
A larger bench is set to resume hearing of the issue on December 19.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
PML-N leader Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and others through their separate pleas had moved the apex court for hearing the case.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-89466664189862778672011-12-15T07:23:00.000-08:002011-12-15T07:23:00.926-08:00Parliament to decide on Pak-US ties: FM Khar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XpFwdkQ6BUs/TuoQxYF3uYI/AAAAAAAAA1g/bkmHXW_3MgY/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XpFwdkQ6BUs/TuoQxYF3uYI/AAAAAAAAA1g/bkmHXW_3MgY/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday said Pakistan had two written agreements with the United States and Nato, DawnNews reported.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Speaking to media representatives after a meeting of the National Security Committee, Khar said the parliament would decide on Pakistan’s relations with the US.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Recommendations given during the envoys’ conference have been sent to the parliamentary committee, Khar said, adding that the committee had also been provided details of the two agreements.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Khar said future relations with the US would be “clear, not confusing”.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The ‘war against terrorism’ cannot be won alone, Khar said, adding that Pakistan could also contact other states regarding resumption of aid.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-23872744180921534962011-12-15T07:18:00.001-08:002011-12-15T07:18:51.295-08:00Zardari response in memo case will not be submitted today: AG<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VtJxA6FYVr8/TuoPyzSxWYI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/Jjaa6DFfDBw/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VtJxA6FYVr8/TuoPyzSxWYI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/Jjaa6DFfDBw/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>ISLAMABAD: Attorney General, Maulvi Anwarul Haq on Thursday said that the Army chief and DG ISI are to submit their statements by today. However, President Zardari will not file his reply today, DawnNews reported.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
According to the AG, the 15-day deadline given to party members to respond to the memogate case will end tomorrow.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Earlier this morning, three legal experts from the Army Head Quarters delivered the Army chief’s reply and are still in attendance at the Attorney General’s office with the proposed documents.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-57701473795744442962011-12-15T07:15:00.001-08:002011-12-15T07:15:55.019-08:00No compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty: Gilani<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4lRB0mWXm0/TuoPEeJYeMI/AAAAAAAAA1I/Y8F5uF0XG4Y/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4lRB0mWXm0/TuoPEeJYeMI/AAAAAAAAA1I/Y8F5uF0XG4Y/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>ISLAMABAD: Prime Minster Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday emphatically stated that there will be no compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty and its territorial frontiers will be defended at all costs.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
In a policy statement in National Assembly on the situation arising out of Nato attack in Mohmand agency, he said in the past Pakistan extended every cooperation to the members of the international community in the counter terrorism domain.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He however, pointed out that our cooperation has certain well defined red-lines including sovereign equality and mutual respect. No unilateral action inside Pakistan and no transgression of its territorial frontiers would be allowed, he added.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He said as a responsible state, Pakistan will continue to uphold and promote the cause of regional peace and stability.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
However, in doing so we shall ensure that our legitimate interests are not only recognised but fully accommodated.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The prime minster emphasised that these fundamental points of principle need to be understood by our international partners.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He reiterated that Pakistan as a peace loving country remains committed to regional peace and stability particularly in Afghanistan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
As a country which suffered from terrorism, elimination of terrorism and militancy remains high priority for the people and government of Pakistan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He said Pakistan in all earnest extended hand of friendship to the people and government of Afghanistan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The prime minster expressed satisfaction that the entire nation was united to uphold Pakistan’s national dignity and honour and to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He said the government was awaiting recommendations from the Parliamentary committee on national security and the future course of action would be decided by the parliament.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-85875721168574619752011-12-15T07:13:00.000-08:002011-12-15T07:13:01.711-08:00Foreign ministry criticises ‘wrong’ US aid freeze<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CuwOpLwqXok/TuoOazzXP1I/AAAAAAAAA1A/D495Ab843ok/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CuwOpLwqXok/TuoOazzXP1I/AAAAAAAAA1A/D495Ab843ok/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday angrily criticised US moves to freeze $700 million in aid, the latest sign of the fraying alliance that has been in deep crisis since Nato fire killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“We believe that the move in the US Congress is not based on facts and takes narrow vision of overall situation hence wrong conclusions are unavoidable,” foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit told reporters.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the legislation, which the Senate is expected to vote on as early as Thursday.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The bill would freeze the aid, pending assurances that Islamabad has taken steps to thwart militants who use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against US-led forces in Afghanistan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“If this legislation becomes law, we’ll work with the government of Pakistan on how we can fulfill the requirements. But, this requires us to maintain a strategic perspective,” US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Pakistan shut down the vital US supply line into neighbouring Afghanistan and ordered US personnel to leave the Shamsi air base, reportedly used as a hub by CIA drones, after attacks killed 24 soldiers on November 26.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Pakistan says it is reviewing terms of engagements with the United States and Nato, but parliament has so far stopped short of announcing any specific measures pending a joint session for which no date has been called.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
A parliamentary committee is considering a proposal to scrap tax exemptions on Nato goods shipped to Pakistan and trucked to the Afghan border.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The powerful military, anyway, is considered the final arbiter of policy.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
It has bolstered its air defence systems on the Afghan border, where officials say 160,000 troops are deployed.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta visited American troops in Afghanistan close to the Pakistani border on Wednesday, calling on Islamabad to secure its side of the border, by cracking down on Taliban havens on its territory.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“I think the real question has to be what has been done on the Afghan side of the border,” Abdul Basit told reporters.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“Pakistan cannot be held responsible for weaknesses and loopholes on the other side of the border,” he added.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-75258553716035668012011-12-14T09:33:00.000-08:002011-12-14T09:33:07.139-08:00Imran invites minorities to join ‘peoples tsunami’<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQgL5RSl72U/TujdtIDN61I/AAAAAAAAA0I/dqvFN0Sbp_Q/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQgL5RSl72U/TujdtIDN61I/AAAAAAAAA0I/dqvFN0Sbp_Q/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan addresses a public gathering. – File Photo</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>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.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He made this assurance while addressing the convention of minorities organised by PTI’s Punjab chapter in Green Town, Lahore.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“The tsunami of people, especially youths, will wash away all the old political parties, old faces and crocodiles,” said Khan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-10723841987207916872011-12-14T09:29:00.001-08:002011-12-14T09:29:04.574-08:00Zardari went to Dubai hospital because of life threats: Gilani<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>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.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-80074010627863093602011-12-14T09:27:00.001-08:002011-12-14T09:27:27.804-08:00CJ admits Haqqani’s plea in memo case for hearing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6lmBnEq6Dq4/TujcXnFPTbI/AAAAAAAAAz4/F4Tuv2cflhk/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6lmBnEq6Dq4/TujcXnFPTbI/AAAAAAAAAz4/F4Tuv2cflhk/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><br /></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>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.</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The judge heard the plea in his chamber and accepted the application for hearing. The court has fixed Dec 19 for hearing the plea.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In addition, it had asked the president, the army chief, the ISI head and Haqqani to submit their replies to the court.</div>
<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-919508664990230922011-12-14T09:22:00.001-08:002011-12-14T09:22:47.608-08:00SC seeks replies from President, PM on NRO implementation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CgGqNngZL1U/TujbVMOA6AI/AAAAAAAAAzo/OWRe_iYcJeo/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CgGqNngZL1U/TujbVMOA6AI/AAAAAAAAAzo/OWRe_iYcJeo/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>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.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The order also calls for replies from the four provincial governors.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The apex court moreover requested the authorities for details on progress in the implementation of its verdict on the NRO.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing to the first week of January 2012.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-78104972915838694662011-12-14T09:11:00.001-08:002011-12-14T09:11:54.557-08:00PTI can hold rally in Karachi: Wassan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5g0ntLiks9s/TujYviecjdI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/UfRTKo1sH9s/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5g0ntLiks9s/TujYviecjdI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/UfRTKo1sH9s/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>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.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-32948269742900940062011-12-14T09:06:00.001-08:002011-12-14T09:06:36.260-08:00Qari Shahid involved in PNS Mehran, other attacks: Police<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IHnyAr1vwmI/TujXfhwLFRI/AAAAAAAAAzA/CeQx3ZQs4kI/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IHnyAr1vwmI/TujXfhwLFRI/AAAAAAAAAzA/CeQx3ZQs4kI/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>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.</strong></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Subhani said she told the probing team about her visit to the PAF Museum (which is next to PNS Mehran) before the attack.</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However she denied knowing those for men, said Subhani.</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is important to mention that CID police had already arrested Mustafa alias Rocketi of Lashkar-i-Blochistan group for the Malir attack.</div>
</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-27836205218686583582011-12-14T08:49:00.000-08:002011-12-14T08:49:05.309-08:00President Zardari to be discharged Thursday: Farhatullah Babar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E0mcLDT7Skc/TujTazNMl2I/AAAAAAAAAy4/RknHd4h36as/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E0mcLDT7Skc/TujTazNMl2I/AAAAAAAAAy4/RknHd4h36as/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>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.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“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.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“The president is recovering and the doctors have advised him complete rest,” Babar said, adding that Zardari would remain at his house in Dubai.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Babar declined to comment when Zardari would be returning to Pakistan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has denied that Zardari had suffered a stroke or offered to resign, despite rumours and reports to the contrary.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Zardari, who has a long-standing heart condition, was being treated at the American Hospital in Dubai.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He is facing a major scandal over the extent to which he was involved in any attempts to rein in the military.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Pakistan is also battling its worst crisis in US relations after Nato air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on November 26.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-64316293531120520582011-12-13T10:06:00.001-08:002011-12-13T10:06:55.132-08:00Gilani, Naik vow to scuttle moves to destabilise democracy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ONLg-JayVMM/TueUJioCwLI/AAAAAAAAAyw/oVkcZMze26g/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ONLg-JayVMM/TueUJioCwLI/AAAAAAAAAyw/oVkcZMze26g/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Acting President Farooq H. Naek meets with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad on Tuesday. – Photo by PPI</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>ISLAMABAD: Acting President Farooq H. Naik met Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani at the Prime Minister House on Tuesday and discussed with him the prevailing situation in the country.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The prime minister, during the meeting, said that the political opponents who were playing to the gallery would not get political mileage they were hoping for.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The prime minister said that democracy and its dynamics were strong enough to withstand the pressures unleashed by those who did not believe in democratic ways and rather preferred backdoor channels.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The prime minister said that memo case was launched by the man who was a foreign national and whose track record was well known because he had been engaged in maligning the state institutions of Pakistan in the past through media.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The acting president shared the observations of the prime minister and said that the present democratic government was strong and would face no difficulty in scuttling the moves orchestrated by those who are known as believers in the political shenanigan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
But people of Pakistan are sensible and understand their tactics and would certainly support democracy as way of their political life, the acting president said.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-32647177305093118682011-12-13T08:11:00.000-08:002011-12-13T08:11:13.082-08:00Pakistan wants cordial ties with all states: FM Khar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K05MY8LnslA/Tud4sPWhURI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/9ro6AZB5Yn8/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K05MY8LnslA/Tud4sPWhURI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/9ro6AZB5Yn8/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar. — APP Photo</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Tuesday said the final decision on foreign policy was the parliament’s mandate, DawnNews reported.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Khar said the envoys’ conference was analysing Pakistan’s ties with important countries.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Speaking to media representatives outside the parliament, Khar said Pakistan did not want to sever relations with any country, neither did it want a conflict with any state.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Khar said recommendations made during the conference would be presented to the parliament and to the national security committee.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Responding to a question on Nato’s attack of November 26, Khar said diplomatic relations with the United States were still in place.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The foreign minister said Nato supplies could not be restored at least until an internal assessment regarding the attack was ongoing.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-56680330279464054842011-12-13T07:57:00.001-08:002011-12-13T07:57:58.854-08:00Calling all cynics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
Cynicism is the last refuge of the disillusioned idealist. Jilted by unmet expectations and jaded by dashed hopes; the disillusioned idealist eventually resigns himself to reality and finds some semblance of peace in cynicism.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
The multitudes of problems that have beset Pakistan over the last decade have swelled the ranks of the cynics. This is a grave danger to the future of Pakistan because cynicism induces inertia. It creates an environment where people give up even before trying. It can push society so far into the depths of despair that it starts exhibiting<strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learned_helplessness" style="color: #4b1818; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Learned Helplessness</a></strong>: a condition where people behave helplessly to the extent that when an opportunity is provided to escape the oppression to which they have been subjected, they fail to seize it.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
The root cause of cynicism in Pakistan has been the inability of people to take their destiny in their own hands. For most of Pakistan’s history, the reins of power have alternated between military rulers and two political clans. These players are still looming large on the horizon and to call them a juggernaut would not be an overstatement. Such entrenched power structures are notorious for being tough to dislodge.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
Case in point: The US of A.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
In 1961, US President Eisenhower warned his countrymen to beware the “<strong><a href="http://www.h-net.org/~hst306/documents/indust.html" style="color: #4b1818; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">military industrial complex</a></strong>”. His warning fell on deaf ears and today America lies securely in the stranglehold of this behemoth, with next to no hope of breaking free.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
According to US Presidential candidate Ron Paul, the “military industrial complex” has effectively <strong><a href="http://www.thelibertyunderground.net/2011/05/ron-paul-both-parties-are-controlled-by.html" style="color: #4b1818; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">reduced the US political spectrum</a></strong> to a 1-party system. Much like Pakistani political bouts, American political rivalries are also Noora Kushti; only better choreographed. Devoid of any hope, the cynical American peers across the horizon, but all he sees is pitch darkness. Owing to the circumstances he finds himself in, his cynicism is incurable.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
With the emergence of Imran Khan as a viable national leader, the prognosis for the Pakistani cynic is much better. Imran Khan has openly challenged the powers-that-be. He has not shied away from confronting the political clans that have presided over Pakistan’s descent into despair and neither has he towed the army line.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
Accusations of being in cahoots with the military establishment have been levelled against him, but his policy positions on many issues belie those accusations. His long-standing opposition to military operations in the tribal areas, his conciliatory approach to quelling the Balochistan insurgency and above all his proposed guarantee of preventing any <strong><a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/build-trust-put-kashmir-on-back-burner-imran/201956-56.html" style="color: #4b1818; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">militants from slipping into Indian-occupied Kashmir</a></strong> put him diametrically opposed to perceived military policy on all these issues . What’s more, he has vowed to bring the army under civilian control and has said that he would resign if he failed to do so. He has gone as far as to say that if he comes to power he will be <strong><a href="http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/11/i-will-rein-in-army-isi-when-in-power-imran/" style="color: #4b1818; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">General Kayani’s boss</a></strong>.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
I stated this before, but it warrants repetition that dislodging well-entrenched power structures is no cake walk. Imran Khan has set out to do exactly that and with the wind in his sails, he actually has a shot at success. If you are a cynic peering across the horizon in search of a twinkling light, squint your eyes and you may just spot a flicker of hope streaking across the sky. Hope is the only anti-dote to cynicism, and in the shape of Imran Khan we have just that.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
Cynicism can be fun. It furnishes many enjoyable “I-told-you-so” moments to revel and gloat in. But cynicism can not be an end in of itself. There comes a point when you have to look at things through the eyes of a wide-eyed freshman and risk being proven wrong. A positive and constructive attitude demands that we dig deep within ourselves and find the courage to overcome the inertia that has plagued us for ages. We need to take stock of realities as they stand and act not on the basis of what has been, but on the basis of what can be. We also need to latch on to any straws of hope that present themselves, and that’s where Imran Khan comes in.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
In all likelihood, you didn’t become a cynic just for the fun of it. If things take a turn for the better and it is within your power to right the wrong that triggered your cynicism, then you are duty-bound to take action. So come forth! If it works out, you will have been part of something great; something for which the word ‘revolution’ is an under-statement.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
If it doesn’t, you can shrink back into your shell in the cynics’ colony. I’ll be there waiting for you.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<em><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2024113" height="80" src="http://www.dawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/80x80-irfan-waheed.jpg" style="display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 7px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: justify;" title="80x80-irfan-waheed" width="80" /></em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><em>Irfan Waheed is an engineer working in Austin, Texas. He can be reached at irfanwaheed@msn.com</em></em></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.</strong></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-18866033740963082752011-12-11T08:16:00.001-08:002011-12-11T08:17:18.923-08:00Pakistan to revisit terms for Afghan Transit Trade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5dFq7wzSAmc/TuTXYp_cIKI/AAAAAAAAAvo/-nBZ7O-PuH4/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5dFq7wzSAmc/TuTXYp_cIKI/AAAAAAAAAvo/-nBZ7O-PuH4/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Trucks carrying oil and containers at the Pak-Afghan border.—File Photo</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to revisit the conditions for Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) on the basis of concrete evidence suggesting that the facility was grossly being misused in many ways, official sources told Dawn.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
They said since the closure of the route for Nato forces in Afghanistan, there had been instances of Nato supplies reaching the land-locked neighbour in the name of Afghan Transit Trade.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Answering a question, a senior official said there was no immediate timeframe for lifting of embargo on Nato supplies through Chaman and Tourkham borders. “Since the current terms have been violated by Nato, new terms of cooperation will be discussed with the United States after our own internal exercise”, he remarked.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He said the negotiations on carriage will take into account the colossal loss caused to the roads by heavy Nato containers, if and when a decision was taken to remove restriction on the supplies clamped in the aftermath of attack on two military posts in Mohmand Agency.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He revealed that the government under the previous arrangements was getting only Rs410 per truck for handling and loading at Port Qasim Karachi, while the contactors hired by Nato dominated by Afghan cartel end up making huge profits.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Another source said the government was mulling proposal to levy special tax on Nato trucks even before the November 26 incident. He said the Communications Ministry upset by the losses caused to roads and infrastructure was discussing modalities for establishment of designated check-posts at Chaman and Tourkham borders to collect the amount.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Various parliamentary committees in the recent past had expressed their concern over the damage caused to the roads by Nato containers and recommended levy of special tax on NATO containers.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
A huge chunk of budget for repair of the roads is spent on account of damage caused by heavy Nato trucks for about a decade. Before the Nato supply was halted, hundreds of trucks used to cross Tourkham and Chaman borders every day.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
About the Afghan Transit Trade, an official said it had remained controversial from the very beginning. “It has a history of damaging interests of the local industry on one hand and discouraging legal imports on the other”.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He pointed out that the production of televisions in Pakistan quadrupled in four years after inclusion of the item in the negative list for Afghan transit trade in 1996.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Pakistan had signed an agreement with Afghanistan in 1965 to facilitate foreign trade of its land-locked neighbour. The agreement has been massively abused by the unscrupulous</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
elements to import products way above their actual demand in Afghanistan meant only to push back the products into Pakistan.</div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The agreement resulted in massive smuggling of black tea, tyres, electronic goods, kitchen items, home appliances and other such goods into Pakistan. Every body knows that Afghans prefer green tea, but black tea in huge quantity was imported only to make money by misusing the facility.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In short, the ATT resulted in a quasi-legal smuggling in many ways. The majority of the imported products booked for Afghanistan just went through the motions never to reach Afghanistan after being rerouted in the border areas of the now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A big quantity also finds its way back into the country flooding the markets in the major urban</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
centres of the country with the goods imported under the ATT.</div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
With each passing year the abuse increased, pushing products into the local markets which not only undermined the local manufacturing but also the legal imports. While the loss caused to the manufacturing sector forced many foreign investors to close down operations in the country, it also discouraged the legal imports of many items particularly tyres and</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
spices, due to in-competitive prices. This, in turn, deprived the government of substantial loss in terms of investment, corporate taxes and duties.</div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The agreement was abused to such an extent that an otherwise necessary service extended to the land-locked country turned it into the major cause for smuggling into Pakistan. It was all the more troubling as it was hard to keep track of the movement of imported goods bound for Afghanistan due to rampant corruption and political influence during all stages</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
of transit from Karachi, the nation’s only port-city.</div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The strong concerns of the manufacturing sector and the importers worst hit by the trade under the cover of ATT had forced the government time and again to make addition in the prohibitive list.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-49138178375101704812011-12-11T08:14:00.001-08:002011-12-11T08:15:05.605-08:00Former envoy challenges SC decision<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TlyVq7cgmHo/TuTW37gBnNI/AAAAAAAAAvg/dqR0V0LtPek/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TlyVq7cgmHo/TuTW37gBnNI/AAAAAAAAAvg/dqR0V0LtPek/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">“We have pled that the Dec-1 order is not a final decision but an interim order. And interim orders cannot be reviewed,” said the former Supreme Court Bar Association’s president Asma Jahangir while talking to Dawn.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>ISLAMABAD: Former ambassador to US Husain Haqqani is in no mood to give up without a fight.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
This was evident on Saturday when through his firebrand lawyer and human rights activist, Asma Jahangir, he challenged the Supreme Court office’s decision of the previous day in which the registrar had rejected Haqqani’s petition against the court’s Dec 1 order in the memo case.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
In the first hearing of the case on Dec 1, the SC 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. The SC began hearing the case because PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif had petitioned it to do so.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Two days ago, Haqqani had submitted his reply to the court, requesting that Nawaz Sharif’s petition be dismissed and asking for damages for the ordeal he had suffered. The former ambassador had also moved a petition challenging the Dec 1 order of the apex court on Nawaz Sharif’s petition on the memo scandal.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
However, on the same day, the Supreme Court Registrar’s office returned Haqqani’s petition challenging the order. The registrar was of the opinion that a court’s order could not be recalled; it could only be reviewed. The registrar’s office had also objected that Haqqani in his petition had cited no specific grievance and that hence it was not clear whether he was critiquing the entire order or those portions that dealt with him.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
On Saturday, Ms Jahangir challenged the registrar’s decision.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“We have pled that the Dec-1 order is not a final decision but an interim order. And interim orders cannot be reviewed,” said the former Supreme Court Bar Association’s president while talking to Dawn.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The new petition has also pointed out that no one could be deprived of his rights guaranteed under the constitution.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
In such cases, a judge is asked to look into the matter.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Hence, it is likely that Haqqani’s appeal would be referred to some judge of the Supreme Court who would in his chambers decide whether the petition should be entertained or not.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
In the main petition moved on Friday, which was rejected, Haqqani had contended that the SC order was influenced by the media hype in the country which was often motivated by ulterior motives and that it had been based on the accusations of a dubious individual.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
In addition, he had argued that the petition had not mentioned any violation of fundamental rights and hence was not maintainable.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He had further pointed out that if the memo issue fell within the jurisdiction of the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973 or the Prevention of Anti-National Activities, 1974, then only the federal government or a provincial government could take cognizance.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-87157203115081437772011-12-11T08:12:00.001-08:002011-12-11T08:13:20.031-08:00Blast from the past; Cash for nukes attempt that failed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KqZttbAS8MQ/TuTWUkZhNCI/AAAAAAAAAvY/n-C-lgzzhjA/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KqZttbAS8MQ/TuTWUkZhNCI/AAAAAAAAAvY/n-C-lgzzhjA/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">A bag full of dollars was dropped in General (r) Ziauddin Khawaja's office by a North Korean General Kang who at that time was serving as Defence and Commercial Attache in the North Korean Embassy in Islamabad. -AP File Photo</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>ISLAMABAD: General (r) Ziauddin Khawaja, former DG ISI, has disclosed for the first time that North Korea had attempted to bribe him by providing him 0.5 million US dollars in Benazir Bhutto’s last tenure as prime minister, in 1995.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“They wanted an expedited cooperation between the two countries on the missile programme, which was going on between the two countries in that era,” said General (r) Ziauddin while exclusively talking to Dawn at his Lahore residence.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Khawaja, was heading the Directorate of Combat Development, currently known as Strategic Plans Division (SPD). He was directly involved in Pakistan’s defense agreements with North Korea.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The retired general while answering a question said that, a bag full of dollars was actually dropped in his office by a North Korean General Kang who at that time was serving as Defence and Commercial Attache in the North Korean Embassy located in Islamabad.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Khawaja asked General Kang why he was giving him such a large amount of cash. The North Korean General told him that his government is distributing money among the relevant officers dealing in defence cooperation with his country.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
General Khawaja said that he immediately informed the then Chief of General Staff (CGS) General Jahangir Karamat who spoke to the then Chief of Army Staff General Abdul Waheed Kakar who was on a foreign trip at the time.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Khawaja added that General Waheed consulted with Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and ordered him to return the money after two or three days.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“General Kang was called at the Headquarters of the Military Intelligence, General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, where the money was returned to him by the then MI Chief, Major General Ali Kuli Khan in my presence,” said Khawaja.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Ziauddin Khawaja is living a retired life in Lahore these days. He was nominated Chief of Army Staff by the former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif, on 12th October 1999 soon after the removal of General Pervez Musharraf but the orders of the prime minister could not see the light of day as the military launched a coup.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-58431594506167881142011-12-11T08:05:00.001-08:002011-12-11T08:06:46.312-08:00Balochistan – a human rights free zone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DFJo5dpOniM/TuTU1RoVfAI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/0oUR3BwePdU/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DFJo5dpOniM/TuTU1RoVfAI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/0oUR3BwePdU/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">“Every missing person is my son,” says Abdul Qadeer Baloch, whose son Jalil Reki went missing and was found dead two-and-a-half years later. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>Every year on this momentous day, 60-year old retired bank employee Abdul Qadeer Baloch organises special events in Balochistan capital, Quetta, to mark the international human rights day. He has organised, for instance, hunger strike camps and convened press conferences to raise the voices of the families of the disappeared Baloch political activists, students and professionals.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Qadeer had remained absolutely aloof to such hardcore activism until February 13, 2009, when officials attired in plainclothes whisked away his son Jalil Ahmed Reki, 35, from Quetta. The disappearance of a breadwinning son turned Qadeer’s life upside down. He eventually joined the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), an organisation representing the families of missing persons, to campaign for the release of his disappeared son.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Jalil Reki, Qadir’s missing son, had regularly operated as the central spokesman for the Baloch Republican Party, a nationalist political group seeking self-rule for the resource-rich Balochistan province. He was articulate, charismatic and well-connected with the local media. Qadeer made every attempt possible to seek the release of his missing child but completely failed to bring him back from the custody of the captors. After his involvement in similar missing persons’ cases, Qadeer realised his was not the only family which had a loved one listed as ‘missing’.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“Every missing person is my son,” Qadeer assured as he was recently promoted as the vice president of the VBMP. With more organisational responsibility came more pressure. In October, two secret agents reached out to Qadeer in Quetta warning him to immediately and unconditionally end the demand for the release of the disappeared activists.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“They warned if I wanted my son alive then I should end the hunger strike camp,” Qadir shared his insecurity with the media soon after being warned in person and also on telephone.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Qadeer would have routinely snubbed this warning if he had been contacted two years ago. In the past one year, the situation in Balochistan has dramatically changed. The bullet-riddled dead bodies of at least 220 missing persons have been found from different parts of the province in the past eight months.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Thus, Qadeer and his friends were totally cognizant of what he bills as the “nasty capabilities” of the captors of their loved ones. He took the threats seriously but it was no longer practically possible to abandon an organisation which funnelled hope to the relatives of hundreds of other missing persons.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“Quitting wasn’t simply an option” said Qadeer. Those who had warned him stood by their words. On November 24, the tortured and bullet-infested dead body of Qadeer’s disappeared son was found in Turbat district.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
This year brings a totally different international human rights day for Qadeer. He says his young son’s killing has not undermined his resolve but given him a reason to stand beside those who still await the return of their loved ones.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
‘Moral Crisis’</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
There is increasing international concern about human rights violations in Balochistan. Official denial of access to international media, human rights groups and researchers and increased role of agencies further make it difficult to independently analyse the crisis in Balochistan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
On November 16, the deputy spokesman of the US Department of State, Mark Toner, expressed concern over the situation in Balochistan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Amnesty International’s Pakistan researcher Mustafa Qadri terms Balochistan as one of Pakistan’s “greatest moral crises”. The province, he says, has fast become a “human rights-free zone” with security forces and armed groups acting with total impunity.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Qadri, whose London-based global human rights watchdog has actively sought an end to killings and disappearances in Balochistan, says there are no excuses for the government to continue “such policies” in Balochistan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“The failure of the state to protect its citizens’ right to life has left all of Balochistan’s diverse communities living in constant fear of abductions, torture, and targeted killings. The state continues to suppress the Baloch community’s right to freedom of expression whether with respect to nationalist politics or calls for justice for victims of enforced disappearance,” he claims.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has decided to dedicate this year’s international human rights day to the people of Balochistan in order to urge Islamabad to “make vigorous efforts to ensure respect for the rights of the people in the long suffering province.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Zohra Yusuf, HRCP’s chairperson, says at least 107 new cases of enforced disappearance have been reported in Balochistan in 2011, and the ‘missing persons’ are increasingly turning up dead.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“Bodies of at least 225 ‘missing persons’ have been recovered from various parts of the province since July 2010,” she reveals, “It is scandalous that not a single person has been held accountable for these disappearances and killings.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Alarming Trends</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
With numerous existing indicators, there are valid reasons to paint a murky future scenario for Balochistan vis-à-vis the state of human rights.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Firstly, defenders of democracy, champions of human rights and the advocates of press freedom are all being forcefully dragged into the ongoing conflict. At least two HRCP coordinators, eight journalists and one campaigner for the IDP (internally displaced persons) rights have been tortured and killed in less than a year.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
In addition, the so-called ‘kill and dump operations’ provide a glimpse into the prevalent and sophisticated network of illegal torture cells maintained inside Balochistan. For example, when activists, such as Qadeer’s son, disappear from Quetta and are found dead 856 kilometres away in Kech district, it gives a clear idea about the extraordinary operational and logistical capabilities of people involved in such regular and untraceable operations.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Meanwhile, an underground armed group calling itself as the Baloch Musla Defai Tanzeem (Baloch Armed Defence Organisation) recently issued a hit-list of four journalists in Khuzdar district warning to kill them all if they reported the activities of Baloch nationalists. At least two former presidents and two members, of the same district press club have been murdered in recent past, highlighting the threats faced by journalists working in Khuzdar.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Amidst the crises, the governments at the centre and the province do not currently have an engagement policy in Balochistan to give an idea where it stands on the issue of disappearances, killings and warnings to defenders of human rights. It demonstrates absolute official indifference toward the issue while the attacks on defenders of democracy and human rights are taking place with flagrant impunity showing a total absence of an accountability-driven system.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The number of unknown, shadowy armed groups is increasing day by day. Emboldened over lack of official action against them, these groups have become less reclusive, more assertive and more selective while singing out their targets.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Turning a blind eye, the provincial and central governments and the executive and the judicial branches of the government continue to throw the issue of human rights into each other’s court. Additionally, the government has not either completed or initiated investigations into killings for which it has been blamed, such as the murder of Professor Saba Dashtiyari of the University of Balochistan, to assure its commitment to independently probe blatant attacks on educators and free-thinkers.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The government has also not fulfilled the promise it made unveiling the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-Balochistan Package that all missing Baloch persons would be released.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Decades of unabated attacks on dissenters have eroded Balochistan’s political landscape to such an extent that violence has knocked out an ambiance of political dialogue.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<em><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/MalikSirajAkbar" style="color: #517252; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Malik Siraj Akbar</a> is a freelance journalist based in Washington DC.</em></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-26993128891533028262011-12-11T08:04:00.001-08:002011-12-11T08:04:40.028-08:00Taliban leader hopeful of peace accord on Bajaur<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>KHAR, Dec 10: The fugitive deputy commander of the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, has confirmed he is in peace talks with the government and that an agreement is in sight.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He said the government had released 145 members of the group as a “gesture of goodwill” and the militants had pledged a ceasefire.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“Talks with the government are in progress and both sides are likely to sign a peace deal very soon,” he told Dawn on phone from an unknown location on Saturday.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Fata additional chief secretary Fazal Karim Khattak, however, denied peace talks or contacts between the government and militants.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“Faqir Mohammad’s claim is baseless and a pack of lies,” Mr Khattak said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He said the government would hold talks with only those people who surrendered weapons and gave up militancy.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Maulvi Faqir said if an agreement was signed for ceasefire in Bajaur Agency, the TTP would be able to sign a comprehensive peace deal with the government in Swat, Mohmand, Orakzai and South Waziristan as well. “Bajaur will be a role model for other areas.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Maulvi Faqir parried a question about the basis for the negotiations.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Maulvi Faqir had signed a peace deal with the government after security forces launched an operation against militants in Bajaur and dismantled their hideouts. He then reportedly moved to Kunar province in Afghanistan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The local administration also denied that Maulvi Faqir had returned to Bajaur’s Mamond tehsil in Bajaur and said “the administration doesn’t have any information about the TTP commander.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Agencies add: Maulvi Faqir said the Taliban were negotiating with the help of local tribal elders in Bajaur.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“These peace talks are continuing only in Bajaur but certainly we will start such peace talks in other areas after we reach a written agreement,” he said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Previous peace deals between Pakistan and militants have rapidly unraveled, and were criticised by the United States and at home for allowing militants space to regroup before launching new waves of attacks.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
In late November, two senior Taliban commanders confirmed peace talks with the Pakistani government in South Waziristan tribal district.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“We are satisfied with these talks, and want to initiate such talks in other areas,” Maulvi Faqir said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The commander refused to give details of the negotiations.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“Talks are going in right direction and soon we will be able to sign a written agreement,” he said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
At the end of Sept, Pakistan’s government pledged to “give peace a chance” and talk with its homegrown militants.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Maulvi Faqir said the government had realised that there was no military solution to the conflict in Pakistan. “We have no wish to fight against our own armed forces and destroy our own country,” he said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“There has been development in our peace talks, but the government would have to show more flexibility in its stance, and restore the trust of Taliban by releasing their prisoners and stop military operations against them.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
He said that Pakistan and Afghanistan should unite against what he called foreign occupations by non-Muslims.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-89023994115627690042011-12-11T07:49:00.001-08:002011-12-11T07:50:13.884-08:00Pakistani Taliban spokesman denies peace talks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PzyL9y1mG48/TuTRGVzS8EI/AAAAAAAAAuo/oNzTUj9FPm4/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PzyL9y1mG48/TuTRGVzS8EI/AAAAAAAAAuo/oNzTUj9FPm4/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div class="wp-caption-text" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(47, 57, 28); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 4px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; width: 543px;">
A Pakistani Taliban spokesman and another commander have denied the group is in peace talks with the government.</div>
</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>PESHAWAR: A Pakistani Taliban spokesman and another commander have denied the group is in peace talks with the government.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
The militants contacted The Associated Press by telephone Sunday, a day after Maulvi Faqir Mohammed, recognised by many as the Pakistani Taliban’s deputy chief, announced <a href="http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/11/taliban-leader-hopeful-of-peace-accord-on-bajaur.html" style="color: #2f391c; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong>the group was negotiating with the government</strong></a>. He was the first named commander to confirm talks.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan denied the claims, saying there would be no negotiations until the government imposed Islamic law, or Shariah, in the country. He has previously denied reports of peace talks by unnamed commanders and intelligence officials.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“Talks by a handful of people with the government cannot be deemed as the Taliban talking,” Ehsan told The Associated Press by telephone from an undisclosed location.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Maulvi Faqir Mohammed has long been identified as the group’s Bajaur head. But he reportedly fled to Afghanistan in recent years to escape army operations. He has long been identified as head of the Pakistani Taliban in Bajur and said a deal with the government there could be a “role model” for the rest of the border region.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
But another commander, Mullah Dadullah, also now claims to be Taliban chief in Bajur. Dadullah contacted the AP on Sunday and denied the group, also known as the Tehrik-e-Taliban, or TTP, was negotiating with the government.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
“As TTP chief responsible for Bajur, I am categorically saying there are no talks going on between the government and the Tehrik-e-Taliban at the Bajur level or the central level,” Dadullah said, also speaking from an undisclosed location.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Ehsan, the spokesman, said Dadullah rather than Mohammed was the head of the Pakistani Taliban in Bajur.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-66343773111165416512011-12-10T09:42:00.001-08:002011-12-10T09:43:22.782-08:00Pakistan welcomes investment from Singapore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d1ZATh2u-jM/TuOaH4AynbI/AAAAAAAAAuI/YkcKm7CvTe8/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d1ZATh2u-jM/TuOaH4AynbI/AAAAAAAAAuI/YkcKm7CvTe8/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>SINGAPORE: Pakistan on Saturday welcoming, interest of the Singapore companies to diversify their investment in Pakistan, assured to offer them enormous opportunities, facilities and investment friendly atmosphere.</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
High Commission of Pakistan to Singapore Syed Hasan Javed while addressing a group of investors at a dinner reception hosted by him said, “Pakistan offered enormous opportunities for foreign investors as a destination with 180 million population and a rare location advantage as a gateway to half of world’s population in India, China Central Asia, West Asia and Gulf Region.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The dinner reception was attended by group of forty CEOs (Chief Executive Officer) and Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) of prominent Singapore companies and chairmen of prominent Singaporean Trade Bodies as well as prominent Pakistani professionals and businessmen.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The ambassador briefed them on Pakistan’s economic potential, resource endowments, investment policies and opportunities for partnership with foreign investors.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said that global economic and financial situation were undergoing a rapid transformation and it was necessary for all companies to diversify for profit sustainability and economic survival.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The ambassador said Pakistan’s mineral resources were many trillion worth of dollars and it enjoyed a demographic dividend and vibrant agriculture.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said Pakistan was ideally located in an energy rich neighbourhood and blessed with abundant energy resources of its own.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Pakistani manpower is hardworking, English knowing and quick at technologies assimilation and learning.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said over 700 multinational companies are already doing profitable business in Pakistan and foreign companies are allowed 100 per cent repatriation of their Equity, profit and dividend and enjoy full protection under law.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-33817705255580640922011-12-10T09:29:00.001-08:002011-12-10T09:30:37.558-08:00Two PML-N ticket holders join PTI<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QGS_jxmHd_8/TuOW9HipvTI/AAAAAAAAAtw/ZNsWiGRgULQ/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QGS_jxmHd_8/TuOW9HipvTI/AAAAAAAAAtw/ZNsWiGRgULQ/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan. - Photo by AFP</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>LAHORE: Two ticket holders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Col (R) Rafaqat from Vehari and Dr Maj (r) Iqbal Cheema, from Sialkot along with their companions joined the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) on Saturday.</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
They made the announcement in a meeting with PTI Punjab President Ahsan Rashid at the PTI provincial secretariat.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Welcoming them, Ahsan Rashid said the PTI would succeed in the upcoming election with the support of the people of the country.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172198592682059079.post-34009799371877093442011-12-10T09:26:00.001-08:002011-12-10T09:27:18.548-08:00Jundullah involved in recent Karachi blasts: CID<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyRpzUan9CY/TuOWWK4rTtI/AAAAAAAAAto/mHFgTmu6aWg/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyRpzUan9CY/TuOWWK4rTtI/AAAAAAAAAto/mHFgTmu6aWg/s400/111.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Pakistani paramilitary soldier gestures toward media at the site of bomb blast near the main gate of Karachi University on Saturday. – Photo by AP</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>KARACHI: Officials of the investigation team, probing recent remote-controlled roadside blasts in Karachi, on Saturday revealed that the militant outfit Jundullah was involved in the blasts targeting Rangers, DawnNews reported.</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
According to SSP CID Fayaz Khan, evidences have been found indicating involvement of Jundullah in all four roadside blasts during the current week. Khan further said that the leader of the gang, conducting attacks on Rangers, was Fasih-ul-Rehman, a resident of Landhi.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said the group had been operating since 2004, however they have obtained expertise in road-side bombings now.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The SSP CID further told DawnNews that the group used mobile phones to detonate explosives in their earlier bombings. “the group is now capable of detonating explosives from far distances,” he indicated.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
According to another senior police official, Rangers were the main target of the <a href="http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/10/two-injured-in-blast-near-karachi-university-report.html"><strong><span style="color: #2e7148;">roadside blast near Karachi University earlier today</span></strong></a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The bomb exploded when a vehicle of Rangers was passing near the university. Two Rangers’ officials injured during the attack.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938594443339287287noreply@blogger.com0