Pakistan, UK commit to joint challenge of terrorism

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and United Kingdom on Thursday re-confirmed their commitment to tackle shared challenge of terrorism and extremism which is in the interest of both nations to sustain a broad-based strategic relationship.

“We share a powerful interest in fighting the extremism and terrorism that threatens people in both countries. Pakistan is on the front line and have made tremendous sacrifices in striving for a more stable region and a world free from this menace,” Minister for Interior, Senator Rehman Malik and UK Home Secretary, Theresa May said this while addressing a joint press conference after holding a bilateral consultation.

They said our intensive diplomatic efforts, bilaterally, multilaterally, and in concert with key partners, are complemented by a growing programme of counter-terrorism liaison.

This includes UK’s support to military and policing and supporting the development of strong institutions and machinery of government.

The two Ministers stressed the commitment of Pakistan and the UK in cooperating on their shared interests, including trade, economic stability and development, cultural cooperation, security, tackling illegal immigration and education.

The Enhanced Dialogue launched during the UK Prime Minister David Cameron visit in April this year allows both countries to explore areas of mutual interest in a spirit of understanding, confidence and respect. The breadth and depth of the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue reflects the longstanding ties between the people of Pakistan and UK.

Rehman Malik said Pakistan is victim of terrorism and it has sacrificed precious lives of more than 36,000 people and financial loss of US $ 62 billion in the war against terrorism and extremism.

He said Pakistan has been fighting against terrorism not only for peace in its own country but for the entire world and to make the world terrorism free.

Appreciating the cooperation of UK in different fields, the Minister said he has asked the British Home Secretary to help Pakistan in Victim Support Programme not only for victims of terrorism but also for the victims of domestic violence.

He said both sides also agreed ways to monitor new initiatives through a new senior official led Migration Joint Working Group which will meet on an annual basis to discuss the full migration agenda.

The group will bring experts from the United Kingdom and Pakistan together to discuss all issues relating to migration focusing on visa operations, illegal migration, human trafficking, border control and migration policy, he added.

Rehman Malik said both sides also confirmed the value of shared efforts to protect the safety of passengers flying between the UK and Pakistan.

The UK is committed to helping Pakistan meet the new EU aviation security regulations which will be implemented next year.

He said the UK is already gifting 18 explosive trace detectors to Pakistan and will look to extend that assistance in the near future.

Pak-China military cooperation not against other countries: Kayani

While watch over the military exercises between Pakistan and China, General Kayani said Pakistan and China had no differences over matters of security.

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani on Thursday said that military cooperation between Pakistan and China was not aimed against any country, DawnNews reported.

While watch over the military exercises between Pakistan and China, General Kayani said Pakistan and China had no differences over matters of security.

He further said that Pakistan and China’s army relations were not based on aggression against a particular country.

Not only do the countries have strong diplomatic ties but relations at the people-to-people level are also sound, Kayani said.

Husain Haqqani resigns, ready to face inquiry

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Gilani in light of the ongoing ‘Memogate’ scandal.

Haqqani was in a high level meeting with the Pakistani civilian and military leadership in Islamabad today.

A statement made on his official Twitter account stated that “I have requested PM Gilani to accept my resignation as Pakistan Ambassador to US.”

The statement further said “I have much to contribute to building a new Pakistan free of bigotry and intolerance. Will focus energies on that.”

Husain Haqqani has been Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States since 2008.

Turkish PM calls on ‘coward’ Assad to quit

ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday urged Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to step down, branding him a coward and warning that he risked the same fate of dictators who met the bloody deaths.

In his fiercest criticism yet of his one-time ally, Erdogan also ridiculed Assad for pledging to fight to the death against domestic opponents while being unwilling to risk his life to retake the occupied Golan Heights from Israel.

“Quit power before more blood is shed, for the peace of your people, your region and your country,” Erdogan told the Turkish parliament in Ankara.

After weeks of mounting criticism of the Syrian president, it was the first time the Turkish premier had directly called for his removal from power.

He is the second leader of a neighbouring country to do so, after Jordan’s King Abdullah last week called on Assad to go.

“Bashar al-Assad is saying he will fight to the death.

Fighting your own people is not heroism but cowardice,” Erdogan said, referring to a recent interview with Assad published by the Sunday Times in London.

“If you want to see someone who fought and died, take at look at Nazi Germany, take a look at Hitler, take a look at Mussolini and Romania’s Ceausescu,” he said.

Adolf Hitler died in his bunker as Allied forces closed in on Berlin, wartime Italian leader Benito Mussolini was strung up from a lamppost by an angry mob and Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was executed by firing squad on Christmas Day in 1989.

If the Syrian leader had failed to learn lessons from the history, Erdogan invited him to consider the more recent fate of Libya’s late strongman Moammar Gadhafi who was executed by his opponents after being chased from power.

Erdogan also asked Assad why he failed to display the same fighting spirit to win back the Golan Heights, a rocky plateau which Israel captured from Syria during a war in 1967.

The Jewish state unilaterally annexed the Golan in 1981.

“You are talking about fighting to the death. Why didn’t you fight to the death for the Golan Heights occupied by Israel?” Erdogan said.

Erdogan insisted that Turkey had no intention of interfering in Syria’s domestic affairs but added “we cannot remain indifferent” to what happens in a neighbouring country with which Turkey shares a 910-kilometre border.

Turkey has become increasingly vocal in its criticism of Assad after its diplomatic missions came under attack by pro-government demonstrators in several Syrian cities earlier this month.

Tensions deteriorated further on Monday when two busloads of Turkish pilgrims who were in Syria on their way back from the hajj in Mecca were attacked by the Syrian gunmen.

In his first official remarks confirming the attack, Erdogan said: “The Syrian administration did not prevent the attack on buses carrying pilgrims,” accusing Damascus of failing to protect its citizens.

“Protecting the citizens of a foreign country is a matter of honour for a country,” said Erdogan.

He called on the Syrian leadership to find the perpetrators of the attacks on Turkish diplomatic missions as well as the pilgrims and “deliver them to justice at once.”

Turkey last week announced a halt to joint oil exploration and threatened to cut electricity exports.

It also joined the Arab League at a meeting in Morocco in calling on the Assad regime “to stop the bloodshed and to spare Syrian citizens from new acts of violence and killing”.

In an interview with The Guardian published on Tuesday, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who is on an official visit to Britain, said Assad had reached a “dead end.”

SC wants relevant documents over RPPs policy

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked counsel for former minister water and power Raja Pervez Ashraf to produce relevant document showing government policy for setting up Rental Power Plants (RPPs) in the country.

A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry told Wasim Sajjad, counsel for the former minister, that if there was a policy for the projects, then he should produce it in writing.

However, on request of the counsel, the bench adjourned hearing till Wednesday.

During course of proceedings, Wasim contended that Rule 42 of Pepra Rules permitted setting up unsolicited plants.

He said that there was problem in power generation and as short term measures, RPPs policy was approved by the former minister in consultation with other stakeholders.

He said that minister could be responsible for approval of policy but its implantation and execution rested with other allied departments.

The chief justice observed that they had nothing to do with policies of the political government but after spending Rs 20 billion, which was taken as loan, hardly 100MW was being produced by three RPPs.

The CJ told him that he should provide the relevant documents which would also put at rest all apprehensions about the deal.

He said when the agreements were carried out, Asian Development Bank report had reached minister’s chamber.

The ADB had raised serious objections to transactions, he added.

The counsel said that the ADB report was filed on their request.

He said many elements in government were involved to execute a policy and when the former minister assumed charge of his office the policy was in place and there were mass protests against the power shortage.

So he continued the policy as short term measure to overcome the power shortage, he added.

He said the problems existed prior to assumption of charge of the office by the former minister.

The chief justice said that they should record that there was no policy.

“Sorry to say you have to pay to RPPs after taking loans on mark up. From 19 RPPs, only three were producing 100MW power,” he added.

He observed that there should be collective and individual responsibility.

Prima facie, the transaction lacked transparency, as you followed the policy of former government without framing your own, he added.

The counsel also admitted that RPPs power generation was costly.

Registrar National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Syed Safeer Hussain also submitted a report on court’s directive indicating power capacity of RPPs, tariff cost, fuel costs, etc.

The chief justice observed that from these documents inconsistency appeared.

The counsel for NEPRA also admitted that the relevant law in Pakistan was ambiguous as compared to India and Bangladesh.

US supports democratic system in Pakistan: Munter

ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter on Tuesday extended American support for the political and democratic process in Pakistan.

Talking to the media after visiting the Rawalpindi office of the Medical Transcription Billing Company (MTBC), the ambassador while commenting on the ‘memo issue’ said that the US State Department has been very careful in giving its reaction on it as it is a Pakistani matter.

“We respect Pakistani institutions to address that matter,” Munter said.

Replying to a question about American reaction to the memo issue, the ambassador said, “We are strongly supportive to the democratic process (in Pakistan), the constitution, the rule of law, your country, and the will of Pakistani people to make sure that there will be justice” adding that “we support that and see how it will work”.

Regarding replacing Pakistan’s Ambassador Haqqani from Washington, Munter said, “We have to wait and see”.

Replying to a question about his meeting with Chairman Tehrik-e-Insaf Imran Khan in the presence of Director General Inter Services Intelligence agency General Ahmed Shujah Pasha, Munter said, “I met with Imran Khan and I met with General Pasha but I have not met them together.”

Answering another question about any soft corner for Imran Khan, Munter said, “People (in Pakistan) are looking for leadership, people are looking for a kind of society where there is openness, and many people of this country are talking about a political system that will be transparent, that will be open and democratic, prosperous and stable” adding that, “you will always hear from us supporting those kind of ideas.”

Appreciating the work being done at MTBC, the American ambassador said it is the best example of Pak-US partnership in people-to-people contacts and in business.

He said he was satisfied to see the people working together showing leadership, innovation and partnership and respect for each other.

The US ambassador toured various departments of MTBC and observed the operations of the facility.

The MTBC, a US based firm, started its operations at PAFWA Community Centre, Islamabad with the goal of training and encouraging young Pakistani women to develop their IT and entrepreneurial skills.

In 2005, the MTBC started its operation in Rawalpindi and enhanced its outreach to young professionals with a view to developing quality manpower.

The MTBC has provided jobs to 1,000 persons in Rawalpindi and over 500 are also working in its Bagh office.

Pakistani Taliban declare nationwide cease-fire

PESHAWAR: The Pakistani Taliban has declared a cease-fire to encourage nascent peace talks with the government, a senior commanders said, a move that appears to show the deadly group’s willingness to strike a deal with state.

The commander said the cease-fire has been in effect for the past month and was valid throughout the country.

”We are not attacking the Pakistan army and government installations because of the peace process,” he said late Monday. The commander is close to Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the Taliban.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not the official spokesman of the insurgent network.

His statement adds credence to recent announcements by anonymous Taliban and intelligence officials that government intermediaries recently met Taliban commanders to talk about a possible peace deal.

The government has not officially commented, and on Tuesday the Pakistani army denied it was involved in any talks.

The Pakistan Taliban, an umbrella grouping of militants allied with al-Qaida and based in the northwest close to the Afghan border, has been behind many of the scores of bloody suicide attacks around Pakistan over the last 4 1/2 years. At least 35,000 people have been killed in the bloodshed.

The United States wants Pakistan to keep the pressure on insurgents and would likely be concerned about any effort to strike a deal.

Many of its fiercest foes in Afghanistan, as well as al-Qaida operatives from around the world, live alongside the Pakistan Taliban in North Waziristan.

Much remains unclear about the nature of the talks and their potential. Both the army and the militants have engaged in misinformation before. Some reports have said any deal would only cover one region in the northwest, South Waziristan, but could be extended.

The Pakistan Taliban is believed to be divided. Many of its leaders and foot soldiers have been killed in US drone attacks and Pakistani army offensives over the last few years.

Some faction and allied groups are still committed to war against the state, and there been several insurgent attacks over the last month.