July 27, 2012
Pakistan
hopes new MoU with US on NATO supply to be signed soon
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Pakistan
Thursday
expressed the hope that the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regrading new
terms of engagements with
United States
and
ISAF on the issue of resuming NATO supply through
Pakistan
will
be signed soon. In his weekly news
briefing here today, the Foreign Office Spokesman Moazzam Ahmed Khan said the
MoU, that has already been approved by the federal cabinet in its meeting held
Wednesday, is in line with the recommendations of the Parliament.
He said at this stage there is only one MoU concerning the Ministry of
Defence. Replying to a question about strategic dialogue between
Pakistan
and
the
United States
,
the spokesman said the schedule in this regard has not yet been finalized.
Commenting on attacks from the Afghan side, the Spokesman said
Pakistan
is
actively engaging the Afghan government as well as ISAF Command on this issue.
He said, “This is a serious issue.” He expected that some corrective
measures would be taken by the Afghan government and ISAF on this issue.
The Spokesman said Chairman Afghan Peace Council Salahuddin Rabbani will
visit
Pakistan
soon
however, dates for his visit have not been yet finalized. He said in the joint
statement issued at the end of Prime Minister’s visit to
Afghanistan
,
it was made clear that
Pakistan
is
ready to extend every kind of support for durable peace in
Afghanistan
.
Commenting on the killings of Muslims in
Myanmar
,
Moazzam Ahmad Khan expressed the confidence that Myanmar Government will take
necessary and appropriate steps to address this issue. He said it is a matter of
concern, however, the situation there has improved substantially.Replying to a
question to file a case against the British newspaper “The Sun” for
publishing a story of fake passport, damaging Pakistan’s credibility, the
spokesman said its not a bilateral issue, therefore, it is not in the purview of
Foreign Office. He further explained that its a matter with a private newspaper
and Ministry of Interior of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will take
up the matter of filing a case against the newspaper.
Cross-border
attacks unacceptable: Pak Foreign Office
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Pakistan
on
Thursday condemned the attacks carried out from
Afghanistan
’s
Kunar province into
Pakistan
.
During weekly briefing in
Islamabad
on
Thursday, Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Khan said
Pakistan
is
actively engaging the Afghan government as well as ISAF Command on this issue.
He expected that some corrective measures would be taken by NATO,
United States
and
Afghan government on this issue. The spokesperson said that MOU regarding new
terms of engagement with the
United States
and
ISAF will be signed soon. Answering a question about strategic dialogue between
Pakistan
and
the
United States
’
the spokesman said the schedule in this regard has not yet been finalized. When
his attention was drawn towards the killings of Muslims in
Myanmar
’
Moazzam Ahmad Khan expressed the confidence that Myanmar Government will take
necessary and appropriate steps to address the matter. To a question about
alleged
UK
passport
scam’ the Spokesman said this is not a bilateral issues between the two
governments as it is a private matter.
Bajaur
Agency market blast leaves eight people dead
Special
to The
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KHAR:
At least eight people were killed and more than twenty others wounded in
powerful blast that exploded in Salarzai town of
Bajaur
Agency
on Thursday, government officials said. According to political administration
officials of agency, the explosion took place in Tehsil Salaarzai’s Pasht
Bazaar, which killed eight people and injured over 20 others. The blast was so
severe that it pulled down at least five shops. The injured and bodies were
shifted to nearby
Agency
Headquarters
Hospital
,
Khar. The security forces, soon after the blast, cordoned off the entire area
and kicked off search operation for the miscreants responsible for the blast.
Security officials said that bomb was planted in a shop which exploded by remote
control. President, PM condemn: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister
Raja Pervez Ashraf on Thursday strongly condemned the blast in Bajaur and
expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives. At least eight people were killed
and more than twenty others wounded in powerful blast that exploded in Salarzai
town of
Bajaur
Agency
on Thursday In their condolence message, the two leaders expressed their resolve
not to be deterred by such acts and said the country remains committed to
eliminate extremism and terrorism. The President and the Prime Minister
expressed their deep grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in this tragic
incident. Prime Minister Ashraf ordered inquiry into the incident and provision
of best medical facilities to the injured. The two leaders also prayed to Allah
Almighty to shower His blessings on the departed souls and for courage to their
families to bear their loss.
Undoubtedly
next polls will be test: Pak CEC
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
:
New Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Fakharuddin G Ebrahim has said that the
next elections will be a test for every body. Speaking to media representatives
at the election commission’s Sindh office, Ebrahim said that a press
conference would be held in
Islamabad
on
July 31 during which a briefing would be given regarding electoral lists. He
moreover said that an announcement may also be made regarding the issuing of
electoral rolls during the said press briefing. Ebrahim further said that the
country’s fate would change for the better if it experiences free and fair
elections. The chief election commissioner said that he was taking steps for the
implementation of election laws. Earlier, Fakhruddin G Ibrahim arrived at the
Election Commission Sindh office for the first time after assuming office, where
Sindh Chief Election Commissioner Sono Khan Baloch briefed him about the
electoral rolls, cases in courts and bye-elections. The briefing entailed
details on the preparation of electoral lists, a report on municipal elections
and court cases involving the election commission. During the meeting, Ebrahim
directed officers and staff of the provincial commission to discontinue any
political affiliations that they may have so that no objections could be raised
pertaining to the election commission’s impartiality in the wake of the
upcoming elections. He termed the publication of electoral lists the ECP’s
first priority and said that the commission should remove all related
discrepancies and objections raised by the public. The CEC pointed out that the
election commission is taking measures for implementation of electoral rules.
PPP
government
committed to development of AJK: Raja
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Thursday said the government was committed to
the development in AJK and to bring modern amenities of life to the area.
He was talking to President of AJK Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob, Prime Minister
AJK Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and GB Mian Manzoor
Ahmad Wattoo and Senior Minister of AJK Chaudhry Yaseen who called on him at the
PM House. Prime Minister Raja Pervez
Ashraf assured the AJK leadership that the construction of Lower Topa-Kohala
Duel Carriageway would be given due priority under the current PSDP. The Prime
Minister issued strict instructions to the federal government departments to
strictly observe the recruitment quota in the services reserved for AJK. Prime
Minister Ashraf assured the President and the Prime Minister of AJK that the
federal government would honour its commitment to build an international airport
in Mirpur to provide first class air travel facilities to a large number of
Kashmiris who have to travel outside the country quite often. The Prime Minister
appreciated the government of AJK for starting classes in
Mir
Waiz
Moulvi
Farooq
Ahmed
Medical
College
,
Muzaffarabad,
Mohtarma
Shaheed
Benazir
Medical
College
.
The AJK PM informed that the classes would commence at the
Medical
College
,
Poonch from next month. Prime Minister directed the relevant authorities to
adhere to 7% quota of LPG for AJK as its non-observance was compelling the
people to cut trees to meet their pressing cooking needs.
On the law and order situation, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said
the federal government would extend all possible assistance to the AJK
government for raising police contingent of 2000. The Prime Minister AJK
requested Prime Minister Ashraf for a bailout package of Rs. 20 billion for the
State as its provision would help complete the ongoing development projects
which could not be completed in the past due to the paucity of funds.
He said escalation of cost had further necessitated the injection of
funds on urgent basis to complete these projects.
The Prime Minister AJK also sought the intervention of the Prime Minister
of Pakistan in meeting the drinking water needs of AJK people. He said that the
situation was worsening with every passing year which warranted immediate
intervention of the federal government.
Pakistan
attaches great importance to its relations with
Denmark
: Zardari
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Uffe Wolffhechel, Ambassador of Denmark, paid farewell call on President Asif
Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr. The President appreciated his diplomatic services
in brining
Pakistan
and
Denmark
further
closer during his stint as Ambassador. Discussing bilateral relations with the
outgoing Ambassador, the President said that
Pakistan
attaches
great importance to its relations with
Denmark
and
wishes to build a broad-based substantive and long-term equation with
Denmark
.
He said that
Pakistan
greatly
appreciates Danish support to democracy and to the people of
Pakistan
.
The President said that there was need to further promote mutual interactions at
all the levels in order to further strengthen the existing friendly
relationship. He said that the two countries needed to work together in
translating their friendly equation to boost trade and economic interactions.
The President wished the outgoing ambassador good luck in his future life and
assignments. Mr. Uffe Wolffhechel thanked the President for the support he was
extended by the Government during his tenure as ambassador.
Quetta
’s 16 districts lose power supply once again
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
:
Once again About 16 districts of the provincial capital of Balochistan plunged
into darkness on Thursday night after power supply from main Guddu high
transmission line was suspended. According to sources in Quetta Electric Supply
Company (QESCO), a technical fault in Guddu high transmission line caused the
suspension of electricity supply. It is mention-worthy that occurrence of these
faults have now fell into a pattern as last week also a similar fault affected
same number of Quetta districts, which suffered a blackout for as long as 36
hours. They said the engineers and technical teams of QESCO were trying to fix
the fault.
PML-N
to fight any conspiracy delaying general polls: Nawaz
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif Thursday stated his
party will fight any conspiracy of delaying general elections for one year and
termed it as self-deceiving act. He expressed these views while a leader of PML-Q
from Multan Asim Bher and former Nazims from NA-148 announced to transfer their
loyalties to PML-N. Nawaz Sharif said the solution of all crises lies with the
hasty free and fair general elections. He stated that PML-N has won the case of
appointment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) by staying in Assemblies, if
their party was went out from Assemblies then Asif Ali Zardari could bring his
blue-eyed CEC. He stated that his party would ensure setting up independent and
impartial care taker governments like the appointment of CEC. President PML-N
stated that Zardari government has brought the country to its knees and the
biggest incompetence of the government is the devastation of the economy of the
country. “As a result of extreme load shedding, inflation, unemployment and
poverty have crafted people’s lives in troubles”, he stated. He said the
strong economy guarantees the strong country with full sovereignty. “If the
policies of PML-N were continued then we could be involved in the race of
progressing countries”, Nawaz Sharif said. He stated that manifesto committee
of the PML-N has formed precise policies for energy, trade and education sectors
so that the country would progress. He said the major problems for the youth of
Pakistan
is
quality education and employment opportunities and industrial revolution can
bring an end to the unemployment. “Keeping in view the agriculture of
Pakistan, industries will be set up in each and every corner of the country so
that results of progress would touch the rural areas”, Nawaz Sharif stated. He
stated that the load shedding during the month of Ramazan has added more to the
miseries of the masses and problem of load shedding is an artificial one and if
government leaves its extra expenses then the load shedding could be controlled
within 48 hours to a large extent.
Afghan
Ambassador calls on FM, discuss bilateral relations
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammad Umer Daudzai called on Foreign Minister
Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar here on Thursday and discussed bilateral issues with her.
Besides bilateral issues, the Foreign Minister and the Afghan Ambassador
also discussed issues of mutual interest, including the follow-up of the Prime
Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf’s recent visit to Kabul .They also
exchanged views with regard to the status of the Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace
and reconciliation process. The
Foreign Minister reassured the Ambassador, of
Pakistan
’s
full support to the efforts aimed at bringing peace and stability in
Afghanistan
.
DPC
finalizes sit-in arrangements against NATO supplies
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
LAHORE
:
Secretary General Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Liaqat Baloch has said the Difa-e-Pakistan
Council (DPC) has finalised all sit-in arrangements on NATO supply routes from
Karachi
to
Chaman via Torkham near Pak-Afghan border. In a statement issued here at
Mansoora on Thursday, he said the nation would not accept NATO supply
restoration at any cost and would resist against it with full vigor. He
expressed his wonder saying the
US
was
facing a humiliating defeat in
Afghanistan
but
the political and military leadership of
Pakistan
had
surrendered against the wishes of nation which would prove destructive for
national security and integrity. He deplored that the leadership put aside the
parliament resolutions on NATO supply reopening under the
US
pressure
against the national aspirations. He said the cabinet had approved a written
agreement on NATO supply which, he demanded, should be made public in line with
democratic and constitutional process. Meanwhile, a delegation of Arakani Muslim
community from
Myanmar
called
on Liaqat Baloch in the leadership of Noor Hussain Arakani. Liaqat Baloch
deplored that all international institutions including OIC had tightened their
lips over the cruelty and violation of basic human rights in
Myanmar
.
“All muslim rulers should lodge a protest by calling ambassador of
Myanmar
in
their countries,” he added. He expressed his disappointment over
Myanmar
opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi for keeping mum over the issue. He hailed Saudi King
Shah Abdullah for calling OIC session on the issue and appealed that OIC should
formulate a future line of action for betterment of Muslims of Palestine,
Kashmir
and
Myanmar
.
The delegation thanked JI for raising its voice on the issue and drawing
attention of the world towards the killing of Muslim community in
Myanmar
.
Balochistan
doctors announce to go on complete strike
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
:
On the call of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Balochistan Chapter, the
doctors will observe complete strike from Friday (July 27) to protest abduction
of surgeon of Bolan Medical College (BMC) hospital
Quetta
,
Dr Din Muhammad Bangulzai. President PMA Balochistan, Dr. Sultan Tareen along
with other PMA leaders made the announcement at a press conference here on
Thursday. Dr Sultan demanded recovery of the abducted doctor within 24 hours,
otherwise doctors would go on strike for an indefinite period. He added that
along with the government hospitals, the private hospitals would also observe
strike across the province. He said that despite passage of five days, the law
enforcement agencies could not recover Dr Din Muhammad.
Electricity
tariff goes up by 24 paisa per unit
LPG
prices raised by Rs 10 per kg in Peshawar
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Another financial bomb on the poor masses as National Electric Power Regulatory
Authority (NEPRA) approved on Thursday an increase in electricity tariff of 24
paisa per unit under the monthly fuel adjustment formula. The NEPRA hearing took
place in
Islamabad
on
Thursday. It is pertinent to mention that this is not the first time NEPRA has
increased rates, however it will not be applied to KESC and life Line Consumers
in this regard.
PESHAWAR
:
The price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas has been raised to Rs 10 per kg on
Thursday. The president of LPG Association Bakht Munir from Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa
told a private TV that LPG marketing companies have raise the prices, due to
which the Domestic cylinder prices have been raised to RS 120 and commercial
cylinder price is RS 480 respectively. It in pertinent to mention here that LPG
marketing company has soared the prices second time during the holy month of
Ramzan due to which public is facing a lot of burden, Bakht added.
Hina
to visit
Sri Lanka
on August 1-3
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will visit
Sri Lanka
on
August 1-3 on the invitation of Minister for External Affairs of Sri Lanka Prof.
G.L. Peiris. During the visit, the
two sides will review progress in bilateral relations and identify areas for
further strengthening cooperation in a comprehensive manner, a Foreign Office
statement said on Thursday.
Pakistan
suspends NATO supply route over security
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Pakistan
has
temporarily stopped NATO supply trucks crossing into
Afghanistan
over
security concerns, officials said Thursday. Gunmen on Tuesday attacked a convoy
of NATO supply trucks, killing a driver, in Jamrud. “Movement of NATO vehicles
has been temporarily suspended since Wednesday evening to beef up security,” a
paramilitary official told newsmen. “We have launched a search operation in
the hills surrounding Jamrud,” the official added.
Friendship
with Pakistan inevitable: SM Krishna
Special
to The
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Tribune
SRINAGAR
:
Ahead of his three-day visit to
Pakistan
for
secretary-level talks, Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna said that friendship
between the two countries has become inevitable, especially after they have
reconciled over several sensitive issues. Inaugurating a passport office in Sri
Nagar, Krishna said that the ”acrimonial debate” and “slanging
match” between Pakistan and India will not help either country and that even
global conditions require that both the countries maintain good bilateral
relations. He, however, pointed out that convincing the opposition on such
issues is also an uphill task. Appreciating his Pakistani counterpart Hina
Rabbani Khar’s efforts,
Krishna
said
that the foreign minister, in her last visit, had conveyed the message that
Pakistan
wants
to move ahead with the bilateral relationship.
Krishna
added
that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on being invited by President Asif
Ali Zardari, might visit
Pakistan
any
time soon. According to a report by Indian media,
Krishna
also
assured the chief minister of Azad Jammu and
Kashmir
that
he will take up the issue of cross-LoC trade including removal of negative list
during his visit. Omar Abdullah also drew the External Affairs minister’s
attention towards the direct impact of Indo-Pak ties on the disputed state. He
added that monetary value mismatch had proved to be a complication in cross-LoC
trade and requested that a more rudimentary barter format of trade be explored.
UK
lawmakers
urge US to stop drone strikes in Pakistan
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
LONDON
:
As many as 12 British parliamentarians have sent a letter to the government of
the
United States
,
urging that drone attacks in
Pakistan
be
immediately stopped. Media reports on Thursday said the
UK
lawmakers
asked the
US
to
stop drone attacks in
Pakistan
as
it could prove dangerous for the
UK
and
the West. They lawmakers said the drone strikes were in violation of sovereignty
of
UK
’s
ally (
Pakistan
).
They called for an immediate halt in the attacks saying the militants and
extremists made them justification to carry out their activities. The
UK
’s
parliamentarians urged that the attacks lead to spreading hatred among the
people of
Pakistan
.
Lord Nazir Ahmad, Lord Steel Acowood, Lord Jad, Lord Hussain, Lord E Escadel And
Lord Eubarry include members of House of Lords while George Galway, John
Hemming, Paul Flain, Yasmin Qureshi, Jeraldko Famin and Simon Disnek are from
the house of commons who have signed the letter written to the US and NATO.
Two
killed, three injured in
Karachi
violence
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
:
At least two people were killed in act of violence in different parts of
Karachi
.
According to media reports, a man was shot dead in Garden Shoe Market area. The
identity of the deceased is not yet known. In another incident of firing, some
unidentified person shot dead an activist of a political party. The deceased was
identified as Tahir Khan. In
Zaman
Town
,
a security guard of a private company was wounded while offering resistance in a
robbery attempt while two people were injured in firing incidents in Karimabad
and Qasba More. Meanwhile, police and Rangers conducted a joint raid in Pak
Colony area and arrested 20 suspects. Arms and drugs were also recovered from
arrested suspects.
July
23, 2012
Pakistan
needs
comprehensive police reform to check crime
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
NEW YORK
:
Pakistan
needs to carry
out comprehensive police reform as an integral part of the national agenda aimed
at boosting the institutional capacity of the force needed to check the growth
of crime and effectively conduct counter-terrorism operations, a new report
said. “Police reform is one of the greatest challenges confronting
Pakistan
. It is a
challenge that can and must be met,” the report produced by an independent
commission set up by the New York-based Asia Society said. The commission was
made up of experts from both
Pakistan
and the
United States
. The report
called for
Pakistan
to step up police
training and carry out structural reforms to enhance the force’s skills and
reduce corruption. “An overhaul of the current system of promoting and hiring
police would help to ensure reasonable and fair opportunities for
advancement,” the report said. “This system must be transparent and free
from political interference.” Hassan Abbas, the commission’s project
director and a professor at the
National
Defence
University
in
Washington
, said
Pakistan
’s police force
must work to address rising crime rates and the deteriorating law-and-order
situation in an effort to improve its image and credibility. “An efficient,
well-functioning civilian police service is also critical to counterinsurgency
and counterterrorism efforts in
Pakistan
now and in the
future,” he said. Abbas, a former
Pakistan
police officer
who is also senior adviser to Asia Society, also said that international
assistance could help
Islamabad
conduct police
reforms. The report said, “Urgent steps are required to render the police
force professionally competent, operationally neutral, functionally cohesive and
organizationally responsible for all of its actions. “The role, duties and
responsibilities of the police must be oriented in a manner in which the service
function is prioritized and the prevention and detection of crime is viewed as
having a social purpose,” it said. “The reform strategy should also seek to
solicit the support and cooperation of the people.” Some of the
recommendations made in the lengthy report are:
(A) Police Order 2002
must be implemented, with minor amendments, throughout
Pakistan
to ensure that
the country is governed by a clear and uniform set of rules. It should be
extended to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in due course. A
“commissionerate system of policing can also be considered.
(B) The leadership of the
Federal Investigation Agency should be authorized to pursue complaints made
against federal employees, regardless of their rank or status. The agency must
be empowered to handle cases in anticorruption, terrorism financing, money
laundering, cybercrime, and intellectual property rights.
(C)
Ensuring tenure security for all federal and provincial police chiefs, in
addition to the heads of FIA , National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), and
the Intelligence Bureau, would help to minimize political pressure on these
offices.
(D) Modification
of the Evidence Act and High Court Rules is essential to convening incognito
trials, maintaining the protection of the identity of witnesses, and
facilitating a simpler procedure for the admissibility of modern types of
evidence.
(E) To check
police corruption, the federal government should establish an independent police
complaint authority under the leadership of a reputable retired
Supreme Court/High
Court
judge.
(F)
An improvement in working conditions and salaries and changes to
organizational culture would help to create a force that is respected by the
people and thus is more effective in maintaining security and stability. The
success of the National Highways and Motorway Police is particularly instructive
in this respect.
(G)
Training and curriculum throughout the police academies should be
revamped to address the needs of vulnerable groups, including women, children,
and minorities.
(H)
A special cadre of terrorism
investigators with the expertise and resources that police currently lack must
be created.
(I)
The de-radicalization program must be expanded and strengthened, giving
the police a lead role.
Constitution
states elected representatives will govern: Pak PM
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf met
with Law Minister Farooq Naek and discussed important legal issues and pending
cases. During the meeting, Prime Minister Ashraf said that the constitution
clearly stated that governance was the responsibility of the elected
representatives. The prime minister stressed that the government believed in the
rule of law and was running the country according to the constitution. APP adds:
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farooq H. Naik called on Prime Minister
Raja Pervez Ashraf at Prime Minister House on Sunday and discussed legal issues
and the pending court cases with him. The Prime Minister said that the
government believed in the supremacy of law and governing the country according
to the dictates of the Constitution, wherein a clear role had been assigned to
the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. He said that he not only firmly
believed in the independence of judiciary but also in an independent judicial
system. The Prime Minister referred
to the Objectives Resolution which is part of the Constitution that clearly
states that the state authority shall be exercised by the chosen representatives
of the people. The Minister apprised the Prime Minister about the initiatives
taken to introduce local government system in FATA with a view to ensure
people’s effective representation in the planning, and execution of local
development projects, including the reconciliation mechanism to settle local
issues. It will also throw up local leadership, so important for the development
of democratic culture and empowering people at the grassroots, the Minister said
The Minister said that progress on the anti-terrorism law was satisfactory and
it would ensure the conviction of terrorists, which had presently been
embarrassingly very low due to the defects in the existing law and the criminals
take full advantage of it. The
evidence presented in the court by prosecutor does not stand the defence on
legal and technical grounds and resultantly hard core terrorists get scot-free,
he said. The Minister said that the
law to control the theft of electricity, gas and other services was being
undertaken on fast track basis. He said the instructions had been given to
vigorously pursue the cases and get the court stays vacated at the earliest as
these had stuck WAPDA’s Rs. 1.3 billion. The Law Minister said that the
government was bringing amendment in the existing law to provide inexpensive and
speedy justice to the people especially who are poor and involved in minor
offences.
Nawaz,
Munter discuss Pak-US relations
Sharif
urges US to pursue policy of mutual respect
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The outgoing
US
Ambassador to
Pakistan Cameron Munter Sunday met with PML-N president Muhammad Nawaz Sharif
and discussed matters related to Pak-US ties. PML-N President Muhammad Nawaz
Sharif said that the
United States
should pursue a
policy of mutual respect and mutual trust with
Pakistan
, which can only
restore cooperation between them and peace in the region. Nawaz Sharif made this
remark during a farewell call on him by the outgoing
US
Ambassador to
Pakistan
, Ambassador
Cameron Munter in
Pakistan
. During the
course of their meeting, the former Prime Minister emphasized the need for the
US
to re-orient its
policies towards
Pakistan
in a manner that
the country’s democratic institutions become stronger and its economy made
less dependent on foreign aid. The
US
Ambassador spoke
of his admiration for the people of
Pakistan
adding that he
was deeply impressed by the enormous changes taking place which made him
confident that the country was headed in the right direction. The meeting was
also attended by Dr. Marilyn Wyatt, wife of the
US
Ambassador as
well as leader of the opposition in the senate, Senator Ishaq Dar.
Around
100 Pakistanis left in Syria: Envoy
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Pakistani Ambassador to Syria Waheed
Ahmad has said that only a hundred plus Pakistanis were left in
Syria
. The majority is
of those who are bonded by inter-marriages, who in contact with the embassy and
we also try to know what kind of help we can
provide to them, Waheed Ahmad said while talking to a private news
channel.He said that nearly 500 Pakistanis had gone back prior to the worsening
situation but as the uncertainty increased, more Pakistanis went back.
The Ambassador said that the worst situation in
Syria
had led to the
decline in the number of Pakistani pilgrims but it had not completely halted
their movement. He said,” the pilgrims contact us only when they are in some
sort of trouble. Otherwise, they go back after performing their pilgrimage”.
The tour operators are also sending pilgrims in small numbers and we also
discourage the intending pilgrims whenever they contact us, he added. To a
question, he said that no big harm has been done to Pakistanis but in the
beginning of the year, a Pakistani pilgrim had met with an accident in which he
had lost his life. The Embassy had made arrangements to transfer the dead body
to
Pakistan
, apart from
that, there are no reports of any such damage, he added.
Pranab
Mukherjee elected president of India
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
NEW
DELHI: Former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee
was elected Indian president on Sunday after votes from national and
state lawmakers were counted in the race for the mainly ceremonial post.Some
analysts believe Mukherjee, a veteran from the ruling Congress party, may take a
more active approach to the job than his predecessors as India struggles with a
parliamentary deadlock and slowing economic growth.
The PTI news agency announced Mukherjee, 76, as the winner after he
collected more than half of the electoral college’ votes during counting on
Sunday. He easily beat his only rival P.A. Sangma, 64, a former lower house
speaker who was backed by the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
India
’s president,
who lives in a 340-room palace in
New Delhi
built for
the British Viceroy during colonial rule, is chosen by legislators from
the two houses of parliament and state assemblies.Under the constitution, the
prime minister wields most of the executive power, but the president can play a
guiding role in the process of forming governments. The next general election,
due to be held in 2014, is predicted to be close, leading to a period of complex
horse-trading between numerous national and regional parties trying to form a
stable coalition government.“It’s in this turbulent scenario Mukherjee as a
president will be able to steer the ship of the state. He’s a
troubleshooter,” said Sanjay Kumar, an analyst at
India
’s Centre for
the Study of Developing Societies. Mukherjee,
a canny operator renown for his negotiating skills, may also try to use the
presidential position to foster a behind-the-scenes deal between warring parties
who have reduced parliament to a stalemate in recent sessions.
Despite the president being a neutral figure above party politics, his
success on Sunday was a welcome victory for the embattled Congress party,
which has been beset by a string of graft scandals and poor economic
data. Mukherjee commands respect
across party lines, but his performance as finance minister was criticised for
his failure to push through reforms to further liberalise
India
’s economy. His
exit from the ministry has raised investors’ hopes that Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, who has taken over the finance portfolio, could embark on
long-awaited moves such as opening up the giant retail sector to foreign
investment. Mukherjee will be formally sworn in on Wednesday, taking over for a
five-year term from
Pratibha Patil
,
India
’s first woman
president.
Pakistan
CEC to take
oath today
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Newly appointed Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC) of
Pakistan
Justice (retd)
Fakhurddin G Ebrahim will take oath of office on Monday (July 23).
Chief Justice of
Pakistan
Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry will administer the oath to the new Chief Election Commissioner at a
ceremony to be held at the Supreme Court building.
The Election Commission had officially communicated to the Registrar
Supreme Court the desire of Justice (retd) Fakhurddin G. Ebrahim to be
administered the oath of office as Chief Election Commissioner on July 20.
However, on July 18, Ebrahim again intimated through a letter addressed to the
Registrar, Supreme Court, that his oath taking ceremony may be rescheduled on
Monday (July 23) or any other date in the week, as may be convenient to the
Chief Justice of Pakistan. The CJP, therefore, rescheduled the oath taking
ceremony.
PPP
to celebrate Zardari’s birthday
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
RAWALPINDI
: The Pakistan People’s Party Rawalpindi
chapter will organise a cake cutting ceremony at Laiqat Bagh Rawalpindi on July
26 to mark the 57th birthday of PPP Co-Chairman President Asif Ali Zardari.
Local leaders, including Member of the PPP Central Executive Committee Sultan
Mehmood Qazi, City President Amir Fida Piracha, Managing Director Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal
Zamarud Khan, Sumera Gul, Azra Younas PYO, PSF and Women Wing will participate
in the ceremony. Talking to media, Amir Fida Paracha said that President Asif
Ali Zardari was leading the PPP in line with the vision of the party leaders,
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed.He said that
democracy was flourishing in the country due to the reconciliation policy of the
President.
Govt
trying level best for polio free country: Asifa
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
LONDON
:
Pakistan
’s goodwill
ambassador for Polio Eradication and daughter of President Asif Ali Zardari
Asifa Bhutto Zardari again made it clear that polio is a deadly disease and we
are trying our best to make
Pakistan
polio free
country. Asifa Bhutto Zardari expressed these views while talking to BBC (Urdu
Service). “Diseases know no borders and mankind has a collective
responsibility towards children of the world and together we must strive to
ensure that tomorrow’s world is free of this scourge”, she added.
Pakistan
’s Goodwill
Ambassador for Polio Eradication Asifa Bhutto Zardari said that the government
will not rest till the scourge has been completely eliminated. She also called
upon philanthropists and well to do people to come forward and help in the
drive. Replying to a question, Asifa said that she is honored to be the
Pakistan
’s Goodwill
Ambassador for Polio Eradication adding undoubtedly her mother started the polio
campaign adding she wants to create example in this regard. All Pakistani
children are like her (BB) own children, that is why she administered polio
drops to her, brother and sister to kick off the campaign, Asifa underlined. She
said that polio is a menace and contacts are important so that she could
interact with people and ensure that it can be prevented. In another question,
she said president inaugurated National Polio Emergency Plan in 2011 adding
polio was a crippling disease and continues to threaten opportunities for
children. She said unfortunately
Pakistan
was among few
countries, which were still not completely polio free. “We are committed to
banish polio from
Pakistan
,” Asifa said
and added that the Polio Eradication Initiative was, first launched by the
government of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
NADRA
to launch new smart card: Tariq Malik
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Chairman National Registration and
Database Authority (NADRA) Tariq Malik said that NADRA will issue a new smart
card which will be distinguished from the earlier one as it will have thirty six
features. Talking to a private news channel, he said that it will be the safest
and secured card because it cannot be replicated. He said a chip will be fixed
in the card which helps government to provide all out facilities like health,
life insurance and donation in case of calamity to the people. Tariq Malik said
Germany
and
Belgium
have made
experience of such smart cards and now
Pakistan
is also in a
position to launch such smart card. He said price of new card will not exceed
the price of prevailing card. He said
Pakistan
is preparing
identity management system for
Nigeria
and civil
registration program for
Sudan
is also in
progress. Malik said NADRA has prepared driving license of
Bangladesh
, passport of
Kenya
, refuge system
of United Nation and
Pakistan
poverty support
card for World Bank. NADRA is among fifty top class identity companies in the
world, he stated adding that international propaganda will be launched when
NADRA defeats international competitors.
Pakistan
elections to
be held in time: Gondal
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
KHUSHAB:
Federal Minister for Capital Administration and Development, Nazar Muhammad
Gondal has said the government will continue its program of public service and
general election will be held in time according to the constitution. Addressing
party workers at Jauharabad residence of Malik Iftikhar Hussain Aheer, he said
that PPP would foil conspiracies against the democracy. He said, PPP was an
organised and active party and a symbol of the federation.
The minister said that conspiracies were hatched against the PPP
government in past and PPP foiled it with pro-people policies. He said, the
people reposed confidence on PPP candidate Abdul Qadir Gilani despite the
alliance of all opposite parties in
Multan
by-poll. He
claimed that general election would be held in its constitution time and PPP
along with its allied parties would win election. Gondal said the government was
taking necessary measures to maintain law and order in
Karachi
.
The federal minister said, without consensus of all provinces the work on
Kala Bagh Dam could not be started. He
urged the party workers to prepare themselves for next general election and take
necessary steps to resolve people problems.
Micheal
Dodman new US Consul General in Karachi
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: Micheal Dodman has been appointed as the
new Consul General of the
United States
in
Karachi
.
This was announced in a statement of the US Consulate General in
Karachi
on Sunday. It said that “The United
States Consulate General is pleased to welcome Consul General Michael Dodman to
Karachi
. CG Dodman’s
prior State Department assignments include Economic Counselor at the
U.S.
Mission
to the European Union in
Brussels
, Economic
Counselor at the
U.S.
Embassy in
Baghdad
, and Political
and Economic Counselor at the
U.S.
Embassy in
Prague
. He has also
served in
Ankara
and
Warsaw
, as well as in
Washington
,
DC
”. “I am very
pleased to be here in
Karachi
”, CG Dodman said. “I look forward to
getting to know this vibrant city and the people of Sindh and Balochistan
provinces as I work to strengthen the relationship between our two countries.”
CG Dodman graduated from
Georgetown
University
’s
School
of
Foreign Service
and has Masters
degrees from
Princeton
University
’s
Woodrow
Wilson
School
and
Boston
University
. William Martin,
the previous Consul General, recently departed
Karachi
after a
successful two year posting and is en route to his next diplomatic assignment,
the statement added.
Rain
plays havoc in Sibi
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Heavy rain has played havoc in Sibi and
outskirts. Reports reaching here on Sunday said that Sibi and adjoining areas
received torrential rain which triggered flash floods, razing several mud houses
in slum areas. The rain water entered into houses damaging the buildings. Due to
lack of disaster management facilities, local people suffered a lot of
difficulties as heavy rains caused suspension of power supply and inundated city
areas. The rain water also chocked sewerage system.
CRIME
CORNER
Riots
in
India
’s northeast
kill nine
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
GAUHATI:
Police say
India
’s army has
moved in to stop armed clashes between rival groups that have killed at least
nine people in
India
’s northeast.
The battles between the ethnic Bodo community and Muslim settlers have also
injured at least 10 people. SN Singh, a police inspector-general, says the
clashes in
Assam
state began
Friday after assailants killed one person in Kokrajhar district, nearly 250
kilometers west of Gauhati, the state capital. He said Sunday that clashes
spread to more than half a dozen villages in the region, nearly 7,000 people
fled their homes and took refuge in state-run relief camps. Animosity between
Bodos and Muslim migrants stems from long-standing land disputes. They have
clashed sporadically since 1990s.
Two
more fall prey to
Karachi
violence, toll
rises to seven
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: At least seven more including two women
have been killed during last 24 hours in
Karachi
, officials said
on Sunday. Early morning on Sunday, two unknown persons’ dead bodies have been
recovered by the police near
Sher Shah
Bridge
. Earlier, some
unknown attackers opened fire on car of DSP Israr Awan of CID police in Patel
Para last evening and managed to escape from the scene, leaving the DSP and his
body guard injured. Prior to this recent attack, DSP Israr Awan sustained
injuries in another past attack by the miscreants in the metropolitan. A 22-year
old girl’s dead body was found near Aath Chowk, Lyari while another woman’s
three days’ old tortured dead body was found from
Baldia
Town
. In another
incident of firing, one person was killed during firing at Dubai Chowk in
Gulistan-e-Johar and 35-year old Shehzad was shot dead during firing between
rivals over personal enmity in Al-Falah area of the city.
Assistant
Food Controller gunned down in Washuk
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
CHAGAI
(Balochistan): Assistant Food Controller Washuk has been gunned down in an
attack in Basima area on Sunday. Deputy Commissioner Washuk Saeed Jamali said
that unidentified armed men riding bike attacked and opened fire at Assistant
Food Controller Abdul Qadir in Basima area when he was on way to home. As a
result, the official of Food Department who received multiple bullet wounds died
on the spot, the DC added. The assailants managed to escape from the scene. The
police have registered a case and started investigation.
Gas
pipeline blown up in Quetta
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Unidentified men have blown up a gas
pipeline in Western Bypass area of the provincial capital last night. Police
said on Sunday that unknown men attached explosive devise with the gas pipeline
passing through Western Bypass area near PS Airport and blew it up. As a result
of explosion, over one foot portion of the pipeline was damaged. The law
enforcement personnel rushed to the site and cordoned off the entire area to
trace the suspects. The teams of engineers and technical staff of Sui Southern
Gas Company have also reached the site to repair the damaged portion of the
pipeline. The explosion caused suspension of gas supply to Killi Khezi and
Khuclak areas.
Police
arrest 9 culprits from Sohrab Goth
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: Police in an operation Sunday arrested
nine culprits from Sohrab Goth area. Police have carried out an operation
against miscreants at Sohrab Goth area in
Karachi
and arrested nine
persons. Arms and ammunition were also recovered during the operation. As per
details, Gadap Town SP, Jan Mohammad said that yesterday two groups quarreling
over some cash transaction traded gunshots at
Jannat
Gul
Town
behind
Al-Asif Square
here, killing 4
persons and wounded 5. When the police started raids for the arrest of culprits,
they targeted the police and fired the vehicle of Gadap SP. Two police men
including SHO Sultan Mehsud were injured, who were shifted to a private hospital
for medical aid. The SP Gadap said that on Saturday (July 21) seven persons were
arrested during the raids, while two key culprits including Abdul Qadir were
rounded up Sunday (July 22) morning and weapons recovered from their possession.
It is pertinent to mention here that about 300 police personnel including police
commandos participated in the operation.
INTERNATIONAL
Iran
says presence
of foreign forces in
Persian Gulf
“provocative”: Ramin
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
TEHRAN
:
Iran
’s Foreign
Ministry spokesman said that the presence of foreign forces in the
Persian Gulf
is
“provocative” and poses threat to the region, Press TV reported. “No one
is more concerned about the security and stability in the
Persian Gulf
than regional countries,” Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted as
saying. Under the present sensitive circumstances, “the presence of foreign
forces is provocative and (perceived as a) threat” to the region, said the
Iranian spokesman. “We advise regional countries to question the need for
foreign military presence” in the
Persian Gulf
, he added.
Iran
’s Foreign
Ministry spokesman said Friday that security of the strategic
Strait of Hormuz
tops the list of
the Islamic republic’s foreign policy priorities, Press TV reported. “We
consider the security of the
Strait of Hormuz
as one of our official foreign policy priorities. The security of
this strait is of significance to all the countries in the region and we want
this security to be protected in the best way,” Mehmanparast was quoted as
saying. He said that “we have repeatedly announced that we will try our best
to maintain this security and we will use all our capabilities to stabilize
security (of the
Persian Gulf
),” according to the report. The Iranian spokesman added that
some measures taken by a number of non-regional countries directly endanger
security of the
Persian Gulf
. The
United States
and
Israel
has said
repeatedly that a nuclear
Iran
is intolerable
and they would do whatever necessary, including military attacks, to prevent
Tehran
from getting that
capability. The
United States
has been saying
it will never allow the
Strait of Hormuz
to be blocked and the critical waterway must stay open. On Friday,
Mehmanparast noted that establishment of security must be pursued in its
entirety and include security of energy and the security of balance in the
energy market, according to Press TV. He accused the West of threatening the
security of energy supply and emphasized on
Iran
’s commitment
to maintain security in the
Strait of Hormuz
and the
Persian Gulf
. Earlier this month, Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Agha-Mohammadi said
the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran’s Majlis
(parliament) had prepared a bill which called for the closure of the
Strait of Hormuz
in response to
the recent European Union (EU) oil embargo on
Iran
. Some Iranian
government and military officials have already threatened to use all levers,
particularly the
Strait of Hormuz
, if increased
Western sanctions over
Tehran
’s controversial nuclear activities halt
Iran
’s exports and
hurt the interests of the Islamic republic.
UNHCR
helped 41,000 Afghan refugees return home in 2012
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The UN refugee agency has facilitated
the return of over 41,000 Afghan refugees from
Pakistan
so far this year
through its voluntary repatriation activities. According to a private news
channel report, UNHCR representative in Afghanistan Neill Wright has said that
nearly one-third of the refugees had returned to their homes in northern
Afghanistan, while 26 percent to the eastern provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and
Laghman and there were also a significant number of returns to Ghazni, Kabul,
Logar and Parwan in central Afghanistan. The UNHCR’s voluntary repatriation
program has assisted more than 3.7 million Afghan refugees to return home from
Pakistan
during last ten
years. The UNHCR operates three Voluntary Repatriation Centres in
Pakistan
to facilitate the
returns of Afghan refugees to their country.
In addition to assisting Afghans to return home, the UNHCR is also
helping communities in
Pakistan
that have hosted
large number of refugees. Through its Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA)
initiative, for which the UN refugee agency acts as a convening agency, it is
implementing projects to provide livelihoods, improve infrastructure and
rehabilitate the environment in over 22 rural districts and six urban areas
across
Pakistan
. The RAHA
program is a major component of a new regional strategy on Afghan refugees
agreed between
Afghanistan
,
Iran
and
Pakistan
as well as the
UNHCR. The strategy, which seeks to enable more Afghan refugees to return home
and contribute to the rebuilding of their country, was given international
support at a conference held in May this year in Geneva.
Fearing
persecution Afghan couple flees to
Pakistan
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
PESHAWAR
: An Afghan couple who fled the war-torn
country to marry in
Pakistan
are being held in
protective custody amid fears the bride’s angry relatives will kill them,
officials said on Sunday. Hewad, 22, who is known by only one name, wed
18-year-old Mariyam Marjman in the town of
Abbottabad
, around 50
kilometres north of
Islamabad
, last month
after escaping
Kabul
with the help of
a Pakistani friend. Marjman told officials a jirga or assembly of her relatives
had travelled to Abbottabad with the aim of taking her back to
Afghanistan
, where she would
probably be murdered for marrying a person of her own choice. “Mariyam
declared that Hewad is her husband and both of them were in love before they got
married,” senior local administration official Imtiaz Shah said, adding that
the bride’s parents wanted her to marry her dead elder sister’s husband. He
said that the couple had brought the two-year-old daughter of Marjman’s dead
sister with them to
Pakistan
. Top local
administration official Khan Omarzai told AFP that arrangements have been made
to produce both Hewad and Marjman at the high court in
Peshawar
on Monday. “The
couple is being provided full protection as per court’s order,” he added.
Marjman was moved to an orphanage with the two-year-old while Hewad was moved to
a prison in the northwestern city of
Mansehra
with officials in Abbottabad saying
“this has been done to provide them full protection”. “We will accept and
implement whatever is the court’s decision tomorrow,” Shah said. “If the
court orders us to give custody of the couple to the jirga, we will do that and
if the court decides to keep the custody of the couple, we will implement that
verdict too.” Progress has been made on women’s rights since the fall of the
Taliban in
Afghanistan
, but many fear
those gains are under threat as Nato troops leave and
Kabul
seeks peace with
insurgents. Earlier this month a video emerged of the public execution of a
woman accused of adultery in
Afghanistan
, who was gunned
down as dozens of men cheered.
July
17, 2012
Pakistani,
Saudi leadership discuss regional, international situation
Raja
briefs Saudi King on NATO supplies’ restoration to Afghanistan
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
JEDDAH:
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Monday had an audience with King of Saudi
Arabia and custodian of two Holy Mosques, Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and discussed
bilateral relations, situation in the region and international issues. The Prime
Minister was accompanied by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid
Shah, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Muhammad Naeem khan and other
officials while Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz , Saudi Foreign
Minister Prince Saud al Faisal, and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Ibrahim Abdul
Aziz al-Ghadeer and other high
officials represented the Saudi side. The Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf
briefed the King Abdullah about measures were being taken by Pakistan for the
peace, progress and stability in the region and especially Pakistan’s role in
finding peaceful settlement of Afghan issue in accordance with the aspirations
of Afghan people. During the meeting which lasted for more than the scheduled
time, Prime Minister Ashraf told King Abdullah that Pakistani people considered
him leader of Islamic Ummah. The Prime Minister said there was no distinction
between the security of
Pakistan
and
Saudi Arabia
. Relations of
Pakistan
and
Saudi Arabia
were rooted in history and
these were growing with each passing day, he added.
The Prime Minister extended greetings to King Abdullah on behalf of
President Asif Ali Zardari. The Saudi King welcomed the Prime Minister as
representative of people of
Pakistan
. The Prime Minister told
the King that he sought guidance from him to overcome the difficulties being
faced by the people of
Pakistan
.
Prime Minister Ashraf told King Abdullah that the people of
Pakistan
highly revere King and hold
him in high esteem. The King said
that
Pakistan
was not a new friend and
thanked Pakistan Diaspora who considered
Saudi Arabia
as their second home.
The Prime Minister shared sorrow and grief over the passing away of
former Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz. He told King Abdullah that people of
Pakistan
offered namaz-e-janaza for
the departed soul of former Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz which indicated
strong affiliation of the people of
Pakistan
with
Saudi Arabia
. The Prime Minister renewed
his invitation to the Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz to visit
Pakistan
and he accepted the
invitation and said that the date will be finalized mutually. The King asked
for details on Pak-India relations, and the Prime Minister said these relations
are improving with the continuation of dialogue process between the two
countries. Appreciating the
improvement in Pak-India relations and expressing satisfaction on these ties,
King Abdullah said that these improved relations will be beneficial for the
people of two countries. The Prime Minister apprised the King about the efforts
of Pakistani government to improve relations with its neighbours.
Afghan situation came under discussion during the meeting between King
Abdullah and Prime Minister Ashraf. The
Prime Minister informed King Abdullah that he will visit
Afghanistan
on 19th of this month and
meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to further improve Pak-Afghan relations
and ensure peace, stability and security in the region. He briefed the Saudi
King about restoration of NATO supply to
Afghanistan
. The Prime Minister told
the King that
Pakistan
was part of international
coalition in war against terrorism and is playing an important role in it. The
Prime Minister thanked King Abdullah and the Saudi government for extending
help to
Pakistan
in the need of hour
especially during the last floods and earthquakes. The King said, “We are not
taking any credit for this help and assistance, as it was our duty to help
brothers and sisters in
Pakistan
in case of any natural
calamity.” During the meeting, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf especially
mentioned the road map for building enhanced strategic dialogue between the two
countries. The Prime Minister also apprised the progress in war against terror,
situation in FATA, and sought the help and assistance from King Abdullah to
resolve the energy crisis in
Pakistan
.
King Abdullah told the Prime Minister that
Saudi Arabia
will extend its full
cooperation and assistance to resolve energy crisis and said concerned minister
will visit
Pakistan
in this regard.
The Prime Minister while discussing the question of food security in
Pakistan
asked the Saudi investors to
invest in
Pakistan
in agriculture sector.
Ahmadinejad
for full potential to strengthen Pakistan-Iran ties
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad Monday emphasized for utilizing full potential of cooperation
between
Iran
and
Pakistan
to achieve desirable
results. “
Pakistan
and
Iran
has vast potentials for
cooperation that should be fully exploited to achieve desirable results”, he
said talking to Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Mir
Israrullah Khan Zehri and Federal Minister for Capital Administration and
Development, Nazar Mohammad Gondal who called on him as special envoys of
President Asif Ali Zardari. Both the special envoys also presented
President’s letter to the Iranian President and conveyed the President’s
warm greetings to him, said a press release received here from
Iran
.
Nazar Mohammad Gondal informed the Iranian President that President
Zardari has keen interest to promote trade relations with
Iran
particularly on the basis of
barter trade exchange. He said
Pakistan
is willing to offer 1
million tons high quality wheat to
Iran
on barter arrangement and
get urea and fertilizer from
Iran
.
He said Pakistani delegation was ready to sign an agreement in this
connection with
Iran
.
The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad welcomed the barter trade
exchanges between the two countries adding that there was no limit to enhance
barter trade with
Pakistan
. Ahmadinejad asked the
Pakistani delegation to hold meetings with Iranian Commerce and Oil Minister to
further discuss the subject of barter trade and sale of Pakistani wheat to
Iran
in order to finalize the
deal. The President said
Iran
’s all achievements and
capacities also belong to the Pakistani nation, the Iranian chief executive
added “We consider
Pakistan
’s progress as our own
progress”. He said
Iran
was willing to offer
Pakistan
its achievements in the
scientific and technology fields while benefiting from the Pakistani products.
The Iranian President said that barter trade is the best means of trade
exchanges reiterating his country’s desire to use this mode in trade
exchanges with
Pakistan
. He said that both
Iran
and
Pakistan
would benefit from such
arrangement depriving the western banks of gaining any profit out of such
dealings. Referring to
Iran
’s nearly $ 80 billion
annual imports, Ahmadinejad said
Iran
prefers to get as much as of
its imports from
Pakistan
. The Iranian President also
announced his country’s willingness to export energy and electricity to
Pakistan
. The Iranian President
thanked President Zardari for his letter and agreed with all of its content.
He also asked the special envoys to convey his warm greetings to
President Zardari and the government and people of
Pakistan
.
Pakistan-US
Strategic dialogue being restored: Sethi
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Defence Secretary Nargis
Sethi on Monday again made it clear that strategic dialogue is being restored
between
Pakistan
and the
United States
. Talking to host of
journalists at the Parliament House on Monday, she said that negotiations
between the two countries have moved forward. She said a written agreement will
be signed very soon. Sethi said Army Chiefs of both the countries will also
attend the Strategic Dialogue meetings in future. In reply to a question on
Bhoja Airline, she said that methodical investigations are underway and
investigations under the able leadership of Captain Mujhahid ul Islam, inquiry
team is doing its work carefully. She further said that formal report will be
unveiled soon. Regarding approval of PIA Act Amendment, she said that Ministry
of Law and Justice has the powers and work is in progress in this regard. In
another question, Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi said that additional military
is deployed at border areas of the country. She further added that US will
provide
Pakistan
with funds under Coalition
Support Program but the date is not finalised. Ministry of Defence will sign
two reconciliation MOUs with US on NATO supply matter hence consultations are
underway with other concerned Ministries, she underlined
Zardari
invites Japanese businessmen to invest in Pakistan
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: President Asif Ali Zardari
on Monday invited Japanese businessmen to take advantage of natural resource
potential, trained and hard working work force, geographic location of
Pakistan
and invest in various
sectors for mutual benefit of the two countries. Addressing Pakistan-Japan
Business Roundtable Meeting here at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the President said that
Pakistan
has enormous potential and
opportunities. The President said
year 2012 is a special year for Pakistan-Japan relations and he has special
feelings for
Japan
. The President said
Pakistan
is the 6th most populous
country in the world and offers a large consumer market. “Our per capita
income is constantly increasing. In 2011-12 it was 1372 dollars as against 1258
dollars the year before.” “The exports have reached 25 billion dollars. Our
foreign reserves are well over 15 billion dollars. These reserves were around
10 billion dollars when the present government took over,” he added. The
President said despite negative rating by Moody’s, Karachi Stock Exchange,
the indicator of the state of economy, is trading at near 14000 points. In 2008
it traded at 5500 points. The President said the government has launched a
major drive against poverty by introducing ‘Benazir Income Support Programme’
which is supporting millions of households across the country below the poverty
line. BISP has been recognized globally as one of the most effective and
transparent programmes to eradicate poverty, he added. The President said
energy shortage was a great challenge. “However, we are not deficient in
potential and resources in meeting the challenge.” He said these resources
need to be exploited. Solar and wind energy, the President said, have great
potential in meeting the energy crisis as Pakistan has abundant sunshine that
can be used for power generation. The wind corridors and the wind speed offer
great opportunity to harness this clean and efficient source of energy, he
added. The President said the coal reserves of 186 billion tonnes are ready to
be converted into electricity and diesel.
Pakistan
looks towards
Japan
and Japanese technologies to
assist it in meeting the energy challenge and it will be a mutually profitable
venture, he remarked. He said automobile sector in
Pakistan
is completely dominated by
Japanese companies and
Japan
’s share in car and truck
market is almost 100% and it has almost 50% share in the motorcycle market. It
has a major share of the market in other vehicles. However the share of local
content needs to be increased, he said adding, “We still import almost 50% of
the automotive parts.” There is an opportunity for Japanese investors to fill
the remaining half. It will cut manufacturing costs in
Pakistan
and enhance profitability of
Japanese investors, the President noted. The President urged the Japanese
companies to increase the share of the local content in the automotive parts.
The textile bond between
Pakistan
and
Japan
is well known, the President
said. He said it is time to expand this sector and Japanese investors can
benefit by using their technology in the textile industry in
Pakistan
. Referring to mineral
resource potential, the President said that
Pakistan
’s mineral resources are
untapped.
Pakistan
is blessed with all kinds of
precious minerals. It has gold, copper, iron core, chromite and zinc besides 50
other metallic and non-metallic minerals, he added. The President said that at
present
Pakistan
is exporting almost 170
million dollars of ‘Naphtha’ to
Japan
.
It is by far the single largest commodity exported to
Japan
. But this is processed in a
third country before arriving in
Japan
. A processing unit in
Pakistan
will be a win-win situation
for both
Japan
and
Pakistan
, he emphasized. The
President also said
Japan
can also help in agriculture
sector by bringing in new technologies in the fields of water conservation,
increasing yield per acre of major crops, introducing new varieties, and
converting waste products into value added items such as rice bran into oil. He
said besides these areas, there are many other opportunities waiting to be
exploited. Leather industry, surgical instruments, IT, fishing, Gems and
Jewellery and infrastructure development offer opportunities for all levels of
investment. The President expressed the hope that Japanese friends will
seriously consider the proposals to further strengthen Pak-Japan relations in
trade and economic sectors. This will be mutually beneficial and also
contribute to peace and stability in the region and globally, he said.
PTI
to emerge victorious if fair elections held: Imran
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Chairman
Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran
Khan Monday told visiting European Parliamentary delegation that if elections
were fair and free, PTI would emerge victorious. According to PTI a delegation
of the EU, led by MEP Jean Lambert, called on Chairman PTI Imran Khan and
expressed interest in the upcoming elections. Khan pointed out, 47 percent of
the voters would be the youth out of which 37 percent would be voting for the
first time. So there would be no associations with old parties. However he
expressed his concerns that elections would not be fair and free even under a
caretaker setup because of President Zardari - as he would not appoint a
neutral caretaker setup to begin with. He informed the delegation that PTI had
already gone to the SC to expose the bogus voters’ list. He asked the EU
delegation to help in ensuring fair and free elections as that would be the
greatest service they could do for
Pakistan
. PTI also raised the issue
of women being deprived of their vote in certain areas of the country, which
was a cause of concern for the Party. Mr Khan also raised the issue of human
rights especially in the wake of 9/11. He highlighted issue of disappeared
persons and abuse of huiman rights in Balochistan and FATA. He stated that US
was also indulging in massive abuse of human rights in FATA with drone attacks.
He said drone attacks, especially on rescuers, is against all humanitarian laws
and in latter case a war crime. All this, he pointed out, was feeding extremism
and militancy. Also it was totally immoral, Khan pointed out, and the
Pakistan
government was complicit for
a fistful of dollars because it never releases the names of those killed. Our
agencies also prevent reporting of the facts from these areas and over 20
journalists have died from this area for trying to expose the truth. The
Pakistan Army is also causing massive human rights violations in picking up
people and the dead bodies being discovered on the roadside. Mr Khan pointed
out to the excellent role of the CJ and SC in the disappeared persons’ cases.
But he explained that SC was under tremendous pressure from collusion of the
corrupt, When asked how military can b e controlled by the civilians, Khan was
clear that it required a government and leadership with moral authority. He
cited the example of Erdogan’s
Turkey
. He was categorical that
PTI would never allow the army into civilian areas. He also was clear that
there would also have to be massive deweaponisation across the country. On
relations with regional powers, Khan said PTI was going to create a Naya
Pakistan with a new framework for foreign relations including new approaches to
conflict resolution. He stressed that
Kashmir
has to be resolved but
politically. Imran Khan also explained his upcoming plan for a Peace March to
Waziristan
at end of September. He
concluded by saying it was inoperative for
Pakistan
to pull out of the
US
war on terror and he
explained his idea for a truth and reconciliation process in FATA to win over
the militants
Babar
warns stern action against killings of innocent people
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Chief Secretary
Balochistan Babar Yaqub Fateh Mohammad has warned stern action against elements
targeting the innocent people in the province. No one would be allowed to kill
innocent people and create law and order situation in Balochistan and the
perpetrators would be taken to task, he said while talking to media men here on
Monday. On the directives of CM
Balochistan Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani, strategy has been evolved, adding the
elements found opposed to peace would be dealt with iron hand. Chief Secretary
Balochistan said that foreign forces are engaged with their ulterior design to
destabilize Balochistan. There is no political pressure in the appointment of
police and other law enforcing agencies. CS Balochistan dispelled the
impression that law and order was not improving because of political pressure
on the appointment of police officials. I strongly rebut and feel proud to
announce that I, never went through political pressure while making
appointments of police and other officials for the improvement of law and order
situation in Balochistan, he stressed. Mr Babar, however, sought the support of
civil society to flush out anti-peace elements from the society. Civil society
should come forward and play its role for the restoration of peace and
tranquility in the province, he maintained.He noted that provincial government
fully enjoys the support of federal government for the resolution of issues
faced by the people of Balochistan.
EC
directs parl. to submit assets detail till December 30
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The Election Commission of
Pakistan (ECP) has directed the members of the parliament and provincial
assemblies to submit annual statements of assets and liabilities of their own,
their spouses and dependents by
30th December 2012
. ECP in a press release
issued on Monday said that it is a mandatory requirement for the
parliamentarian under Section 42A of the representation of the people Act, 1976
and Section 25A of the Senate (Election) Act, 1975. The section 42A includes annual
submission of statements of assets and liabilities, according to which every
member shall, on a form prescribed under clause (f) of sub-section (2) of
section 12, submit a statement of assets and liabilities of his own, his spouse
and dependents annually to the Commission by the thirtieth day of September
each year. The statements of assets and liabilities submitted under sub-section
(1) shall be published in the official Gazette and copies thereof may be
obtained on payment of prescribed fee. The Commission shall, by the fifteenth
day of October each year, notify the names of the members who fail to file
statements of assets and liabilities within the period specified in sub-section
(1) and by an order, direct that such member shall cease to function till such
statement is submitted. Where a member submits the statement of assets and
liabilities under sub-section (1) which is found to be false in material
particulars, he may be proceeded against under section 82 for committing the
offence of corrupt practice. The section 25A includes annual submission of
statements of assets and liabilities, according to which every member shall, in
the prescribed form, submit a statement of assets and liabilities of his own,
his spouse and dependents annually to the Commissioner by the thirtieth day of
September each year. The statements of assets and liabilities submitted under
sub-section (1) shall be published in the Official Gazette and copies thereof
can be obtained on payment of prescribed fee.
DPC
can stop supplies by people’s power: Sami
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
RAWALPINDI
: Chairman Difa-e-Pakistan
Council, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq has said that DPC after successful and peaceful
long march on Pak-Afghan border has given the message that it can prevent NATO
supplies through public power. This he said during a press conference at
Benazir
International
Airport
after arrival from
Quetta
on Monday. He was flanked by
the leaders of DPC Maulana Ameer Hamza and Qari Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob. He said
that it is the desire of DPC leadership that people may take the decision
themselves. The people of Balushistan, by giving warm welcome to participants
of long march proved that they are as patriot as the people of other provinces.
Sami-ul-Haq invited Mian Nawaz Sharif, Maulana Fazalur Rehman and Imran Khan
to join the hands of Dife-e-Pakistan Council against the reopening of
NATO supplies , but some elements do not want to annoy
USA
by staging protest. “We
conveyed a message through long
march at Chaman border to Afghan nation that people of Pakistan are not
involved in their killing , It is rulers of the country that are conspiring
with them for the bounty of few
dollars”, he added. He said that
America
and
India
are playing havoc in
Baluchistan
, but the Baluch people are
more loyal to the country than anybody else. The DPC not only hoisted the
national flag there but also hold long march with the name of Difa-e-Pakistan
and the Baluch people by fully taking part in it proved that they do not want
separation from
Pakistan
. Only a handful of youth
are in the trance of foreign plotters in
Baluchistan
. He said that
USA
could not be the friend of
Pakistan
, she increased drone
attacks after the opening of NATO supplies. Responding a question Maulana
Sami-ul-Haq said that Haqqani group does not exist in
Pakistan
. As a matter of fact ,
America
wants to encircle
Pakistan
and
Iran
by making hue and cry in the
name of Haqqani network. He was of the view if the circumstances of
Pakistan
would deteriorate like
Afghanistan
, then an organized movement
can rise here .He said that only Islamic system can put the country on right
path.
Wajid
Durani named new DG NAB
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: Wajid Ali Durani appointed
as the new Director General (DG) of National Accountability Bureau (NAB). On
Monday he was presented guard of honour and Ex DG NAB Major (Rtd) Bashir Ahmed
welcomed him. Wajid Ali durani had a vast experience of different positions in
Federal as well as Sindh government. Later on, the new DG Nab head meetings
with directors of different section in Nab and got briefing over different
issues.
New
CEC appointment challenged
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The appointment of new
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
While the prime minister secretariat hasn’t accepted the resignation of CEC
Secretary, Ishtiaque Ahmad Khan. According to Media Reports, a freelance
journalist Shahid Orakzai in his petition filed in SC said that Fakhruddin G
Ibrahim’s appointment as CEC was flawed because of his old-age and being the
former provincial governor. The petitioner also prayed for the issuance of an
injunction order against the appointment. On the other hand, sources told that
the prime minister didn’t accept the resignation of CEC Secretary, Ishtiaque
Ahmad Khan believed to have been submitted in previous months. The prime
minister secretariat has advised Istiaque Ahmad Khan to continue working as
usual.
CJ
stresses need for effective cooperation between bench and bar
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Chief Justice Iftikhar
Muhammad Chaudhry Monday stressed the need for effective cooperation between
bench and bar for administration of justice, and apex Court is fully active and
addressing the important matters of public interest aimed at providing relief
to the people. He was talking to a 30-member delegation of Sambrial Bar
Association District Sialkot headed by its President Irshad Ahmed Ghumman and
comprising other office bearers when they called on him in the Supreme Court
Building,
Islamabad
. The Chief Justice advised
the lawyers to work hard to make their career bright and fruitful for the
society. He said, “it is a matter of great satisfaction that the legal
community is extending cooperation to the judiciary in achieving the noble goal
of administration of justice to the needy”. He informed the delegation that
National Judicial Policy was formulated with a view to providing inexpensive
and speedy justice to litigants at their doorsteps and measures were being
successfully taken to eradicate corruption from judiciary. Corruption in
judiciary has decreased. The delegation discussed with the Chief Justice issues
of mutual interests and informed him about the hardships faced by them and
requested for construction of lawyers’ chambers at Sambrial. The Chief
Justice assured them to take up the matter with concerned authorities. They
praised efforts of Chief Justice for the cause of dispensation of justice and
stated that Chief Justice is a ray of hope for society and a fountain of wisdom
for lawyers and prayed for his long life. The delegation praised the Chief
Justice for his untiring efforts to ensure rule of law and supremacy of the
constitution and offered unconditional support in maintaining the independence
of judiciary.
Mining
activities halted across Balochistan
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
:
Following the abduction and death of miners, coal miners have refused to
work in mines across Balochistan and are observing strike till Thursday.
Balochistan coil mining industry is facing sever crises. Due to discontented
law and order situation thousands of workers have ceased mining activities
while some have even started shifting to their ancestral areas. Coal is one of
the biggest industries in the province employing 30-40,000 people and thousand
others indirectly involved with the industry. But the kidnapping and killing of
7 miners and the abduction of other 8 miners from Margate 2 days ago have made
miners feel insecure due to which coil miners association have called for
strike and ceased mining activities from today (Monday) in the different area
of the province including Quetta. President National Labour Federation Abdul
Rahim Meer Dad Khel told the media that mining would remain suspended till
Thursday after which a future course of action would be decided in a collective
session. He said the strike would affect not only the provincial economy but
also national economy. While the miners belonging to Mara war, Sor Range,
Degari, Sinjdi, Peer Ismail, Swat, Kohistan and KP have started migrating from
Balochistan.
Qazi
suggests polls to avoid further complications
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
PESHAWAR
: Qazi Hussain Ahmad, the
former Ameer of the Jamat-e-Islami (JI) has said that the government should
announce general polls rather than victimizing more prime ministers.
Arrangements should be made in November by setting interim government, said ex-Amir
Jamat-e-Islami. He expressed these ideas while addressing a seminar titled
‘problems of tribes and their solution’ at a local hotel in
Peshawar
. Throwing light on the
crucial issue, he said that people of tribal areas have been suffering from
loneliness and cruelties for long time which should be come to an end. Military
operation in tribal areas should be halted for restoration of peace and
tranquility in the war-torn areas, he said. He retrieved that there is
political system in tribal areas; the masses should be given their rights to
set an alternative. Even the people of tribal areas are deprived of human
rights equal to other Pakistanis. Replying a query, he said that if the
government wanted to avoid further problems, it should announce date for
general polls.
Pakistan
,
China
ink agreement for
cooperation in archive
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
BEIJING
:
Pakistan
and
China
Monday signed an agreement
on archives that would open yet another door of cooperation for mutual benefits
of the two countries. Ambassador Masood Khan signed the agreement on behalf of
National Archive of Pakistan while Director General Yang Dongquan inked the
deal on behalf of State Archives Administration of China here. “Today we are
opening another door of cooperation between
Pakistan
and
China
,” said Ambassador Masood
Khan. Masood Khan pointed out that preserving history was an important job for
every nation, and
China
has played a key role in
this area of knowledge. He said that Pakistan Embassy in
Beijing
also initiated the task of
archiving and so far succeeded in preserving all the agreements reached between
Pakistan
and
China
since 1950. The most
important among these pacts, he said were the signing of border agreement
between
Pakistan
and
China
in 1963 and the 2005’s
Treaty for Friendship, that laid a solid foundation for cementing our bilateral
relations. He expressed thanks over State Achieves Administration for their
interaction with their Pakistani counterparts that paved the way for signing of
this agreement. Ambassador Khan said that since assuming his job here in 2008,
he saw a great deal of high level exchanges of visits from both the sides.
President Asif Ali Zardari, he said recently visit
China
and was here in the first
week of June and held very constructive meetings with Chinese leadership
including President Hu Jintao and Vice-President Xi Jingpin. In the same way,
he said Chinese premier Wen Jaibao also visited
Pakistan
in 2010 and held very
productive meetings with the Pakistani side. Ambassador Khan appreciated Yong
Dongquan for his keen interest in archiving the Chinese history and expressed
the determination that Pakistani archivists would also benefit from his
guidance. Earlier, The Director General of State Achieves Administration of
China Yang Dongquan warmly welcomed Ambassador Masood Khan and the diplomats
from Pakistan Embassy. He informed the Ambassador, that a number of delegates
from
Pakistan
visited
here and expressed keen interest in this work.
CRIME
CORNER
Taliban
again ambush Bannu jail, army foils militant’s ambitions
In
April 2012, nearly 400 prisoners escape from same jail
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
BANNU:
Security forces foiled Taliban’s attack by killing four suicide bombers and
capturing another as after three months, militant group again ambushed police
station of Bannu, district of terrorism-hit province of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa. One
policeman was killed while three other sustained injuries in three hours long
clash between terrorists and the security forces. The local authorities sought
Pakistan
army’s help and had
imposed a curfew in the city after several militants on Monday morning attacked
the Old City Police Station of Bannu. Police officials briefing the media said
that the militants attacked the special branch police station with heavy
weapons and hand grenades. They added that five militants had entered into the
police station. Police said these attackers were wearing suicide
explosive-laden jackets; sieged the building and had held seven district
intelligence personnel hostage for three hours. After joint operation of police
and the army, four militants were shot dead and another was arrested alive
during hour’s military action officials said adding that all hostages have
been released unharmed. Heavy contingents of police had also arrived here and
cordoned off the entire area. The markets of the city abutting the police
station were also closed in the wake ensuing heavy gunfire by the terrorists.
Earlier on April 15 this year, nearly 400 prisoners including militants escaped
from Bannu jail in northwestern Pakistan after an attack by insurgents armed
with guns, grenades and rockets. More than 150 heavily-armed militants had
stormed the central prison outside the restive northwestern town of
Bannu
bordering the lawless tribal
regions where Taliban and al Qaeda linked militants are known to operate.
Five
more fall prey to target killing in Karachi
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: Ongoing valence wave
seemed unstoppable as at least five more people perish in
Karachi
violence, raising the death
toll to 13 in 24 hours, officials said on Monday. According to police, some
unidentified persons shot dead three persons in Khokarapar area. Two of the
victims, Fahim and Tauseef, were real brothers and third deceased, Ahmad, was
their friend. They were kidnapped few days ago. In Tibet Centre area, dead body
of a man was recovered whose hands and feet were tied with a rope. The identity
of the deceased is not yet known. A dead body was also recovered from City
Court area. Both of these men were killed after abduction. In another incident
of violence, a man was shot dead in Manghupir area while a man who was injured
in firing incident in
Baldia
Town
succumbed to his wounds at
hospital. The deceased was indtified as Aziz. In Defence 2 Talwar area, a
police official, Javed, was shot dead by some unidentified persons while four
people received injuries in firing incidents in Malir,
Ghazi
Town
, Shah Faisal and Orangi.
Driver,
helper kidnapped in Dhadar
Special
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Tribune
QUETTA
: Unidentified armed men
abducted a truck driver and his helper from Dhadar area of Bolan district on
Monday. According to police, Quetta-bound
truck from Larkana was on its way when armed men intercepted it on
National Highway
near Talib Hotel.
They took away driver Naseem Ahmad and his assistant Altaf Hussain to
unknown destination at gunpoint. Police registered a case and started
investigation.
35
laborers faint in Nawabshah
Special
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Tribune
NAWABSHAH:
At least 35-construction company workers fell unconscious due to in taking of
poisonous food here on Monday. As per details 35 laborers, who were busy in
construction work in the area of road, after eating lunch fell unconscious. They
were shifted to nearby hospital for medical aid. According to doctors, the
laborers had eaten poisonous food. The condition of the laborers is stated to be
out of danger.
Two
die in Kalat firing
Special
to The
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Tribune
KALAT
(Balochistan): At least two persons were killed in firing incident in Kalat
district on Monday. According to police, the victims were on their way home when
unknown armed men opened fire at them and fled from the scene.
As a result, they received multiple bullet wounds and died on the spot.
Soon after the incident, police reached the site and shifted the bodies to the
district headquarters hospital for autopsy where the deceased were identified as
Elahi Bakhsh and Dad Karim. Their bodies have been handed over to the heirs
after completion of legal formalities. The reason behind the killing could not
be ascertained so far. Police is investigating into the incident.
July
15, 2012
Karachi
violence claims 18 lives in
24 hours
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: As the fresh wave of target
killing is continued in the provincial metropolis, at least 18 people including
political activists have been killed within 24 hours due to firing and other
incidences of violence in
Karachi
(Sindh). In the today’s
violence incidents, two activists of PPP and PTI were killed in drive-by attacks
in the city. First one was shot dead by unknown armed men in the New Karachi
area, while a body of another activist was found in the Shirin Jinnah Colony.
Two others, also belonging to a political party, were injured in
Korangi
Town
. An activist of Muttahida
Qaumi Movement (MQM) was killed at Safora Goth within the limits of
Gulistan-e-Jauhar police station. Police officials said that the deceased
identified as Shakeel aka Mamu, was sitting in front his house when two men
riding on a motorcycle targeted him. He was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical
Centre where he succumbed to his injuries. Meanwhile, personnel of the Pakistan
Navy succumbed to his injuries during treatment at JPMC. He was injured near
Natha Khan Goth within Shah Faisal Colony police station on Saturday night. He
was identified as Kamran Ali. Police officials said that the incident took place
when a group of criminals opened fire at the police mobile near Natha Khan Goth
in which a police head constable, namely Ghulam Raza was killed while a Navy
personnel who was passing from there was injured. One person was shot to death
in Malir whereas the body of one woman was recovered from Sohrab Goth. Two men
were killed in the Baloch Para area of
Orangi
Town
whereas a gagged and bound
body was recovered from Memon Goth. Unknown assailants killed Jaman Shah and his
wife in Khokarapar No 4 after forcibly entering their residence. In Orangi
Town No 12, Syed Faisal Jamal, a Sindh High Court (SHC) employee, and Jamil
Baloch of Baldia town were killed in separate incidents of firing. Two tortured
bodies were recovered from ditches in the Aaso Goth area of Malir and
al Asif Square
in Sohrab Goth. A truck
driver, Fatehullah in the Korangi Industrial Area and a man identified as Shiraz
Memon were killed on
Jamshed Road
, both in incidents of
firing. Police and rangers arrested one robber in a search operation in the
Hazara Chowk area of Natha Khan and a wanted criminal, Dada Baskar, was arrested
from the Bakra Peeri area of Lyari.
Welcomes
Pakistani, Indian efforts towards improving ties
No
solution from outside on
Kashmir
: Obama
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
WASHINGTON
: Ruling out any solution
from “outside” to the issue of
Jammu and Kashmir
, US President Barack Obama
on Sunday underlined that disputes between
India
and
Pakistan
can only be resolved by the
two countries themselves. Welcoming the Indo-Pak dialogue process, he said,
“It is not the place of any nation, including the
United States
, to try to impose solutions
from the outside. “That said, nations must meet their responsibilities and all
of us have a profound interest in a
Pakistan
that is stable, prosperous
and democratic.” The
US
leader was responding to a
question on the current state of Indo-Pak relations and the best way forward for
the two countries to resolve their bilateral matters, including
Jammu and Kashmir
. Obama told Press Trust of
India that the
US
welcomed any dialogue and
lessening of Indo-Pak tensions which would be good for
South Asia
and for the world.
“President (Asif Ali) Zardari’s visit to
India
was encouraging. Increased
trade and people-to-people contacts between Indians and Pakistanis can lead to
greater prosperity and understanding on both sides. “Efforts in
New Delhi
and
Islamabad
to improve relations give
hope for further progress, including a possible visit to
Pakistan
by Prime Minister (Manmohan)
Singh,” he said. The
US
President answered questions
on the future of
Afghanistan
and
India
’s role in it, as well as
the
US
strategy in the Asia-Pacific
region which is seen by some commentators as aimed at making
India
a counterweight to the
growing military and economic muscle of
China
. “
India
will be critical to
Afghanistan
’s future,” he said
pointing out that it had also been critical to
Afghanistan
’s progress to date. The
US
President said
India
’s generous contributions
have helped
India
to train Afghan police,
promote development and improve the lives of the Afghan people.
India
was the first nation to
forge a Strategic Partnership Agreement with
Afghanistan
, and
India
’s civil service can be a
model as Afghans strengthen their own governance and institutions, he said. Mr
Obama said that in hosting the recent conference on private investment in
Afghanistan
,
India
has shown a readiness to
champion the nation’s economic development. As a result of this spring’s
NATO Summit in
Chicago
, he said they now had a
clear path for bringing the war to a responsible end. Next year, in mid-2013,
Afghan forces would take the lead for combat operations and coalition forces
would have shifted from combat to support across the country and their troops
would continue to come home, the
US
President said. “By the
end of 2014, the transition to Afghan lead for security will be complete so that
Afghans can take responsibility for their own country. “After 2014, NATO will
continue to train, advice and assist and support Afghan forces as they grow
stronger. Likewise, the Strategic Partnership Agreement that the US signed with
Afghanistan, as well as our designation of Afghanistan as a Major non-NATO ally,
makes it clear that we will not abandon that country, or the region, to
terrorists who threaten us as well,” he said. On commentators’ view that US
wants India to be a counterweight to the growing China in the region, Obama said
after a decade in which the US was largely focused on the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, he made a strategic decision that as a Pacific power, the US would
play a larger and long-term role in shaping the future of the Asia Pacific
because this region was vital to American security and prosperity. “Our
efforts are aimed at no nation. On the contrary, our increased engagement in the
region—in concert with allies and partners—is designed to advance the
security, prosperity and dignity of people all across the region,” he said.
The President said the
US
has, therefore, strengthened
its key alliances, including with
Japan
,
South Korea
and
Australia
, and worked to deepen
partnerships with emerging powers, including
India
. “In fact, our efforts
compliment
India
’s own ‘Look East’
policy of greater engagement in
East Asia
. Our two nations are working
more closely together, with other partners, in regional organisations like ASEAN
and the East Asia Summit. “We recognise that freedom of navigation in the
Indian Ocean
and other shipping lanes is
critical to our prosperity and the global economy. We are now
India
’s largest military
training partner, and we look forward to deepening our cooperation in the years
ahead to meet shared challenges, including humanitarian crises and disaster
relief,” he said. He said the
US
valued its growing
partnership with
India
because it advanced its
mutual security—not as a counterweight to any nation. “As I’ve said many
times, the
US
welcomes the rise of a
peaceful and prosperous
China
that contributes to regional
and global security, prosperity and peace. “That’s why we continue to pursue
a cooperative relationship with
China
, including greater
cooperation between our militaries so we’re promoting understanding and
reducing the chances of miscalculation. “I’ve always rejected the zero-sum
notion that one nation’s success has to come at another nation’s expense,
and I continue to believe that a secure, stable and prosperous Asia Pacific will
benefit all our nations,” the President said.
JI
Ameer says people should block NATO supply routes
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami
Sunday said people should not allow the NATO supply and block the routes. He
said this while addressing a rally held against the restoration of NATO
supplies. The rally started from Masjid Boulton Market and passing through
reached through
MA Jinnah Road
reached Kemari, from where
the NATO containers leave for
Afghanistan
. Munnawar said the decision
of NATO supply resumption was against the wishes of the people of
Pakistan
and they would not allow
this. He said Pakistanis would not accept the dictation from American. The JI
Ameer urged the people to rise against the pro-American rulers. The participants
of the rally raised slogans against US, NATO and the government. Responding to
the emotional speech by Karachi JI Ameer Muhammad Hussain the crowd raised
slogans in favour of Islamic system. The speakers said NATO supply resumption
was totally unacceptable.
DPC
to continue protest against NATO supplies
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The Difa-e-Pakistan Council
has declared to continue protest across country against the government’s
decision to reopen NATO supply routes, till its closure yet again. Asif
Khursheed, who is Spokesman of DPC expressed these views while talking to media
on Sunday. He stated that the continuity of drone attacks by the
United States
after resumption of NATO
supply is a slap on government’s face. He declared that the peaceful protest
against the resumption of NATO supply will continue till its closure yet again.
He stated that they would not stop NATO supply with the use of power, nor they
block any road from which Nato containers pass. The Spokesman claimed that the
government has made a compromise on the blood of the martyred soldiers and
citizens. He stated that if government will not review its decision to reopen
NATO supply, then the mass protest will flee away the rulers. On the other side,
the DPC will take out rallies in
Peshawar
on Monday and Tuesday
against the resumption of NATO supply. The rallies in
Peshawar
will be headed by Chairman
DPC Maulana Sami ul Haq. Ameer Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Munawar Hassan, Head of
Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Hafiz Saeed, Head of Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rasheed and
Coordinator DPC Gen ® Hameed Gul will also take part in the
Peshawar
protest rallies. Maulana
Sami ul Haq will address a press conference today at
Islamabad
airport after returning from
Balochistan. The supply routes to NATO forces in
Afghanistan
were recently reopened by
the Pakistani government after the
US
apologized for the NATO
cross-border attack which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last year.
Pakistan
, after closing the supply
routes in retaliation to the attack, had insisted that the
US
give a formal apology over
the incident.
Pakistan
PM reaches Jeddah
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
JEDDAH:
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Sunday arrived here to perform Umrah and
meet the Saudi leadership. He received a warm welcome when he landed at the
Royal Terminal here. He was received by
Pakistan
’s Ambassador to Saudi
Arabia Muhammad Naeem Khan, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Pakistan Ibrahim Al
Ghadeer, Chief of Protocol of Royal Family along with the members of Pakistan
Embassy and Saudi government high officials. Federal Minister for Religious
Affairs Khurshid Ahmed Shah is the only minister, who accompanied the Prime
Minister on his two-day visit to
Saudi Arabia
. It is the first ever
foreign visit of Prime Minister Ashraf. The
Prime Minister will have an audience with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and other Saudi leaders during his stay here. The Prime
Minister will also express sorrow and grief with the King on the sad demise of
Crown Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz. The
Prime Minister will discuss with the King regional and international situation,
especially issues related to peace, security and stability in the region. The
Prime Minister will mention to the Saudi King his special gesture when he asked
the people of
Saudi Arabia
to donate generously for the
rain affected people of
Pakistan
two years ago.
The Prime Minister will perform Umrah on Sunday night while on Monday he
will visit Madina Munawarrah to pay respects at the Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH).
Ambassador Muhammad Naeem Khan, giving details of the PM’s visit, said that
the first ever foreign visit of the Prime Minister to
Saudi Arabia
indicated strong bonds of
brotherly and friendly relations between the two countries. The Ambassador said
that the Prime Minister would have meetings with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz
and the new Saudi leadership, including Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, who
would also be present on the occasion. He said the new Crown Prince was a very
strong friend of
Pakistan
. The Prime Minister will
also address the Pakistani community during which he will inform it about the
latest political developments in
Pakistan
. The Ambassador said that
Pakistan
had very strong strategic
ties with
Saudi Arabia
and both the countries had
similarities of views on regional and international issues. There is a strong
presence of over 1.5 million Pakistani workers in
Saudi Arabia
, who have been contributing
to the foreign exchange reserves of the country, he added. He said last year the
remittances from Pakistanis living in
Saudi Arabia
to
Pakistan
were 2.7 billion dollars,
which would cross the three billion dollars mark this year. The Ambassador said
that the community needed more facilities of machine readable passports here as
the existing ones were not sufficient to meet the requirement of growing number
of Pakistanis in
Saudi Arabia
. Replying to a question, the
Ambassador said over 200,000 Pakistanis performed Umrah every year while around
the same number performed Hajj.
Pakistan
not involved in 26/11:
Salman Bashir
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
NEW DELHI
:
Pakistan
’s new High Commissioner to
India Salman Bashir on Sunday said that it was unbelievable and incredible to
allege his country’s involvement in the Mumbai attacks, days after
New Delhi
demanded further action
following LeT terrorist Abu Jundal’s revelations. Salman Bashir told Karan
Thapar on CNN-IBN’s Devil’s Advocate program that Pakistan was looking at a
new way of conducting its ties with India, Bashir said he expects India to do
its part since it takes “two to tango”. “As I said if our own army
headquarters are attacked, if ISI offices are attacked, then I think it is
really unbelievable, incredible to allege that Pakistani state institutions have
been involved in this (Mumbai attacks). We ought to look at the situation very
objectively in our own respective national interests,” he maintained.
Prime
Minister to announce election road-map on Aug 14
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz
Ashraf will announce the roadmap for the next general elections on
August 14, 2012
, sources said on Sunday.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) held a
meeting today to discuss the upcoming general elections. The sources said that
the general elections are expected in the first week of November, however, the
prime minister will formally announce the road-map on August 14. Seven-member
team of the PML-N, which included Chaudhry Nisar, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Khawaja
Asif, Ishaq Dar and Pervez Rasheed, and five-member team of the PPP, which
included Khursheed Shah, Aitzaz Ahsan, Raza Rabbani, Farhatullah Babar and
Jehangir Badar attended the meeting, the sources said. It was agreed in the
meeting that the prime minister, chief ministers, and other federal and state
ministers in the care-taker set-up will be residents of
Pakistan
. The care-taker prime
minister will neither be from the PPP or the PML-N, nor one who has been a
member or leader of any other political party, the sources added. Both the PML-N
and the PPP, in consultation with other political parties, will also formulate
code of conduct for the general election. The meeting also decided that NAB
references will not be filed against any political leader till the next
elections. The sources also said that the negotiations between the PML-N and the
PPP on the care-taker setup were supported by few of the ally countries who
wanted politics of reconciliation in the country. Some media outlets reported
that the names of two candidates are being discussed for the post of caretaker
prime minister: Abdullah Hussain Haroon, currently
Pakistan
’s ambassador to the United
Nations and Asma Jahangir, the former president of the Supreme Court Bar
Association and former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
One-third
MNAs participate in 44th NA session: Report
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Only one-third of MNAs
participated in the 44th session of the 13th National Assembly which met for 13
hours and five minutes for six sittings, says Free and Fair Election Network in
its preliminary report on direct observation of National Assembly. The
participation of Members remained low throughout the session. Only 32% of
Members, 87 male and 21 female, took part in the session by either submitting
agenda items on the Orders of the Day or by taking part in the debates. The
House passed three treasury-backed bills, the Special Economic Zones Bill 2012,
the Contempt of Court Bill 2012 and the Medical and Dental Council (Amendment)
Bill 2012. The Contempt of Court Bill 2012 was introduced in the 2nd sitting and
then subsequently passed in only an hour and eight minutes. The 13-article bill,
which exempts public office holders from the contempt of the apex court, was
passed with a simple majority present in the House. A total of 150 MNAs, 122
treasury and 22 opposition Members were present during the passage of the bill.
The opposition party, PMLN, along with some other opposition benches, protested
against the bill’s passage. A total of 58 Points of Order consumed 29% of the
total session time, 225 of 785 minutes. None of the Points of Order attracted
the Chair’s formal ruling. Without the Chair’s formal ruling, these Points
of Order do not lead to any output. Since the National Assembly Secretariat does
not make the attendance record public, FAFEN conducts a headcount of Members at
the beginning and end of each sitting and documents the actual time spent on the
floor of the House by Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Prime Minister and the Leader of
the Opposition. While the participation of Members was low, the attendance was
relatively better than the previous sessions. On average 75 Members were present
at the beginning of each sitting and 71 at the end. The new Prime Minister
attended three sittings for 232 minutes (30pc) and the Leader of the Opposition
did not attend any of the sittings. The Speaker chaired the proceedings for 25
per cent of the session time; the Deputy Speaker 57 per cent; and the remaining
12 per cent of time was presided over by Members of Panel of Chairpersons.
Although the Quorum was visibly lacking at various stages of the session, it was
not pointed out by any of the Legislators. The session lasted 13 hours and five
minutes for six sittings from July 6 to 13, on average meeting and two hours and
29 minutes per sitting. Each sitting started with an average delay of an hour.
Three ordinances; the Transfer of Railways (Amendment) Ordinance 2012; the
Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan Ordinance 2012; and the
Validation Ordinance 2012 were laid before the House in this session. Twenty-six
out of 78 starred questions (requiring oral replies) appearing on the agenda
were taken up and responded to by the relevant ministries. Additionally, a total
of 53 supplementary questions were also asked. As many as 28 members, 17 male
and 11 female sponsored eight Calling Attention Notices, out of which six were
taken up by the House. The House also adopted three Resolutions on child rights
in Pakistan, killings of Muslims in Burma and tribute to Fatima Jinnah. The
House witnessed three walkouts consuming two hours and 43 minutes. The PMLN
legislators walked out twice, first for five minutes to protest against the
reopening of the NATO supplies and again for 132 minutes against the passage of
Contempt of Court Bill 2012. During the sixth sitting the ANP legislators walked
out of the House for 26 minutes against the blast at an ANP rally near Quetta.
PPP
doesn’t want clash with institutions: Kaira
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
LALAMUSA:
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira said on
Sunday that the PPP-led government did not want clash with institutions as it
thought that clash with institutions would play havoc with the country. Talking
to mediamen at Dera Kaira, he said that PPP leaders and workers sacrificed their
lives in all eras for the cause of democracy in the country, adding that a
number of institutions had been involved in ‘cold-blooded’ of democracy but
they had learnt from the past and now they did not want to derail the
system. “We did not clash with courts at that time when Shaheed Benazir
Bhutto had to pay visits courts and Asif Ali Zardari was incarcerated for two
year,” he added. Kaira said Parliament was not a name of any building but it
was an institution which was mandated by the people to legislate. All
institutions should work within their ambit of law, he added. He said the
appointment of chief election commissioner of Pakistan was a big message that
the PPP was pursuing the policy of reconciliation. The minister said the Prime
Minister had already said that holding elections before two or three months of
the tenure was not a matter. He said talks with the opposition could be taken
place on early elections in the country. Criticising
the Punjab government, the minister said Khyber Pukhtunkhwa was facing terrorism
while in Punjab the situation of law and order was deteriorating and the
personnel of law enforcement agencies were being targeted. He said the chief
minister Punjab should announce of rebellion against the extremism so that
attacks on policemen and robbery incidents could be controlled in the province.
Regarding cases against Sharif brothers, Kaira said cases against Mian
Sahib should be opened, if any. “We
have to face accountability in every period while the PML-N has been spared from
it,” he lamented. Load shedding is
decreasing gradually in the country, he added.
Pakistan-India
must stop blame game: Rehman Malik
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
KARACHI:
Interior Advisor Rehman Malik said Sunday that Pakistan and India must stop
blame game on each other. Addressing participants of social media forum, Rehman
Malik said that terrorists were using the internet for communication claiming
that if Internet Service Providers (ISP) were wiser and had certain tools, the
Mumbai attacks would not have taken place. Interior Advisor Rehman Malik went on
to say that Pakistan and India were victims of cyber crime. Malik said that ill
will was being spread through the social media and this forum should keep
morality in mind. The social media should be brought under the ambit of law,
Rehman underlined. Malik said that Indian Home Minister P.Chidambaram had
accepted the invitation to visit Pakistan during the first week of September.
Drone
attacks by-product of govt’s ill policies: Fazal
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
PESHAWAR:
The Ameer of JUI(F) Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman has said that the drone attacks in
the tribal areas is the result of wrong policies of the government. He was
addressing a Grand Jirga Here on Sunday. He said that Pakistan has suffered a
great loss due to war against terrorism .Now the nation would not bear more
unjust viciousness in the name of
international war. “It is very strange that the USA is saying Pakistan a
terrorist, even she is showering bombs on us, which is out of the ponder”,
Maulana added. He said that Asfandyar Wali Khan imposed the rule of cruel in the
country. He demanded the government to establish peace in FATA so that the
tribal people may also taste the fruit of progress and prosperity. He said that
America did not apologize from Pakistan
on Salalah incident , but government opened the NATO supplies.
Ramadan
gift, petroleum, CNG prices increased
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
The finance Ministry has given the approval of increase in petroleum prices,
according to which the price of petrol would enhance by Rs 1.41 per litre, while
the price of CNG would rise to Rs 1.29 per kg. The prices high octane’s price
would reach to 112.52 per litre after increase
by Rs 5.64 per litre. Petrol would be available to the consumer at Rs 85.90 per
litre , light diesel oil(LDO) would be at Rs 85.33 after addition of Rs 1.62 per
litre. Similarly the cost Kerosene
Oil would swell by Rs 1.94 per litre,
as it would go to Rs 88.19 in the open market. The government retained the price
of High Speed Diesel (HSD). On the other hand OGRA has also enhanced the price
of CNG by Rs 1.29 per kilogram.
National
polio eradication campaign to start Monday
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
A third round of national immunization days (NIDs) is scheduled from Monday
across the country to vaccinate children against polio-virus. According to an
official of national polio eradication program, a total of 34 million children
aged less than five-year will be immunized during three-day drive with
participation of 77628 house to house vaccination teams, 5702 transit
vaccination teams on busy bus and railway stations, airports, bazaars
and 9702 fix vaccination posts. A total of 16914 area Incharges and 3178
Union Council In-charges will supervise the vaccination teams. WHO and UNICEF
district and Union Council level staff will assist monitoring
activities in close collaboration with local authorities He said the
concerned authorities of provinces have been asked to ensure 100 percent
coverage during immunization drive. He
added provinces have also been directed to reach every child to protect them
from the crippling disease. He said that the government and development partners
are putting all efforts to make Pakistan a polio-free country and sought support
of the general public and local communities.
He said that National Emergency Action Plan for polio eradication and its
augmentation calls for ensuring that all children are immunized even in the
high-risk and security compromised areas of the country. The official said that
under augmented plan, the government is getting support of parliamentarians,
media persons and Ulema to address the issues like refusal of administering
polio vaccine to children and low coverage of vaccination in some areas.
He said that the plan ensures achieving full oversight, ownership and
accountability for polio programme performance at each administrative level
besides ensuring adequate preparations for anti-polio campaigns. He said that
the government is committed to implement the emergency plan in true spirit
especially at union council level of each district. He said that collective
efforts of the government, development partners, local communities and media can
help alleviate the sufferings of all the children.
CRIME
CORNER
Militants
fire mortar at house in Peshawar, 4 killed
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
PESHAWAR:
At least four people were killed when a mortar shell fell on a house in Garhiwal
area of Peshawar on Sunday. Police said that the mortar shell fired from unknown
location hit a house in Garhiwal area, killing three children and a woman.
“Investigations in to the incident are being continued,” they added.
According to police, target of militants was police check post in the area but
the check post remained untouched while one mortar hit the house of a local
named Dolat Mir that killed his wife, two daughters and a son. Meanwhile, Dolat
Mir was injured in the attack. Soon after the incident, the police cordoned off
the area and started search operation.
Bus
plunges into canal in Nepal, kills 35
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
KATHMANDU:
At least 35 pilgrims, most of them from India, were killed when a bus plunged
into an irrigation canal in southwest Nepal on Sunday, police said. Police
official Ram Dutta Joshi said ten people were rescued after the crowded bus fell
into the water near the Hindu pilgrimage site of Triveni, 100 km (62 miles)
southwest of Kathmandu. “We have drained out the canal and are looking for
survivors,” Joshi told from Parasi, the nearest town to the crash site.
15
killed in Held Kashmir accident
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
MIRPUR
(AJK): Fifteen persons were killed
and 18 others injured when a (SRTC)
bus skidded off the Jammu-Srinagar National
Highway and fell into a deep gorge in Ramban district of Indian held Kashmir
late Saturday night. According to a report from across the Line of Control, the
State Road Transport Corporation bus
was on its way to Jammu from the Kashmir Valley, when fell into Digdol nullah
around 2320 hours. The report said the rescue operation concluded on Sunday
morning with the recovery of bodies.
Eight
drown as chair lift falls into Indus
By
Naseeb Ullah. Special to The Montreal Tribune
DIAMER:
Eight persons drowned when a chair lift
fell into the Indus River at Gase Pain village, Gonar Farm on Sunday.The people
in the Gas Pain village use the chair lift, a locally-made chain trolley called
as Girari, to cross the river. The Girari with eight persons aboard, when
reached in the middle of the river, its connecting rope dislocated due to
overloading and it fell into the river. All the persons drowned.
Rescue 1122 workers, who were dispatched from Gilgit, and the local
volunteers were trying to retrieve their bodies.
The Rescue sources identified the victims as Rashid Alam, Qari Tehsil,
Attaullah, Ehtisham, Baidullah, his infant son , Madhatullah and Rabnawaz,
residents of Gais valley. The
administration officilas said that the search for the victims was underway. The
rescuers were facing problems due to high water level in the river. Meanwhile,
Minister Works Gilgit-Baltistan Bashir Ahmed, while addressing a press
conference in Gilgit, said that an executive engineer, a sub-divisional engineer
and a sub-engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) had been suspended on
the charge of ‘criminal negligence’ and a high level inquiry had been
initiated against them. He said that
the villagers had reported to them a week before that the chain trolley was not
in a good state, but the PWD officials did not pay heed to their complaints. He
said the chain trolley was used to cross the Indus River as
suspension bridge had been swept away by the flash floods last year.
He said the villagers were equally responsible for the incident as they
were not using the foot bridge constructed by the government soon after sweeping
away of the suspension bridge.
INTERNATIONAL
Iraq
initially signs gas deal with Pakistani energy firm
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
BAGHDAD:
Iraq Sunday signed a preliminary deal with a Pakistani energy company to explore
for natural gas in eastern Iraq, an oil ministry official said. “The Iraqi Oil
Ministry is signing a preliminary contract with Pakistan Petroleum to explore
for natural gas in Iraq’s eastern provinces of Diyala and Wasit,” Asim
Jihad, head of the ministry’s media office, told reporters. Late in May, the
Pakistani company won exploration concession during the country’s 4th energy
auction. The company is due to work in a 6,000 square km block stretches in
Iraq’s eastern provinces of Diyala and Wasit with presumed natural gas
reserves. The company won the contract after it offered 5.38 U.S. dollars per
barrel of oil equivalent, and was accepted by the Iraqi ministry. Iraq’s 4th
energy auction offered 12 new oil and gas exploration blocks, but only three
contracts were awarded to foreign energy companies. Except for the Pakistani
company, the Iraqi oil ministry also awarded two consortia led by Kuwait Energy
and Russia’s Lukoil who will sign their preliminary deals on Monday and
Tuesday respectively. The three deals are still need to be approved by the Iraqi
cabinet before signing the final deals with the companies. In Iraq’s previous
three licensing rounds which first launched in 2008, the country has awarded 14
service contracts for the development of discovered oil and gas fields, in
addition to the Ahdeb oil contract in eastern of the country. The ministry also
signed a major joint venture deal with a consortium of Royal Dutch Shell and
Mitsubishi to capture and monetize associated natural gas produced in southern
Iraq. The country has proven reserves of 112 trillion cubic feet (3. 17 trillion
cubic meters) of natural gas, but because of the poor infrastructure of the oil
and gas industries, the country is only producing 1.5 billion cubic feet a day.
The country depends on oil revenues for nearly 95 percent of its budget. In 2010
Iraq announced its proven oil reserves had increased to 143.1 billion barrels
rising from the previous estimation of 115 billion barrels.
Karzai
orders probe into AISA experts’ claims
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
KABUL:
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered a thoroughgoing investigation into the
resignation of seven senior members of the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency
(AISA). While announcing their resignations, the experts branded their chief as
incompetent and said: “The first step in the fight against corruption has been
initiated at AISA.” Presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi in a media interview
that Karzai had directed the authorities concerned to look into the resigning
experts’ claims about rampant graft in the organisation. Asking the president
to look into the agency affairs to prevent fund embezzlement, the seven
officials accused AISA head Wafiullah Mukhtar of knowing little about how to
lure investments and making appointments in disregard of merit. The experts
include Baryalai Malyar, Omar Joya, Dr. Roohullah Ahmadzai, Ghulam Rabbani
Mansoor, Suleiman Akbari, Mir Taufiq Ansari and Abdul Ghafar Rasin. Taufiq
Ansari alleged professional employees were insulted and fired by Mukhtar, who
was also blamed for mounting pressure on staff to spend lavishly on his guests,
friends and relatives. But Mukhtar scorned the allegations, calling them
propaganda aimed at his removal. He insisted he had been appointed on merit,
saying the seven people would be referred to the Attorney General Office if they
failed to produce evidence. Faizi said the Cabinet would take a decision on the
issue after receiving documentary evidence from the Administrative Affairs
Department, which has been given two days to complete its investigation.
July
14, 2012 PM
Pakistan
Prime
Minister renews dialogue offer to Baloch leaders
Baloch
nation is very nationalistic, patriotic, believe in non-violence: Raja
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on
Friday offered an olive branch to the disgruntled Baloch leaders to hold
dialogue with the government for an amicable solution of the Balochistan issue.
Addressing the Balochistan provincial cabinet meeting in Chief Minister
Secretariat Quetta, the Prime Minister said the use of force was not the right
way to handle any problem. “Only dialogue and constructive talks can steer the
province out of prevailing crisis,” he added. However, he categorically
rejected to hold dialogue with those, who talk against the country’s
sovereignty. “We have to identify forces that are supporting the handful
elements to create lawlessness in Balochistan,” he observed.
The Prime Minister said that there were some external and internal forces
involved in creating unrest in the province and they could only be defeated with
combined efforts and political wisdom. He
said that prevailing law and order situation was the result of unwise and anti-Baloch
policies of dictators, bringing the province on the verge of destruction.
“Balochistan is on the priority list of the government,” he said while
reiterating the government’s pledge to remove the decades-long grievances of
the people of the largest province of the country.
Referring to the initiation of mega projects by the Federal Government in
Balochistan, Ashraf said that PPP-led government had been taking serious
interest in the development of the province since it came into power. The
provincial ministers pointed out that the projects of Reko Diq,
Kacchi
Canal
, Gwadar-Rato Dero road and Zhob-Dera
Ismail Khan transmission line needed to be completed on priority. The Prime
Minister assured early completion of the development projects.
The issue of shortage of drinking water was also raised. On this the
Prime Minister said that the completion of Mirani Dam would provide 200 million
gallon additional drinking water for the people. Raja Pervez Ashraf said that he
would also get an update on the steps being taken by the Pakistan Navy to meet
the needs of drinking water for the people of Gwadar and Ormara.
He said Balochistan was enriched with natural resources and it was now
constitutionally empowered to get benefit from its mines and minerals. “The
local people should be the beneficiary of the Reko Diq, copper and other mineral
projects launched in Balochistan,” he added. On law and order situation, he
said the government was committed to resolve the Balochistan issue and added
that anti-peace elements would not succeed in their nefarious designs and they
would be dealt with an iron hand. Stressing the need for the role of political
parties for strengthening of democracy in the country, the Prime Minister urged
them to fight against the issues being faced by the common man. Law and order is
a provincial subject and the Federal Government will fully assist the provincial
government in this regard, he said, adding that the Frontier Corp could not work
against the wishes of the Balochistan Chief Minister. Prime Minister Ashraf said
that his government believed that a prosperous Balochistan would lead to a
prosperous
Pakistan
and the province was rich in gold,
copper, gas and oil. He stressed the
need for ensuring law and order so that development works progress at a fast
pace and the people of Balochistan reap the benefits. The Prime Minister said
there were certain elements that were trying to cause hurdles in the way of
progress of the province. He said the people of
Pakistan
needed to stand united and foil the
attempts of those who were trying to sow the seeds of hatred. He said there was
a need to bring the alienated, back to the mainstream. He attributed these ills
to the doings of the dictators and said the political leadership was now
tackling the matters in a prudent manner and taking the things towards
betterment. He recalled the apology
by President Asif Ali Zardari to the Balochs and called for initiating a “new
dawn” to bring peace, stability and prosperity to the province. The Prime
Minister said it was vital that all those who care for the people of Balochistan,
should work in unison for its development. He said that he knew well the Baloch
nation and they were very nationalistic, patriotic and believed in non-violence.
He mentioned the landmark achievements of the PPP-led coalition
government, and added that the government did not have enough funds for
purchasing wheat when it took over, but now the country was exporting wheat.
Giving an overall view, he said that
Pakistan
was is facing multiple challenges at
different fronts. “The power of the public and sincerity of the government
will help continue the process of prosperity.“It is my message to all who have
affection for the country to come under the flag of
Pakistan
and play their role for the welfare of
the country,” he said. “We have a gift of love to win the hearts of the
people”. Earlier, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani and
the cabinet members felicitated Raja Pervez Ashraf for assuming the office of
country’s chief executive. The
provincial Chief Secretary gave a detailed briefing to the cabinet.
Federal
Government to finance Balochistan solar energy tube-wells: PM
Orders
supply of water from Mirani Dam to Gwadar
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has
said that the Federal Government would bear 50 percent expenditures of solar
energy tube-wells project of Balochistan.He said this while talking to a
delegation of Zamindar Action Committee Balochistan who called on him at
Governor House Quetta on Friday. The federal government has already been giving
subsidy on 15660 agriculture tube-wells of Balochistan and will continue giving
this subsidy in future,” the PM Raja Pervez Ashraf told the delegation. He
said that the federal government would take all out measures to resolve problems
of farmers of Balochistan. He said that with installation of solar energy
tube-wells, agriculture sector of Balochistan would get a boost. The peasant
delegations thanked the PM for announcing 50 percent expenditures of solar
energy tube-wells. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has directed
to make arrangements to supply water from Mirani Dam to Gwadar besides
increasing capacity of Ankra Dam Gwadar. He issues these directives during a
briefing given to him by Pakistan Navy officials delegation who called on him at
Governor House Balochistan here on Friday. The Pakistan Navy delegation told the
Prime Minister that short term and long term plans have been devised to resolve
water crisis of coastal town of
Gwadar
and other areas of Makran division. The
Prime Minister asked the Pakistan Navy to prepare feasibility report on purposed
projects to provide water to Gwadar. He
said the federal government wants resolution of water issue of Gwadar on
permanent basis. He ordered to install water plant in Hammer Head area of Gwadar.
He said the federal government would provide all out assistance including
financial aid for provisions of adequate water to Gwadar.
He also lauded the Pakistan Navy for providing two ships loaded with
drinking water to resolve water shortage in Gwadar.
Seven
killed, ANP leader among 22 injured in Kuchlak blast
President,
PM condemn blast ANP at public meeting
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA/ISLAMABAD/LAHORE:
At least seven people including central vice president of Pashtoon Students
Federation (PSF) and a child were killed and 21 others among them Awami National
Party (ANP) Balochistan President Aurangzeb Kasi and his wife injured in a bomb
explosion ripped through a public gathering in Kuchlak town, some 25 km off
Quetta on Friday. Police sources told that ANP Balochistan chapter organized a
public gathering of its activists in railway intersection area in Khuclak town
when a bicycle bomb parked near the stage ripped through. “As a result, seven
people among them PSF central vice president Malik Muhammad Qasim and a child
were killed and 21 others including ANP Balochistan president and his wife
injured,” police said. The law enforcement agencies personnel rushed to the
site and shifted the dead and injured to hospital. Later, some of the wounded
were referred to Combined Military Hospital Quetta due to their serious
condition. Police while quoting preliminary investigation said that unknown men
planted explosive material into a bicycle and later parked it near the stage of
the ANP public gathering which exploded. The blast also damaged several
vehicles, shops and nearby buildings. According to Bomb Disposal Squad sources,
about seven to eight kg explosives were used in the blast. The dead were
identified as Malik Qasim, Malik Shah Faisal, Dost Muhammad and Noor Muhammad
while identification of other two dead could not be ascertained. The injured
include ANP Balochistan president Aurangzeb Kasi, Mrs. Aurangzeb Kasi, Muhammad
Yar, Abdul Raheem, Khan Wali, Muhammad, Ghulam Mohayyuddin M. Zai, Sardar
Rasheed, Anayatullah, M. Abbas, Aminullah, M. Sadiq, M. Karim, Shair Ali, Haji
Akhtar, Abdul Karim, Haji Akhtar, Gul Muhammad, Khudaay Raheem, Afzal Karim,
Nasibullah and Gul Sabah (child).The police have registered a case against
unidentified suspects and started investigation into the incident. Condemnation:
President Asif Ali Zardari Friday strongly condemned the blast at a public
meeting of Awami National Party in
Quetta
killing innocent people including some
political workers. President Zardari in his condolence message to ANP leaders
and families of the workers who were killed in this incident, expressed sorrow
and grief over the loss of lives of innocent people and the workers of ANP. The
President reiterated the commitment of the Government to pursue its struggle
against the terrorists and extremists, who were taking innocent live, to its
logical conclusion. He said that such dastardly acts cannot deter government
resolve against the menace of terrorism. The
President directed the concerned authorities to provide best possible treatment
to the injured. He also prayed to Allah Almighty for the eternal peace of the
departed souls and to give courage to the bereaved families to bear this loss
with fortitude and magnanimity. The Prime Minister also condemned the blast at a
rally earlier in the day and said it was sending a wrong message to the world
about the law and order situation in the country.
The Prime Minister said the killing of innocent people was a brutal act
and the law enforcement agencies need not be demoralized.
Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has
said that PTI strongly condemns attack on ANP rally in
Quetta
. The PTI leadership also condemned
brutal killing of coal miners after being abducted. They expressed deep sorrow
over the loss of innocent lives both the incidents conveyed condolences to the
bereaved families. They stated that security situation of the province was a
matter of grave national concern and it seems that the people of the province
have been left at the mercy of terrorists. Criticizing the provincial government
for its failure to contain terrorism in the province he said that law and order
situation of the province has deteriorated to dangerous level but unfortunately
the government has not taken any concrete steps to ensure security of the
people. They said that the provincial and federal governments are responsible
for criminal negligence for not ensuring protection of people’s lives that
have been subjected to barbaric violence. PTI warned the government that its
lukewarm response on violence in Balochistan can lead to serious repercussions.
President Javed Hashmi, Secretary General Dr Arif Alvi, Vice Chairman Shah
Mehmood Qureshi and Central Information Secretary Shafaqat Mahmood also showed
sympathies to ANP on the bomb blast near an ANP rally.
Zardari
appreciates Farzana, BISP team for serving country transparently
South
Korean ambassador calls on President
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
President Asif Ali Zardari Friday appreciated the efforts of Federal Minister
for Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) ms Farzana Raja and her entire team
in serving the people of the country while maintaining world wide recognized
transparency and objectivity. Talking to Ms Farzana Raja, Federal Minister BISP,
who called on him at presidency, the President expressed the hope that with its
worldwide appreciation for transparency, objectivity and efficiency, the support
of private sector at national level as well as that of international donors
should be forthcoming. Chairperson BISP briefed the President about various
activities being undertaken under the umbrella of BISP. The President advised
Chairperson BISP to attract the support of private sector of the country as well
international donors for further broadening the resource base of the Programme
so that more and more people could be benefited from various components of BISP.
He advised the Federal Minister to explore new avenues to help the poorest of
the poor in the fields of health, education and jobs with the assistance of the
local and international corporate sector. The President also directed
Chairperson BISP to especially focus on providing educational and vocational
facilities of the Program to the people of FATA and Balochistan. During the
briefing, Chairperson Ms. Farzana Raja appraised the President that 0.4 million
deserving families from Balochistan have been included in BISP. Besides, the
poverty survey has been completed in the FATA and very soon its people would be
the beneficiaries of various BISP services and programs. She informed that so
far 1.8 million Benazir Debit Card have been issued to the beneficiary families
across
Pakistan
and, by December 2012, the number would
rise to approximately 4 million families. The President termed BISP as a trust
and hope for the seven million poor households of the country and expressed the
hope that the program would become the comprehensive social security net in the
country. The President also advised the Chairperson to maintain close
coordination with the concerned departments especially in Sindh who were working
on contingency plans to meet any emerging challenge in case of floods this year.
Ms. Farazana Raja thanked the President for meeting and assured of her best
efforts, and of her entire team in providing relief to the poor of the country
regardless of any consideration whatsoever. South Korean ambassador calls on
President: Mr. Choong Joo Choi, Ambassador of South Korea, called on President
Asif Ali Zardari at the Presidency. Chairman Board of Investment Mr. Saleem H.
Mandviwala was also present during the meeting. Matters relating to South Korean
investment in
Pakistan
and issues relating to Korean companies
operating in
Pakistan
were discussed during the meeting.
The
President also hosted lunch for the ambassador.
Fakhruddin
formally appointed Chief Election Commissioner
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim
was formally appointed the Chief Election Commissioner on Friday. Ebrahim was
appointed the CEC after President Asif Ali Zardari, on the advice of Prime
Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, approved and signed the summary pertaining to his
selection. Ebrahim is expected to soon take the oath to serve as the CEC. On
July 9, the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment of the Chief Election
Commissioner and Members of the Election Commission of Pakistan had unanimously
approved Ebrahim’s name for the CEC office which had been vacant since March.
He will be the 24th person to occupy the post, after 12 permanent and 11 acting
CECs. Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, a senior judge of the Supreme Court, was
named acting CEC by Chief Justice Ifrtikhar Muhammad Chaudhry after the
retirement of Justice (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza on March 23. With the appointment
of the new CEC, the Election Commission has been completed as its four members
from the provinces have already been appointed on the recommendation of the
parliamentary committee.
Pakistan
effectively uses N-power as a
deterrent factor in region
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Pakistan
has effectively used its nuclear power
as a deterrent factor in the region besides using it for civilian purposes as
long as an arms race is imposed on
Pakistan
, national security will remain our
foremost priority. Federal Minister for defense Syed Naveed Qamar stated this
while addressing a Two Day National Conference on the ‘Applications of Nuclear
Science and Technology’, organized by the South Asian Strategic Stability
Institute (SASSI). He added that discriminatory policies of the international
community’s towards Pakistan will lead to
a strategic imbalance in the region, therefore India must not be given undue and
unjustified preferences over Pakistan in case of civilian nuclear
technology. Chairman Higher Education Commission, Dr. Javed Laghari said
that nuclear energy is sustainable source of energy and today 15 percent of
world’s energy requirements are fulfilled by nuclear energy. He said
Pakistan
is technically advance country in its
nuclear capabilities but he also expressed his concerns such as Disposal of
spent fuel, Act of terror and possible accidents. He said we can outsource the
nuclear energy for peaceful purpose like the Chinese, Europeans and South
Koreans are doing. Secretary for Ministry of Science and Technology, Akhlaq
Ahmad Tarar in his keynote address stated that ‘I am here to give support
to the scientific community and the unsung heroes who have made the entire
nation very proud.
Pakistan
has achieved a lot in civilian nuclear
technology in agriculture centers in Nayab, in the productivity of crop
varieties and agricultural products. And these are but a few of our
accomplishments.’ The conference was concluded by the Minister of State for
Information and Broadcasting, Samsam Bukhari and stated that ‘At the
international level we are referred to as terrorists, however the facts remain
that we are the victims of terrorism. He said that
Pakistan
is under the scourged of a severe
energy crisis and there is need for indigenous solutions. The use of nuclear
energy in this regard can contribute to a larger extent.’ He congratulated the
Pakistani scientists for the extraordinary achievements they’ve made in the
socio-economic development of
Pakistan
. He said that the Pakistani Media can
play a historic role in bringing these achievements to the world and projecting
Pakistan
’s case for an NSG waiver.
Supreme
Court to ensure implementation of the Constitution: CJP
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Chief Justice of
Pakistan
, Mr. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
has said that the Supreme Court would ensure implementation of the Constitution
and law in the country. He was addressing on the occasion of dinner in honor of
the judges of the Supreme Court and Balochistan High Court hosted by Balochistan
High Court Bar Association here on Thursday night. I assure on behalf of me and
judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts to lawyer fraternity and all other
people that judiciary will continue playing its role for implementation of the
Constitution and law, the CJP said. Two judges of the Supreme Court including
Mr. Justice Jawad S. Khwaja and Mr. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Chief
Justice Balochistan High Court Qazi Faez Isa and other judges of the BHC were
present on this occasion. He remarked that there should be no violation of the
Constitution and law. He said the Supreme Court would provide justice to
oppressed people adding that the judiciary has taken oath of protecting the
Constitution. He said that all state institutions are bound to work within their
framework given in the Constitution. He emphasized the need to ensure provision
of justice to people. He said that the judiciary has power to decide cases
accordingly the Constitution adding that the judiciary was aware of its
responsibilities. Appreciating role of Chief Justice BHC Qazi Faez Isa, he said
that the CJ BHC and other judges of the BHC have been deciding cases accordingly
the Constitution and law on daily basis. He also lauded the lawyer fraternity as
saying the lawyers daily appear in the courts for getting justice in law and
order related cases. The CJP said that judges, lawyers, civil society and media
have determined that no adventurist would be allowed to carry out extra
constitutional act.
Raisani
for viable strategy to ensure security in Balochistan
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Advisor to Prime Minister Rehman Malik
on Friday called on former Senator Haji Lashkari Raisani at Sarawan House here.
They discussed political matters besides range of issues confronted by
the people of Balochistan. Rehman Malik assured Lashkari Raisani that no stone
would be left unturned to defeat the elements opposed peace in the province.
Federal Government is striving hard to providing relief to the people of
Balochistan and has placed Balochistan on its top priority list since it came
into power. Lashkari expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order
situation in Balochistan and demanded a concerted strategy for ensuring security
in the province.
Malik
announces phone tracing machines for Balochistan police
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Advisor to PM on Interior Rehman Malik
on Friday said that phone calls tracing machines would be given to Balochistan
police in order to overcome crimes in the province. “We are well cognizant of
the security related issues in Balochistan and Balochistan police would soon be
delivered latest phone tracing machines,” he said while replying to a question
raised by the provincial health minister during the Balochistan Cabinet meeting
held at CM Secretariat. He said that arm’s license and “Rahdadaris”
(passageway licenses) were canceled to secure peace in Balochistan. Advisor to
PM added that we have decided to cancel all existing “Rahdaris” (passageway
license) forthwith and that the interior ministry has issued letters to the home
ministries and chief secretaries of all four provinces to take action against
those who don’t comply with the orders and not to issue any new “Rahdari”.
‘Custom non-paid (CNP) vehicles shall not be allowed to ply on the roads and
the law enforcement agencies including police were fully authorized to seize
such vehicles immediately and proceed against the delinquents in accordance with
the law,” he stressed.
19
brigadiers promoted to rank of Major General
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
RAWALPINDI
: The selection board for promotion of
brigadier to the rank of major general approved promotion of 19 brigadiers of
different arms and services of Pakistan Army here on Friday.
The promotion board meeting held at the General Headquarters here, was
headed by Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and attended by all
corps commanders, principal staff officers and senior army officials. According
to ISPR, those officers who have been promoted included Umar Farook Burki, AC,
Shafiq, AC, Musharrat Nawaz, Arty, Naseer Ali Khan, Arty, M. Irshad, Arty,
Samrez Salik, Arty, Akhtar Jamal Rao, Engrs, Sana Ullah, Infntry, Hafiz Masroor,
Infntry, Nasir Dilawar Shah, Avn, Arshad Mehmood, ASC, M Tariq Haleem Suri,
Ordnance, Omar Mahmood Hayat, Ordnance, Rehan Abdul Baqi, EME, Khalid Mehmood
EME, Asif Mumtaz Sukhera, AMC, Maqbool Ahmed, AMC, M Ayyub, AMC and Syed M.
Imran Majeed, AMC.
Coalition
partners, opposition walk out of Senate against poor law, order situation
Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Almost all the coalition partners and
opposition parties, Friday, staged walk out of the Senate against terror attacks
in
Lahore
,
Quetta
and other areas of the country.
Senators also from both sides of the divide, condemned terrorism and expressed
grave concerns over mounting number of terror attacks and demanded of the
government to provide security to common man. All the political parties
expressed solidarity with Awami National Party (ANP) over killing of police
personnel in
Lahore
in terror attack and terror attack on
ANP public gathering in Kuchlak, Balochistan, killing seven and injuring more
than 30 political activists and provincial leaders of ANP. While speaking on a
point of order, Senator Daud Khan Achakzai said that provincial government of
Balochistan failed in fulfilling responsibilities of protecting common man.
“ANP’s public gathering was being held with the consent of local
administration, then what is reason for not providing proper security to the
said event” he questioned asking the Chairman Senate to direct Home Department
of Balochistan to submit inquiry report in next two days. Senator Rozi Khan
Kakar said that provincial government of
Punjab
was responsible for securing lives of
police personnel killed in
Lahore
terror attack so
Punjab
government should not blame the federal
government for not sharing information in this regard. Abdul Ghafoor Haideri
said that the writ of the government was no visible anywhere in the country as
neither criminal element were detained nor brought to public so the government
was required to revisit its internal or external policies. Col. ® Tahir Hussain
Mashhadi while condemning bomb attack on ANP public gathering demanded of Chief
Minister Balochistan to submit inquiry report in two days as it was
responsibility of the provincial government to provide security to all political
parties. Senator Hamdullah said that no one was secure in Balochistan despite
the fact neither Shia was enemy of Sunni nor Baloch were hostile towards
Pashtuns. He demanded that one full day should be allocated for debate on
Balochistan situation in the House. Senator M Hamza said that government had
failed in maintaining law and order in the country and public representatives
sitting in both the provincial and national assemblies’ should take cognizance
of the situation. He felt sorry over non issuance of single statement from any
government functionary over the killing of 40 innocent Pakistanis by Afghan
security forces. Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed condemned killing of Pakistanis
by Afghan forces and staged walk out of the House to express solidarity with ANP.
ANP Central Spokesman Senator Zahid Khan said that
Quetta
terror attack became possible as entire
security forces were being deployed to guard visit of Prime Minister to
Quetta
. He sought reply from Ministry of
Interior that who was responsible for security lapse which led to bomb attack on
ANP public gathering. Having said this, he along with his party colleagues
staged walk out of the House followed by Senators from opposition and coalition
partners. However, Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, Minister of State for Interior
assured the House that preliminary inquiry report into Quetta bomb blast would
be presented in the House in next two or three days. He observed that foreign
elements could be involved in terror attacks especially in areas in Balochistan
and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa adjacent to Afghan border.
INTERNATIONAL
China
role important in Afghanistan reconstruction: US
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
BEIJING
:
China
is playing a very important role in the
reconstruction of
Afghanistan
, a
U.S.
envoy said. “
China
has given development assistance to
Afghanistan
to increase the capacity of the
government and the people of the
Afghanistan
,” said Marc Grossman,
U.S.
special representative for
Afghanistan
and
Pakistan
. Grossman arrived in
Beijing
to continue the close consultation that
China
and the
United States
have on
Afghanistan
after his trips to
Tokyo
and
Seoul
. In
Tokyo
, Grossman attended on July 8 an
international conference on
Afghanistan
, on which the international community
pledged 16 billion U.S. dollars in economic assistance to
Afghanistan
for the next four years. “I think
that the
Tokyo
conference shows that the international
community, very much including
China
, intends to stay interested in
Afghanistan
and support
Afghanistan
(even after 2014),” Grossman said,
adding that
Afghanistan
will not be abandoned “and that is
something very much to our own benefit.” Grossman said Chinese investment in
Afghanistan
will not only bring jobs, but also a
“connection to the future” for Afghans. The diplomat said
China
and the
United States
are pursuing several joint projects in
Afghanistan
. “We are jointly training some Afghan
diplomats,” he said, adding that “there are some projects in the health
field and in the agriculture field that we’d like to pursue.” Regarding the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) offer in June to grant
Afghanistan
observer status, Grossman said it is
“excellent” that
Afghanistan
can be connected to the SCO as part of
regional integration. “A secure, stable and peaceful
Afghanistan
inside of a secure, stable and peaceful
region is in the mutual benefit of
China
and the
United States of America
,” Grossman said. “I find that in
Afghanistan
in particular, Chinese interests and
the
U.S.
interests are very much based on mutual
benefit,” he added.
Pentagon
preparing to release Pak fund
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
WASHINGTON
: The Pentagon is preparing to release
about $1.1 billion withheld from
Pakistan
’s military after they agreed this
week to reopen supply routes into
Afghanistan
. The withheld dollars are part of the
U.S. Coalition Support Fund to reimburse
Pakistan
for its support of
U.S.
counter- insurgency operations,
Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain John Kirby told reporters on Friday. Payments
were suspended last year amid increased U.S- Pakistan tensions even before
Pakistan
closed the land routes into
Afghanistan
in November as a result of an
accidental
U.S.
attack that killed 24 Pakistani
soldiers.
Pakistan
, which had demanded a
U.S.
apology for the deaths, agreed to
reopen the lines after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said “we are
sorry” in a statement on June 3. “Several trucks have gone through and this
will continue,” Kirby told reporters today. “The traffic is starting to
flow,” he said. Asked if Defense Secretary Leon Panetta agreed with
Clinton
’s statement of “deepest regrets,”
Kirby said Panetta “fully supports the approach that was taken.”
India
tests nuclear-capable Agni-I missile
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ALASORE:
India Friday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable
Agni-I ballistic missile, with a strike range of 700 km, as part of the Army’s
user trial from a test range at Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. The
surface-to-surface, single-stage missile, powered by solid propellants, was
test-fired from a mobile launcher at about 1010 hrs from launch pad-4 of the
Integrated Test Range at Wheeler Island, about 100 km from here, defense sources
said. “The trial of the sophisticated missile with a strike range of 700 km
was successful,” a defense scientist said. Describing the launch as a routine
user’s trial by the strategic force command of Indian Army, he said the main
objective was to train the user team to launch the missile. “It was a
practice-drill. The user-team picked a missile at random from the production lot
and fired it with logistic support provided by Defense Research Development
Organization ( DRDO) at ITR,” he said. Agni-I missile has a specialized
navigation system which ensures it reaches the target with a high degree of
accuracy and precision, he said. The trajectory of the missile, which has an
operational strike range of 700 km, was tracked by sophisticated radars and
electro-optic telemetry stations located along the sea coast and ships
positioned near the impact point in the downrange area. Weighing 12 tons, the
15-metre-long Agni-I, which can carry payloads up to 1000 kg, has already been
inducted into the Indian Army.
Govt.
to put ban over practice of overseas convicted doctors
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Federal government has decided to put
ban over the practice of overseas convicted doctors in
Pakistan
. The decision was taken by the
disciplinary committee of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). The
PMDC has decided that those doctors who are convicted abroad cannot be able to
do practice in public sector in
Pakistan
. If any convicted doctor was found
working, then judicial trial will be launched against him/her. In light of
recommendations of international regulatory bodies, the disciplinary committee
of the PMDC has suspended registration of 79 Pakistani doctors and asked to get
clearance before starting practice again in
Pakistan
.
India
will have to give freedom to Kashmiris: Fazal
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Chairman of Special Committee of the
Parliament on
Kashmir
, Maulana Fazlur Rahman Friday said that
the
India
would not be able to keep the Kashmiris,
valiant and brave nation, slave for a long time. He said that struggle for
freedom of Kashmiri people was longer than that of
India
or
Pakistan
. On the eve of Kashmir Martyrs Day’
observed by Kashmiris cross the Line of Control (LoC) and across the globe on
Friday, Chairman Kashmir Committee said that the Kashmiris revolted against the
tyranny of the Sikh rulers and many of their leaders, including Sardar Sabaz Ali
Khan and Sardar Shamas Khan were skinned alive. The Kashmiris again revolted
against the Dogra Rule and many Kashmiris were martyred on
July 13, 1931
. A Kashmir Committee was also formed
then with Allama Iqbal its Head in support of the Kashmiris. He said,
Pakistan
supported Kashmiris in the past and
will continue doing so in the future as well. Maulana Fazlur Rahman said that
the Kashmiri people were struggling for a genuine cause, i.e. the right to
self-determination. Hence, the whole world should support them. He said, due to
the efforts of
Pakistan
and Kashmiris, awareness of the world
community about the
Kashmir
issue is increasing and voices in
support of the hapless Kashmiris are being raised not only in other countries,
but in
India
as well. The Chairman Kashmir Committee
said that
India
was using all tactics and means to
crush the movement of Kashmiris. The US and Israeli military personnel are also
assisting over eight hundred thousand Indian soldiers posted in the Occupied
Kashmir. Recently,
Israel
has inducted more armed personnel in
Kashmir
in the guise of tourists. However,
whatsoever India may do, she can’t keep the Kashmir is salve for a long time
and she will have to give them freedom; because history is witness to the fact
that a nation, who is determined to clinch freedom, can’t be kept in bondage
for an unlimited period of time.
CRIME
CORNER
8
more abducted from Marwar-Balochistan
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: At least eight more poor miners were
kidnapped from Marwar—the suburban area of the city, sources said. The
city’s area of Marwar has turned into blood flashpoint, where bodies of seven
miners, who were abducted from here on July 7, were found yesterday. The
bereaved families and co-workers of the victims yesterday approached Balochistan
High Court ( BHC )
and mounted protest against the abduction coupled with killings. The traffic was
held up with pickets erected on
Zarghoun Road
during the protest demonstration. The
protesters attempted to enter the high court premises; on this, they were
baton-charged. The demonstrators demanded action against the miscreants
responsible for kidnapping and killings. The four of the deceased belonged to
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa district of Dir and three hailed from Swat. Taking notice of
the gory incident, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry
demanded a detailed report from the provincial home secretary.
Four
killed in different incidents in Quetta
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Two persons have been killed in an
incident of firing in Killi Khezi area of the metropolis on Friday.
Police said that two groups of Khilji tribe develop a dispute and opened
fire at each other. As a result of firing, two men received multiple bullet
wounds which caused their death, police said. The dead were identified as Haji
Wazir and Haji Naik. The police have registered a case and started investigation
into the incident. Further probe was in process. Meanwhile, unknown armed men
gunned down another man here at Sariab area of the provincial capital on Friday.
According to police, the victim was standing near Chaki Shahwani road when armed
assailants ridding a motorbike opened fire on him and fled from the crime scene.
As a result, he died on the spot. Soon after the incident, police reached there
and shifted the body to the civil hospital for autopsy and identification. The
deceased was resident of Sindh. The reason behind the killing could not be
ascertained. In another incident, unidentified gunmen killed a person in Bank
Colony area of the metropolis on Friday. Police said that unknown two
motorcyclists opened fire at Muhammad Tahir, killing him on the spot. The
assailants managed to flee. The police rushed to the site and shifted the body
to hospital morgue which after postmortem was handed over to the heirs. The
victim was resident of
Sargodha
and was living in Bank Colony Quetta
July
2, 2012 PM
Young
Doctors’ strike claims 11 lives
Doctors
also shut OPDs in Balochistan
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
LAHORE
: Young Doctors
Association’s (YDA) Strike claimed 11 lives, including three minors while
Punjab
government dismissed 24 and
arrested as many as 50 doctors on Monday. Following the 15-day strike by the
YDA around one dozen patients lost their life as the Doctors stopped treating
patients even in the emergencies and indoor wards of major hospital in Lahore
and other cities of the province while the families of the deceased demanded of
the Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif to book all the doctors involved in the on
going strike of the YDA. According to details, after the failure of senior
doctors to convince the YDA to call of the strike, the government started
action against the YDA and arrested several member of the YDA while the YDA
announced to observe black day against the arrest of several young doctors. On
the other hand, Sindh Doctors Association condemned the arrest of the YDA
members and announced that it would mark black day to observe solidarity with
the YDA while young doctors in Khushab, Okra and Chiniot remained present on
their duties and did not participate in the strike. Meanwhile, OPD of several
hospitals in the province remained open on Monday while Pak Army’s doctors
and senior government doctors remained present in the hospital. The provincial
government appointed Army ‘s doctors in government run hospitals of the
province including BBH Rawalpindi, Holy family Hospital Rawalpindi and DHQ
Rawalpindi, five military doctors
were appointed in each of these hospitals. The government deployed police
contingents in the hospitals to avoid any untoward incidents. MS BBH, Dr Asif
Qadir hoped that young doctors would call off the strike soon as their parents
informed the hospital administration. Advisor to CM on Health, Suleman Rafiq
told media that the government was forced to take step against the young
doctors as the doctors wanted to close indoor wards of the hospitals, adding
that the YDA strike could endanger the people life. He said that the provincial
health department deployed around 596 new doctors across the province to tackle
the crisis. Suleman Rafiq said that in Lahore 57 new doctors were deputed in
Mayo Hospital, 90 in services hospital, 50 in Jinnah hospital , 27 in general
hospital , 40 in Ganga Ram Hospital, 19 in Punjab Institute of Cardiology. In
Faisalabad
the government deployed 30
new doctors in KPMC, 50 in Allied Hospital and 10 in FIC hospital. The
government deployed 39 new doctors in Holy
Family hospital
Rawalpindi
,
Six in DHQ Rawalpindi while 70
new doctors were deputed in Nishtar Hospital Multan and
76 New doctors were deployed in Sheikh Zaid Hospital Rahim Yar khan.32
new doctors were deployed in
Victoria Hospital
Bahawalpur
, he added. Meanwhile, on
the call of Young Doctors Association Quetta, health care providers closed down
OPDs of public sector hospitals across the province, including the City, on
Monday to press for the demand of revised service structure. The denial of
medical advice at OPDs caused huge inconvenience to the visiting patients who
were left with no option but to go to nearby private clinics for treatment. The
protesting doctors have announced to continue strike until the issuance of
notification regarding revised service structure. The crack down on doctors in
Punjab aggravated number of crisis while the Balochistan Young Doctors
Association also started protest demonstration to express their solidarity with
Punjab Young doctors Association. The young Doctors of Balochistan boycotted
OPD after
Punjab
. On the other hand, leader
of the Baloch Young Association Doctor Alam Mengal told the local TV that young
doctors of government hospitals would not perform their duties in OPD while
they would perform duties only in Emergency and operation theater. Mengal also
claimed that the Young Association would take decisions for the solidarity in
next meeting. Meanwhile, owing to strike the patients are facing severe
problems in hospitals. On the other hand Minister for health in Balochistan
said that Baloch Young doctors Association is not a registered organization
adding it should be registered through PMA.
Raja ensures funds for Balochistan’s welfare projects
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Prime Minister Raja Pervez
Ashraf on Monday said the government despite its financial constraints would
ensure provision of funds for public welfare programs in Balochistan. The Prime
Minister was chairing a meeting on issues relating Balochistan, at the Prime
Minister’s Secretariat here. The
Prime Minister mentioned the financing of mega projects particularly
Gwadar Ratu Dero Road
(M-8),
Kachhi
Canal
, Gwadar Deep sea port at
priority basis. He said the federal government had committed 6,000 scholarships
for the youth of Balochistan for higher studies within the country and abroad.
Besides, he said, focus was being laid on establishment of vocational and
technical centers at the provincial and divisional headquarters of the
province. The Prime Minister said the federal government had committed an
amount of one billion rupees for the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced
Persons of the district Dera Bugti. He said bringing stability and prosperity
in Balochistan was the top priority of his Government. He said Balochistan is
an important part of the country and because of its strategic location, the
maintenance of peace here was of utmost importance. He said, “I categorically
declare that Balochistan issue is on my priority list and I have invited
disgruntled Baloch leaders to start dialogue with the government to resolve the
crisis at the earliest.” Prime Minister Ashraf said the federal government
was fully aware of the past excesses made to the people and the province which
caused a serious sense of deprivation. He said the government introduced
Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package in 2009, in which 61 reforms proposals, in
the categories of constitutional, administrative, political and economic
matters were launched. He mentioned
that a Cabinet Committee under the chairmanship of Senator Mian Raza Rabbani
was also constituted to analyze the needs of the Balochistan Province
and to minutely review the
situation and firm up its recommendations for reduction in the sense of
alienation and deprivation. He said the government besides moving towards the
solution of the issues and meeting the demands of Balochs, had tendered an
unconditional apology to them. He said the self-styled independence of federal
agencies was being checked and it would be ensured that these should not act
independently in connection with law and order issue. He said rather these
agencies should provide assistance to the provincial government in aid to civil
power as and when required. The Prime Minister said although the politically
motivated activities in Balochistan were quite serious, but the graph of
conventional crimes in the province was also on rise.
He said the federal government had sanctioned 3,000 posts of Federal
Levies for maintenance of law and order duties and Highway security in
Balochistan. Raja Pervez said the government was committed to provide funds to
the tune of two billion for the purchase of arms ammunition, communication
equipments and required transport for the police and levies of the province. He
directed the Balochistan government to speed up its efforts for protecting the
highways, key installations particularly gas and electricity so that the pace of
development is properly maintained. The
menace of kidnapping for ransom also needs to be curbed with iron hand, he
added. The Prime Minister said the government withdrew many cases of political
workers not involved in heinous crimes and added that a number of missing
persons were reunited with their families. He
said withdrawal of army and deployment of Frontier Constabulary brought tangible
results. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said the Frontier Constabulary was
directed to seek guidance and instructions from the Chief Minister Balochistan
on the issues of internal security of the province.
Decision
on reopening Nato supplies still in pipeline: Pakistan
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Pakistan on
Monday cleared that final decision to reopen supply line for US-led Nato troops
deployed in Afghanistan has
not been decided so far. In a brief statement, Foreign Office spokesman Muazam
Khan said that Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and US
Deputy Secretary of State
Thomas Rides headed the two delegations meeting here on Sunday. The spokesman
said dialogues between the two countries would continue to resolve outstanding
issue. Media reports, quoting sources said that army chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez
Kyani, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shiekh were also present during the talks
while US team was headed by the deputy secretary of state and
included General John Allen, ISAF commander who flew to Islamabad for
second time in four days, and US Ambassador Cameron Munter. According to
reports, the foreign minister and Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani will
soon hold a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari to apprise him of the talks
held with the US team
in Islamabad . US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday called Prime Minister Raja Pervez
Ashraf and discussed issued of mutual interest, especially with regard to
reopening of NATO routes. The sources pointed out that two new developments,
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s call to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf
and the presence of a high-level US delegation
in Islamabad , had
raised hopes that the dispute might soon be resolved.
Local
militia foils Afghan militants attack on Pakistani soil
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
KURAM
AGENCY: Local ‘Aman Lashkar’ (Peace Militia) on Monday foiled another attack
by Afghan militants on Pakistani border area of Kuram Agency, lawless tribal
area bordering with war-turned Afghanistan ,
sources said. According to military sources, more than a dozen suspected
militants, wearing Afghan National Army uniforms, assaulted Pakistani border
area of Kuram Agency at about 1100 hours on Monday. Retaliating, local militia
opened fires on militants who were trying to penetrate into Pakistan ’s
territory with huge cache of arms. The fire battle continued for several hours
until Pakistani military reached to the scene and forced the attackers to flee.
In recent months, Afghan militants attacked on Pakistani military border posts
and killed dozens of Pakistani soldiers. Four Pakistani soldiers were killed as
Afghan militants stormed the Salala checkpost in Mohmand Agency last week of
June this year. The troops retaliated against the attack, killing 20 attackers
and forcing others to flee leaving the bodies of their accomplices at the scene.
On April 2, 2012 ,
four more Pakistani soldiers were killed after militants attacked an army
checkpoint close to the Afghan border. Cross-border attacks on Pakistani forces
have been a source of tension. Islamabad has
protested to Kabul government
and Nato force deployed in Afghanistan against
cross border attacks on Pakistani posts saying that further attacks could damage
relationships between two countries. Pakistan had
also previously complained about Pakistani Taliban fighters using Afghanistan
as a base to stage such attacks. But Afghanistan
and the US say the Afghan Taliban operate within Pakistan ’s
borders to plan attacks on Western forces in Afghanistan ,
something Pakistan denies.
On November 26 last year, a Nato night raid martyred 24 Pakistani troops,
stoking rage among Pakistani authorities which blocked land route of supplies to
the allied forces fighting against militants in Afghanistan .
Tried
Dr.
Samar urges TMF to build training institutes in Balochistan
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Eminent nuclear scientist
Dr. Samar Mubarak Mand has said that the people of Balochistan are patriots and
they welcome Pakistanis from other provinces who could join them. He was
addressing to the fund raising dinner hosted by Tameer-e-Millat Foundation, a
non-governmental organization working since 1987 for education uplift in the
country. He urged Tameer-e-Millat Foundation (TMF) to build technical training
institutes in Balochistan so that the people of Balochistan could have better
opportunities for vocational and technical training to explore and utilize
precious minerals like copper, gold and coal in the province for prosperity of
the nation. Admiral (Retd) Iftikhar Ahmed Sarohi presided over the fund raising
ceremony. Celebrated TV anchorperson, Columnist and Chairman Sach Foundation
Syed Tallat Hussain anchored and moderated the ceremony. While President and
Chief Executive Officer Shifa International Hospital (SIH) Dr. Manzoor H. Qazi,
Chairman TMF Faqeer Muhammad Rasheed, Vice Chairperson TMF Dr. Fatima Ahmad,
Syed Tallat Hussain, Senator Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University Dr. Muhammad Ameen,
Chairman Nazriya-e-Pakistan Council Zahid Malik and columnist Haroon Rasheed
also addressed the ceremony. They, during their address, praised the mission of
Tameer-e-Millat Foundation (TMF) to promote education in the remote areas of the
country for the benefit of the poor and depriving people. They announced
generous donations and urged others to donate for the noble cause during a fund
raising dinner organized here. They also paid glowing tributes to the late Dr.
Zaheer Ahmad who founded the TMF. Dr. Samar Mubarak mand stressed the need for
promoting science and technology in the country to rapidly move towards high
growth rate. He said the nation can come out of economic depression, poverty and
unemployment through optimal exploitation of its enormous natural resources.
“This will not be possible till we have large number of scientists and
engineers, well versed in expertise needed in the country”, he underlined.
Admiral (Retd) Iftikhar Ahmed Sarohi in his presidential address lauded the
ambitious projects of TMF, specially its City of Education being
built in Fateh Jang, near Islamabad .
Chairman TMF Mohammad Rashid informed that TMF is currently running 450 plus
schools across the country with more than 35,000 students studying there. He
made a special appeal for donations to finance the upcoming TMF education
complex in the federal capital. He said a 12 storey
building will be built for the complex to house two secondary schools, one each
for boys and girls. Vice Chairperson of TMF, Dr. Fatima Z.Ahmed highlighted the
vision of her late father Dr. Zaheer Ahmed who had a passion to promote
education among the poor. She expressed the resolve of the family to carry her
father’s mission to new heights.
8827
Afghans repatriated in 2012: UNHCR
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
QUETTA:
As many as 8827 Afghan refugees of 1781 families have been returned back their
home towns in Afghanistan from various camps of Balochistan under the
voluntarily repatriation process. The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees officials in Balochistan told media during their visit to the
voluntarily repatriation center at Baleli area of Quetta that some 8827 people
have returned back Afghanistan prevailing year, while as many as 7209 members of
1633 families left refugee camps in Pakistan during the span of six months
previous year to get resettled in their home towns. “About 3.7 million Afghan
refugees have availed the opportunity of voluntarily repatriation offered by the
UNHCR since 2012, Refugee Agency’s officials in Balochistan further said.
Senior Protection officer UNHCR Balochistan chapter Tayyiba Hassan Sharif said
that Pakistan has
devised concerted strategy to facilitate Afghans refugees in Pakistan .
“UNHCR is striving hard to remove the additional burden of refugee on
Pakistan and
supporting Pakistan endeavors
by working on the lines to ensure health, education, jobs and other basic
facilities in Afghanistan paving
way for the return of millions of Afghans hosted by Pakistan since decades. She, however, said that tangible
improvement in the law and order and security situation in Afghanistan would
decide the fate of refugee living in Pakistan .
Conducive environment in war-torn Afghanistan would
greatly help ensure massive repatriation of refugees living across the country.
“We are happy to return back our land of birth,” said Abdul Hameed having
shine on his face, adding being the head of my family I have decided to go back
and reunite with our kith and kin living other side of the border.“My two sons
who had got the computer and English teaching courses at camps in Pakistan
have already went Afghanistan
and are teaching in schools
there. Abdul Rahim, who spent 28 years in Pakistan as
refugee in Karam Agency camp helps those are aspirant to return Afghanistan
. “Since 2005 I have been
guiding the refugees in Pakistan for
their repatriation. 48 townships have been established in parts of Afghanistan
for the refugees coming back”, he noted adding I have talked and convinced
hundreds of Afghans in repatriation centers in Ghausabad, Hazara Town, Baleli to
remove their reservations about residence, jobs and other facilities being
provided to them by the world donor agencies and Afghanistan government. Once,
they leave the camp, they would be happy and would get all what they wished in
their own country, he maintained.
PTI
ready to resolve doctors’ issue in Punjab : Imran
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf
Chairman Imran Khan has offered his services to the Punjab government
to get rid of the crisis emerging due to strike of Young Doctors’ Association.
The PTI chairman on Monday said his party was ready to play its role in
resolving the issue. Khan said that Asif Ali Zardari has purchased all the
politicians and children of big politicians had become sons of Malik Riaz. He
said that Asif Ali Zardari had looted Steel Mills and Nawaz Sharif had
compromised with the government to protect his corruption. Doctors have been
boycotting their duties at outpatient departments in public hospitals since June
18 to demand changes to their service structure. The provincial government
called in Army Medical Corps (AMC) to reduce the miseries of hapless masses.
Pakistan-India
swap prisoners list
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: After a long pause,
Pakistan and India
on Monday exchanged list of prisoners Indian High
Commission was formally handed over list of Indian prisoners languishing in
Pakistani prisons. According to the Spokesman of Foreign Office, Moazzam Ahmed
Khan, exchange of list of prisoners between Pakistan and India usually
take place on July 1, however as Sunday was a holiday the list was exchanged on
Monday. The prisoners’ list is exchanged on the 1st of January and July every
year at the diplomatic level as required by the Article (i) of the Agreement on
Consular Access signed between Pakistan and
India on May 21, 2008
.
CRIME
CORNER
Second
marriage dispute takes 7 lives
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
MARDAN:
Seven members of a family including two infants and three women were killed over
a second marriage dispute here on Monday. As per details, Sajjad Khan had
married another woman a few months ago that infuriated his first wife. The
relatives of Sajjad’s first wife on Monday entered in his house and opened
fire, killing seven persons including two infants and three women. The deceased
include Mehar Badshah s/o Ibrahim Gull, Uncle Haji Rasool, son Abdullah, wife
Ayesha, Fiaz besides a 20 day old infant Haiba died. The police have filed a
case and arrested an accused while others managed to flee from the scene.
Levies
man killed another hurt in firing
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
QUETTA
: Unidentified armed men on
Monday shot dead a Levies force personnel and injured another in Surab area of
Balochistan on Monday. Levies sources said that two personnel of Levies force
deployed at Joha Cross came under armed attack by the gunmen. As a result,
Fareed Khan died on the spot while Ahmed Din sustained bullet wounds. Shortly
after the incident, local administration along with heavy contingent of Levies
force reached the crime scene and shifted the victims to the nearby hospital.
Surrounding area has been cordoned off to trace out the perpetrators.
The
Market
SBP
asks exchange companies to follow best practices of corporate governance
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
KARACHI
: The Executive Director,
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Kazi Abdul Muktadir stressed upon the exchange
companies (ECs) to follow the best practices of corporate governance and ensure
compliance of the prescribed rules and regulations of the central bank.
According to SBP here Monday, he said stated this while inaugurating an
awareness program for the Directors/Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of exchange
companies at SBP BSC, Lahore. He told the participants that there was a strong
need for the ECs to understand the anti money laundering (AML) and terrorist
financing risks associated with their business transactions and advised them to
ensure compliance of the prescribed regulations on AML/CFT (Combating the
Financing of Terrorism). Kazi also briefed the participants about the background
under which the exchange companies were established and opportunities available
for them to graduate towards larger sized companies.
Shaukat Zaman, Director, DFIs & Exchange Companies Inspection
Department (DFIs & ECID), SBP gave a presentation on the best practices of
corporate governance. Senior officers of Offsite Supervision & Enforcement
Department (OSED) of SBP and Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) briefed the
participants about the regulatory compliance and consequences of inadequate
level of compliance on regulatory instructions.
Appreciating the SBP efforts towards creating awareness among
Directors/CEOs of ECs on corporate governance and AML/CFT, the President of
Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP), Haji Haroon assured that
exchange companies are ready to work more closely with the regulator and will
ensure compliance of prescribed regulations issued by SBP. More than 50
Directors and CEOs of ECs of both A and B category, representing 14 companies,
participated in the program.
Pak
Govt asked to restore confidence of small stock market investors
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The Pakistan Economy Watch
(PEW) on Monday asked the government to take steps aimed at restoring confidence
of the small investors in the stock market to boost economy. Companies are left
with no option but to go for costly borrowing from the banks as the cheap option
of IPO (Initial Public Offering) has become futile due to suspicions among the
retail investors, it said. Lower investors’ appetite has been forcing many
firms to shelve their IPO plans despite getting approval which is sending
negative signals, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW. Only four companies
opted for IPOs during the outgoing fiscal while rest borrowed from banks which
increased their cost of doing business, he added. He said that during 1991 and
1992 Pakistan witnessed
150 IPOs which were more than all IPOs put together in the history of country;
while in 2010-11 we had only two. On the other hand, in India ,
seven firms raised Rs 12.64 billion via IPOs during the six months to June 2012.
In the first half of 2011, twenty two Indian companies raised Rs 33.92 billion.
Dr. Murtaza Mughal said that reason behind dull IPO market in Pakistan is
that the small investors faced five crashes from 2000 to 2008. So far, no
culprit has been identified or held responsible which has shattered confidence
of investors beyond repair.
South
Korea allows Pak
mangoes import
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
KARACHI
: South Korea has
finally allowed import of Pakistani mango while approving the standard/quality
of the king of fruits. The first ever shipment of mango to Seoul has been
started during the ongoing season, said co-chairman, Pakistan Fruit and
Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchant Association (PFVA) Waheed Ahmed here
Monday. “With this land mark achievement, Pakistani mango exporters got the
market access of a third highly valued and important country after United States
and Japan”, he noted. He said mangoes can be exported to Korea through
sea routs and it can become the second important destination for sea shipments
after Dubai . The
development was made after approval of standard of Pakistani mango by the
visiting South Korean experts who recently visited the Hard Water Treatment
Facility of Iftikhar Ahmed and Company and Pakistan Horti Fresh Processing and
found the treatment facility as per required standard of the foreign country.
Waheed noted that the contributions of PFVA, Pakistan Horticulture Export and
Development Company and Pakistani Embassy in Seoul for
getting the land mark achievement, were very appreciable.
During the last three years, Pakistan has
successfully obtained the market access of US, Japan ,
Jordan , Mauritius ,
and South Korea .
Preparation for market access to Australia ,
another important destination are already under process, he added.
Though Seoul also imports mango from Philippine, Thailand, Vietnam and
others, the unique taste and quality of Pakistani fruit were enough to compete
and get good share in foreign market. He
pointed out that consignments could be shipped to Seoul within 14 days (two
weeks) where at least 10,000 to 15,000 tones of mango could be exported during
next few years. However, due to absence of marketing and advertisement, export
of mango could remain limited during this season. Waheed suggested Trade
Development Authority of Pakistan to organize a visit of delegation from
Pakistan to Seoul soon in order to introduce different varieties the country’s
fruit in the foreign market.
Smuggled
cigarettes cause Rs 10b loss to Pak exchequer
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Around 15 billion smuggled and duty-non-paid cigarettes are sold annually in the
country causing loss of more than Rs 10 billion to the national exchequer.
According to sources, besides financial loss, this illicit trade undermines
public health agenda as these tobacco products fail to comply with the
regulations issued by the government. Most
of these packs do not even carry the Urdu health warning while the regulations
prohibiting consumer promotions are also being blatantly violated, they added.
People, while commenting on the situation, said that the health quarters
concerned should take action for curtailing sale of smuggled and duty-non-paid
tobacco products in the local markets to avoid heavy financial losses. They also
stressed the need for efficacious implementation of tobacco control laws in the
country. They also asked the authorities concerned to make proper strategies in
preventing sale of tobacco to minors. Expressing dismay over flagrant disregard
of anti-tobacco laws, the people said that effective on-ground implementation of
the regulations could only serve the purpose of tobacco control.
They said that sincere efforts were needed to prevent the spread of
tobacco use as smoking at indoor public places, tobacco product advertising and
promotion, printing of pictorial health warnings on packets and availability of
duty-evaded and attractive looking smuggled brands in the market were still
widespread. When contactedm, an
official said that in line with the spirit of Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control (FCTC), the government had already enacted various tobacco control
measures through the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health
Ordinance 2002. The said law contains provisions restricting smoking at public
places, restricting advertising and promotion of tobacco products and
prohibiting sale of cigarettes to minors, he added.
He said Pakistan was the 5th country in Asia, and the 26th in the entire
world, which had introduced pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs.
NSP
announces “Student welfare bond”
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
The National Savings Pakistan announced a ‘Student Welfare Bond’, which will
be available at office of National Saving Centers, Post offices and all
scheduled banks. This was stated by Director General National Savings, Zafar
Mehmood during a meeting with delegation of National Youth Assembly.
He said, “The purpose of introducing this Bond is to create the
propensity of savings among youth; the 62 percent of the total population”,
says a press release here Monday. Zafar Mehmood said Student Welfare Bond would
promote the habit of small savings among the students, and each bond would be
issued before two months proceeding the date of draw should qualify for a prize.
“This programme would be run under Public Debt Act 1944 and the ratio of
taxation would be levied according to the existing law”, he further informed.
He further said one saving bond would be of Rs 100 and there is no upper limit
on its buying, adding that this scheme is not intended for generating money but
to promote saving culture in youth. Lucky draw of the Students Welfare Bonds
will be held after each quarter and maximum prize of these bonds would be Rs
700,000, along with other small prizes. Zafar Shaikh said that the National
Savings Organization was fully committed to provide maximum relief to small
savers as the organization provides market-based return to small and middle
class savers by introducing the prize bond of lowest denomination.
It would not only reduce dependency of the government on external
borrowings but would also help students meet expenses incurred on their studies,
he said. The delegation of National Youth Assembly led by President, Hanan Ali
Abbasi, has proposed some useful suggestions apropos to Student Welfare Bond.
The President NYA highly appreciated the step taken by the National Savings and
commented, “it was our longstanding desire to stabilize the youth of the
country financially at governmental level, and I feel that it is a first step
towards achieving financial wellbeing of students”. During this meeting, a
comprehensive media campaign for creating awareness has been devised. According
to the plan, an exclusive TV ad shall be shot. Besides that it is also decided
that print, electronic and social
media will be utilized for the purpose. “The
National Youth Assembly will go in great lengths to create general awareness in
more than 100 districts of the country, where we are operative in a
full-swing”, said Hanan Abbasi. Hanan also urged to initiate Gramin Bank-like
projects to encourage the micro financing in the country. The Youth-Minister for
Science and Technology, Asim Nawaz, and Member National Youth Assembly, Raja
Yasir Ayoub, at this occasion, said, “this is a positive step of improving
saving and promoting culture of saving in youth through the saving
instrument”. They also proposed
that the government should also introduce Student Education Bonds, which would
be used to help the students to foot the bill for their education. The Director
General, Zafar M. Shaikh, agreed upon nominating ‘Goodwill Ambassadors’ from
the national/international achievers of National Youth Assembly. He said,
“National Youth Assembly can help the National Savings Organization to
publicize its youth-welfare and youth-centric scheme - Student Welfare Bond - by
using its broad network 0across the country”.
CCP
imposes Rs770m fine on one-Link member banks
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has imposed Rs 770 million
fine on one-Link (Guarantee) Limited and its member banks for imposing uniform
customer charges for Off-Us ATM cash withdrawal transactions. The Competition
Commission of Pakistan (CCP) on Monday imposed a total penalty of Rs 50 million
on 1-Link (Guarantee) Limited and 50 million each on its eleven founding member
banks and Rs 10 million on each of its 17 non-founding member banks for
violation of Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2010. A CCP Bench comprising of
its Chairperson, Rahat Kaunain Hassan, Member, Abdul Ghaffar and Member, Dr.
Joseph Wilson, passed an Order on June 28, 2012 in respect of the proceedings
initiated against 1-Link and its member banks for imposing uniform customer
charges for Off-Us cash withdrawal transactions, which amounts to violate
Section 4 of the Competition Act. CCP took notice of the uniform rates
implemented by the banks in the country for ATM cash withdrawal transactions. In
preliminary fact finding it was observed that 1-Link holds 80% of market share
in shared ATM network services in Pakistan and is a consortium of 11 major banks
that are also represented on its Board of Directors while the other 20 banks are
its members. With respect to customer charges, during the hearing the parties
maintained that PKR 15 for Off-Us ATM cash withdrawal charges being the
standardized fee fixed by SBP, the regulator was passed on uniformly to the
customers in good faith and without any agreement amongst them. The Bench held
that 1-Link member banks are acting in a collective manner by charging a uniform
fee to their customers for Off Us ATM cash withdrawal transactions. The banks,
which were previously not charging, have now joined the other banks in their
practice of charging PKR 15.
NBP
ranked top bank of Pakistan
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
KARACHI:
National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has been ranked by The Banker as the top bank of
Pakistan in its ‘Top 1000 World Banks’ ranking for 2012. This way National
Bank of Pakistan has once again outperformed all the local banks operating in
Pakistan. Top 1000 World Banks’ has been setting the industry benchmark since
1970 by providing comprehensive intelligence about the health and wealth of the
banking sector. The Banker is the premier resource for the world’s
investment, retail and commercial banking sectors. It is the key source of data
and analysis for the industry, providing global financial intelligence since
1926. National Bank of Pakistan has also been awarded ‘Deals of the Year’
(DOTY) Award by The Banker magazine of UK for its WIND ENERGY PROJECT. Qamar
Hussain, President of the National Bank of Pakistan received the DOTY Award by
Syed Shahjahan Salahuddin, Country Manager of The Banker at an impressive
ceremony.
ISE-10
index witnesses bullish trend
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad Stock Exchange witnessed a bullish trend on Monday as the ISE-10
index was up by 97 points to close at 2871.14. A total of 108,603 shares were
traded, which were up by 94,903 shares as compared to previous day’s trading
of 13,700 shares. Out of 123 companies, share prices of 94 companies recorded
increase and those of 29 registered decrease. No company remained stable.
The share price of National Refinery increased by Rs. 7.87, while that of
Packages Limited decreased by Rs. 3.37. Lafrage Pakistan Cement, Fauji Cement
and Bank of Punjab remained the top trading companies with 53,203, 25,000 and
20,000 shares respectively.
Pakistan
receives 50,000 metric ton Trout fish order from Gulf
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
PESHAWAR:
The Gulf States have ordered the export of 50,000 metric ton Trout fish from
country’s cold waters, said Omar Hayat Khan, consultant, Swat Trout Fish Farms
Association (STFFA) on Monday. Talking to media, he said that the fish farmers
have started preparation to meet the the required demand of Trout fish to the
exporters. The fish known for its unique taste, he said, would be provided at
US$ 5 per kilogram. The militancy and terrorism from 2007-09 have badly damaged
the fish farming in the district Swat. The delicious Trout fish is great
attraction for both local and foreign tourists, he said. The fish hatcheries of
Swat have been revived with the assistance of USAID. After the revival of these
fish farms in Swat a project for the development of Trout fish farms in
Dir Upper and Chitral districts is also under consideration, Hayat
informed. He said that the fish farmers of Swat were fully capable to meet the
required demand and the farmers were planning to export 0.1 million metric ton
fish next year.
Car,
jeep production increases 10.33 percent
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
The production of jeeps and cars witnessed positive growth of 10.33 percent
during the first ten months of the current fiscal year as compared to the same
period of last year. As many as 124,704 jeeps and cars were produced during
July-April (2011-12) as compared to the production of 113,027 units during July
April (2010-11), according to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The production of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) during the period under
review also went up by 8.28 per cent. The LCVs production during the ongoing
fiscal year stood at 17,058 against the production of 15,753 units during the
last year, the PBS data revealed. The output of motorcycles also increased by
2.17 percent by going up from the production of 1,342,536 units last year to
1,371,703 units during the ongoing year. The production of buses also increased
from 392 units to 462 units, showing upward growth of 17.86 percent. However,
the production of tractors and trucks decreased by 42.25 percent and 7.70
percent respectively. According to the data, as many as 33,166 tractors were
produced during ongoing year against
the production of 57,434 units last year whereas the output of trucks was
recorded at 2,133 units against the production of 2,311 units. On the other
hand, during the month of April 2012, the production of jeeps and cars increased
by 24.18 per cent as compared to the same month of last year. The output of
jeeps and cars in April 2012 stood at 14,274 units against the production of
11,495 units during April 2011. Similarly, the production of LCVs increased from
1,594 units during April 2011 to 2,087 units
during April 2012, showing surge of 30.93 percent. However, the
production of motorcycles during the month decreased by 2.46 percent by falling
from the output of 137,994 to 134,604 units while the production of buses
decreased by 34.29 percent from 35 units to 23 units. The output of tractors and
trucks also decreased by 14.29 percent from 280 units to 240 units, the data
revealed. However, the production of tractors during the month under review
witnessed positive growth of 10.63 percent as it went up from 5,702 units during
April 2011 to 6,308 units in April 2012. It is pertinent to mention here that
the overall Large Scale Manufacturing witnessed growth of 1.02 percent during
the ongoing year against the production of last year. The Indices provided by
Ministry of Industries witnessed 0.98 percent growth while that of Provincial
Bureaus of Statistics increased by 0.42 percent according to the data. However,
the indices of Oil Companies Advisory Council witnessed negative growth of 0.39
percent during the period under review.
July
2, 2012 AM
Church
attacks kill 15, wound 40 in Kenya
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
NAIROBI
: Gunmen killed two
policemen guarding a church, snatched their rifles and then opened fire on the
congregation from inside and out on Sunday, killing 15 people and wounding 40,
security officials said. Two gunmen entered the simple wooden church in the
city of
Garissa
at around
10:15 a.m.
Sunday, while two others
waited outside, police commander Philip Ndolo said. When the congregation fled
the attack inside, they ran straight into another hail of bullets from gunmen
outside, he said. At least one grenade was detonated in the attack. Overturned
wooden benches littered the church afterward. A victim wearing a simple blue
dress lay on the sandy earth outside. Witnesses reported seeing the four gunmen
flee in dark blue outfits and masks. “We were deep in prayers preparing to
give our offerings,” said a visibly shaken David Mwange, a churchgoer. “We
first had a loud bang from outside which we mistook to be coming from the
rooftops. We then had gun shots which made us to lie down. Within no time we
had gunshots all over. Everybody was shouting and wailing in pain.” Bloodiest
of the two attacks came against the African Inland Church in Garissa, a city
some 195 kilometers (120 miles) west of the Somali border. Ndolo said 15 people
were killed and at least 40 wounded. A grenade attack against a second church
in Garissa wounded three people. Garissa Mayor Ismail Garat called the church
assault “evil.” “We are not used to witnessing such kinds of acts in our
country, where people are just shot in broad daylight. We really want to know
who the heartless people who did this are,” he said. Ndolo told reporters he
wanted an investigation carried out before assigning blame to the group many
people in this region assume is at fault: al-Shabab, the most dangerous
militant group in Somalia. Another security official said two attackers walked
up to the two policemen guarding the church, shot them at point-blank range and
took their rifles. The official spoke only on condition he wasn’t identified
because he is not allowed to speak to media. The police were guarding the
church because of the increasingly dangerous security situation near the border
with Somalia and because Somalia’s Islamist militants have made Christian
churches a common target. Such a heinous attack could be a copycat strategy
from Boko Haram, the group of Islamist militants in Nigeria that has made
gruesome, deadly attacks against Christian churches one of their hallmarks.
Garissa is one of two major Kenyan towns near the border with Somalia. It lies
just to the west of the Dadaab refugee camp, which houses nearly 500,000 Somali
refugees. On Friday armed attackers kidnapped four international workers with
the Norwegian Refugee Council and are believed to have taken them over the
border into Somalia. A top security official suggested after that assault that
the attackers came from within the camp. Kenyan officials have long complained
Dadaab and its inhabitants are a threat to Kenya’s security. Kenyan officials
hope to see the Dadaab refugees move back to Somalia, but they cannot force the
refugees to move without breaking international law and courting wide
international condemnation. Areas of northern and eastern Kenya along the
border with Somalia have suffered a series of gunfire and grenade attacks over
the last year. Militants attacked a church in Garissa in December, killing two
people. Kenya sent troops into Somalia last October to hunt al-Shabab fighters.
The militants, who are allied with al-Qaida, have threatened repeatedly to
carry out revenge attacks for Kenya’s push into Somalia. Sunday’s attacks
appear to be part of that trend.
Iran
vows to confront “malicious” embargo
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
DUBAI:
Iran pledged to counter the impact of a European Union oil embargo which took
full effect on Sunday, saying it had built up $150 billion in foreign reserves
to protect itself. The EU ban on crude imports is part of a push by Western
countries aimed at choking Iran’s export earnings and forcing it to curb a
nuclear program they fear includes weapons development. Tehran says it has no
such plan. “We are implementing programs to counter sanctions and we will
confront these malicious policies,” Mehr news agency quoted central bank
governor Mahmoud Bahmani as saying. He said the effects of the sanctions were
tough but that Iran had built up $150 billion in foreign reserves. The European
Union banned new contracts for imports of Iranian crude in January, but allowed
existing ones to continue until July 1. EU firms are also barred from
transporting Iranian crude or insuring shipments under the sanctions. “They
signal our clear determination to intensify the peaceful diplomatic pressure,”
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement. So far, sanctions
have not forced Iran into concessions on its nuclear program - in fact it
demands that they stop before it will take steps to curb uranium enrichment -
and France and Britain have signaled more measures could come. The United States
has also imposed a new round of sanctions that could punish foreign countries
dealing in Iranian oil, although it gave exemptions to 20 major oil buyers that
are cutting purchases. “All possible options have been planned in government
to counter sanctions,” Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said in comments on
the ministry’s website. Qasemi said oil importers would be the big losers if a
blockade leads to price rises. But there are signs of the embargo having an
impact on Iran’s economy. Its crude oil exports - which according to EU
estimates represent half the government’s income - have fallen by 40 percent
this year. Iran used to export a fifth of its crude to EU countries. The Iranian
rial has fallen and inflation is running at over 20 percent. Tens of thousands
of Iranians have lost their jobs and trade between Iran and Europe has halved in
a year, according to Eurostat data from March. In three rounds of negotiations,
Western powers have demanded Tehran halt its high-grade uranium enrichment
activities, ship all high-grade uranium out of the country and close down a key
enrichment facility. But the talks have lost steam. At a meeting among political
leaders in Moscow last month, there was not enough common ground for negotiators
to agree yet whether to meet again. Experts from Iran and six world powers - the
United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - are set to meet in
Istanbul this week, but purely for technical discussions. Iran says its nuclear
program has only peaceful aims, but Western countries and Israel fear Iran is
developing nuclear weapons. Israel, believed to be the only country in the
Middle East with nuclear weapons, has threatened to attack Iran.
Britain
urges Iran to cooperate with world powers
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
LONDON:
Britain on Sunday urged Iran to cooperate with the international community after
the EU slapped an oil embargo on Tehran designed to turn up the heat on the
regime. Foreign Secretary William Hague said the sanctions showed the European
Union’s determination to get tough with Iran. “Unprecedented oil sanctions
on Iran have come into force,” Hague told an international television.
“These are the toughest measures the EU has adopted against Iran to date. They
signal our clear determination to intensify the peaceful diplomatic pressure on
the Iranian government.” The EU embargo on Iranian oil went into effect on
Sunday, provoking anger in Tehran which says the measure will hurt talks with
world powers over its sensitive nuclear activities. Britain is one of the six
countries dealing with Iran over its nuclear program. The group comprises the
five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council– Britain, China,
France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany. Iran must make a choice
in the coming weeks, Hague said. “It can continue to obfuscate and avoid the
critical issues, incurring tough sanctions and increasing international
isolation. “Or it can begin to cooperate seriously by discussing the steps it
is prepared to take on its nuclear program, and seizing the opportunity to
secure a more prosperous and peaceful future for the Iranian people. “We urge
the Iranian government to reflect seriously on its position and return to the
negotiating table ready and willing to make diplomacy work.” The 27 EU nations
account for 20 percent of Iran’s oil exports – which bring in 80 percent of
the country’s foreign reserves – while 85 per cent of marine insurance is
provided by EU firms. “We are seeking a diplomatic, negotiated settlement with
Iran. We call on Iran to take concrete action to address international concerns
about its nuclear program,” Hague said. “It is in the power of the Iranian
leadership to end Iran’s current isolation, but unless they change course the
pressure will only increase.” Talks – at expert level – between Iran and
the six world powers are to be held on Tuesday in Istanbul.
Hina
discusses Pak-US ties with Pak PM
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf met with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on
Sunday and discussed the Nato supply route issue as well as Pakistan-US ties.
During the meeting, the prime minister also discussed the overall political
situation in the country with Khar. According to the spokesman of the Prime
Minister House, the foreign minister informed the prime minister about the
situation in the region and foreign affairs and briefed him on the Pak-US
relations.
Clinton
greets Raja Pervez on becoming PM
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephoned
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Sunday and congratulated him on assuming
office of the Chief Executive of Pakistan. She expressed the hope that relations
between the United States of America and Pakistan would improve during his
tenure as prime minister. She said that Pakistan and the US were partners in the
war on terror and would succeed in defeating the common enemy. The prime
minister thanked her for felicitation and said that the government and the
people of Pakistan were committed to fight out the scourge of terrorism. The
prime minister said that Pakistan had suffered the most but its resolve to
defeat the menace remained unwavering. The US Secretary of State also expressed
best wishes for President Asif Ali
Zardari.
Pakistan
Elections will be held in March 2013: Malik
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
LONDON:
Advisor to prime minister on Interior Rehman Malik has said that the government
will complete its constitutional term and the general elections will be held in
March 2013. Talking to media persons here on Sunday, he said that opposition was
demanding mid-term polls but the government had no intention to announce fresh
polls in the country. To a query he said that Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah
is a very influential and powerful person and even Mian Brothers could not speak
before him. He said that PML-N has filed more petitions in the Lahore High Court
and Supreme Court of Pakistan against the PPP. He said that the PPP respect the
judiciary. However, he said that the courts decide cases against PPP in hours
but the cases of PML-N are pending with the courts.
NAB
Chief statement another example of Muk Muka: Imran
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Chairman Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf Imran Khan has condemned the obvious
collusion/muk muka between the Zardari regime and the house of Sharifs.
Referring to a statement of NAB Chairman in which he has said that President
Zardari has barred him from reopening Nawaz Sharif cases, Imran Khan said that
what more evidence is needed of an underhand deal between Zardari and Nawaz.
According to him, the nation has been seeing this deal unfolding on numerous
occasions in the last four years. Nawaz Sharif helped Zardari get elected as
President, then both parties formed a coalition government in Punjab. We still
remember, said Imran Khan, that whenever Zardari would be in trouble Nawaz
Sharif would come to his rescue making the excuse that system has to be saved.
On one occasion, Nawaz said that even if the entire PPP deserts
Zardari, he would be there to help him. Later on, we saw, said Imran that
despite Shahbaz Sharif’s antics, N League and PPP colluded
during the Senate elections, then in the bye elections, and now in ensuring that
fresh elections are not held till next year. This entire evidence points to a
long history of a secret understanding between Zardari and Sharif. This latest
episode, said Chairman PTI, in which the NAB Chief has promised to go easy on
Nawaz Sharif surprises no one. In fact he has spilled the entire beans by saying
that he has been specifically asked by President Zardari not do so. The problem
is, according to Imran, that Sharifs and Zardari may have done Muk Muka but that
the NAB Chief has no right to stop proceedings in any case just because Zardari
has asked him to. After all, NAB claims to be an independent institution.
Further, said Imran, It is the nation’s money that has been stolen by Zardari
and the Sharifs and NAB is duty bound to aggressively pursue all cases in which
the country has been robbed. It is also a strange argument that because the
elections are near, no further cases would be opened against politicians. In
fact, a house cleaning before the elections is most essential, said Imran Khan,
and the NAB Chairman is no one to arbitrarily decide that prosecution against
looted wealth would be halted. Chairman PTI said that his party would not
tolerate this muk muka between Zardari, Nawaz and NAB. It will pursue this
matter right to the end and if NAB still desists from taking the looted wealth
cases further, it reserves the right to take up the matter in superior courts.
The
Market
Pakistan’s
fiscal year 2011-12 ended with a growth of 3.7%
Minister
briefs PM on country’s economic situation
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh called on Prime Minister Raja Pervez
Ashraf at Prime Minister House on Sunday and briefed him on the country’s
economic situation. The Finance
Minister said that the fiscal year 2011-12 ended with a growth of 3.7%, showing
an improvement over last three years. Similarly, the minister said better
performance was visible in the decline in inflation rate from 13% last year to
11% in the year just concluded. The benefit of decline in international fuel
prices, the minister said, had been passed on to the consumers and during the
last 45 days, the prices of fuel, diesel and kerosene had been brought down
three times. He said that the financial year had also ended with foreign
exchange reserves of over 15 billion dollars, in spite of paying back to the IMF
1.2 billion dollars during the year as per the schedule. The minister said that
exports remained strong in spite of global economic crisis and were likely to
maintain upward momentum in the year 2012-13 as well. The Finance Minister
highly appreciated the role of expatriate Pakistanis and said the remittances
were at a historic high level of over 13 billion dollars. He said with
satisfaction that the year 2011-12 had also ended with record level of tax
revenues, which were expected to surpass the Rs 1910 billion - an increase of Rs
450 billion, showing a growth rate of 23%, the highest level of growth in single
year in Pakistan’s history.The Finance Minister further said that the
financial year 2011-12 also ended with successful completion of Federal PSDP
where projects benefiting the economy worth Rs 300 billion were undertaken
showing 100% utilization and completion of more than 200 projects.
He also briefed the Prime Minister on the revival programme of Pakistan
Steel Mills for which allocations had been made by Ministry of Finance to ensure
the success of its new management and to gradually increase the output from
present 20% utilization to 80% utilization of the Steel Mills capacity so it
becomes profitable.The Finance Minister said that the recent improvement in the
production of electricity sector from 10000 MW to about 14000 MW had given a
relief to the public but greater efforts would be required from the management
of the electricity sector and relevant ministries to overcome this challenge on
a fasttrack basis. The Prime
Minister expressed his satisfaction on the economic stability and appreciated
the successful efforts of the team under the leadership of the Finance Minister
and directed that prudent economic policies should be continued.
The Prime Minister also directed that the incoming year’s PSDP
allocations to projects based on regional balance and completion of ongoing
projects showed that the maximum benefits could be made available to the public,
especially the people belonging to Balochistan, FATA and other less developed
regions of the country. The Finance
Minister also gave an update on the working of the Cabinet Committee on Energy.
LPG
prices reduced by Rs 15 per kg
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
LAHORE:
LPG prices have been reduced in the country by Rs 15 per kilogram after a
prominent fall in international prices of LPG. According to Chairman LPG
distribution, Bilal Jabbar, international price for LPG has been reduced by $
129 per tonne, causing a consequent decrease in its price in Pakistan. In
accordance with the new LPG rates, price of LPG cylinder for domestic use will
decrease by Rs 180 and price of LPG cylinder for commercial use would fall by Rs
720 per cylinder. LPG will be sold in Punjab, Azad Kashmir and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa at Rs 105 per kilogram, in Sindh and Balochistan at Rs 100 per
kilogram and in Gilgit-Baltistan at Rs 110 per kilogram. The new LPG prices will
come into effect by tomorrow (Tuesday).
INTERNATIONAL
Japan
restarts first reactor since Fukushima crisis
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
TOKYO:
Kansai Electric Power Co on Sunday restarted the 1,180-megawatt No. 3 unit at
its Ohi atomic plant, the utility said, Japan’s first nuclear reactor to come
back online since the Fukushima crisis, despite public safety concerns. The
government on June 16 approved the restart of the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at
the Ohi plant to avert a potential summer power crunch, sparking street protests
in cities around Japan. The No.4 unit will resume operations later this month.
Opinion polls have shown around 70 percent of Japanese voters want the country
to ditch nuclear power in the long term. On Sunday, about 100 protesters with
more than a dozen vehicles blocked a road near the Ohi plant, part of a group of
about 650 who had rallied against the restarts, although a Kansai Electric
spokesman said the protest did not affect the restart. Kyodo news agency
reported that a vice cabinet minister sent to watch the operation was forced to
arrive by boat. In Tokyo, some 7,000 protesters marched through downtown streets
chanting their opposition and calling for an end to the use of nuclear power,
public broadcaster NHK reported. All the country’s nuclear reactors were shut
down for maintenance and then underwent safety checks to see if they could
withstand an earthquake and tsunami similar to the disaster that overwhelmed
Tokyo Electric Power’s Fukushima Daiichi plant last year, causing the worst
atomic crisis since Chernobyl in 1986. Before the Fukushima crisis, Japan relied
on nuclear power for about 30 percent of its electricity and was the world’s
third-biggest user after the United States and France.
China
keen to enhance bilateral ties with Pakistan
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Once again, the hospitability, warmth and love of Chinese people made the visit
of five member media delegation of Pakistan to China a memorable and historic
event and a step forward to further promoting Pak-China bilateral ties in
different sectors through media. The media delegation paid seven-day visit to
China in June on the invitation of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China for
creating awareness about the cultural similarities of both the friendly nations
and sharing opportunities of joint ventures in different fields. The media men
belonged to electronic as well as print media, after receiving warm welcome,
visited three beautiful cities of China including Beijing, Changsha in Hunan
Province and Urumqi in Xinjiang and held meetings with the high officials.
During an interaction with Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Masood Khan, sharing
his experiences he said “youth, at its developing stage, is the future of any
nation and they must learn to get independent and understand that there is no
short cut to success. One has to put a lot of efforts to get success and remain
persistent with struggle then he will be able to get the fruits”. Quoting the
example of Mao Tse Tung who brought Chinese revolution, the ambassador said an
individual can change the destiny of the nation and those who have positive
vision should not sit idle but play their role in development of the country.
Masood Khan pointed out the need for Pakistan to pay attention toward the
health, education and environment and said these sectors must remain under the
control of federal government. During a meeting with Vice President, China
Institute of International Studies, Beijing, Dong Manyan, he appreciated the
role of Pakistan in war against terrorism and said, “Pakistan has rendered
great contribution and sacrifices toward the cause of terrorism which should be
acknowledged by international community”. He said, “China is always ready to
extend maximum cooperation to Pakistan in its efforts to counter extremism and
terrorism. Pak-China friendship is higher than Himalayan and deeper than Pacific
Ocean and any effort to split this friendship or create mistrust will go into
vain”. In a meeting with the officials of China Eurasia Expo Secretariat, it
was conveyed by Assistant Director Shadiya Ablahat that companies from Pakistan
will participate in the upcoming Eurasia Expo and it will enhance cooperation in
economy, trade, investment, culture, science, finance and humanity. The
delegation was also given detailed picture of using hybrid technology by China
for the increased production of wheat and rice and how Pakistan can get benefit
from this technology. Pakistan is already focusing to import hybrid wheat
varieties from China. The delegation visited several places including Hunan
Agriculture University, Long Ping High Tech Agriculture Company Limited,
Metallurgical Corporation of China Limited, China Eurasia Expo Secretariat,
China Radio International, Historical Museum and Park at Urumqi. The media
delegation comprised of Anchorperson from Pakistan Television News, Waheed
Hussain and print media journalists including Syed Irfan Raza from Dawn, Mian
Saif-ur-Rehman from The News, Syed Amjad Hussain from Daily Jang and Shumaila
Noreen from Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). The media delegation had
interacted with officials of Departments of Foreign Affairs, Information,
Commerce and Agriculture and was delighted to visit China, the country with
which Pakistan has deep rooted ties and cherished memories of standing together
in all times.
Pakistani
rangers delegation reaches India to talk with BSF
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistani delegation headed by DG Pakistan Rangers Sindh comprising members from
Pakistan Rangers, Survey of Pakistan, Ministry of Interior and ANF have reached
India to attend Bi- Annual meeting with BSF India, scheduled from 1-5 July in
Delhi. Issues of mutual interest, measures to improve peace along International
Border and working boundary, repatriation of Pakistani fishermen, inadvertent
crossers and Pakistani prisoners detained in Indian Jails, illegal border
crossing and hostile firing will be discussed. Officials of ANF will also
discuss measures to check and control precursor smuggling and sharing of
intelligence with their counterparts to curb the menace of drug trafficking. DG
Sindh Rangers Maj Gen Rizwan Akhtar is head of delegation while DG Punjab Ranges
Maj Gen Mian Mohammad Hilal Hussain will accompany him. BSF DIG P. S. Nagara
received the delegation at Wagha.
CRIME
CORNER
3-day
border combats kill 34 terrorists
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
LOWER
DIR: The skirmishes between security forces and miscreants are going on for the
last three days on Pak Afghan border in the area of Lower Dir in which some 34
terrorist have been killed. The security sources said that Afghan terrorists
tried to intrude inside Pakistan’s territory from cross border but the
security forces foiled their efforts to centre into Pakistan. The security
forces are beefing up the security arrangements on the border by increasing the
number of troops and check posts to prevent the intruders.
Troops
martyr 6 Kashmiris in June
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
SRINAGAR:
In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops, in their continued acts of state terrorism,
martyred 6 Kashmiris including 1 in custody during the last month of June.
According to the data issued by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service,
today, 200 people were critically injured when Indian police and paramilitary
personnel used brute force against peaceful demonstrators in the occupied
territory. 60 civilians, mostly youth, were arrested while 3 women were
disgraced and 1 house was destroyed by the troops during the month. On the other
hand, the occupation authorities placed the All Parties Hurriyet Conference
Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, under house arrest in Srinagar, today, to prevent
him from addressing an international ulema conference at Delgam in Islamabad.
The veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, was also confined to his
residence. He was scheduled to visit Khanyar where shrine of Pir Dastgeer Sahib
was gutted on June 25. Senior APHC leader, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi,
addressing a meeting of his party activists in Badgam said that the Kashmiri
people had been waging a peaceful struggle to secure their inalienable right to
self-determination. He urged the Kashmiris to beware of the anti-movement
elements, who wanted to divide them on sectarian lines. Hurriyet leaders
including Syed Ali Gilani, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Yasmeen Raja,
Zafar Akbar Butt, Javed Ahmad Mir and Mohammad Yousuf Naqash in their separate
statements strongly condemned the forcible evacuation of the pro-liberation
leader, Ghulam Mohammad Khan Sopori from his self-owned residence by Indian
police in Srinagar. They termed the action as the worst form of political
vendetta.
4
persons of a family drown in river
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
DERA
GHAZI KHAN: Three women and one minor belonged to a family drowned in Indus
River at Ghazi Ghatt picnic spot. The unlucky family who was dwelling in the
area of Rinrad went for a pacnic on the bank of river. A woman Shahida started
getting bath her son Gul Zaman in the river to beat the heat. All of a sudden
she slipped and fell into river along with his child. Two of her cousins Saira
and Sonia jumped into the river to save them both. Rescue-1122 reached the spot
on getting information about the incident and recovered the dead bodies as
before reaching them all the four persons were trapped in the waves and were
drowned in the river.
Man
murdered in Quetta
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
QUETTA:
Unidentified men have murdered a person in Satellite Town area of the
metropolis. Police said on Sunday one Noor Muhammad was standing besides a
mosque in Satellite Town area when unknown men attacked him with dagger and
injured him. The wounded succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital. The
assailants managed to escape from the scene. The police have registered a case
and started investigation into the incident.
June 30, 2012
Pakistani
objection to US drones puts ‘nations at war’, says Democrat
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
WASHINGTON
: President Obama’s
continued bombing of
Pakistan
, despite
Islamabad
’s repeated calls for the
CIA to halt its attacks, means the two nations may technically be at war, says
a
US
Congressman. Dennis
Kuchinich, who has represented
Ohio
since 1996, described the
US
covert drone programme as
‘vigilantism conducted by robots’. In an interview with the Bureau,
Democrat Kucinich voices withering criticism of US clandestine operations in
Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, saying that America has found itself ‘running a
killing bureaucracy’. Kucinich told the Bureau that he believed the
US
may in effect be at war with
Pakistan
, given that its ‘ally’
has demanded that drone strikes on its territory stop. In recent months
Pakistan
has loudly protested each
drone strike, calling them a ‘total contravention of international law’
which are a ‘violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.’
Kucinich believes that
Islamabad
’s recent opposition to
the strikes marks a new and worrying chapter in US-Pakistani relations. ‘If a
nation, which at one time asked for our help, resents our help, then any action
that takes place effectively loses the protection of the request for
cooperation. And then it becomes a clearly outlined act of aggression. And so,
if it is as Pakistan says it is, and if in fact Pakistan has made this request
and asked us to stop and we continue this bombing, then we are at war with
Pakistan,’ Kucinich told the Bureau.
Pakistan
has always denied claims
that secret agreements with the
US
allow
Washington
to conduct attacks on its
soil. The 66-year old Ohio Congressman, who steps down this November, is a
long-time critic of
US
militarism. He condemned the
covert use of drones, describing them as incendiaries ‘that spreads war more
broadly and incite more people to join the cause of those who protest the US
policies and who seeks to commit violence.’ He added: ‘When you have
assassination programs that lack any attempt to establish legal justification,
then you have journeyed into moral depravity. International law means nothing,
laws of war mean nothing.’ ‘You are looking here at an executive power that
is unleashed,’ continued Kucinich. He believes the White House has bypassed
America
’s ‘highly structured’
system of justice to the point where it is not dispensing justice at all. ‘If
you have only an executioner that is not justice, that is something else,’ he
said. ‘Because the emphasis is on killing, this is murder.’ Lamenting the
lack of transparency and oversight of the drone program, the Congressman fears
the
US
is stuck in an endless cycle
of violence. Kucinich sees the criteria of what constitutes a legitimate drone
target ‘just gets looser and looser,’ referring to the fact that the CIA
considers all adult males in a strike zone as militants. The US Constitution
gives Congress the power to choose what country to declare war on, asserts
Kucinich. But since the September 11 attacks ‘declarations of war have
basically vanished, replaced by an administration’s assertion of the power to
declare a global war.’ ‘Under the Obama administration it is the derogation
to the executive of the power to strike at any nation at any time for any
reason,’ he continues. In response he is planning to bring a resolution
before Congress that will return martial powers to the legislature. ‘What I
am trying to bring about in the Congress is to force accountability and
transparency.’ In Kucinich’s view the US is
also at war in Yemen ,
where US drones,
combat aircraft and warships are currently fighting – all ‘covertly’.
‘We do not need to go through an Orwellian exercise of semantics or the
twisting of meaning here,’ said Kucinich. ‘We understand that we are at war
in Yemen .’ He hopes
to force the Obama administration to formally seek a declaration of war from
Congress. Earlier this week, former US President
and fellow Democrat Jimmy Carter also made an outspoken attack on Obama’s
counter-terrorism policy. In a New York Times article, Carter said of the covert
drone strikes ‘We don’t know how many hundreds of innocent civilians have
been killed in these attacks, each one approved by the highest authorities in
Washington. This would have been unthinkable in previous times.’ Saying that
the United States had
lost the right to speak with moral authority on foreign affairs, Carter urged
Washington ‘to
reverse course and regain moral leadership according to international human
rights norms that we had officially adopted as our own and cherished throughout
the years.’
Pakistan
not backed out of apology
over Salala incident: Defence Minister
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Defence Minister Syed Naveed Qamar has clarified Pakistan stands firm on the
demand of pardon from the US on Salala attack that occurred on November 26, 2011
in which number of Pakistani soldiers were killed. He denied the suppositions
that Pakistan has backed up from its previous stance of asking pardon from the
US. Talking to media-men on his visit to PIA Headquarters on Friday, he said the
US government was in continuous contact with Pakistan and Pakistan has made it
clear that pardon for assault on Salala Check post is indispensable for the
restoration of NATO supply routes. Any decision about restoration of NATO supply
lines will be taken keeping in view Pakistan’s national interest, he added. He
also made it manifest that Pakistan is under severe pressure amid demands for
re-opening NATO supply lines but observed that Pakistan cannot restore the NATO
routes without considering ground situation. He said Pakistan values its
relations with international community and it wants to progress forward
accompanying other nations. Replying to a question, Naveed Qamar expressed the
view the government of Pakistan will not compromise on national security and
interest of the nation, adding that all decisions regarding national security
will taken by considering public opinion and resolutions of the Parliament.
Defence minister Naveed Qamar also visited office of Pakistan International
Airlines where Managing Director PIA Rao Qamar Suleman briefed him on the
performance of the organization. MD PIA said PIA would become self-sufficient
within a year.
Raja
for early selection of CEC
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
LAHORE:
Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf invited opposition parties to join him in
early selection of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to ensure transparent, free
and fair election in the country, stressing PPP government is committed to
impartial elections. “The
opposition should come forward to the selection of CEC which is vital for the
smooth and reliable electoral process ahead”, he said while addressing the PPP
Punjab Executive Committee meeting at the Governor’s House here Friday.
The Prime Minister rejected politics of confrontation amongst the
institutions and political parties, adding that it was detrimental to the cause
of democracy including the opposition as well as institutions in the country. He
said that all institutions could play their positive role by working within
their constitutionally defined ambit. The
Prime Minister said that the PPP would continue to follow politics of
reconciliation in the light of the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,
the Charter of Democracy (CoD) ensured to respect mandate of all political
parties. “I hold the governments of Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Balochistan in high
esteem and respect their mandates”, he added.
The Prim Minister welcomed Punjab government’s gesture of officially
receiving him on his arrival in the provincial metropolis. Talking about the
government’s priorities, the Prime Minister said that overcoming energy crisis
is the top most priority of his government, adding that power shortfall has been
reduced a great deal due to the recent initiatives by the government. He said
the PPP-led government has completed record development projects during the past
four years, saying that restoration of the 1973 Constitution, passage of the
Aghaz-e Haqooq-e-Balochistan, provincial autonomy are the salient achievements
of the present government. The
Premier said that democracy is the best antidote to the problems like terrorism,
energy crisis, poverty and intolerance in the country. He said the PPP has
always worked for strengthening of institutions. The meeting was attended by
Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, Federal Minister for Information and
Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira, federal ministers Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo,
Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Samina Khalid Ghurki, PPP Punjab President Imtiaz Safdar
Warraich, Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz Ahmed, PPP Punjab
Women President Beelam Husnain and other party leaders from across Punjab.
Later, the Premier listened and shared views with the PPP Punjab Executive
Committee members.
Gen
John Allen visits Pakistan for constructive Military-to-Military talks
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
RAWALPINDI:
General John R. Allen, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force
who arrived in Islamabad on June 27 and met with General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani,
Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff for constructive military-to-military talks.
According a joint statement of Pakistan Army and ISAF issued by Inter Services
Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday, during this visit, the commanders
specifically discussed the mutual progress being made to eliminate terrorism,
combat extremism and ensure that both Pakistan and Afghanistan’s territory is
no longer used as safe haven for cross border attacks. The commanders also
discussed current operational realities. This visit helped advance our efforts
to achieve the regional stability. The meeting provided us perfect opportunity
to refocus our attention on our continuing efforts to eliminate the corrosive
effects of extremists operating on both sides of the border, General Allen said.
The purpose of this trip was to build on the positive momentum established
during last month’s meeting of the Afghanistan-Pakistan-ISAF Tripartite
Commission. During May’s Tripartite gathering, the first such discussion in
nearly a year, commanders and key staff discussed issues of tactical,
operational and strategic importance including cross-border cooperation.The
meeting served as an opportunity to renew everyone’s desire to address topics
and issues of mutual importance, it concluded.
Security
beefed up following deadly blast
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
QUETTA:
Following the deadly blast in the Hazar Ganji area of the Quetta, security
arrangements have been strengthened in the provincial capital with additional
deployment of the police and FC men at and around the city. Police told that the
security has been beefed up in and around Quetta city on Friday to guard the
worship places where faithful will converge to offer the Friday prayers.
“Additional contingents of police and personnel of other law enforcement
agencies have been deployed on main junctions of the city whereas extra check
posts have also been established in some areas for snap checking,” they added.
Sources said the personnel of LEAs deployed on entry and exit points have been
directed to strictly check the vehicles and pedestrians entering into the city.
The mobile teams of the law enforcers were seen patrolling the sensitive areas
of the city to avoid untoward incident. It may be mentioned, here that the hike
in the recent spate of terror which has claimed over hundreds lives in different
incident of violence since January this year only in the provincial capital has
put question mark on the performance of the law enforcement agencies and other
security agencies. Unabated killings and series of blast targeting the civilians
and LEAS men all around has created panic among the public in Quetta, badly
hitting trade and social activities in the provincial capital.
INTERNATIONAL
We
did not send Surjeet Singh for spying: Home Secretary
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
NEW
DELHI: Indian Home Secretary RK Singh on Friday said that Surjeet Singh, who was
released by Pakistan on Thursday, was not a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)
agent. Surjeet Singh had said on Thursday that he had been sent to Pakistan to
spy for India. Surjeet served a life term following his arrest on charges of
spying in the 1980s in Pakistan. In 1985, he was given the death sentence, which
was commuted to life imprisonment in 1989 by then Pakistan President Ghulam
Ishaq Khan. Minutes after returning, at a press meet, Surjeet was asked about
the reasons for which he went to Pakistan, and he first said, “Why do you
people want me to speak about such things?” Pressed, he revealed that he had
gone for “jasoosi” (spying). He named the RAW as his handler, and then said
the army had sent him. Promptly, border officials took him away to complete
formalities, and he left with family and friends for the Golden Temple in
Amritsar.
Pakistan
to face the brunt of US law on Iran sanctions
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
WASHINGTON:
Pakistan’s financial bodies are set to bear the brunt of the strict US law on
Iran sanctions which came into force today, as the country was not granted the
necessary waiver extended so far to India and 19 others. Pakistan along with
Afghanistan is not among the 20 countries which, according to Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton, have significantly reduced their import of oil from Iran. The
list of the 20 countries which were given the waiver, was announced in three
phases, the last two of them being China and Singapore. In addition to China and
Singapore, Belgium, Britain, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, India,
Malaysia, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, South Korea,
Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Turkey have been exempted so far. US officials did
not provide any explanation for not giving the necessary exemption to Pakistan
in this regard, in the absence of which Pakistani financial institutions would
be majorly impacted by the tough American sanctions on Iran. “A total of 20
world economies have now qualified for such an exception. Their cumulative
actions are a clear demonstration to Iran’s government that Iran’s continued
violation of its international nuclear obligations carries an enormous economic
cost,” Mrs Clinton said in a statement. According to the International Energy
Agency (IEA), Iran’s crude oil exports in 2011 were approximately 2.5 million
barrels per day, and have dropped to roughly 1.5 million barrels a day, which in
real terms means almost $8 billion in lost revenues every quarter. When the EU
oil embargo goes into effect on 1 July, Iran’s leaders will understand even
more fully the urgency of the choice they face and the unity of the
international community, Mrs Clinton said. Later, a senior administration
official said the sanctions on Iran’s central bank and oil sector are having a
significant effect on the Iranian government and its economy. “Just yesterday
you saw an Iranian official admit that sanctions have led, according to their
own estimates, to a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in sales,” the official said.
The USA, the official said, would continue to implement these sanctions fully to
achieve additional reductions.
June 29, 2012
13
killed in
Quetta
bomb explosion
Governor,
CM condemn attack
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Thirteen people, including policemen
and Shia Muslims, were killed and 20 people were injured when a bus carrying
pilgrims was targeted with a bomb in Hazar Ganji area on the outskirts of
Quetta
Thursday. The passengers of the bus
were returning back from
Iran
after a pilgrimage. The bus collided
with a car before both the vehicles exploded, eye witnesses told the media
representatives. The impact of the explosion was so intense that the bus turned
over, eye witnesses added. There were around 80 passengers in the bus. The
injured are being shifted to the civil hospital of the city and
Bolan
Medical
College
hospital. Emergency was imposed in all
the hospitals of
Quetta
. Police and Frontier Corps (FC)
cordoned off the area after the incident as investigation went underway. “A
bus carrying Pakistani Shia Muslims was coming to Quetta from Iran when a bomb
exploded near it, killing eleven people including nine Shia pilgrims and two
escorting policemen,” senior local police official, Hamid Shakeel, told.
Balochistan has become flashpoint for sectarian violence between
Pakistan
’s majority Sunni Muslims and
minority Shias, who account for around a fifth of the country’s 167 million
population. It is one of the most deprived regions of
Pakistan
despite its wealth in resources, and
human rights activists have accused the military of mass arrests and
extra-judicial executions in its bid to put down the separatist insurgency.
Around 5,000 people have been killed in outbreaks of sectarian violence between
Sunni and Shia militant groups in
Pakistan
since the late 1980s. Governor
Balochistan, Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam
Raisani and provincial Quality Education Minister Jan Ali Changezi on Thursday
condemned the attack on pilgrim bus. In their separate messages, they expressed
sorrow and grief over the loss of lives and said that responsible would be
brought to justice. They also expressed sympathies with the bereaved families
and prayed Allah to grant them courage to bear the loss.
Pakistan
wants friendly relations with
International community: PM
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has
said
Pakistan
wants friendly relations with whole
international community including its neighbours on the principle of mutual
respect and sovereignty. He was speaking at a briefing in the Foreign Office
here on Thursday where he was briefed about the foreign policy and state of
relations with other countries. The Prime Minister said
Pakistan
is a peace loving country and is making
all out efforts to bring peace and stability in the region. He said the
democratic government has made successful strides to improve relations with the
neighbouring countries including
India
during the last four years. However’
he said there is need to further promote dialogue process with
India
to resolve all outstanding issues
including
Kashmir
to bring sustainable peace in the area.
The Prime Minister said
Pakistan
also wants good relations with
United States
but it will not compromise on its
sovereignty and dignity. He said any decision regarding restoration of NATO
supplies to
Afghanistan
will be taken in line with the
recommendations of the Parliament.
Gen
Allen’s meeting with Kayani ‘productive’: Pentagon
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
WASHINGTON
: Pentagon has said that ISAF
Commander’s meeting with
Pakistan
’s Army Chief, Gen. Ashfaq Pervez
Kayani was “very productive”. Gen. Allen had visited
Islamabad
on Wednesday to discuss
military-to-military cooperation and the issues creating friction between them
over the last few months. Pentagon Press Secretary, George Little said that the
visit was aimed at continuing dialogue with
Pakistan
on all critical issues. “This is an
effort to continue the dialogue we had with
Pakistan
on a range of issues affecting the US
Pakistani relationship,” he said while talking to reporters in an off-camera
gaggle. He, however, reiterated that no agreement had been reached yet on the
ground supply routes from
Pakistan
. “Without getting into specifics of
our discussion with
Pakistan
, I think there is reason for optimism
here. We are reaching a point in our relationship with
Pakistan
that suggests that things are settling
down a bit,” he remarked. George Little was quick to point out though that
some of the issues were still unresolved. “I am not saying that all the issues
are behind us, some of the issues are out there, but important thing is we
continue to talk with
Pakistan
on ground supply routes and a range of
other issues related to the bilateral defense relationship,” he said.
Expressing hope for a positive outcome, he said
Pakistan
and US were moving towards a more
routine system of dialogue. “I think, the basis for some kind of an agreement
on the GLOCs is there and is real and we hope that we reach a resolution on it.
It has been over seven months, and we obviously want to get through this issue
and be able to use ground supply routes in
Afghanistan
,” he pointed out. He vehemently
denied reports that Gen Allen’s visit to
Islamabad
was a “last ditch effort” to
resolve ties with
Pakistan
. “We are not viewing our ongoing
discussions with the Pakistanis as last ditch efforts. We are committed to
continuing discussions with
Pakistan
not only on supply routes but on a
broad range of issues,” he argued. Responding to another question regarding
attack by TTP militants in Dir that killed 13 Pakistani soldiers, he regretted
the incident. “We deplore any attack on our Pakistani partners. The TTP poses
a threat to both
Pakistan
and to the
United States
,” he said. “We take aggressive
action against terrorists on the Afghan side of the border. We will continue to
do so. Whether it is the Haqqani network or the TTP, whether it is Al Qaeda, we
will take decisive action on the Afghan side of the border,” he assured “It
is important for the United States and Pakistan to work closely with each other
on the issue of insurgents that cross the border and that is what we have called
for in recent weeks with respect to safe havens in Pakistan,” Little recalled.
“We look forward to continuing our dialogue with the Government of Pakistan on
these very important issues as this is a common cause. These terrorists are
threat both to the
United States
, its allies and
Pakistan
,” the Press Secretary maintained.
NATO
supply restoration in Pakistan’s interest: Jilani
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani,
Thursday, declared restoration of NATO supply in the interests of
Pakistan
, saying, it was must for pulling out of
foreign forces from
Afghanistan
. He observed that positive development
had been achieved in ongoing talks between
Pakistan
and
United States
over tendering apology over Salala
Check Post attack. He would be leaving for
New Delhi
for Foreign Secretaries’ level talks
on cross Line of Control (LoC) firing incidents, security and other outstanding
issues with
India
on July 3rd. He also added that
Pakistan
had serious concerns over safe havens
of terrorists cross Afghan border and had taken up the issue of cross border
attacks on Pakistani security personnel with Afghan officials. “Hopefully,
Afghan officials will take necessary measures to check militants’ attacks on
Pakistani security check posts” he said while talking to reporters here at
Parliament House, after attending Public Accounts Committee meeting. Foreign
Secretary added that foreign forces’ withdrawal from
Afghanistan
would also usher stability there and
Pakistan
’s relations with
Afghanistan
were improving and
Pakistan
wished to contribute in the stability
of
Afghanistan
. He said that
Pakistan
was engaged in dialogue with US on
tendering apology over Salala Check Post attack and positive developments had
been achieved in this regard. Moreover, restoration of NATO supply was in
Pakistan
’s interests as it was necessary for
providing way out for ISAF stationed in
Afghanistan
as it would mark ushering stability
there. Secretary while expressing mounting number of cross LoC firing incidents
from Indian side on Pakistani soil, said that he was leaving for New Delhi on
July 3rd to take up the said issue along with other matters pertaining to
regional security and outstanding disputes with India at Foreign Secretaries’
level talks. He said that visit of Indian Minister for External Affairs to
Pakistan
was scheduled on July 18, however, it
had been postponed due to internal political developments of
India
. He apprise media men that Pakistani
High Commissions in Australia and Indonesia had been directed for playing
proactive role in gathering data about Pakistani nationals who had fallen prey
to ship accident in Australia. He also observed that Prime Minister Pervez
Ashraf was briefed at Foreign Office about
Pakistan
’s relations with regional and other
countries as well as Pakistani foreign policy and PM expressed his satisfaction
over FO’s briefing and performance. Replying to a question regarding postponed
visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to
Moscow
, Jilani said that the postponed visit
was specific to a conference, but hopefully, Russian President Vladimir Putin
would come to
Pakistan
to attend four nation summit scheduled
to be held in September. “Four countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Tajikistan and Russia” he added He also observed that Pakistani delegation in
Brazil conference took an active part despite dysfunction of Commerce Minister
Makhdoom Amin Fahim due to judgment of the Supreme Court.
Railway
corruption: NA body recommends strict punishment for corrupt civilian, officers
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: National Assembly’s Standing
Committee for Railways has recommended to National Accountability Bureau (NAB)
to take stern action against those involved in corruption in Pakistan Railways.
Meeting of National Assembly’s standing committee for Railways was held in the
Parliament House on Thursday under the chairmanship of Ayaz Sadiq. The meeting
was attended by its members from ministry of railways and high-ups of NAB.
During the meeting, the standing committee proposed to take action against the
corrupt without distinguishing between civilian and military officers. Chairman
National Assembly’s standing committee for Railways, Ayaz Sadiq said NAB
arrests civilians only and does not seize men in the uniform, and said such
double standards should be eliminated. Chairman standing committee, Ayaz Sadiq
also told the participants that three retired Army Generals are involved in
illegal activities in Royal Palm Club. He named the three retired Army Generals
as Javed Ashraf Qazi, General (Retd.) Saeed Zafar and General (Retd.) Butt.
Chairman standing committee also said an Army Brigadier involved in illegal
practices is being investigated. He said the committee wants to recover as much
amount as possible. During the session of the standing committee for Railways,
federal minister for railway Ghulam Ahmed Bilor and member of the committee from
the government side, Begum Naseem Akhtar Chaudhary exchanged hot words.
PML-N
not to support dual nationality in NA: Nisar
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Leader of the opposition Chaudhry
Nisar Ali Khan has said that PML-N will not let the issue of dual nationality be
a part of any constitutional amendment. In his Thursday statement, he has
cautioned that PML-N would use its full force to resist any endeavors to
include/pass any amendments over the issue. He said that currently PPP did not
enjoy the two-third majority in the National Assembly, as was evident from the
procedures of 20th amendment. He castigated the rulers for indulging in
unprecedented luxuries, which had brought the Country to extreme brink of
disaster. “Those advocating the illogical stance of PML-N’s resignations
should honestly think, whether this action of resigning from Assemblies could
ever solve the problem(s)”, adding that resignations would leave the
parliament vulnerable to free looting spree of rulers with impunity.
Gov't
endangering future of brilliant students: Nawaz
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
LAHORE
:
Pakistan
Muslim League-N President Muhammad
Nawaz Sharif has berated the federal government for endangering the future of
brilliant students of the nation by depriving them of higher education
opportunities. In a statement issued in
Lahore
on Thursday, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif
expressed serious concern over the financial crisis facing public sector
universities in
Pakistan
, because of abnormal delay in the
release of funds by the federal government. He said that it was unbelievable
that against the approved budget provision of Rs. 12 billion for the Higher
Education Commission for last quarter of this financial year, government has
released only 2% of the budget of. Rs.250 million so far; and even that while
the financial year was about to close. “ Since half of this budget allocation
of Rs.12 billion was for the recurring budgets of 74 public sector universities,
many of them have not been able to pay salaries to their faculty members and
staff”, he stated. Mina Sahib said that these difficulties were especially
serious for new universities or those located in remote areas, which have not
yet built any reserves for such eventualities. He has termed this as yet another
glaring example of poor governance and wrong priorities of this government.
During past four years total expenditure on education, which was to be increased
from 2% of GDP to 4 per cent in five years, has actually declined below 1.6 per
cent.
Pakistan
now virtually holds the record for the
lowest outlay in education in the entire world.
Responsible
free media imperative for democracy: Kaira
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Federal Minister for Information and
Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira Thursday said that Pakistan Peoples Party (
PPP )
government has firm belief that responsible and independent media was imperative
to sustain and nurture democratic norms in the country. Addressing as chief
guest at the inaugural session of two-day national conference, organized by
Press Council of Pakistan, Kaira paid tributes to the journalists’ community
for their struggle for independence of media. The minister said no doubt media
persons have rendered unprecedented sacrifices, but political workers have also
supported them in their cause. Kaira said for the first time in country’s
history the right to information had been ensured to the citizens through the
passage of 18th Amendment. The minister said the media criticism was an
important component of the accountability process but the balloting was real
platform for accountability in the democratic world. He said,”the present
government has never stopped the advertisements of any media house despite the
fact that certain media groups launched vilification campaign against it”. He,
however, said that media freedom should also bring responsibility as there is no
concept of freedom without responsibility. Kaira said that three other pillars
of the state work under some code and media should also adopt some code of
conduct for its working. He said that the government has no intention to impose
any regulations on the media, there should be some organization to implement the
code of conduct adopted by the media itself. He appealed to the media to verify
the facts before printing or telecasting a story as news without verification is
tantamount to character assassination and media trial of somebody, who may prove
innocent in the court of justice.
Bar
associations important for justice dispensation: CJP
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry Thursday said bar associations are important bodies that play a vital
role in dispensation of justice. He expressed these views while meeting a seven
member delegation of Rawalpindi District Bar Association headed by its
President, Sajid Ilyas Bhatti and consisting of other office bearers and
executive members who called on Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry at
Supreme
Court
Building
,
Islamabad
. While praising the services rendered
by Rawalpindi Bar for their profession, the Chief Justice stated that the Bar is
an active, committed and professional body which played effective role for the
achievement of the cause of independence of judiciary, supremacy of Constitution
and Rule of law in our country. The members of the delegation briefed him about
the Bar and requested the Chief Justice to inaugurate the newly constructed
Judicial Complex at
Rawalpindi
. The Chief Justice accepted their
request and told them that the Chief Justice of
Lahore
High Court,
Lahore
may also be requested to fix a
convenient date for inauguration. The delegation admired Chief Justice’s
commitment, devotion and dedication for the cause of justice. They also praised
his role for enhancing public confidence in judiciary and admired the measures
taken for eliminating corruption from the judiciary.
Pakistan
army repulse attack from Afghanistan, 7 militants killed
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
UPPER DIR
: At least seven militants were killed
and many others wounded after Afghan militants attacked
Pakistan
army in
Upper Dir
, sources said on Thursday. Sources
inside security forces said that the militants once again tried to enter the
Pakistan
territory through
Upper Dir
but the attack was repulsed by the
Pakistani army. Afghan militants on Sunday attacked a military convoy in
Upper Dir
,
Pakistan
’s area bordering
Afghanistan
, resulting in the killing of at least
21 people including militants and soldiers. The sources said that after the
recent attacks on military-posts, the security has been tightened at the border
and it was due to the strict measures which helped army to repulse the attack.
String of attacks from
Afghanistan
inside Pakistani territory has raised
concerns for the authorities. Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani demanded ISAF
Commander Gen John Allen to curb the cross border attacks from
Afghanistan
. On the other hand, the foreign
ministry also summoned the deputy head of the Afghan mission to lodge a formal
protest against “the intrusion of militants from the Afghan side into
Pakistani territory,” officials said. The Afghan diplomat was informed that
“the government of
Afghanistan
should take appropriate measures to
prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the future,” it said. Pakistani
troops have for years been fighting local Taliban but have resisted
US
pressure to carry out a sweeping
offensive against Afghan Taliban fighters in its
North Waziristan
tribal area.
PTI,
JI vow to guard SC
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
LAHORE
: The
Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf and
the Jamat-e-Islamai on Thursday agreed to build up pressure against the
government. In a joint press conference held after the meeting of PTI Chairman
Imran Khan and JI Amer Munawar Hassan , both the leaders said they discussed
minimum agenda on which the parties were already agreed. Both the leaders
expressed the resolve to protect the Supreme Court of Pakistan. They said they
were worried that government and corrupt elements might harm the apex court like
they did a few days ago, referring to Malik Riaz-Arsalan Iftikhar case. PTI
chairman dispelled any possibility to form an alliance with the forces of status
quo sitting in the Parliament. However, he avoided to comment on whether both
the parties were going to make an alliance in the next general election. He said
he didn’t see general election taking place in the near future, however,
he consider new polls only way to get rid of crisis gripping the country.
Munwwar Hassan and Imran Khan demanded that a list of those killed in the
US
drone attacks be published, besides,
demanding a halt in the attacks. Both leaders were in agreement that there
should be no role of armed forces in forming government in the country. Hassan
said that both JI and PTI were already united on some issues.
Deputy
PM’s appointment challenged in LHC
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
LAHORE
: The appointment of Chaudhry Pervaiz
Elahi as deputy prime minister of
Pakistan
was challenged in the Lahore High Court
(LHC. The petitioner, Advocate Tariq Aziz, filed a writ in the LHC. Aziz was of
the view that appointment of Elahi as a deputy prime minister of the country was
a step to reward a coalition ally and it had not provision in the constitution.
He said that this special appointment was a clear violation to the article 91 of
the constitution. Moreover he pleaded that “this appointment was ill-intended
and should be declared void.”
Amin
Fahim made senior minister
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister has made Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim Senior
Federal Minister Cabinet Division, issued a notification to this effect , which
says that Makhdoom Amin Fahim, shall be the senior federal minister from now on
in terms of the inter-seniority of the Federal Ministers.
INTERNATIONAL
Afghan
Ambassador calls on Foreign Minister
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Ambassador of Afghanistan Muhammad
Umer Daudzai called on Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar here at Foreign Office
on Thursday. The Foreign Minister informed the Ambassador that the Prime
Minister of Pakistan had accepted the invitation of Afghan President Hamid
Karzai and was expected to visit
Kabul
in the near future.
She also informed the Ambassador that she would lead the
Pakistan
delegation to the Tokyo Conference on
Afghanistan
being held on
8th July 2012
. On the issue of containers carrying
books for Afghan students, the Foreign Minister said that orders had been issued
for the release of those containers. Foreign Minister conveyed
Pakistan
’s decision to allocate an amount of
US$ 20 million to support the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Most of
this amount will be used for capacity building and technical assistance to ANSF.
During the meeting, the two sides also discussed issues related to border
management specially in the back drop of the recent intrusion in Dir area by
militants from the Afghan side. The
Foreign Minister conveyed grave concern over increasing attacks on Pakistani
border posts and stressed the need for decisive action by the Afghan government
against the militants operating from Afghan soil.
TAPI
, IP projects exceptionally significant:
Asim
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The advisor to Prime Minister for
Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain has said that
Pakistan
wants to fulfill its energy needs
without wasting further time. He was speaking to Russian Deputy Minister for
Energy Y.P. Sentyurin, who called on him on Thursday along with his delegation.
He said that the early completion of gas
pipelines projects like Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) and
Iran Pakistan(IP ) projects are very much vital for energy strived Pakistan . He
appreciated the interest shown by
Russian Federation
in TAPI and IP gas pipeline projects,
and expressed confidence over the bilateral cooperation between Pakistan
& Russian Federation. On the occasion Secretary Petroleum, Ijaz Chaudhary
briefed the delegation on latest position of TAPI and IP pipeline projects, and
emphasized on expanding the bilateral treaty framework of cooperation in oil and
gas sector. The delegation was informed that the government had extensively
worked on Shale and Tight Gas policies that would be of interest to the Russian
government. It was agreed between the two sides that details of the two mega gas
projects would be shared immediately and financial modalities would remain
negotiable. Representatives of Russian companies including Gazprom EP and PJSC
Stroytransgaz also briefed the Advisor to the Prime Minister on possible
expertise that could be provided for the TAPI & IP projects.
Tehran
and
London
agree to representation
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
TEHRAN
:
Iran
has agreed with
Britain
to have other countries’ embassies
represent the two nations in each other’s capitals, Iranian state media
reported on Thursday. British officials were unable to confirm the report. Both
countries shut down their diplomatic missions last year around
Britain
’s prominent participation in efforts
by the West to pressure
Iran
over its nuclear program. Iranian
hard-liners stormed
Britain
’s embassy in
Tehran
in November, and Iranian lawmakers
voted to downgrade relations to the level of charge d’affaires from ambassador
level.
Iran
’s Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi,
said in remarks carried by the state IRNA press agency Thursday that the two
countries have agreed to have their interests represented by third parties: the
Omani Embassy in
London
will handle
Iran
’s interests, while the Swedish
Embassy in
Tehran
will do the same for
Britain
. In
London
,
Britain
’s Foreign Ministry could not
immediately confirm whether the nations had completed an agreement.
Britain
’s embassy in
Tehran
has been closed down many times since
early 1950s. The two countries have had a history of bitter relations over the
past decades on various issues, including the nationalization of
Iran
’s oil industry in the 1950s, the 1979
Islamic revolution and the 1989 fatwa religious ruling issued by late Iranian
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordering Muslims to kill British
writer Salman Rushdie over his novel “The Satanic Verses.” The current point
of contention is
Iran
’s nuclear program. The West suspects
Iran
of trying to develop weapons
technology.
Iran
says its program is for peaceful
purposes.
Tehran
regularly accuses
Britain
of meddling in
Iran
’s internal affairs, a charge
London
denies.
Britain
’s Foreign Secretary William Hague met
with Salehi on June 14 on the sidelines of an international conference in
Kabul
, their first talks since the
U.K.
downgraded ties with
Tehran
in response to the November storming of
the British Embassy. At the time, Hague said he expected an agreement to be
confirmed to allow another European nation to offer consular help to Britons in
Iran
, as well as carrying out other
administrative work on
Britain
’s behalf. Representatives of
Sweden
could not immediately be reached for
comment. Efforts to reach the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Muscat
by phone and email were unsuccessful.
Oman
keeps a relatively low diplomatic
profile, but has been successful in balancing relations between the West and its
neighbor
Iran
. The sultanate and
Iran
share control of the
Strait of Hormuz
, the waterway at the mouth of the
Persian Gulf
that handles a fifth of the world’s
oil supply.
Oman
’s ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, was
the first foreign leader to visit Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after
the Islamic Republic’s disputed 2009 election.
315
fishermen handed over to
India
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
LAHORE
: Indian prisoner Surjeet Singh, along
with 315 fishermen, was handed over to Indian authorities at Wagah border on
Thursday. Indian spy Surjeet Singh was freed from
Lahore
’s Kot Lakhpat Jail on early Thursday
after serving 27 years in prison since he was arrested on charges of spying.
With a smile on his face, Surjeet hugged his Pakistani lawyer who was waiting
for him here before being taken away for completion of formalities to enable him
to cross into
India
. Escorted by Pakistani Policemen,
Surjeet Singh reached the Wagah International Border crossing around
10.30 am
where he was handed over to the Indian
authorities. He was welcomed by his immediate family members from Ferozepur and
around 300 villagers at the Wagah Border. With a smile on his face, Surjeet, who
had been in captivity for over 27 years, hugged his Pakistani lawyer who was
waiting for him here before being taken away for completion of formalities to
enable him to cross into
India
. After his arrival at the Wagah Border,
he told anxious reporters that he was extremely delighted to return home to
reunite with his family members after 30 years. “By God’s grace I am meeting
my family again after 30 years. I am extremely happy,” said an emotionally
choked Surjeet Singh. He also informed that all Indian prisoners lodged in the
Kot Lakpat jail were treated well by the Pakistani authorities and he had no
complaints.
COMMERCE
OGRA
proposes to cut petrol price by Rs.5.02
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA)
has recommended the reduction of prices of petroleum products by Rs.6.44 per
liter, the regulatory authority said on Thursday. The OGRA has dispatched the
summary to slash the prices of petroleum products to the petroleum ministry.
According to OGRA summary, petrol has been recommended to be slashed by Rs. 5.02
per liter, hi-octane by Rs.6.44, high-speed diesel by Rs.2.48 and a cut worth
Rs.2.86 has been proposed in the price of light diesel. It should be mentioned
here that if petrol price is whittled down, then the CNG price will also come
down by Rs.2 per kilogram.
PAC
expresses displeasure over financial irregularities of HEC
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on
Thursday expressed displeasure over the financial irregularities of Higher
Education Commission (HEC) and said that it had self praised which they do not
deserve. Chairman PAC Nadeem Afzal Gondal while chairing the meeting said that
HEC received huge amount of Rs 48 billion but financial matters of the
organization were not up to the mark and rules were violated. Discussing an
audit para regarding non-surrendering of unspent balances, the PAC observed that
scrutiny of expenditure statements pertaining to
Quaid-e-Azam
University
,
Islamabad
for the years 2004-05 revealed that an
amount of Rs 99.276 million was shown unspent at the end of financial year. The
audit official said according to the financial rules unspent amount was required
to be surrendered to the government. The
committee directed Principal Accounting Officer (PAO) to fix responsibility for
non-surrendering of unspent budget within 15 days. Discussing another para
regarding unauthorized investment and retention
of Rs 126.803 million after completion of project, the committee directed
to conduct inquiry and fix responsibility within 30 days.Earlier, the Vice
Chancellor (VC)
Quaid-e-Azam
University
(QAU) admitted that unauthorized
investment was made and rules and regulations were violated.
Member PAC Noor Alam Khan rremarked that QAU administration was involved
in wrong doing and how it can educate nation. The VC of QAU Prof. Dr. Masoom
Yasinzai had to eat his own words after being taken hard by the PAC members for
his behaviour.
CRIME
CORNER
8
security personnel killed in Bara blast
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
KHYBER
AGENCY: As many as 8 security personnel, including a Captain, embraced martyrdom
and three received injuries as their vehicle
was attacked with remote control explosive device in Bara Tehsil of
Khyber Agency on Thursday. According to Political Authorities, the carvan of
security forces was heading toward Bara from
Peshawar
. When it reached near Al-Haj market in
Bara then suddenly an explosive device planted on road side by insurgents
exploded with a big bang.As a result the vehicle of security personnel damaged
totally and eight persons killed while three received injuries. The deceased are
identified as Capt Manan, Tariq, Yousaf, Bahadar Shah, Ali Bacha, Nawaz Gul,
Kamran Ali and Jan Afzal. While the
injured including Nabi Rehman, Zar Khan Ali and Jamil Hussain. The injured are
shifted to CMH Peshawar. Security
forces cordoned off the area and started search operation.
Two
killed in Khyber Agency blast
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
PESHAWAR
: A powerful remote control bomb blast
in Khyber Agency killed at least two men and injured several others, sources
said on Thursday. According to security sources the blast occurred in Rakha Khel
area of Khyber Agency. The sources said that two members of the peace militia (Aman
Lashkar) were targeted in a remotely controlled blast, adding that both the
members, riding motorcycle, died at the spot. Few pedestrians walking nearby
blast site were also sustained injuries. Security forces rushed to the spot and
shifted to bodies and injured people to
Agency
Headquarter
Hospital
, they said. Meanwhile unidentified
anti-education elements have blown up the government primary school in Kaka Khel
area of Bara in Khyber agency with explosive material. According to security
sources anti-education elements planted explosives in the schools. Although no
loss of life has been reported. Due to anti-education elements attacked the
total number of schools destroyed has becomes 82 in Khyber agency.
One
killed, 4 hurt in
Quetta
violence
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: In two different incidents of
violence, a man was killed and four others were injured in the city areas. Some
unidentified miscreants opened gunfire in the city area of
Sariab Road
near Faizabad, killed a man. In a
separate incident, some unidentified saboteurs ambushed a cash van of a private
bank near
Hazar Ganji Qambrani Road
with a rocket, harming the vehicle. The
van driver speeded up the vehicle to
Civil
Hospital
, where Muhammed Jan, Akbar Khan,
Muhammed Arif and Muhammed Naeem were given medical treatment. Later on, they
were shifted to CMH .
3
security men hurt in landmine blast in Mach
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: At least three security personnel
sustained injuries in a landmine explosion in Mach area of Balochistan on
Thursday, official sources confirmed. An official told that team of security men
were checking the vehicles near the
Much
Bridge
when one of the security men stepped on
the landmine planted by the unknown men. Resultantly, three personnel injured
and were moved to nearby hospital for medical aid. Condition of one injured is
stated to be serious. Soon after the incident, local administration along with
the law enforcers reached the site. The entire area was cordoned off to trace
the suspects out.
43
people die in custody everyday in
India
: UN Study
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
SRINAGAR
: A coalition of human rights bodies has
reported that an average of 43 deaths in police or prison custody everyday in
the decade 2001 to 2010 in
India
. A report prepared by the Working Group
on Human Rights in India and the UN (WGHR), a coalition of human rights bodies,
coincided with India’s Universal Periodic Review on human rights at the United
Nations has reported an average of 43 deaths in police or prison custody every
day in the decade 2001 to 2010. According to a recent report on human rights in
India
, a study of 47 districts over a period
of more than two years shows that on an average 1.8 million people are victims
of police torture. The report cites data released by the National Human Rights
Commission of India, which reported an average of 43 deaths in police or prison
custody every day in the decade 2001 to 2010. “These figures represent only a
fraction of the actual number of deaths in custody as they reflect only the
cases registered before the hr commission,” says the WGHR report. The report
points to the widespread and routine use of torture in conflict areas, leading
to both physical and mental disabilities as well as impotence. “Common methods
of torture in
Kashmir
and the North-East of
India
include assault, placement of an iron
rod on the legs on which many people sit, placement of a burning stove between
the legs and administration of electric shocks to the genitals,” adds the
report. A recent case that has caused a lot of international uproar involves the
brutal custodial torture of Soni Sori, a 35-year-old adivasi teacher in a
government-run school for tribal children in Dantewada, at the hands of the
Chhatisgarh police in
India
. Sori was arrested on October 4, 2011
on unproven allegations of being a Maoist sympathizer and acting as a conduit to
extort Rs 1.5 million for the banned CPI (M) from the Essar group.
Roof
of jail barrack collapses 1 dies, 1 injured
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
LARKANA:
A Central Jail prisoner died and another injured due to roof of jail barrack
collapsed on Thursday. According to details, a portion of roof of a Barack 07
fell down, resulting two prisoners of Central Jail Larkana sustained critical
injuries including Bagh Ali Narejo and Imdad Ali Lashari, and they were rushed
to CMC Hospital Emergency Ward Larkana. The injured Bagh Ali Narejo (55)
succumbed to his injuries, while the condition of other prisoner was said to be
critical. Larkana Jail administration told that deceased prisoner Bagh Narejo
had been arrested from Dhamrah Police Station in a murder case, while the other
injured prisoner Imdad Ali Lashari; the resident of village Maad Bahu Taluka
Bakrani was also facing the murder case. On the occasion, Jail Superintendent
Central Prison Larkana Aijaz Haider told Journalists that 50 to 60 Prisoners
were inside the barrack, when a piece of roof collapsed. He further informed
that the repairing work of different Barracks of Central jail Larkana had been
carried out by former Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafar Dahar few months back. It
astonishes that roof of newly repaired barrack collapsed, which caused a death
of one prisoner and another injuring. The investigation will be conducted to
probe into incident said the Jail authorities.
June
28, 2012
Pakistan
’s Army Chief urges NATO Commander to
curb border incursion
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
RAWALPINDI
: Chief of International
Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) General John Allen called on Chief of the
Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani here on Wednesday. He arrived in
Pakistan
to discuss issued related to
border cooperation between the Pakistani Army and NATO forces stationed in
Afghanistan
. Media reports said the
army chief expressed concern over reluctance of NATO forces to take action
against militants based in
Afghanistan
, who launched attacks in
Pakistani territory. Several Pakistani soldiers have been killed in clashes
with militants, who entered from
Afghanistan
this week. The army chief
told Gen Allen that the militants returned back to
Afghanistan
and roamed freely in the
war-torn country after launching attacks on Pakistani forces. Kayani demanded
of the NATO general to take action against the Maluvi Fazlullah-led militants.
It is to mention here that the US and Nato keep squeezing
Islamabad
to launch military action
against the militants. However they remain reluctant to take action when Afghan
militants penetrate into
Pakistan
and launch attacks on
forces. ISAF Commander General John Allen insisted on action against the
Haqqani group. He alleged that Moulvi Fazlullah was involved in terrorist
activities in
Afghanistan
and was operating from
Pakistan
’s tribal areas. The two
commanders also discussed the option of military operation in
North Waziristan
against the so-called terror
training camps.
Heavy
rains, landslides kill 51 in Bangladesh
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
CHITTAGONG
: More than 50 people have
been killed in landslides in southeast
Bangladesh
after three days of rains
that triggered flash floods and severed transport links, officials said
Wednesday. The army has been deployed to help with search and rescue efforts in
the affected hill region of
Chittagong
, said the region’s chief
administrator, Sirajul Haq Khan, who warned that the toll could rise. According
to Khan, at least 26 people died in a series of landslides and flash floods in
and around
Chittagong
port and the district of
Cox’s Bazar. In neighboring Bandarban district, 25 bodies have been recovered
from multiple landslide sites, local police chief Saiful Ahmed said. “One
family has lost 12 members,” Ahmed told AFP, adding that rescue operations
had been delayed by heavy monsoon rains.
Chittagong
port received 40 centimeters
of rain in a single 12-hour period on Tuesday. Flights in and out of
Chittagong
’s
Shah
Amanat
International
Airport
have been suspended since
Tuesday afternoon. Train links between
Chittagong
and the rest of the country
were also severed after a railway bridge collapsed due to a rain-triggered
flash flood. In recent years monsoon rains have caused deadly landslides in
Chittagong
, home to five million
people, killing hundreds and prompting the government to tighten rules on where
development can take place.
Raja
Pervez for resolving Balochistan’s development issues
Directs
for precise policy to stop target killing in Karachi
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Prime Minister Raja Parvez
Ashraf has directed Finance Ministry to resolve issues relating to development
projects of Balochistan at upcoming meeting of Executive Committee of National
Economic Council (ECNEC). Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Muhammad Aslam
Raisani called on Prime Minister at the PM House on Wednesday for
congratulating him on holding position of country’s Chief Executive.
“Balochistan is an important federating unit of the country and taking its
strategic position into consideration, development projects should be completed
at earliest so that economic condition of masses could be improved”, Raja
Parvez Ashraf stated. He promised to visit Balochistan during the next month.
He added that ‘Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan’ would be implemented soon to
eradicate deprivations of Baloch people. Earlier, Prime Minister Raja Pervez
Ashraf directed his Advisor on Interior Rehman Malik to make special
arrangements to ensure improved law and order situation throughout the country
during the month of Ramazan and to make precise policy to stop target killing
in
Karachi
. He was talking to Rehman
Malik, who called on him at the Prime Minister House and apprised him about
security situation in the country. Rehman Malik informed the Prime Minister
about the measures taken for the security to all media outlets as per his
directives. Meanwhile Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf has said that the
government believes that country will get rid of load shedding and already
2,000 megawatt electricity has been added to the national grid due to his
measures. He expressed these views during a meeting with PML-Q President
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi at the
PM House on Wednesday. They reiterated their determination to continue support
to the coalition democratic government as it would ensure continuity and
evolution of the political process in the country. The Prime Minister said,
“Together we would overcome the challenges being faced by the country and the
support of allies at this difficult time and government would ensure good
governance across the country”.
Pakistan
PM
briefed on national security
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The Director General ISI,
Lt. Gen. Zaheer-ul-Islam called on Prime Minister Raja Pervez Asharf and
discussed the matters relating to national interests, war against terrorism,
Pak-US relations and missing persons. During the meeting DG ISI briefed the
Prime Minister about the functioning and professional affairs of his
organization in detail. They also discussed the contacts and ties between the
secret agencies of
Pakistan
and
USA
, the recovery of missing
persons, eradication of terrorism from the country and steps to prevent extra
ordinary movement on Pak Afghan border. The prime minister expressed his
satisfaction on the measures taken for the national security. The DG ISI also
conveyed his felicitation to Prime Minister on assumption the charge of
country’s chief executive.
Zardari
extends support to
Turkey
on shooting down aircraft
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: President Asif Ali Zardari,
Wednesday, expressed support and solidarity in the wake of shooting down of a
Turkish Air Force reconnaissance aircraft by
Syria
. In a telephonic call to
President Abdullah Gul, President Zardari conveyed similar sentiments to Mr.
Burhan Kayaturk, President of Pakistan-Turkish Friendship Group in the Turkish
Parliament and other parliamentarians and senior representatives of the Turkish
Government who received him at the
Ankara
Airport
during his brief stopover
this morning.
India
blames Pakistan
without evidences: Malik
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Advisor to the Prime
Minister on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik said on Wednesday that
India
always blames
Pakistan
’s Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) without any evidence and never apologized. Addressing a
press conference in
Islamabad
, he claimed that
India
’s own non-state actors
are involved in terrorist activities, Malik said, “I am not blaming
India
, I am clearing the
situation.” He added that there was some technical fault in the Indian
system. India has alleged that Pakistan has been involved in terrorist
activities several times which later proved to be wrong and affected bilateral
ties, said Malik, adding that India should confirm first before blaming
Pakistan. An alleged key plotter in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Sayeed Zabiuddin
Ansari, was arrested by the Indian police earlier this week.
India
’s home minister said the
suspect had provided information confirming Pakistani “state support” for
the deadly assault. Malik said that the information provided by
India
about Ansari is incomplete,
and added that
India
should also explain why he
has been released. Malik clarified that the Interior ministry had not sent any
summary to President Asif Ali Zardari for the release of Indian prisoner
Sarabjeet Singh, as reported earlier by the media. He added that Sarabjeet
Singh and Sarjeet Singh are two different Indian prisoners. He added that
Sarjeet’s death sentence was converted into life imprisonment by then
president Ghulam Ishaque Khan. Sarjeet has completed his term and will be
released in the next 48 hours, Malik said. He further dispelled rumors about
the army’s alleged role behind not releasing Sarabjeet and said that the army
should not be dragged into everything. He also advised the media to confirm
news before publishing them and to base their reports on facts.
Abundant
patience needed in dealing with Pak: India
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
NEW DELHI
:
India
on Wednesday said abundant
patience and perseverance were required in dealing with
Pakistan
where many elements are
using terror as an instrument of achieving certain objectives. External Affairs
Minister S M Krishna said
India
had the “anxiety” of
improving relations with
Pakistan
and there should be a
sincere reciprocation from the other side which continues to have a
“selective” approach towards tackling terrorism, reported PTI. He observed
that there were many elements in
Pakistan
who use terrorism as an
“instrument to achieve short-term and long-term objectives” and it was too
early to judge whether the “trust deficit” had been reduced, an aspect
required to be monitored on continuous basis. “While dealing with
Pakistan
, we need to be cautious. We
need to have abundance of patience and perseverance,”
Krishna
said. Referring to the talks
between Foreign Secretaries here on July 4 and 5,
Krishna
made it clear that terrorism
would be the focus of the meeting. “Whenever there is a bilateral meeting, we
have always focused on terrorism and terror-related issues. We have been
impressing upon
Pakistan
to come out openly to
declare war on terrorism which should be across the board and not selective,”
the minister said during an interaction with journalists here. Noting that
Pakistan
has been saying that it was
also a victim of terrorism, he maintained going by “whatever experience” it
has had, it should join hands with
India
so that terrorism is
eliminated. To a question on when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be
visiting
Pakistan
,
Krishna
said that there was no such
move in the near future.
Kaira
hints at putting in place new judiciary
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Federal Information
Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira has hinted at putting in place new judiciary, saying
that the parliament is the supreme body and could do that. Speaking to media on
Wednesday, the minister said that the Pakistan People’s Party was ready to
create new judiciary as it was enshrined in the charter of democracy (CoD)
between Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif. He said Mr Shairf was backing off
from his commitment which he made in CoD. Kaira said that the parliament had
created the Constitution and it had the power to create new one. He alleged
that the courts in
Islamabad
and
Lahore
always took up cases against
the Pakistan People’s Party while they didn’t take up cases against Sharifs.
He said that President Asif Ali Zardari was not chairman of the PPP
instead he was made co-chairperson in the given certain circumstances. The
minister said that Raja Pervez Ashraf was a choice of Benazir Bhutto, adding
that the prime minister was not responsible for power crisis in the country. He
claimed that it was bureaucracy, which provided Ahsraf with wrong facts and
figures while he was at the helm of affairs in the ministry of water and power.
He said the PPP put in place a common worker as prime minister while Imran Khan
and Nawaz Sharif could not dare to appoint their workers as prime minister.
ECP
issues new code of conduct for general elections
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The Election Commission of
Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday approved new code of conduct for general election
while violators would be sentenced three years imprison with five thousands
fine. According to new code of conduct, the ECP imposed complete ban on wall
chalking, loud speaker’s usage while the ECP has fixed Rs 1.5 million as a
maximum expenditure limit for elections campaign. The ECP issued the direction
to the local administrations in this regard The ECP imposed ban on
establishment of political camps outside the polling office on the polling day
while hoisting of flags on government installations and using vehicles for the
transpirations of voter by the candidates were also banned. The ECP said that
political parties and candidates could convene their meetings schedule at least
one-week advance to the local administration and the administration would
provide appropriate security arrangements to the meetings. The contesting
candidates would submit their affidavits pertaining to elections result. In
terms of sub-section (2) of section
49 of the representation of the people Act 1976 each contesting candidate
should open a bank account before
June 29 2012
and deposit the amount not
exceeding the given limit to meet the elections expensive. No For the
Monitoring of election campaigns, the ECP directed that three-member team,
including one professional cameraman should monitor the election campaign as
well as election process while the local administration would responsible to
provide security to the team. Under the ECP’s new code of conduct, the
District Returning officer should hold meeting with the candidates and apprise
them the relevant laws and rules of the Supreme Court pertaining to the code of
conduct and election campaign expenses.
Goodwill
gesture:
Pakistan
releases 311 Indian fishermen
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
:
Pakistan
on Wednesday set free 311
Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture, officials said Wednesday. The fishermen
released from District Jail Malir, have been transported to
Lahore
where they will be handed to
Indian officials at Wahga Border. Three Indian prisoners were held back as
their jail term still remains; while another sick prisoner could not be freed
owing to his disease. Talking to media on the occasion, Sindh Minister for Law
and prisons Muhammad Ayaz Soomro urged
India
to release Pakistani
prisoners jailed in
India
. The two nuclear armed
rivals have had hundreds prisoners in their jails both side of the border.
India
recently released 88 year
old Pakistani scientist Dr. Khalil Chisti after serving 22 years in Indian
person. Pakistani President in his last visit to
India
requested Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh to address the issue of prisoners.
CSOs
concerned over precarious condition of children, women in flood-hit parts of
Balochistan
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Civil society
organizations of Balochistan on Wednesday expressed concern over the precarious
condition of children and women in the flood affected areas of Balochistan and
urged the provincial government to prepare a comprehensive plan before start of
the monsoon to avoid heavy destruction and ensure safety of the people in
flood-prone areas. These activists were speaking at a Provincial Consultation
Workshop on ‘Devastation of Flood and Preparedness’ jointly organised by
Islamia Educational and Welfare Society Jaffarabad and Pakistan Institute of
Labour Education and Research (PILER). “We don’t see any role of the state
institutions for the welfare of the flood affected people,” a speaker said on
the occasion. The met office has forecast 25 percent more rain during the next
monsoon season. The speakers deplored that the provincial government is not
seriously working on solution of problems of the 2010 flood affected areas in
Jaffarabad and Naseerabad districts, where a majority of flood affected
population is still suffering. Only some NGOs have worked for the
rehabilitation of people, a large number of people are still waiting to be
resettled in their areas. Their livelihood resources have been destroyed and
damaged during the floods and despite passage of about two years they are still
facing hardships. The speakers underlined the need for a close coordination
among civil society organization during relief and recovery phases to avoid
duplication of the work. Hanif Panezai of SPARC said before and after the
floods children and women are suffering the most. After 18th Amendment in the
Constitution and devolution of powers to the provinces, many laws concerning to
the children have not been adopted by Balochistan government. Rashid Shah of
Society for Mobilization, Advocacy and Justice (SMAAJ) said the role of
grassroots organizations during flood relief was admirable. He asked the
organizations to make concerted efforts for provision of rights to vulnerable
sections. Saleem Chand of Bonded Labour Liberation Front Society said the
minorities also suffered during the floods. He said the minorities communities
are neglected in the government schemes. Others who also spoke on the occasion
included Amanullah Kakar of Socio Pakistan,
Sameer Zarkoon, Ms. Noor Jahan of Nisa Development Organisation and
Women Resource Centre, Samiullah Baloch, Ali Gul Pandhrani, Iftikhar Ali Jamali,
Dr. Khurram, Nazeer Pandhrani and Shujauddin Qureshi.
Shazia
Marri notified as MNA
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Election Commission has
notified Shazia Marri as the member of National Assembly on the seat of Late
Fouzia Wahab. Fouzia Wahab died on June 17 after which her seat of National
Assembly remained vacant. People’s Party nominated Shazia Marri as MNA to
fill the vacant seat. As a result, Election Commission has issued notification
of Shazia Marri’s appointment as MNA on special seats for women, in
accordance with the rules and regulations and keeping in view the nomination by
PPP.
Interaction
should make between UN agencies, media
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA:
The speakers in a media workshop ‘United Nations Assistance in Balochistan’
organized by United Nations Pakistan here on Wednesday emphasized the need to
make interaction between the UN agencies and media in order to remove
reservations of local people regarding the role of the UN in the region. Kazuo
Tase, Head of United Nations Information Center (UNIC)
Pakistan
said there is need of
two-way communication between the UN agencies and media to highlight the role
of the UN to address plight of refugees, people affected by earthquakes and
floods and in making efforts to resolve regional conflicts. Senior journalist
Saleem Shahid was of the opinion that there was perception that the UN has been
implementing hidden agenda of the
US
across the world. He
underlined the need to remove such perception. He stressed the need to build
good relations between the UN agencies and media. Mr. Shahid, who is also
President of Quetta Press Club, observed that the UN agencies have been facing
security reservations in Balochistan as there was a perception among local
population that the UN has been working under influence of the
US
. He opined that the UN was
not playing due role for seeking resolution to
Kashmir
dispute. Responding to him,
Ishrat Rizvi of the UNIC said that the UN had urged both
Pakistan
and
India
to resolve
Kashmir
dispute through dialogues.
She said that the UN already had declared the
Kashmir
, a disputed area. She hoped
that the two countries-Pakistan and
India
soon would make efforts to
resolve conflict of
Kashmir
. She stressed the need to
bridge gap between the UN agencies and media. Ms. Javaria Tareen and Muhammad
Ali of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Balochistan
chapter said that the UNHCR has been running its operations to provide
protection and assistance to Afghan refugees and local host communities in six
districts of Balochistan including
Quetta
, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Loralai, Chagai and
Pishin. They disclosed that so far from 2002 to onward, the UNHCR has
voluntarily repatriated 3.7 million refugees from
Pakistan
to
Afghanistan
. They maintained that major
activities of UNHCR include Refugee-Affected and Hosting Areas Program (RAHA),
Refugees Assistance Program, Protection and Provision of Assistance to Afghan
Refugees, local host communities and population affected by floods. They said
that the UNHCR has provided 15,500 shelters to flood affectees in two districts
of Balochistan including Nasirabad and Jaffarabad. They, however, said that
instability and security is key reason for slow pace of repatriation of
refugees from Balochistan
province
of
Pakistan
to
Afghanistan
. Tanvir Ahmed and Humera
Mehboob of Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that
US $ 36 million has been disbursed for populations affected by floods and
insecurity in
Pakistan
under the Emergency Response
Fund (ERA) which is mechanism of OCHA, a UN agency. Ahmed Jan Eisa nad Ali Khan
of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said that
their organization has been providing seeds for cultivation to farmers affected
by flash floods in
Eastern Balochistan
and other parts of the
province. Dr. Tahira of Word Health Organization (WHO) Balochistan chapter said
that WHO has been making efforts to control polio in Balochistan adding that
Qila Abdullah and Pishin are two high risk districts regarding polio. Amjad
Jamal of World Food Program (WFP) said that general food distribution was
completed in six districts including Kalat, Qila Abdullah, Naseerabad,
Jaffarabad, Sibi and Lasbella and 221, 869 beneficiaries were provided with 2,
438 tons of food. Ayesha Wadood of the UN Women Balochistan chapter said that
UN Women has been working on Gender Network. Qaisar Jamali of UNESCO said that
UNESCO has been playing significant role in spread of education in Balochistan.
Journalist Abdul Shakoor sought speeding up the process of repatriation of
Afghan Refugees. Tayyba Sharifi, the Head of UNHCR Balochistan was also present
on this occasion.
PM
appoints two more advisors
By
Naseeb Ullah, Speical to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Prime Minister Raja Pervez
Ashraf Wednesday appointed two more
advisors on Industries and Human Rights. According to a notification issued in
Islamabad
on Wednesday, Muhammad
Basharat Raja has been appointed Advisor to Prime Minister on Industries while
Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar has been appointed Advisor to the Prime Minister on Human
Rights.
Magsi
empowers search committee for hiring on varsities’ statuary posts
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Governor Balochistan Nawab
Zulfiqar Ali Magsi who is also the Chancellor of the universities on Wednesday
directed the search committee to hire people against the statuary posts lying
vacant in universities. According to an Handout issued here said that following
the passage of deadline given to the Vice Chancellors of the universities for
hiring of the statuary post i. e. Registrar, Director Human Resources, Director
Finance and Controller Examination, Governor Balochistan has empowered search
committee to fulfill the recruitment task while adopting the rules and set
procedure in this connection.
INTERNATIONAL
‘Civil-Military
cohesion vital to improve Pak-US relations’
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
With the induction of a new Prime Minister and Cabinet in
Pakistan
, and relations with the
Supreme Court on the Swiss letter issue remaining unresolved, it becomes even
more vital to sustain Civil-Military cohesion and to improve Pak-US relations.
This was a principal conclusion by the Dialogue Group on Civil-Military
Relations convened by PILDAT which met in
Islamabad
Wednesday to evaluate the
current political scenario and its implications for civil-military relations in
Pakistan
. While appreciating the
close coordination and determination demonstrated to-date by both the civil and
military leadership in dealing with the issues of the Salala incident and the
NATO supply routes, the Group stressed the need to be cognizant of vital
national interests seen within a global context so as to define acceptable
options for an improvement in Pakistan-US relations. The Group underscored the
urgency that
Pakistan
needs to apply to develop
and strengthen mutually-beneficial relations with the
US
and the Western World in
keeping with
Pakistan
’s interests.
Pakistan
needs to urgently adopt a
multi-pronged strategy to find solutions to impending issues. The Group
deplored the crisis in governance engulfing
Pakistan
and unchecked, rampant
corruption. The Group reiterated that while democracy must continue to
flourish, its performance has to be evaluated by its capacity to deliver
measurable good governance to citizens. The Group expressed deep concern at the
historical tendency in
Pakistan
for institutions and public
office holders to unduly extend their respective mandates and misuse powers
instead of exercising due and proper restraint. Recognizing the complexity of
the situation in
North Waziristan
and noting the incessant
demands of the
US
for action against the
Haqqani network, allegedly based there, the Group noted that the Parliament of
Pakistan has categorically affirmed that the country’s territory will not be
used to conduct terrorist activities against any other nation. Any action to
curb terrorist activities must be done with due regard to the potential fallout
in the tribal belt and other parts of
Pakistan
. There is a need to
strengthen the civil and development dimensions in that area. Any future action
to combat terrorism must also take into account the military’s capacity in
view of their already existing operations in other tribal agencies and its
general responsibilities. Recognizing the high-level of political awareness in
the people of
Pakistan
, the Group observed that,
on some subjects, such as the resumption of NATO supply routes, emotive and
extremist viewpoints, coupled with threats of violence, are antithetical to
reasoned, peaceful discussion and to democratic values. The Group urged that
the elected Government should take decision in the best interests of the nation
alone. The Group also hosted former Director General ISPR, Major General Athar
Abbas for a farewell lunch in his honour. The Group paid rich tributes to Major
General Abbas for very deftly and ably managing the challenging task of
articulating the views of
Pakistan
’s Armed Forces in the
public domain. Senator Mushahid
Hussain Sayed, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence
Production, Mr. Nadeem Afzal Gondal, MNA, Chairman Public Accounts Committee
and Mr. Wazir Ahmed Jogezai, former Deputy Speaker National Assembly, also
joined the Group in bidding farewell to Major General Athar Abbas. Members of
the Dialogue Group who joined the meeting and farewell lunch included Mr. Omar
Khan Afridi, Former Federal Minister, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Humayun Bangash, Former
Ambassador, Senator Hasil Bizenjo, National Party, Balochistan, Member
Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Shahzad
Chaudhry, Columnist, former Ambassador, Lt Gen (Retd.) Moinuddin Haider, Former
Governor, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Asad Durrani, Former DG ISI, MI, Mr. Shahid Hamid,
Former Governor, Mr. Javed Jabbar, Former Senator & Federal Minister for
Information & Media Development, Lt. Gen.
(Retd.) Talat Masood, Former Federal Secretary, Vice Admiral (Retd) Khalid Mir,
Former Ambassador, Dr. Hasan-Askari Rizvi, Political & Defence Analyst, Mr.
Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami, Editor-in-Chief, Daily Pakistan, Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob,
Executive Director, PILDAT and Ms. Aasiya Riaz, Joint Director, PILDAT.
Pakistan
detainees at Bagram: Director Afghan Desk summoned
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
LAHORE
: The Lahore High Court on
Wednesday summoned the Director Afghan Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
for July 11 to answer for the Ministry’s failure to confirm the nationality
of Pak detainees at Bagram. Justice Muhammad Khalid Mehmood Khan passed the
order on a petition filed by Sultana Noon against extradition of seven
Pakistanis detained at Bagram Theatre Internment Camp in
Afghanistan
.
Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted a report stating that
letters had been sent to the families of 25 detainees and a list of their names
was provided to the Ministry of Interior (MoI) for confirmation.
However, the court expressed disappointment at the report regarding the
nationality of Pakistani detainees at Bagram.
“The ministry had miserably failed to comply with earlier order,”
the court observed. The court summoned Director Afghan Desk, MFA for July 11
along with all relevant record. The petitioner alleged, in her petition, that
the detainees including Awal Khan, Hamidullah Khan, Abdul Haleem Saifullah,
Fazal Karim, Amal Khan, Iftikhar Ahmad and Younas Rehmatullah were abducted
from the prison and handed over to the foreign countries without any reason.
The petitioner prayed that the respondent ministries be directed to make
representation as required by law on behalf of the abducted citizens of
Pakistan
held at Bagram jail and
arrangements for their release and extradition to the country.
Earlier, the court ordered the Foreign Ministry to confirm the
nationality of 32 Pakistanis, detained at Bagram Theatre Internment Camp in
Afghanistan
, and communicate it to the
US
government accordingly.
India
plans another power house on Chenab
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
India
has planned to erect another
power plant of 120 MW on
Chenab
River
in occupied
Kashmir
. It has also sought
permission from
Pakistan
for materialization of the
project. According to media reports,
Pakistan
has been provided the
documents and map of the expected power house situated at Odheypur about 600 km
far from Marala Barrage under the Sindh Tas Agreement. These documents would be
returned to
India
after reviewing their pros
and cons in detail. Pakistani team of experts led by Commissioner Sindh Tas
Asif Baig is reviewing the planned project of Indian government. Experts are of
the view that the design of Indian project is likely to be objectionable.
Reports further revealed that India wants to erect a wall with the height of 25
feet for power house by changing the direction of supporting nullah and would
accumulate 1300 acre feet water in the lake. After Baglihar Dam, this is second
project which is likely to be completed in May, 2019.
CRIME
CORNER
12
people drown as boat capsizes in Thatta
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
THATTA:
At least twelve pilgrims drowned as an overloaded boat capsized in the
Indus
River
near Thatta (Sindh) on
Wednesday. As many as twenty people were taken out of the river in an
unconscious condition. According to the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), the
boat capsized near coastal area called Shah Bandar. The vessel was carrying 35
people, four motorcycles and eight goats. The pilgrims were going to attend
annual Urs of Allahdino Mendhro, the PFF source said. Deputy Commissioner
Thatta said that the incident occurred due to the strong winds.
Aman
Lashkar leader among 4 found dead
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
PESHAWAR
: A leader of Aman Lashkar,
the peace militia, along with three other members was found dead in Bazaid Khel
area of
Peshawar
, police said on Wednesday.
The police said that the bodies of four Aman Lashkar members including their
leader Fahim were found from a white land cruiser that was parked near Ring
Road. Police reached the spot soon after getting the information and took the
bodies into custody. Initial reports suggested that all four members were
killed elsewhere and then their bodies were deserted near Ring Road.
Son
of tribal leader killed in Chagai
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
CHAGAI:
Unknown armed men shot dead the son of a tribal leader over an old enmity in
Pak-Afghan border area in Chagai district on Wednesday. Tehsildar Dalbandin
Sahab Dad told media that the victim identified as Shair Ahmad, 18, was on his
way home when gunmen opened fire at him and fled from the scene. As a result, he
sustained multiple bullet wounds and died on the spot. The victim was son of
tribal leader Juma Khan Shahozai. Later, his body was handed over to the heirs
after completion of legal formalities. The reason behind the killing was stated
to be an old feud. Levies Force has registered a case and has started
investigation.
Bike
snatcher killed in Quetta
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: A motorbike snatcher was
killed here at Rind Garh area of the provincial capital on Tuesday.
According to police, Haji Ghousuddin and his colleague were on their way
to home on motorbike when two armed robbers intercepted them.
They opened fire on them as they resisted bid of snatching their bike,
leaving Haji Ghousuddin injured at the spot.
Soon after the incident, Haji Ghuosuddin’s colleague opened fire at
bike snatchers, killing one Manzoor while another bandit managed to escape from
the scene. Police reached the site and shifted the injured and the dead to the
civil hospital. Police are investigating the matter.
June
26, 2012
Pakistan
PM invites Baloch leaders to the
negotiating table
Pak-US
relations were “passing through a very delicate and critical phase”: Raja
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Prime Minister Raja Pervez
Ashraf said Balochistan is the priority in Government s policy and
invited all
Baloch Leaders in and outside
Pakistan
to come and sit across the
table in finding and amicable solution of the issue. “My government is
mindful of the fact that extremism, militancy, intolerance, sectarian violence
and terrorism, all put together, have posed a serious challenge to our
sovereignty, security and national cohesion,” he said in his opening remarks
at his maiden Federal Cabinet meeting as Prime Minister. The prime minister
invited all political parties to join hands in the service of the country. In
the cabinet meet various issues were discussed with special focus on law &
order and energy crisis. Prime Minister said the country is facing many
challenges but the PPP “strongly
believes that politics of confrontation should be shunned, for which all
democratic forces need to show sincerity of purpose, prudence and maturity,
allowing space to their opponents”. “You all are aware that we face
challenges, which are very serious in nature and if not addressed effectively
and properly, could even shake the foundations of democracy. In order to sustain
and strengthen democracy, this Cabinet will have to grapple with the issues and
problems with zeal and dynamism,” he said. The people had been disheartened by
“negative propaganda” and “confusion” and the government has “to do
something special to pull the nation out of dejection and galvanize them into
activity and forward movement”, Ashraf said. Raja Pervez Ashraf said his
cabinet will “work in continuation of the policy already in place” but make
necessary adjustments as warranted by the changing situation. He said the
coalition government is committed to resolve critically important issues of
energy on top priority basis. He said his government would like to see the
agriculture sector growing and will not let the electricity constrains hit this
sector Listing extremism and terrorism as “serious challenges”, Raja Pervez
Ashraf vowed to establish the writ of the state and said the country’s soil
will not be allowed to be used for attacking other nations. “We as a nation
have to thwart the sinister designs of these forces and the government, on its
part, will work with lot of dedication to establish the writ of the state,
wherever they operate”. Ashraf said
Pakistan
values its relations with
Islamic world, the
US
and
China
as well as neighbors like
India
and
Afghanistan
. At the same time, it
expects its “neighbors and other powers to refrain from interfering in the
internal affairs of
Pakistan
”, he said. PM
acknowledged that Pakistan-US relations were “passing through a very delicate
and critical phase” and said
Islamabad
would not make “hasty and
emotional decisions that do not auger well”. Ashraf pointed out that NATO
supply routes to
Afghanistan
were “blocked because of
an unprovoked attack” on a Pakistani check post last year. “The
unconditional apology from the
US
for this blatant attack is
the demand of the Parliament and we shall proceed always keeping our national
interests in view,” he said. Raja Parvez Ashraf said Balochistan is the
priority in Government’s policy and invited all Baloch Leaders in and outside
Pakistan
to come and sit across the
table in finding and amicable solution of the issue. PM also urged the
management of PIA’ WAPDA’ Railways’ Steel Mill and other state
enterprises to focus on their operational efficiency.
Meanwhile according to sources, several federal ministers were absent
from Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf’s very first cabinet meeting.
Cameron
telephones Raja, greets on assuming PM office
By Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: British Prime Minister
David Cameron telephoned Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Tuesday and
congratulated him for on assumption of office of premiership. David Cameron
invited the Prime Minister to visit
United Kingdom
at a date convenient to him.
Raja Pervez Ashraf thanked the British Prime Minister for his sentiments and
good wishes, adding that he was looking forward to visit
UK
.
The Prime Minister underscored the importance of deep rooted relations
between
Pakistan
and
UK
. The Prime Minister
particularly mentioned the statement of the UK Prime Minister in which he said
that
Pakistan
’s friends are
UK
’s friends and
Pakistan
’s enemies are enemies of
UK
.
President
directs for war footing to overcome power crisis
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: President Asif Ali Zardari
has directed for mitigating the sufferings of the public due to power crisis
and has called for measures on war footings to fulfill the energy needs.
Sources told that President expressed these views during his meeting with Prime
Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, who called on the President Tuesday. Matters
related to power crisis, PPP ’s
contacts with other political parties and other issues of high importance were
discussed. According to Presidential Spokesperson, the Prime Minister apprised
the President of decisions taken during the Cabinet meeting regarding energy
requirements. Sources told that President Zardari directed that emergency
measures should be taken to mitigate the sufferings of the public due to power
crisis. He said that it is the duty of the government to provide relief to the
public and all undergoing power projects should be timely completed. PM also
took on board the President on his meetings with MQM, PML-Q and PML-Functional
and both the two leaders also reviewed the ongoing consultation process with the
allies and both agreed that this process would be taken forward, sources said.
On the occasion President said PPP and other democratic parties had given
enormous sacrifices for political stability in the country, sources said.
PM
approves portfolios for 15 PML-Q ministers
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Prime Minister, Raja
Pervez Ashraf Tuesday gave the final approval of the portfolios of newly
oath-taking 15 federal and state ministers belonging to Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid
(PML-Q). As per the notification of Cabinet Division, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi
would be the Deputy Prime Minister and as well senior Federal Minister for
Industries. The other PML-Q ministers with their portfolios include; Sardar
Bahudur Khan Sehar Federal Minister for Defense Production, Ch. Wajahat Hussain
Federal Minister for Man Power, Ghaus Bux Mehar Federal Minister for
Privatization, Anwar Ali Cheema Federal Minister for Production, Sardar Talib
Hussain Nakai Federal Minister for Housing, Liaquat Abbas Bhatti Federal
Minister for Works and Sheikh Waqas Akram Federal Minister for Professional
& Technical Training. While Saeed Khan Mandokhel State Ministers for
Privatization, Khawaja Sheraz Mehmood State Minister for Production, Rana Asif
Tauseef State Minister for Works¸ Sardar Shahjehan Yousaf State Minister for
Professional & Technical Training, Malik Nouman Langrian State Minister for
Housing, Ghias Ahmad State Minister for Man Power and Akram Masih Gill State
Minister for National Harmony. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Jam Muhammad
Yousaf had also been given the status of the Federal Minister, however, he had
not been allotted any portfolio yet, said the notification.
Allen
arrives Wednesday:
Pakistan
to take up Afghan militants attack
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
General John Allen, top
US
commander stationed in
Afghanistan
, is expected to arrive in
Pakistan
on Wednesday to discuss the
restoration of NATO supply routes. According to sources General Allen will meet
Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the COAS would also take up the
issue incursion of Afghan militants into
Pakistan
area of upper Dir and
killing 13 Pakistani troops, beheading seven of them. During the course of the
meeting General Allen will discuss the restoration of NATO supply routes,
sources said. NATO supply routes have been closed since November 2011, when
NATO air strike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. US and Pakistani diplomats
frequently discuss the restoration; however, no viable solution has been
reached. General Allen and Kayani will oversee the developments on
implementation of cross-border contact as well, sources said.
Munter
hosts reception for journalists
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: American ambassador
Cameron Munter Tuesday hosted a reception in honor of the journalists here at
his residence. The ambassador along with his wife Dr. Marilyn Wyatt received
the guests and exchanged frank and open views with them.
Munter thanked the journalists’ community for generous cooperation
during his stay in
Pakistan
as he had decided to get
retirement from this post and leaving for
Washington
next month.
He said media, both electronic and print, in
Pakistan
has become a very strong
element and playing very important role in promoting the democratic process and
proved a strong foundation to strengthen Pak-US relations. The American
ambassador said, “I am really impressed by the progress made by the media in
Pakistan
.” He said media is
vibrant and very effective in projecting the aspirations and feelings of the
masses. The reception was attended by a large number of journalists, from
different TV channels and newspapers.
785
MW additional electricity to be added to national grid system
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The government is taking
all possible steps to reduce power load shedding and provide maximum relief to
the consumers in the summer season and around 785 MW additional electricity
will be added to the national grid station in next 24 hours. Around 400 MW will
be added in the system on Tuesday evening from Kapco while 300 MW more will be
generated from four power plants on Wednesday, says a statement issued here.
Additional fuel supply has also been started for Muzzafargarh power
station (Genco-III) and fuel tankers will reach on Thursday and an additional
445 MW will also be generated on the same day.
After decisions taken by the Prime Minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf last
week, the power generation in the country is improving and shortfall is
reducing gradually. Meanwhile, the power shortfall in the country was recorded
as 5,643 MW against the total demand of 18,736 MW during the last 24 hours.
According to report on daily power generation and load-management position, the
total generation was recorded as 12,463 MW during the said period. The hydel
generation stood at 4,831 MW, WAPDA thermal 1,358 MW and IPPs 6,274 MW. As many
as 660 MW was supplied to Karachi Electric Supply Company(KESC), the report
further said. KAPCO units 5 and 3
(202 MW) were under forced outage due to technical problem.
Paucity
of Fund jeopardizing students’ future: Javed Leghari
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Chairman Higher Education
Commission, Dr Javed Leghari said that ten thousand Pakistani students who are
studying on scholarship in foreign countries would suffer, if the HEC’s funds
were not released. Talking to media after attending the 4th Graduation
Ceremony/Convocation of HEC Scholars he said that the HEC received Rs 20.5
million out of Rs 12 billion from the government while the issue has been
brought into the notice of the President and the PM. Earlier addressing the
Ceremony/Convocation of HEC Scholars at the auditorium of HEC Islamabad, Javed
Leghari said that all the ongoing projects, including foreign scholarship
program could be stopped, if the government do not releases the funds of the
HEC. Chairman HEC said 45% of total HEC budget is being spent on human resource
development in
Pakistan
. The scarcity of funds
would adversely affect this major component
especially the need-based scholarships awarded to the youth belonging to
remote areas of Pakistan including
Balochistan, FATA, interior Sindh and Southern Punjab He said that the HEC took
loan from private banks to pay salaries of 20 thousands staff of different
Universities.Meanwhile, degrees were conferred to the successful candidates of
last two batches of MS Program Korea while
ambassador of Republic of
Korea to Pakistan
, Choongjoo Choi was a chief
guest of the ceremony. Academicians, scholars and their parents attended the
ceremony. During the ceremony Executive Director HEC Prof Dr. Sohail H. Naqvi
said that
Korea
’s 95% higher education
literacy rate, active university industrial linkages and technological
developments are a role model for
Pakistan
. Keeping this fact in view,
200 young Pakistani engineers were sent for pursuing their higher studies in
the advanced Engineering and Technological fields at 6 leading South Korean
universities. This joint collaboration between
Pakistan
and Korean universities has
been greatly helpful in creating a critical mass of highly qualified
Engineering Manpower in high-tech fields and building up the capacity of
Universities/Industries in
Pakistan
.
Law
to eliminate torture on women in custody needed: Oxfam
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
The government together with the civil society must step up work to eliminate
torture on those in custody is a severe and often under- rated problem and there
is an urgent need to introduce best-practices to ensure proper treatment of
prisoners and people in custody by law enforcement officials. The Government
together with the civil society must step-up work to overcome this problem at
the earliest. It was said at a seminar organized by Oxfam and SACH to mark the
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, government officials, NGOs,
civil society and law enforcement agencies called on the Government to create an
effective law to eliminate torture on women in custody. Two years have passed
since the Government of Pakistan ratified the United Nations Convention against
Torture (CAT) and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment yet
no exclusive law has been enacted in
Pakistan
to protect women in custody.
“Often women are found to be more vulnerable and susceptible to torture while
in custody. Special efforts are needed to ensure all law enforcement agency and
shelter home staff are given special training for dealing with women. Specific
standards governing their treatment must be introduced together with ensuring
provision of improved living conditions in jails and shelter homes”, said
Arif Jabbar Khan, Country Director for Oxfam in
Pakistan
. It was also said at the
event that there is a need to educate women is custody about their legal right
to lodge a complaint if tortured. Together with this, efforts must be made in
facilitate women reintegrate into society once they have served their term.
“Our society is very critical of women who have served time in custody and
makes it very difficult for them to transition back to normal life. Their
livelihood and social relations suffer as a consequence. Shelter homes and law
enforcement agencies must provide counseling and necessary help to these women
to ensure they are able to cope with societal pressure when they go back”,
said Khan. Oxfam’s together with its partners is working towards improving
the social acceptance of torture survivors and to ensure that their rights are
observed especially in custody. With cooperation and support of the concerned
officials in police, jail and Dar-ul-Amans covering 12 districts of
Punjab
and Sindh, Oxfam has been
able to start a movement of change. The International Day in Support of Victims
of Torture would be observed on June 26. The day commemorates the signing of
the United Nations Charter on
June 24, 1946
and the entry into force of
the CAT the same day in 1987. This convention was adopted and opened for
signature and ratification by the General Assembly Resolution 39/46 of
Dec 10, 1984
.
Presidential
ordinance giving legal cover to actions of ex-PM challenged
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
The ordinance issued by President Asif Ali Zardari to give constitutional cover
to the actions of former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani after April 26 has
been challenged in the Supreme Court. On June 24, President Asif Ali Zardari
issued an ordinance to validate orders, directions, instruments, MOUs and
national and international commitments made by then prime minister Yusuf Raza
Gilani from 26-04-2012 to
19-06-2012 The petitioner, in his plea, said President Asif Ali Zardari, by
issuing the ordinance, violated the Constitution. The two-page ordinance clearly
remarks that this ordinance cannot not be challenged at any forums including the
Supreme Court. However, the petitioner Shahid Orakzai said in his plea that the
order is an attempt to curtail the judiciary’s powers. The petitioner stated
that the promulgation is a multiple breach of Article 89 and violates many of
its provisions. Top of all it violates Clause (2) of the Article as it ignores
the restrictions imposed by the Constitution on the power of Parliament to make
law. The petitioner requested that the hearing of Bhutto reference should be
stalled till the ruling on this plea is delivered, adding President Zardari,
issuing the ordinance, violated the Constitution, against which an impeachment
motion may be tabled against him.
Electricity
tariff likely to go up by Rs 1.52 per unit
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: In another blow to the
poor masses, the government is mulling Rs 1.52 per unit increase in electricity
tariff. According to a private TV channel, the fresh hike in power tariff will
be approved in terms of monthly fuel adjustment charges. The final decision of
increase would be made in National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra)’s
meeting on Wednesday.
Security
forces kill 8 militants in Orakzai
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ORAKZAI
AGENCY: At least eight militants were killed on Tuesday during a crackdown in
Mamuzai and Bootakhel areas of Orakzai Agency. According to details, the forces
shelled the hideouts of the militants in Bootakhel of
Upper Dir
area, killing eight
militants including three important militant commanders Waheed Ilyas, Ihsan
Ullah alias China Gull and Ilyas Muhammad Din. Meanwhile, the security forces
proceeded towards different parts of Mamuzai and occupied on various hideouts
of militants. On the other hand, the locals started move towards safe places
due to ongoing clashes and continuous cross firing between security forces and
militants.
FC
foils bid to massive sabotage in
Quetta
; arrest 2 suspects
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: The Frontier Corps
Balochistan in collaboration with Quetta Police has foiled a bid to carry out a
massive sabotage in the provincial capital in order to attack higher government
authorities and damage sensitive government installations. Sector Commander FC
Brigadier. Abdul Rasheed said this while he along with Deputy Inspector General
(DIG) Operations Hamid Shakil was addressing a news conference at FC
Headquarters here on Tuesday. We in collaboration with Quetta Police have
arrested two suspects and recovered huge cache of explosives from their
possession which was to be used in sabotage acts to attack higher authorities
and damage sensitive government installations, the senior FC official said.
Narrating the details, he said that a FC patrolling team intercepted a
suspected Alto car No- AAJ-925 at Imdad Chowk,
Zarghoon Road
and during checking,
recovered 20 kg explosives and two remote-controlled local made bombs from the
vehicle. He added that the driver of the Alto car, identified as Danish who was
resident of Ketch district was also arrested. The FC Sector Commander further
said that during interrogation, the accused Danish told the whereabouts of his
accomplice living in another part of the metropolis. The FC team along with
Quetta police team raided a place in Sariab Mills, Sariab Road area and
arrested another suspect namely Ghulam Yasin, the resident of Barma Hotel
Quetta, Brig. Abdul Rasheed said adding that explosives and ammunition
including 2500 explosives which could be used for making 250 local made bombs
weighting 10 kg respectively, two pieces of RPG-7 rockets, detonators, five
hand grenades, time device and transmitters were also recovered from the
possession of the accused. He said that during interrogation, the two accused
told that they were involved in sabotage acts including a bomb attack on FC
convoy at Aalmo Chowk Quetta on the instructions of a commander of banned
outfit Baloch Republican Army (BRA) namely Murad. The senior official of the FC
further maintained that Murad used to receive instructions from BRA leader
Barahamdagh Bugti. He said the two suspects told the investigation team that
they received one million rupees as reward money for carrying out Aalmo Chowk
bomb blast which killed two FC personnel, and injured nine other FC personnel
and 31 civilians. He said that the accused were also promised to be given Rs
1.5 million of more reward money. He said that the accused Danish told
investigation team that he had also killed three barbers and carried out
sabotage acts in Mand, and Turbat areas of Kech district. He said that a
special investigation team has been interrogating the accused.
INTERNATIONAL
Raja
to visit
Afghanistan
in mid
of July
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Newly elected Prime Minster Raja
Pervez Ashraf will make his maiden foreign trip to
Afghanistan
, after assuming post of PM, during the
second week of July, The schedule of the visit would be issued in a week
through diplomatic source. The visit of the PM to neighboring Muslim country
will have significance importance as both the countries are looking at
the fate of NATO supply routes and war against terror. On the other hand,
President Asif Zardari will leave the country today (Wednesday) for his
UK
visit. The president will hold meeting
with British PM David Cameron and some other high level personalities during
his visit to the
UK
. The president also hold meeting with
PPP’s leaders who are residing in
London
. Sources said that no minister or
senior official is accompanying him in this important visit and
Foreign Minister Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar is also not the part of the
presidential envoy. Earlier, the president had postponed his visit to the
Russian city
St. Petersburg
’s from where he had to proceed to
the
United Kingdom
last week due to the Supreme Court’s
verdict in the contempt of court case against the former Prime Minster Syed
Yousaf Raza Gilani.
US
Congressmen to meet Sherry today for release of jailed Afridi
Special
to the
Montreal
Tribune
WASHINGTON
: Two
US
lawmakers will meet Pakistani
Ambassador Sherry Rehman Wednesday to press for the release of spy doctor
jailed after he helped the
US
to track down Osama bin Laden in
Abbottabad. The meeting is the latest step in
US
Sen Rand Paul’s push to free Shakil
Afridi, the Pakistani physician convicted of having ties to militants. The
Kentucky
congressman said he considers Afridi a
hero. Afridi had ran a fake vaccination program designed to get DNA from
the al Qaeda leader. According to US media reports, Senate Republican Leader
Mitch McConnell will host the Wednesday meeting at his Capitol office. A
McConnell aide said the meeting is “to discuss the bilateral relationship”
between the
US
and
Pakistan
. Paul sponsored an amendment earlier
this month to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act to withhold
US
foreign aid to
Pakistan
until Afridi’s prison sentence is
overturned and he’s allowed to leave
Pakistan
. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
initially blocked a vote on the proposal.
India
refuses to deliver data of dam water to
Pakistan
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
India
reportedly on Tuesday refused to
provide
Pakistan
data about water level in its dams, and
expected rains. According to a private TV channel, this spells grave danger for
Pakistan
in the wake of approaching monsoon
season and resultant floods. Under the circumstances it would become even more
difficult for the Pakistani authorities to take flood-management measures. In
this connection the responsibilities of Pakistan Met Office have increased
manifold. Quoting officials of Water and Power department, the report said that
Pakistan High Commission sought from
India
forecast data about water flow from
dams build on
Ravi
,
Sutlej
and Bias but
India
declined this request. It further
stated that National Disaster Management Authority held an emergency meeting in
this regard and expressed concern over the development. After
India
’s refusal
Pakistan
will be totally depending on its radars
installed in
Sialkot
,
Lahore
and Mangla for rain and flood
assessment in order to become aware of crucial situation.
India-Pakistan
FM-level talks postponed
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
NEW DELHI
:
India
and
Pakistan
’s foreign ministers, meant to hold
talks on July 18, will re-schedule their session. NDTV quoting sources in the
government say Foreign Affairs Minister SM Krishna has asked for new dates in
August or September because elections for the next President of India are
scheduled for July 19. Mr Krishna
was meant to travel to
Islamabad
for the dialogue. The TV channel
quoting sources said that
India
is also keen for the political
landscape in
Pakistan
to stabilize before the bilateral talks
are held.
Pakistan
’s ruling party elected its new Prime
Minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf, last week. He
replaces Yousuf Raza Gilani who was disqualified by the Supreme Court after it
convicted him of contempt of court for refusing to reopen cases of corruption
against President Asif Ali Zardari.
315
Indian fishermen to be released Wednesday
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: As many as 315 Indian fishermen will
be released from Landhi jail of the city on Wednesday (today). The Indian
prisoners would be released at
8:00 a.m.
and sent to the Wagah border from where
they would be handed over to the Indian authorities. These fishermen were
arrested as they violated maritime border. According to official jail sources,
after the release of the prisoners, the number of Indian prisoners in Malir
jail would be 123, Usually six months sentence is there for violation of
maritime border but some of the fishermen have been jailed for years.
Taliban
claim attack on private TV channel
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The Pakistani Taliban says it carried
out the attack on Monday night on a private television station in the southern
port city of
Karachi
. Two people were injured when gunmen
on motorbikes fired at Aaj headquarters. A Taliban spokesman told the BBC
it was a response to critical comments
by Aaj about the militants and its failure to accommodate Taliban views.
Correspondents say this is the Taliban’s first direct attack against a media
group. Witnesses say gunmen on motorbikes opened fire on the station’ s
offices in the busy
Karachi
neighborhood of Gurumandir and then
immediately fled the scene. Both of those injured were reportedly employees of
Aaj.
Five
killed in
Karachi
fresh
violence
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: Targeted killings continued in the
city unabated as five more people were killed including a KESC official in
separate incidents in the provincial capital on Tuesday. According to police,
unknown gunmen showered the car of Deputy General Manager of KESC Syed Imran
Jaffery with bullets in
North Nazimabad
area, killing him on the spot. He was
on his way to office when the attackers on a motorbike ambushed his car near
Saifee
College
. The culprits managed to escape after
the incident. In another incident of violence in Alfalah Colony, two armed men
on a motorbike entered into an office of KESC and opened indiscriminate fire,
killing the utility’s driver Amanullah and seriously injuring lineman Nasir
Abbas. The body and injured were rushed to a private hospital located at
Stadium Road
. A man was gunned down in Jahangirabad
area of Nazimabad while three workers of Pakistan People’s Party were shot at
and injured in Nazimabad No 1. Body of a man, identified as Naseer, who used to
fix punctured tyres, was found from
Surjani
Town
. He was murdered after being kidnapped
and tortured. Another man, Shiraz Baloch, who was abducted from Bihar Colony of
Lyari area was dumped in Gul Mohammad Line in critical condition. He was
shifted to
Civil
Hospital
for treatment. Two men were also
injured in separate incidents of firing in Sohrab Goth and Pak Colony.
June
25, 2012
Strengthening
institutions, foremost priority of Pakistan govt: Raja Pervez
By
Naseeb Ullah , Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
LARKANA:
The new Prime Minister of Pakistan, Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that
strengthening of institutions was the foremost priority of the government.
Talking to journalists for the first time since assuming power, while his visit
to the shrine of Benazir Bhutto, he said that there was a strong need to avoid
any confrontation between various institutions. He regretted that conspiracies
were being hatched against democracy, and said that while many were pained over
his portfolio as a PM, yet he had visited the Garhi Khuda Bakhsh shrine as a PM.
“Many had thought that after Gilani’s disqualification, they would be able
to terminate democracy, but thanks God, that after Gilani I am the PM and the
chain of democracy would continue unabated”, he declared. Declaring the
resolve of energy crisis as his foremost priority, he appealed to masses to
assist government in ending pilferage of electricity. He expressed his deep,
spiritual contentment over his presence at his leader’s shrine and assured
that the government would complete its tenure, at all given costs. Earlier,
accompanied by his party leaders, PM Raja Javed Ashraf visited the graves of Z.A.
Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto to lay floral wreaths, whence he waved greetings at
party activists, present to greet him. He also visited Naudero’s Presidential
House, wherein he met with party leaders, before proceeding to
Karachi
. The Prime Minister Raja
Parvez Ashraf on another occasion also addressed party workers and office
bearers in Sindhi language. He said the PPP -led
democratic government would not allow anyone to enter from back door in the
power corridor and that any conspiracy being hatched against it’ would be
foiled. The Prime Minister said he is proud to be a son of Sindh territory. He
said Sindh is unique in its dimension including love’ spiritualism’
hospitality’ loyalty’ bravery’ democracy and each Pakistani has proud on
these qualities. He said the government would complete its constitutional
tenure. He announced that the living standard of the workers would be raised as
they are the assets of the country. The Prime Minister announced that Garhi
Khuda Bakhsh would be turned into a model village and for this purpose the
federal government would bear all the expenses. He also declared the residence
of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as historical monument so that the young
generation could have research work and move forward the vision and philosophy
of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
Raja
reviews power situation in Pakistan
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: Prime Minister Raja
Pervaiz Ashraf Sunday presided over a meeting here at the Governor House, to
review the power situation in the country. This meeting was a follow up of
Saturday meeting held at the Prime Minister House in
Islamabad
, in which important
decisions were taken to reduce loadshedding on the war-footing. The Prime
Minister was apprised by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Sindh
Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad Khan that they would hold negotiations with all the
stakeholders today and tomorrow to get their cooperation for increasing power
generation in the province. For which, they said, gas would be provided from
Sindh to the power sector. The Chief Minister and the Governor assured the
Prime Minister that it would be their top consideration to extend all possible
support to the Federal Government in reducing load- shedding in the country as
soon as possible. Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Asim Hussain informed the
Prime Minister that
Faisalabad
power plant has started its
operations as per decision taken in yesterday’s meeting at the PM House. It
will produce 65 MW electricity per day, he added. Others attending the meeting
were Federal Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister for
Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Federal Minister for Water and
Power Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Manzoor Ahmed
Watto, Federal Minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal.
Iron-clad
protective ordinance for former PM’s legislation
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: President Asif Ali Zardari
has promulgated a new ordinance, in a bid to legitimize all official procedures
and orders, legislated by disqualified PM Gilani during the period from 26th
April to
19th June 2012
. The Ordinance has been ensured to be ‘an iron-clad
one’, in order to endure any challenge posed against it by even the Supreme
Court, since it would not be challengeable in any court of law (including the
Supreme Court). The ordinance issued by President Zardari on Sunday states that
“This ordinance has been introduced in light of aftermath of the notification
regarding disqualification of Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani as Prime Minister, and
short verdict of Supreme Court (circa-19 Jun 2012), over various constitutional
petitions”. The “ Legal cause Ordinance” , issued in accordance with
powers conferred on President as according to article 89 (section-1) maintains
It as of considerable importance that all legislation carried out by the
disqualified PM, Gilani should be given legal cover and acceptance in order to
ensure that all Assembly and Senate proceedings continue, unperturbed. All
actions performed by Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani under the official capacity of PM,
including parliamentary decisions, directives issued, MOUs, international
accords, official messaging, advice rendered to President including act
ordinances, or/and other legal
documents, powers conferred and appointments, have been given constitutional
protection, as such. The second section of Ordinance, issued under the
signatures of President Asif Ali Zardari and released by secretary law Justice
(Retd) Yasmeen Abbasi proclaims also restricts any court action against any
appointed official or ongoing implementation over any official directive as
according to sub-section(1).
Following
is the text of the ordinance issued by President Asif Ali Zardari:
“Ordinance
No. VI of 2012
An
Ordinance to validate acts, orders and other instruments etc, done, made and
issued from
26-04-2012
to
19-06-2012
(both days inclusive)
Whereas
as a consequence of the Short Order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan dated 19th
June, 2012 passed in Constitution Petitions No 40 etc of 2012 and
disqualification Notification as Member of the National Assembly issued by the
Election Commission of Pakistan on 19th June, 2012, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani
ceased to be the Member as well as Prime Minister of Pakistan with effect from
26-04-2012.
And
Whereas it is expedient to validate acts, orders and instruments etc, done, made
and issued by the Prime Minister from
26-04-2012
to
19-06-2012
(both days inclusive).
And Whereas the Senate and the National Assembly are not in session and
the President is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary
to take immediate action;
Now,
Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause
(1)
of Article 89 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,
the President is pleased to make and promulgate the following ordinance:-
1.
Short title, extent and commencement:- This Ordinance may be called the
Validation Ordinance, 2012.
(2)
It extends to the whole of
Pakistan
.
The
functions including parliamentary functions performed, actions taken, orders
passed, directions issued, instruments made, MOUs executed, national and
international commitments made, process of communication issued, advice given to
the President in any matter, including in respect of Acts and Ordinances, SROs
and other legal instruments issued, powers confirmed, assumed or exercised, or
appointments made, by Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, Prime Minister of Pakistan from
26-04-2012 to 19-06-2012 (both days inclusive), shall be deemed to have been
validly done, performed, taken, passed issued, made, given, confirmed, assumed,
executed, exercised and provisions of this Ordinance shall have, and shall be
deemed to always to have had, effect accordingly.
(2)
No suit, prosecution or legal proceedings, including writ petition, shall
lie in any court or forum including the Supreme Court against any authority or
any person, for or on account of or in respect of any order made, proceedings
taken or act done or advice given whether in the exercise or purported exercise
of the powers or functions referred to in sub-section (1) or in execution of or
in compliance with orders made or functions performed or actions taken in
exercise or purported exercise of such powers.
Rehman,
Munter discuss mutual, bilateral matters
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Cameron P. Munter,
Ambassador of
USA
called on Senior Advisor to
the Prime Minister on Interior, A. Rehman Malik in
Islamabad
. The meeting held in a very
cordial atmosphere in which matters related to bilateral relations came under
discussion.
UNHCR
to spend $ 5 million in Balochistan
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugee would spend $ 5 million in Balochistan for the
improvement in the areas including health, education, sanitation and
communication. Lack of refugee’s laws in
Pakistan
creating problems both for
government and international organizations working for the welfare of the
refugees, said the UNHCR Balochistan chief Ms Tayyiba Hasan Sharif and other
speakers during a workshop jointly organized by
Balochistan
Judicial
Academy
and UNHCR here on Sunday.
“UNHCR under the Refugee Affected Housing Areas (RAHA) project completed 60
development schemes worth $ 3.60 million carried out in parts of Balochistan
during the span of year 2011,” Ms Tayyiba said adding strategy has been
evolved to initiate and complete development projects worth $ 5 million in the
refugee areas in Balochistan during the year 2012-2013. She said that
Pakistan
has been housing largest
group of refugees with longest time in the history of the UN. “It is high
time for the world community to sharing additional burden help
Pakistan
overcome the issue of 1.7
million Afghan refugees living in camps and Urban Centers across the country.
She commended the effort of
Pakistan
saying the response of the
government of
Pakistan
for hosting millions of
refugees for over 30 years was positive and laudable. “Credit goes to
Pakistan
who, despite all
difficulties and financial crunch, strove hard to provide the basic facilities
to the millions of refugees accommodated in camps and urban areas in
Pakistan
, she maintained. Miss
Sharif noted that UNHCR in collaboration with the
Pakistan
repatriated about 3.7
million Afghans to their native country since 2002. “Currently 1.7 million
refugees are registered with UNHCR in
Pakistan
. Of them, as many as
352.610 registered people are sheltered at camps and rural centers in
Balochistan. Balochistan High Court judges Justice Mustafa Mengal and Justice
Mohammad Noor Muskanzai, on the occasion, stressed the need for legislation of
laws for refugees. Legislation and subsequently their implementation would help
overcome the issue of the refugees. They said that
Pakistan
has been hosting the Afghan
brothers for last few decades. “ It is the now the responsibility of the
refugees to abide by the laws of hosting country,” they added. Earlier,
Associate Protection officer UNHCR in Balochistan Arbab Tahir briefed the
participants about the working of the UNHCR. “The uncertainty, poor law
and order situation and lack of basic amenities of life available in
Afghanistan have slowed down the UNHCR process of repatriation of refugees, she
noted, adding UN has extended many requests to the international community and
humanitarian organizations to work for the improvement of the health, education
and other sectors in Afghanistan so that the safe return of Afghan refugees
could be made out of their efforts in this connection.
New
guidelines issued for foreigners traveling to
Peshawar
, tribal areas
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Pakistan
’s interior ministry on
Sunday issued new guidelines for the foreigners traveling to the
Peshawar
and tribal areas of
Pakistan
. According to a
notification issued by interior ministry, the foreigners, traveling to
Peshawar
, should submit their
requests at least 12 working days in advance for security clearance. “The
guidelines will be implemented on all NGO and aid workers traveling to
Peshawar
and tribal areas,” the
statement said. “The foreigners will not be allowed to enter the tribal areas
of
Pakistan
nor they would be permitted
to contact or take an interview with the tribal elders,” it stated. The
notification further said that the foreigners would not be allowed to carry any
weapon or prohibited material during their journey.
Time
running out for corrupt rulers: Imran
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
KOTRI:
Chairman
Pakistan
Tehrik-e-Insaaf, Imran Khan
has said rulers would not be given further time for corruption and public
should take to streets for revolution. Talking to a delegation of PTI workers
of Jamshoro on Sunday, he said “The judgments of judiciary are not being
obeyed, the country could suffer more if rulers stay further and new Prime
Minister would have to go home like Gilani if he refuses to send a letter to
Swiss authorities”, Khan stated. He claimed that PTI would bring change in
the country where every citizen would be held accountable. “Sindhi people are
innocents and their rights are being exploited, our party is experiencing
publicity of which the ruling party and the opposition party feeling
threats”, he stated. Imran Khan urged party workers to transfer message of
the PTI at doorsteps and people are with them because they want rid of genetic
politics from the country.
Indo
Pakistan
talks on
petroleum trade in July
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The second round of talks
between the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Resources of Pakistan and
India
would be held on 12 and 13
July in
New Delhi
.
Pakistan
showed interest in
purchasing furnace oil, diesel, jet fuel and petrol, whereas
India
assured that it can fulfill
the demands of
Pakistan
in the first round of talks
, which were held in
Islamabad
last month. Both countries
would discuss modalities for importing petroleum products from
India
, rates and route in
Delhi
negotiations. If any
agreement would take place in this
regard, then
Pakistan
would prefer sea route than
Wahaga border for importing petroleum products from
India
.
Nawaz terms PPP-led govt as impassive
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
MURREE:
Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
Chief Nawaz Sharif has said that Pakistan People’s Party-led government is
impassive and incapable to run the country. Talking to media in Murree, the PML-N
chief said that the current government was worse than the Musharfaf regime,
adding that the government had failed to prove its strength in every sector. He
said that government had done nothing to appreciate. “The severe power crisis
and load-shedding has made the lives of masses miserable and industrial sector
has been destroyed,” he added. “The government has not only failed in every
sector but also destroyed the nation’s sovereignty,” he said. He also
praised the chief justice of
Pakistan
’s suo motu notice against
his own son and said that the CJ’s step should be appreciated. He lamented
that the government not only failed in every sector but also destroyed the
nation’s sovereignty, adding that the current government was worse than the
Musharraf regime.
Muhajirs,
Pashtuns stand united: Altaf Hussain
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: Elements that have
always conspired against
Karachi
by provoking Muhajir-Pashtun
riots should see that both communities stand united today, said Muttahida Qaumi
Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain on Sunday. Addressing the
“Paigham-e-Mohabbat” rally via telephone in Karachi, Hussain said that
today is the day when the major ethnic groups of the city have come together to
defeat all the conspiracies hatched against them. The MQM chief asked the
Muhajirs and Pashtuns to promise that they will fight against all the problems
together. “Promise me that the Muhajirs and Pashtuns will protect each other
and will provide shelter to their brothers in times of trouble, promise me that
ethnic conflicts will end today,” said Hussain. Calling MQM a party of people
belonging to different ethnicities rather than just of Urdu-speaking people,
Hussain said that Pashtuns are my brothers as much as the Muhajirs. Commenting
on the recent trend of attacks on Pashtun-owned tea outlets, Hussain said that
the Urdu-speaking residents of the city should provide protection to all the
small businesses owned by the Pashtuns. “We should sacrifice ourselves to
protect others and never harm anyone,” he said. Hussain further said he has
always counselled “his Muhajir brothers” and will now help “his Pashtun
brothers” understand that we don’t believe in fighting and bloodshed and
will not let anyone conspire against the peace of the city.
Faisal
Saleh, Raza Hiraj reject offer for Minister-ship
Special
to the
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Faisal Saleh Hayat and Raza Hayat Hiraj belonging to PML-Q have rejected the
offer for ministries, while four federal and six state ministers, all belonging
to PML-Q, will take oath on Monday. Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has already been
sworn in as the senior federal minister while Jam Yousuf, Talib Naki, Bahadur
Sehr and Sheikh Waqar are scheduled to take oath on Monday. Hayat has turned
down the ministry over his differences with Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf,
sources add. Hiraj told SAMAA that he would not become part of the cabinet due
to personal reasons.
PPP
has no clean person in its ranks: Mir
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: The election of ‘Raja
Rental’ as Prime Minister has proved that the ruling Pakistan People’s
Party (PPP) is left with not a single clean person in its ranks, said Jamaat
Ahl-e-Hadith leader Allama Sajid Mir on Sunday. Addressing a news conference
here, Mir said the motive behind the change in premier is to save the money
looted through corruption. He said the PPP and its allies have become a
corruption company limited for their personal gains. The ruling coalition is
engaged in prolonging their rule instead of working for public interests. To a
question, he said the rulers should explain their stance on NATO supply and
drone attacks. He felt there should be full ban on NATO supply routes.
Commenting on the Balochistan situation, he underlined that there would be no
improvement if killers of Nawab Akbar Bugti were not brought to book and the
process of mutilated bodies did not stop.
PSO
begins oil supplies to power plants in Pakistan
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Pakistan
State
Oil
has started oil supply to power plants to boost power production. On the
direction of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf’
Pakistan
State Oil has begun oil
supplies to power plants in the country. The supply will help in boosting power
production by twelve hundred mega watts by Monday.
INTERNATIONAL
Sino-Pakistan
actively, practically cooperating in space technology
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
BEIJING
:
Pakistan
and
China
are actively and practically
cooperating in space technology, said Ms. Wu Ping Spokesman for China Manned
Space Engineering Program here on Sunday. She expressed these views while
responding to a question in a press conference she addressed to brief the media
about the successful manual docking between the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft and the
orbiting Tiangong-1 lab module by three Chinese astronauts. It was the first
such attempt in
China
’s history of space
exploration. The Sunday’s landmark achievements means
China
has completely grasped space
rendezvous and docking technologies and the country is fully capable of
transporting humans and cargo to an orbiter in space, which is essential for
building a space station in 2020. Spokeswomen Wu to a question said that with
further advancement we will use our technology to train foreign astronauts and
possible they will be taken onboard China Shenzhou space craft. To a question,
Wu aid that the lady astronaut onboard the Shenzhou-9 Liu Yang is incharge of
the space experiments and doing her job smoothly. Being a woman and first lady
in space, she was well taken her care and
provided all facilities. Meanwhile, Astronaut Liu Wang, assisted by his
teammates Jing Haipeng and Liu Yang, controlled the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft to
dock with the Tiangong-1 space lab module at
12:48 p.m.
, Sunday which were
reconnected about seven minutes later. About one and a half hours before the
docking, the Shenzhou-9 parted from the Tiangong-1 to a berth point 400 meters
away from the module. To leave room for adjustment, engineers set up four berth
points for the spaceship on the same orbit five km, 400 meters, 140 meters and
30 meters away from the orbiting lab. A highly sophisticated space manoeuvre,
manual docking requires the astronaut to connect together two orbiters
traveling at 7.8 kilometers a second in space without a hitch. Shortly after
the docking, the smiling astronauts greeted the ground crew via camera by
waving, hand in hand. The spacecraft and the space lab were joined together by
an automated docking on June 18. The three astronauts, including the
country’s first female astronaut, Liu Yang, were sent into space onboard
Shenzhou-9 on June 16 from a launch center in northwest
China
’s
Gobi
desert. Spokesman Wu said
that all the astronauts will remain in space for next 3-4 days. All safety
precautions have been adopted for their safety returned to their death, she
noted.
Pakistan
embassy
participates in BIS Intl open day
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
BERLIN
:
Berlin
International
School
(BIS)
organized its annual international open day here on Sunday. About 25 Embassies
based in
Berlin
, including Pakistani
embassy, participated in the day long event and displayed their traditional and
cultural items of public interest. Pakistan Embassy set up a stall and
information-booth and put on display Pakistani specialties including
embroidered clothes, tapestry and handicrafts besides books and brochures on
Pakistan
. Visitors belonging to
different countries were served with delicacies of Pakistani snack-cuisine.
Pakistani children performed on a national song, which was much appreciated by
the audience.
Saudi
Arabia values
contribution of Pakistani community: Prince Salman
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
RIYADH:
The newly appointed Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz
Al-Saud has said that Saudi Arabia considers Pakistani people as very dear
brothers and highly values the contribution made by Pakistani community towards
development and progress of Saudi Arabia. He
made these remarks while talking to Ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia
Muhammad Naeem Khan, who was invited on special invitation to attend a special
ceremony here at the Governor House,
Riyadh
. This ceremony was held on
his elevation as Crown Prince of the
Kingdom
of
Saudi Arabia
Saturday evening.
The Ambassador thanked Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz for special
invitation and congratulated him on
assumption of new responsibilities as Crown Prince. He also conveyed heartiest
congratulations on behalf of the President, Prime Minister, Defence Minister,
Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan as well as on behalf of the Pakistani community
in
Saudi Arabia
.
CRIME
CORNER
Five
more gunned down in
Karachi
unrest
Special
to the
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: Five more people fall prey
to the ongoing violence in
Karachi
on Sunday at times when
newly elected Prime Minister was present in the metropolis and two of PPP
allies were holding mass meetings amid claims of forging peace. Officials said
six people were also injured in Sunday’s drive-by attacks. Police found four
sack-packed dead bodies from Mangho Pir, Dhobi Ghaat and Malir Saud Abad areas,
with their legs and hands tied with ropes. They said the victims were abducted
before killing, and cited ethic and political rivalry as motive behind the
murders. A man, identified as Abdul Ghani, 25, was gunned down by unknown armed
men outside his house in Memon Society of Lyari locality, a hub of gang war and
criminal activities. The ANP and MQM were holding separate public gatherings in
the city on Sunday, claiming to bring back the peace of
Karachi
.
Mine
blast kills 3 in Quetta
Special
to the
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: At least three coal miners
were died and another injured in a pre-dawn explosion in Marwar area of
Quetta
, sources said on Sunday.
The sources said that the blast occurred in Jinnah Coal Mine located in Marwar
area 80 kilometers away from
Quetta
city. Resultantly miners
Bari Alam, Bacha Jahan and another were died at the spot while one injured was
moved by the rescuers to nearby hospital.
Three
of Afghan refugee family died
Special
to the
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
: Three members of an Afghan
refugee family, including two women, died here in
Sariab Road
area Sunday. Police said
seven-year old Abdul Rauf, while playing, fell into a sewerage channel. His
mother and grandmother jumped into the channel to rescue him but they all died
of suffocation. The bodies of the deceased were recovered and shifted to
Civil
Hospital
for autopsy.
June
24, 2012
Premiership
a tough job: Raja
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on
Saturday said that the office of the Premiership is not an easy task, adding,
“We would have to work together for strengthening democratic institutions.”
The Prime Minister expressed these views on the occasion of luncheon arranged by
PML-Q, President, and Chaudhry Shujat Hussain while Ch. Pervez Elahi and other
PML-Q leaders were also present. The Prime Minister thanked the PML-Q leadership
for their support to elect him as prime minister of
Pakistan
. He said the government with the help
and support of its allies would ensure the resolution of all the problems
especially the energy crisis which is at top of the agenda for him. Ch. Brothers
assured the Prime Minister for full support and cooperation for supremacy of
law, constitution and strengthening the democratic process in the country in
future and also remembered the PM, his pledges made with Q-League. Responding to
the Q-League leadership, the PM assured that he would fulfill all of his
promises. Talking to media, Ch. Pervez Elahi said, “The PML¬Q leadership
advised PM Ashraf to focus on to reduce energy crises.” He said, “Three
years earlier, when PML-Q was part of Opposition in the lower house, we did not
have any formula while for the first six months I myself was the opposition
leader, when PML-N was ally of the PPP government”. While criticizing on
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Elahi blamed that Shahbaz Sharif along
with the MPAs and MNAs staging protest and damaging the properties of the
masses, moreover, they attacking on our MNAs residences. Chaudhry Wajahat
Hussain, Waseem Sajjad and other PML (Q) members were also present on the
occasion. Federal Ministers Khursheed Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Naveed Qamar,
Mian Manzoor Wattoo and Nazar Muhammad Gondal accompanied the Prime Minister. On
the occasion of luncheon, the PML-Q leaders ill-behaved with journalists, in
response, the media staged protest outside the residence of Ch. Shujat. It is
worth mentioning here that when the Prime Minister arrived at the residence of
Ch. Shujat, the security guards did not allow the journalists to enter into
house. The journalists said that Ch. Brothers also did not cooperate with the
media members.
Portfolios
announced, new cabinet with old ministries
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The portfolios for newly elected Prime
Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf’s cabinet have been announced here. All the 38
federal and state ministers along with three advisors to PM were allotted their
previous slots of ministries and divisions, which they had in the Gilani
cabinet. According to the notification, three
advisors to the Prime Minister including
Rehman Malik, Dr Asim Hussian and Dr Paul Bhatti .Rehamn Malik
has become the Senior Advisor on Interior, Dr. Asim Hussain for petroleum
and Dr. Paul Bhatti for Religious Harmony to Primer Minister. The new federal
ministers, Ch. Pervez Elahi has been given the status of Senior Minister and
assigned the ministries of Defence Production and Industris ,Farzana Raja
federal minister and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme , Makhdoom
Amin Fahim Minister for Commerce , Arbab Alamgir minister for Telecommunication,
Hina Rabbani Khar foreign minister, Nazir M Gondal minister for capital
administration and development, Rana M Farooq Saeed minister for Climate
Changing, Naveed Qamar minister for Defance, Abdul Hafeez Sheikh minister for
Wealth, Qamar Zaman Kaira minister for Information and Broadcasting, Meer Hazer
Khan Bajhrani minister for Inter-Provincial, Mia Manzoor Wattoo minister for
Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan affairs, Farooq H Naik minister for Law and
Parliamentary Affairs, Farooq Sattar minister for Over Seas Pakistani, Haji
Khuda Bux Rajad Anti-Narcotics, Firdous Aashiq Awan minister for National
Regulation and Services, Samina Khalid minister for National Heritage, Israr
Ullah Zehri minister for Food Security, Babar Ghori minister for Parts and
Shipping, Sardar Umar Gurgaig minister for Postal Services, Moula Bux Chandio
minister for Political Affairs, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Billor minister for Railways,
Khursheed Shah Religious Affairs, Changaz Khan Jamali minister for Science and
Technology, Eng. Shaukat Ullah minister for State Affairs, while Ch. Ahmed
Mukhtar became minister for Water and Power. While, the strong hold candidate
for Prime Minister, Makhdoom Shahab Uddin has assigned his former ministry of
Textile. Whereas, the from the ministers for states Abbas Khan Afridi was
assigned the minister of state of Trade, Dost M Mazari Telecommunication, Sardar
Saleem Haider Khan Defance, Malik Hammad Khan Foreign Affairs, Sayeed Samsam
Bukhari Information and Broadcasting, Ch. Imtiaz Safdar Wadaich Interior, Malik
Azmat Khan Inter Provincial, M Moazzam Ali Khan Gootway Food Security, Rahila
Baloch Science and Technology, and Dr. Nadeem Ahsan became minister state for
Overseas Pakistani.
No
one can claim supremacy over and above law: CJ
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Chief Justice of
Pakistan
Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
Saturday said law applies to all irrespective of their status, power, caste,
creed and religion and no one can claim supremacy over and above the law.
He was talking to a 50-member delegation of Youth Parliament accompanied
by Chairman Steering Committee S.M. Zafar, member Wazir Ahmed Jogezai, former
Deputy Speaker, National Assembly and officers of Youth Parliament Secretariat.
“Where any question of public importance arises with reference to the
enforcement of any of the Fundamental Rights ensured by the Constitution of
Pakistan; then the Supreme Court has the power to make any appropriate order for
the enforcement of these rights,” the Chief Justice remarked. He said the apex
court in its successive judgments has stressed the need for adherence to the law
and the Constitution and compliance with rule of law and due process requirement
to establish a system of civilized governance in the country.
Welcoming the delegation, the CJ said youth being a crucial segment of
society forms the basis for future development and lauded the project of the
‘Youth Parliament of Pakistan’ launched by the Pakistan Institute of
Legislative Development. “I am
hopeful that the aspirant and zealous young people of today will prove to be the
true leaders of democracy in future.” Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
said the Parliament is required to give laws in accordance with Constitution for
the betterment of the public at large so that laws can be made applicable and
added that they cannot legislate any law repugnant to Constitution and
injunctions of Islam and contrary to fundamental laws. “If such law is
promulgated, the Supreme Court under its power of Judicial Review can review it.
The underlying object of judicial review is to check the abuse of power by the
public functionaries and ensuring just and fair treatment to the citizens in
accordance with the law and constitutional norms”. He said every organ of the
state enjoys complete institutional independence within its constitutional
domain, however, any excess or misuse of power beyond that domain becomes the
subject matter of judicial scrutiny. The judicial institution of the State with
Supreme Court as the final arbiter, acts as the ultimate protector of the rights
of citizens and upholder of the constitutional supremacy.
He said the Supreme Court, to the exclusion of any other court, has the
jurisdiction to pronounce declaratory judgments in any dispute between the
Federal Government and a provincial government or between any two or more
provincial governments under Art 184(1). The Chief Justice of Pakistan advising
members of Youth Parliament to study basic features of our Constitution and also
how the document has been interpreted by courts to acquaint themselves with the
constitutional history and the role of superior courts in protecting the
fundamental rights and the constitutional development of Pakistan. Senator S.M.
Zafar said Youth Parliament is willing to bring about change if they are given
chance they can bring about a change. He
further pointed out that in our country, education has not been taken care of
because if it had been properly taken care of, our country would have flourished
more and more. The Chief Justice of
Pakistan presented Supreme Court Annual Report to Youth Parliament that provides
information on the working of the Supreme Court. The delegation also presented a
shield to Chief Justice of Pakistan. Earlier, Dr. Faqir Hussain, Registrar
Supreme Court of
Pakistan
welcomed Youth Parliament on their
visit to Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Doors
of PM House opened for general public
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The doors of the Prime Minister House
were opened on Saturday afternoon for two hours so that common people could meet
Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to greet him on his election. A large number
of people from different walks of life got a rare chance to enter the Prime
Minister House to congratulate the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Ashraf joined
the people from all walks of life and besides receiving congratulations from
them, discussed various issues with them and assured to take adequate measures
to resolve their problems. The people, most of them party workers, congratulated
the Prime Minister and appreciated the decision to appoint a die hard worker of
the party at the highest post of Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister shook hands with the people who visited the Prime
Minister from
5.000
to
7.00 pm
when the doors of the Prime Minister
House remained opened for the general public.
Manmohan
congratulates Raja for taking premiership charge
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
NEW DELHI
: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
on Saturday congratulated Raja Parvez Ashraf on his appointment as
Pakistan
’s new Prime Minister and expressed
confidence that the two countries will continue to make progress on bilateral
issues during his tenure. “I am confident that during your term as Prime
Minister our two countries will continue to make progress in their bilateral
dialogue on all issues and build good neighbourly relations by strengthening
their cooperation in all areas for the benefit of the people,” he said in a
message to the Pakistan Prime Minister. Ashraf, a stalwart of the ruling
PPP
, was administered the oath of office by
President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday night, hours after he was elected as the new
Prime Minister by the National Assembly. The 61-year-old loyalist of the Bhutto
family was pitchforked into the hot seat after the original choice Makhdoom
Shahabuddin faced an arrest warrant. Addressing the National Assembly following
his election, Ashraf promised to keep bettering of ties with
India
as one of his foreign policy
priorities. He said
Pakistan
will work to strengthen the dialogue
process that is already underway to resolve problems like the
Kashmir
issue.
High
level meeting reviews security situation
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Senior Advisor to Prime Minister on
Interior Rehman Malik Saturday reviewed security situation of
Islamabad
including Diplomatic Enclave and Red
Zone in high level meeting. High level meeting held here was chaired by Senior
Advisor on Interior and was attended by Inspector General Islamabad, DIG
Security, SSP Security, SSP Operation, AIG Special Branch, DG Passport, Joint
Secretary Ministry of Interior and other senior officials. Rehman Malik directed
to further tighten the security of Diplomatic Enclave in coordination with the
Foreign Office. He said that legal
action should be taken against the foreigners staying illegally in
Pakistan
. He
said there are some tip-offs that impersonators could carry out terrorist
activity and the meeting also examined these reports. In this regard, Senior
Advisor directed the IGP Islamabad to further increase patrolling and checking
of vehicles, besides strictly watching the suspicious elements.
Rehman Malik directed the DG Passport to make up deficiency of manpower
within a month at the offices of Machine Readable Passport System in
Sydney
,
Canada
,
Canberra
,
Madrid
,
Damascus
and Kualalumpur. The DG Passport said
that Machine Readable Passport System has been installed at 70 locations across
the country.
PML-Q
to file disqualification references against MNAs
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Pakistan
Muslim League-Q (PML-Q)
senior leader Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi has said that references would be filed
for disqualification of National Assembly members who did not cast their votes
for Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s election. Elahi said this while
talking to media representatives after a luncheon hosted by PML-Q president
Chaudahry Shujaat Hussain in honour of the newly elected premier here on
Saturday. Leaders of the PPP and PML-Q also attended the luncheon. He said that
disciplinary action would be taken against those who did not participate in the
election process and reference would be filed against them. Leaders from the
‘Likeminded group’, a breakaway faction of the PML-Q, formally joined the
PML-N earlier this May after both parties signed an agreement for a political
alliance. Pervez Elahi said Saturday that the PML-Q had decided to file
references against four of its lawmakers for their non participation in the
election and participation in the PML-Nawaz’s parliamentary meeting. The
‘likeminded’ parliamentarians had won their elections on the PML-Q’s
ticket, and their abstention from the party’s vote allows the PML-Q to file
references against them. To another query regarding the non-participation of his
party members in the election process, he vowed that strict action would be
taken against those found guilty. However, he added that three MNAs were not
able to attend the session due to their private engagements. Prior to the
crossover of the party’s ‘political dissidents’, the PML-Q had 50 MNAs,
making it the third largest parliamentary party in the house, and 80 MPAs in
Punjab until the 45 “likeminded” formally crossed over to the PML-N.
Pakhtun
public meeting will spread love, harmony: Altaf
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
KARACHI
: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)
Chief Altaf Hussain said that the party’s public gathering at Jinnah Ground
tomorrow will spread message of love and harmony among all ethnicities. Altaf
appealed the party workers and lovers of the country to make the gathering a
successful one. Earlier on Thursday the MQM announced holding a rally of Pakhtun
people in the city on Sunday (today). MQM’s Coordination Committee leader,
Gulfaraz Khatak, while addressing a news conference in party headquarter, Nine
Zero, said the mass meeting would be held on Sunday at Jinnah Ground, Azizabad
in Karachi. He urged Pakhtun people to support MQM chief for a ‘positive’
political change in this country, claiming that the party represents
middleclass. “Only Quaid-e-Tehrik Altaf Hussain can bring a real change. The
rally will prove that Pashtuns and people of all languages stand shoulder to
shoulder with MQM,” he affirmed.
Swiss
letter haunts new PM: Petition filed in SHC
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
KARACHI
: An application has been filed in Sindh
High Court to direct new PM to write to Swiss officials. After making Raja
Pervez Ashraf party to the case, applicant Maulvi Syed Iqbal Haider said that it
is clear from Supreme Court’s judgment that every prime minister is bound to
write to Swiss authorities for the reopening of graft cases against president
Zardari. Therefore, the court should direct newly elected prime minister to
write to Swiss officials and if he doesn’t write then it should be taken as a
violation of court orders. The constitutional application will be heard on
Monday. .
Jan
endorses demand for Pahstun province
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
QUETTA
: Former Deputy Chairman Senate Jan
Mohammad Jamali Saturday said that he saw no wrong if Pashtuns raise voice for
the formation of their separate province in Balochistan. “I would endorse the
demand for making a Pashtun province,” he said while talking to newsmen at his
residence here. Jan Jamali said “what he thinks Balochs have right to use the
resources of their areas of dominance and similarly Pashtuns are entitled to be
benefited from the areas where they were living since long. Expressing his
displeasure over the Sindh government response on the water issue faced by the
farmers in Balochistan he said that Kharif season is about to end but the Sindh
is still reluctant to supply complete share of water. He demanded of the Prime
Minister and President to resolve the water dispute between the two provinces.
Responding to a question, he said that election for the prime minister slot was,
carried out in accordance with the Constitution and added that prevailing
government would complete its term. Incumbent government despite many challenges
striving hard to providing relief to the masses, he said. “Cut in petroleum
products will help reduce extra burden on financially strapped segment of the
society,” he added.
INTERNATIONAL
US-Pakistan
relationship appeared to be heading towards a head-on collision
Special
to the
Montreal
Tribune
WASHINGTON
: The US-Pakistan relationship appeared
to be heading towards a head-on collision as an American general blamed
Friday’s deadly attack on a
Kabul
hotel on FATA-based militants and the
White House vowed to take the steps needed to mitigate this threat. Earlier on
Friday, the
US
media reported that
Washington
had considered launching retaliatory
attacks at terrorist targets inside Fata but concerns about destabilising
Pakistan
prevented it from doing so. “We’ll
take steps necessary to mitigate that threat,” said a White House official,
while commenting on AP report. Asked if the White House could send US soldiers
across the border to chase down those militants, White House Principal Deputy
Press Secretary Josh Earnest said: “I won’t preview the kinds of things that
are being discussed, and frankly, whether or not they’re even being discussed
by the administration.” But, he said, he could share with the reporters that
“this threat is something that we have talked about quite extensively both
publicly and privately.” The White House official pointed out that the
US
had raised this issue with the
Pakistanis and remained committed to finding ways to work with them to combat
the threat that these groups posed both to US forces and innocent Pakistani
civilians. Earlier, the commander of NATO forces in
Afghanistan
said that the deadly attack on the
Kabul
hotel bore the signature of the Haqqani
group which he said continued to operate from
Pakistan
. Commenting on the statement, State
Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters in
Washington
that the
United States
had been pushing
Pakistan
for a long time to ‘squeeze’ this
terrorist outfit. Also on Friday, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta indicated that
the
US
was not going to accept
Pakistan
’s demand for an apology over the
Salala incident, which caused
Islamabad
to block NATO supply routes to
Afghanistan
.
Pakistan
is unwilling to reopen the routes
without an apology. Asked whether he would oppose any further apology, Mr.
Panetta told the Reuters news agency: “We’ve made clear what our position
is, and I think it’s time to move on.” He added: “If we keep going back to
the past, if we keep beating up each other based on past differences, we’ll
never get anywhere.” But the most detailed analysis of US-Pakistan relations
came in a televised discussion between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and
one of her predecessors, James A. Baker. Secretary Baker noted that the
relationship was in a ‘terrible’ shape, adding that this was “really sad,
because for the duration of the Cold War they were our ally, and
India
was the ally of the
Soviet Union
, and now all of that is changed”. Mr.
Baker disagreed with those who suggested severing ties to
Pakistan
. “I think we need to maintain a
relationship with them because they’re a nuclear power and because it’s
really important that we not see nuclear conflagration in the subcontinent. And
we don’t want to see any more proliferation than we’ve seen from
Pakistan
,” he said. He suggested cutting off
US
aid to
Pakistan
to “get their attention” while
maintaining a relationship with them. Secretary Clinton observed that
America
’s relationship with
Pakistan
has been challenging for a long time.
“Some of it is of our own making,” she said, adding that she believed the US
should have been more concerned about “what was going to happen to the
Pakistanis” after the Soviet withdrawal from Pakistan. “First of all, I
completely agree it is not in our interests to cut off our relationship,” she
said while explaining her approach. “It is in our interest to try to better
direct and manage that relationship.” She said there were several things that
the
US
was now asking the Pakistanis to do:
“Number one, they’ve got to do more about the safe havens inside their own
country” because “the extremists have an ace in the hole. They just cross
the border; they get direction and funding and fighters, and they go back across
the border.” She urged
Pakistan
to act against the Haqqani network as
well as the LET, noting that the militants had already killed more than 30,000
Pakistanis. “Secondly, they have to be willing to recognize that as we
withdraw from Afghanistan, it is in their interest to have a strong, stable
Afghan government” and they should stop “doing everything possible to try to
undermine it.” “And at the very least, they ought to stop double-dealing
us,” said Secretary Baker. “Yeah, at the very least,” Secretary Clinton
agreed. “And they should release Dr Afridi,” she added.
Turkey
vows action against Syria for downing jet
Special
to the Montreal Tribune
ANKARA:
Turkey will take retaliatory steps against Syria for the downing of one of its
military jets, President Abdullah Gul said Saturday, even as he suggested that
the aircraft may have violated Syrian airspace. It was not clear if Gul was
suggesting military retaliation, increased sanctions against Syria or other
possible steps, including demands for an apology, and his aide would not comment
on his words. But Faruk Celik, Turkey’s Labor and Social Security Minister,
said Turkey would retaliate “either in the diplomatic field or give other
types of response.” “Even if we assume that there was a violation of
Syria’s airspace — though the situation is still not clear — the Syrian
response cannot be to bring down the plane,” Celik told reporters. “The
incident is unacceptable,” he said. “Turkey cannot endure it in silence.”
Syria said Friday its forces had shot down a Turkish military plane that entered
its air space. The plane, an unarmed F-4, went down in the Mediterranean Sea
about 8 miles (13 kilometers) from the Syrian town of Latakia, Turkey said. The
incident further escalated tensions between Syria and NATO-member Turkey. The
two neighbors used to be allies before the Syrian revolt began in March 2011,
but Turkey has become one of the strongest critics of the Syrian regime’s
brutal response to the country’s uprising and is playing host to civilian and
military Syrian opposition groups. In Baghdad, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar
Zebari said the recent defection of a Syrian pilot to Jordan and the downing of
the Turkish jet showed that the Syrian conflict could have far-reaching
repercussions. “Our main concern is the spillover of the crisis into
neighborhood countries. No country is immune from this spillover,” he said.
“If this conflict were to turn into all-out sectarian or civil war, Iraq would
be affected, Lebanon would be affected, Jordan would not be immune, Turkey could
be (affected).” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he was
“greatly worried” by the incident, urged a thorough investigation and
welcomed Turkey’s cool-headed reaction in the incident’s immediate
aftermath. “Everything must be done to ensure that there won’t be any
further escalation in the already tense region,’ he said in a statement.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuoglu chaired a meeting Saturday with military
officials during which they discussed possible steps and a search and rescue
mission for the two missing pilots, the Foreign Ministry said. There was no
announcement after the meeting. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc insisted the
plane was not a fighter jet but a reconnaissance plane and said Turkey was
awaiting an explanation from Syria. The president said Turkey was still trying
to establish the exact circumstances of the incident, but said it was
“routine” for jets flying in high-speeds to unintentionally violate other
countries’ air spaces for short periods of time. “These incidents are
routine,” Gul said. “They are incidents that are not ill-intentioned and
happen because of the speeds (of the jets).” “Was that the case, or did (the
incident) occur in our own air space, these facts will emerge,” he said. “No
one should have any doubt that whatever (action) is necessary will be taken.”
Gul did not elaborate. But Turkey said after an April border shooting incident
— in which two people inside a Turkish refugee camp died— that it would call
on its NATO allies to intervene should it feel its security was being
threatened.
Iran
opposition head says West must end appeasement
Special
to the Montreal Tribune
VILLEPINTE:
An Iranian dissident leader urged major powers on Saturday to stop appeasing
Tehran and start supporting opposition groups after the latest round of talks on
Iran’s nuclear program ended in deadlock. Maryam Rajavi, who heads the
Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (
NCRI
), also accused the United States of
dragging its heels on a decision to remove her group from its terrorist list.
“Western countries lost this decade by providing all sorts of incentives to
the Mullahs - a decade of appeasement and fruitless negotiations,” Rajavi said
ahead of a meeting of thousands of Iranian exiles on the outskirts of Paris.
World powers and Iran failed to secure a breakthrough at talks on Tehran’s
nuclear program on June 19 and set no date for more political negotiations,
despite the threat of a new Middle East conflict if diplomacy collapses. The
West fears Iran is working to develop an atomic bomb. Tehran says its nuclear
work is focused on generating electricity and other peaceful projects. The
NCRI
, an umbrella bloc of five opposition
groups in exile that seek an end to Shi’ite Muslim clerical rule in Iran, were
first to expose a secret uranium enrichment plant at Natanz in 2002. “Stopping
the Mullahs’ nuclear threat is possible only through changing (its)
dictatorial regime,” she said. “If one is not interested in handing the bomb
to the Mullahs, one should side with the Iranian people’s resistance to topple
the regime.” Also known as the People’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran (PMOI),
the group led a guerrilla campaign against the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran during
the 1970s that included attacks on U.S. targets. The United States added the
group to its official list of foreign terrorist organizations in 1997, but the
group has since renounced violence. It has mounted a legal and public relations
campaign to have its terrorist designation dropped. A U.S. appeals court ordered
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to decide on its fate by October 1.
“Following the June 1 ruling ... the State Department has no choice but to
delist the PMOI, unless it wants to again trample upon justice and law to
satisfy the Mullahs,” Rajavi said.
Pak-India
BSFs hold flag meeting over violation of ceasefire
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
SRINAGAR:
A flag meeting between border security force (BSF) of India and Pakistan was
held on Saturday to discuss the matters related to continue violation of
ceasefire at control line. As per the information received from foreign media, a
senior Indian army officer told that the flag meeting of Brigade
Commanders-level was held in the Poonch district at Chakan-da-Bagh crossing
point. He added that the meeting was started in the morning at 11:00am and
continued for an hour. The matters related to the incidents of violation of
ceasefire at control line were under discussion.
Israel
bombs Hamas targets in Gaza as truce unravels
Special
to the Montreal Tribune
GAZA:
Israel launched air raids on Hamas security targets in Gaza on Saturday,
wounding more than 20 people, medical officials in the Islamist-ruled territory
said, as militants stepped up rocket fire, wounding an Israeli man. The
escalating violence threatened to unravel Wednesday’s shaky Egyptian-brokered
truce, which had temporarily calmed violence that erupted on Monday after a raid
across Egypt’s Sinai border in which an Israeli man and two gunmen were
killed. Hamas medical officials said a six-year-old Palestinian boy had been
killed in an air strike but Israel’s military denied any involvement. Israel
confirmed its aircraft had struck two militant targets in the Islamist-ruled
territory. Hamas medical officials said a third Israeli air raid had killed the
six-year-old boy at a soccer field near the town of Khan Younis, and wounded two
other people. They said a baby was wounded in a separate attack in Rafah, at the
Egypt border. Lieutenant Colonel Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military
spokeswoman, denied any Israeli involvement in the boy’s death, saying on
Twitter that the report was the result of “false rumors” and that the boy
had died due to an explosion of ordnance belonging to Palestinian militants.
Another Israeli military spokeswoman said she had no report of any air strikes
in Rafah, where the baby was reported to have been hurt. The Israeli strikes
were reported after the worst rocket assault in six days of fighting. One
projectile slammed into the Israeli town of Sderot wounding an Israeli man in
the neck just as he was trying to enter a concrete shelter. The rocket was one
of more than 150 fired into Israel in the past week, the military said, after a
relatively calm period. At least 15 were fired at Israel on Saturday, nearly
three times as a day ago. At least six other rockets were intercepted by an
Israeli missile defense system, the military said. Israel’s military chiefs
scheduled urgent consultations to weigh a “course of action,” a military
spokeswoman said. Israeli authorities also urged many of the 1 million Israelis
who live in the south to stay indoors or close to fortified shelters. Officials
in Gaza said Israel had attacked security targets in Gaza City and in northern
and southern parts of the crowded coastal strip before dawn. Nobody in Gaza
claimed responsibility for the rocket fire at Israel, but a security source said
the missiles had been launched by members of a fringe Salafi group sympathetic
to al-Qaeda, two of whose militants were killed in Israeli raids on Friday.
Israel blamed the Salafis for Monday’s cross-border raid from Egypt, after
which Israel launched punitive air raids on nearby Gaza, killing 10
Palestinians, many of them militants but also including a 14-year-old boy. Hamas
militants had conditionally pledged to adhere to the truce brokered by Egypt if
Israel also held fire. Israel never formally commented on the deal but its
officials have pledged to respond to any rocket fire from Gaza. Egypt has
brokered such deals in the past and stepped in this time fearing the violence,
which coincided with a hotly contested presidential race in Cairo, could spiral
out of control.
Pakistan
condemns attack in Afghanistan
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special toThe Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has strongly condemned the recent attacks in Afghanistan including the
one that took place yesterday at a lake side hotel near Kabul resulting in the
loss of several precious lives. Spokesman for Foreign Office in a statement
issued here on Saturday while condemning these attacks said, “Our thoughts and
prayers are with the bereaved families.” The spokesman said, “Pakistan
remains committed to peace, stability and prosperity of Afghanistan.”
“Pakistan will continue working closely with the government of Afghanistan to
achieve the objectives of peace, stability and prosperity,” said the Foreign
Office spokesman.
Pre-monsoon
rain forecast for next week
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The Montreal Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
A two-day rain bout has been forecast to start from Tuesday that would beat the
sizzling heat of June to some extent after the mercury has even surged to 50
Celsius in some parts of the country. “The pre-monsoon rain would hit upper
parts of the country including Rawalpindi and Islamabad that will follow the
onset of regular monsoon season from first week of July,” Arif Mehmood,
Director General Pakistan Meteorological Department told APP Saturday. He said
pre-monsoon spell would help bring the temperature down in the heat-stricken
areas besides having positive impact on the human health as well as crop. He
said the pre-monsoon would be a mild spell but would help bring the mercury
down. According to the Met office, southwest monsoonal currents are likely to
penetrate southern and eastern parts of the country from Sunday evening.
Under the influence of southwest monsoon incursion, intermittent scattered
rain-thundershowers are likely in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Eastern Baluchistan,
Sindh coast, central and upper parts of Punjab, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
most parts of Kashmir from Tuesday to Thursday. Gilgit-Baltistan is also likely
to receive scattered rain during the forecast period. The weather watchers
have also advised the farmers’ community to adopt rain water harvesting
practices to recharge the soil moisture reserves especially in rain-fed areas
which are under stress conditions due to deficit rainfall during past four
months. However,
till start of the pre-monsoon, severe heat wave is likely to persist in south
Punjab, upper Sindh and southern/eastern parts of Baluchistan. The weather
pundits have forecast mainly very hot and dry weather in most parts of the
country, however dust-thunderstorm/light rain is likely at isolated places of
Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha,
Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. Even during the last 24 hours, weather
remained hot and dry in most parts of the country; however isolated rain,
dust-thunderstorm occurred at Rawalpindi, Malakand, Peshawar, Kohat and
Gilgit-Baltistan. During last 24 hours, maximum temperatures was recorded in
Sibbi, Noorur Thal and Turbat at 47C; Moenjodaro, Larkana, Jacobabad at 46C;
Sukkar, Mangla, Bhakar, Garidupatta,, Mangla,Risalpur and Jhelum at 47 C.
June
23, 2012
Pakistan
new PM
promises reconciliation, supremacy of Parliament
Relations
with
EU
,
US
on equal footing to
promote peace, stability
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Pakistan
’s Prime
Minister-elect Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Friday invited the opposition for
reconciliation and vowed to ensure supremacy of the Parliament, strengthen
democracy and hold free, fair and transparent elections. “Powers to all the
institutions flow from the Parliament. The Parliament manifests aspirations of
the people and we shall ensure that nobody exercises this right of the
Parliament and the people,” he said in his maiden speech after election as
Prime Minister. “Some undemocratic minds try to belittle democracy and the
people of
Pakistan
. This is
an irresponsible thinking that the country can be run against the aspirations
of the people,” he added. Recounting the sacrifices of his leaders Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, the newly-elected Prime Minister also
pledged to tread on the path of leaders and make every effort to strengthen the
democratic institutions and respect the will of people.
“We are at a critical juncture of history that entrusts on political
forces to manifest sagacity, unity and collaboration to take forward the
democratic process and ensure free, fair and transparent elections for the
continuity of democracy,” Pervaiz said and sought the cooperation of the
opposition to achieve this goal. He reiterated to promote harmony among the
institutions.” We do not desire the politics of confrontation. Our country
cannot afford it. We, following the philosophy of reconciliation of Shaheed
Benazir Bhutto, invite the opposition for dialogue to resolve the problems,”
he said and hoped a positive response from the opposition as he saw it the only
way out for the progress of the country. He said the religious extremism
inflicted heavy loss to the country and religion and “I appeal to those
fighting against the state to surrender weapons and join the mainstream for the
progress of the country.” Consolidating Pakistan’s relations with European
Union and having relations with United States and other world nations on equal
footing to promote peace and stability in our region and in the world, would
also be his priority, Pervaiz said and added, peace in Afghanistan is
imperative for peace in Pakistan. He said, to meet the challenges and put in
place a system based on good-governance, the country direly needed impartial
and powerful accountability system. Therefore, I seek cooperation of the
opposition parties to deliberate on pending Accountability Bill and bring it to
the House to give country an effective Accountability Law. He assured the
Parliament and the people of
Pakistan
to abide by
guiding principles and vision of founder of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad
Ali Jinnah, Quaid-e-Awam Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. “I
will sincerely resolve the masses problems and seek guidance from President
Asif Ali Zardari to play a role in resolving national and international
issues,” he added.
Pervaiz
Ashraf wins race for 25th Prime Minister
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Pakistan
Peoples
Party’s candidate Raja Pervaiz Asharf on Friday was elected as the 25th Prime
Minister of the country, defeating Sardar Mehtab Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz. “Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has got 211 votes. Sardar Mehtab Abbasi
has got 89 votes. So Raja Pervaiz Ashraf is declared to be elected as Prime
Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” announced Speaker National
Assembly of Pakistan, Dr Fehmida Mirza who presided over the hour-long voting
process. Pervaiz Ashraf was one of the three candidates the PPP had fielded to
contest for coveted prime ministerial slot as two others were Makhdoom
Shahabuddin and Qamar Zaman Kaira. Shahabuddin,
the unanimous nominee was dropped after Anti-Narcotics Force Rawalpindi issued
his arrest warrants for his alleged involvement in allowing the import of
controlled Ephedrine drug during his tenure as health minister. Born on
December 26,
1950
in Sanghar,
Sindh, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was the Federal Minister for Information Technology
and earlier Minister for Water and Power in the present PPP-led government.
He has been twice elected as a Member of the National Assembly from his
constituency of Gujar Khan,
Rawalpindi
with the
latest being of February 2008 elections. As proceedings of the session started
at around 1826 hours, the Speaker guided the members as how to cast vote to
elect their new Leader of the 342-member House. The members, willing to support
the PPP candidate were asked to the Chamber through the Lobby-A on Speaker’s
right side and those favoring the PML-N candidate to move out through Lobby-B
on Speaker’s left. After five-minute bell-ringing to call the members inside
Chamber, the doors were locked until the Speaker’s ruling to leave the
Chamber for voting. The members returned to their seats after the voting
concluded followed by two-minute bell-ringing.
In total 310 members were present in the Chamber of those, 300 used
their right to vote and rest 10 from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl abstained from
voting after their candidate Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced to withdraw his
candidacy papers moments before start of the voting. Four seats of the National
Assembly are lying vacant including those of Yusuf Raza Gilani, Fauzia Wahab,
Farah Naz Isphahani and one from FATA. The Speaker’s announcement for
election of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf as new premier was cheered by desk-thumping
Jiyay Bhutto slogans from inside the House as well as the lobbies. Even before
his election, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf remained gossiping with members from both
ruling and opposition members while moving to their seats. As proceedings
started, he headed towards Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and
shook hand with him. And after his election as prime minister, he moved to
runner up candidate Sardar Mehtab Abbasi for a handshake. Earlier,
Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced to withdraw his candidacy papers and abstention
from voting admitting what he said, his failure to evolve consensus on fielding
a unanimously-agreed candidate to help the country steer out of prevailing
political chaos and split among institutions. Before prorogation of the
session, Speaker National Assembly congratulated Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, ruling
and coalition party on his election as Prime Minister and all the members for
completing the process smoothly. “His election was an evidence of trust and
confidence of the representatives of the people in his leadership and
abilities,” she said and advised all members to allow running regular session
to with such smoothness to complete this parliamentary term with a positive
note as the country could not afford confrontation.
The Speaker also advised both ruling and opposition benches to sit
together to carve out a strategy for country’s deliverance from prevailing
crises as no single party could face all the challenges.
Profile
of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
:
Pakistan
Peoples Party and its
allied parties candidate Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was elected Prime Minister of
Pakistan
on Friday.
Raja
Pervaiz Ashraf was born on
December 26,
1950
in Sanghar,
Sindh. He did his B.A. from the
University
of
Sindh
in 1970 and
started his professional career as a businessman and agriculturist.
He also obtained a diploma in industrial management from
England
in 1974.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf remained Chairman of Social Action Programme from
1994-96. He was elected Member of
the National Assembly (MNA) in 2002 and 2008 elections from NA-51, Rawalpindi-II
as a PPPP candidate. He also served as Federal Minister for Water and Power and
Minister for Information Technology
in the former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani-led cabinet.Pervaiz Ashraf also
participated in 1985 non-party local bodies elections. In 1988 he joined
Pakistan Peoples Party. Raja
Pervaiz Ashraf defeated PML (N) candidate Chaudhry Zaman by 25000 votes, in the
national elections of 2002, while in 2008, he defeated PML (Q) candidate
Qasim Javed. He is married. He has
two sons and two daughters.
Pakistan
New PM,
Federal Cabinet sworn in
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Newly
elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Raja Pervez Ashraf took oath as the
country’s 25th prime minister on Friday. President Asif Ali Zardari
administered oath to the newly elected prime minister at Aiwan-e-Sadr at an
impressive ceremony attended by ex-prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and
high-ranking military and civil personalities. On the occasion, Chief Ministers
of
Punjab
, Sindh and
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Senate, Speaker
National Assembly Fehmida Mirza, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Rehman Malik were
also present at the ceremony. The 38 members of Federal cabinet, including 27
ministers and 11 ministers of state, also took oath of their post at the
occasion. The ministers who took oath from President Asif Ali Zardari includes
Nazar Mohammad Gondal, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Maula Bakhsh Chandio, Mian Manzoor
Wattoo, Mir Hazar Khan Bijrani, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Khurshid Shah, Makhdoom
Amin Fahim, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Farooq Sattar, Hina Rabbani Khar, Abdul
Hafeez Sheikh, Babar Ghouri, Dr Asim Hussain, Naveed Qamar, Qamar Zaman Kaira,
Ahmed Mukhtar, Rana Farooq Saeed, Makhdoom Shahab, Dost Mohammad Mazari,
Raheela Baloch, Engineer Shaukatullah, Imtiaz Safdar Waraich, Mir Changaiz
Jamali , Tasneem Ahmed, Syed Samsam Bukhari, Sardar Saleem Haider, Malik Azmat
Khan and Farzana Raja.
Election
of corrupt man as PM shameful for the nation: Imran
Rulers
surrounded, embroiled with tons of scandals: Abbasi
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD/HYDERABAD:
Pakistan
Mulsim
League-Nawaz’s losing candidate for the top slot of prime minister, Sardar
Mehtab Khan Abbasi has said that the ruling party is surrounded, embroiled with
tons of scandals. Addressing the National Assembly here on Friday,
following the victory of PPP’s candidate, Raja Pervez Ashraf for the PM slot,
Sardar Mehtab Abbasi thanked PML-N’s president, Mian Nawaz Sharif for
allowing him (Sardar Mehtab) to take an active part in political, democratic
affairs of the Country, by nominating him (Mehtab) for the slot of the prime
minister. “I was under no false illusions regarding our votes in National
Assembly, but nevertheless I did play my part of representing masses and
exposing the political parties responsible for putting the Country in quagmire
of crisis” , he declared. He said that President Zardari had sacrificed
another party loyalist on the altar of his (Zardari’s) whims and to save his
illegally laundered $.60 million He said that former PM’s claim that
his sons were innocent, while another name of Makhdoom Shahab-ud-Din had also
surfaced in ephedrine case. Addressing Raja Pervez Ashraf, he said “You
have been made a scapegoat; something the nation cannot afford to observe at
all times.” Imran terms election a shame:
Pakistan
Tehrik-e-Insaf
Chairman Imran Khan said that it is shameful for the nation that a corrupt man
has been made a prime minister. Now the doubt has been shunned away that
the rulers are exploiting the country for their vested interests. While
addressing a public rally in
Hyderabad
, he said
that now the people would have to take the decision that either they want
rulers or country. He said the people who caste their vote to Raja Riaz, they
are actually staunch opponent of the country. The wealth of the ruling class is
on rise while the people’s standard of living is going down and down, he
said. “I have come to
Hyderabad
in order to
defeat this cruel system which has made the lives of people full of sufferings
and agonies”, he said. The PTI chief told the rally participants to
question their leaders who hid their wealth abroad rather than investing it in
Pakistan
.
“Politicians who have saved assets in foreign countries are a part of the
current evil system,” Imran said. The PTI chief added that his party will not
give a ministry to anyone who owns property or other assets abroad. Criticizing
the government’s inability to tax everyone equally, Imran said that only the
poor people paid taxes in
Pakistan
, while
rich were spared. He said that when people are murdered in
Karachi
, all the
leaders get together and broker a deal favorable to them but fail to deliver
justice to the victims. Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said that Raja Pervaiz devoured
four billion rupees out of rental power projects. Despite taking legal action
against him, President Zardari has made him the prime minister of the country.
He said that Imran Khan is a ray of hope in the country which has been
mercilessly looted by its rulers. The PTI has brought message of love,
fraternity, peace and prosperity for their brothers. We don’t believe in
caste and color system; rather establishment of pure democratic system based on
equality and justice is out goal, he emphasized. Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that
the entire nation is waiting for diet, dress and dwelling, adding that Asif Ali
Zardari has buried the philosophy of ZA Bhutto.
Greetings
to Raja on election as PM
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA/ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan
President
Asif Ali Zardari congratulated Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on his election as Prime
Minister. He said the election of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf as Prime Minister is
reflection of the public trust on democracy. Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain,
Chaudhary Pervez Elahi and other allied partners felicitated the new elected
Prime Minister. Members of the Parliament shook hands with the Prime Minister
and congratulated him. Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi and Chief
Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani have congratulated Raja Pervez Ashraf Prime
Minister of
Pakistan
. Governor
Magsi said coordination, mutual consultations and unanimity among allied
parties for election of Prime Minister good for continuity of democracy and
stability of democratic institutions. He said notice about prevailing situation
in the country and far sightedness for discharge of national affairs by leaders
of all national political parties and elected members of Parliamentarians and
following democratic values is laudable. Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani
hoped that new Prime minister would take all along with to steer the country
from crises. He said that the way political parties participated in the
election of prime minister would strengthen democratic process and democratic
institutions. He said PPP under the leadership of President Asif Zardari was
playing its due role for development of democratic culture in the country. It
was mission of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto democracy and democratic institutions
should grow in the country and PPP was forwarding this mission of its leader.
He hoped that Balochistan would continue to get full attention of new prime
minister and he would pay special attention on resolution of problems of the
province. Pakistan Peoples Party Secretary Information and former information
minister Qamar Zaman Kaira on Friday congratulated Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on his
election as new Prime Minister of Pakistan. In a statement issued here, Kaira
said that Pervaiz Ashraf’s election as premier would strengthen
democracy and democratic institutions in the country. Kaira said that the
election of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf as new Prime Minister shows that people of
Pakistan
have
confidence in the democratic set up in the country.
INTERNATIONAL
20
dead in Taliban siege of Afghan hotel; NATO blames Haqqanis
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
KABUL
: Elite
Afghan police backed by NATO forces ended a 12-hour siege on Friday at a
popular lakeside hotel outside
Kabul
, leaving
at least 20 dead after Taliban gunmen stormed the lakeside building, bursting
into a party and seizing dozens of hostages. The night-time assault on the
hotel with rocket-propelled grenades, suicide vests and machine guns again
proved how potent the Islamist insurgency remains after a decade of war. The
commander of NATO forces in
Afghanistan
said the
attack bore the signature of the Taliban-linked Haqqani group that he said
continued to operate from
Pakistan
, a charge
that could further escalate tensions with
Islamabad
. General
John Allen’s comments come days after U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta
said
Washington
was at the
limits of its patience with
Pakistan
over the
existence of militant networks including the Haqqanis.
Pakistan
says it is
doing everything it can to fight militants on its side of the border and
accuses
Afghanistan
of trying
to shift the blame for its failure to combat the insurgency. At the hotel,
terrified guests jumped into the lake in the darkness to escape the carnage,
Afghan officials and residents said. Up to 300 people had been inside the hotel
when the attack began. Afghan interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said 12
to 15 civilians, two hotel guards and a policeman were killed in the gunbattle
at the Spozhmai hotel, overlooking
Qargha
Lake
. Five
attackers were also killed. The attack, quickly claimed by the Afghan Taliban,
again showed the ability of insurgents to stage high-profile raids even as NATO
nations prepare to withdraw most of their combat troops by the end of 2014 and
leave Afghans to lead the fight. “Afghan National Security Forces and
coalition military sources acknowledge that this attack bears the signature of
the Haqqani network, which continues to target and kill innocent Afghans and
blatantly violate Afghan sovereignty from the safety of
Pakistan
,”
General Allen said in a statement. Blood was splattered over the hotel floor
and the crumpled body of a man lay in the garden. Women and children were among
the wounded. “We heard a heavy explosion from a rocket-propelled grenade. We
tried to escape, but we were surrounded by suicide bombers. We hid ourselves
behind a tree until morning. God protected us,” said Abdullah Samadi, 24. The
gunmen, Samadi said, had been closely watching their prisoners and searching
for illegal stocks of wine. “Around dawn they came closer to us and we had to
jump in the water. We were there until
9 a.m.
and then
the situation got better and we slowly, slowly swam toward security forces,”
he said. Sediqqi said the Taliban were using civilians as human shields to
defend themselves and held about 50 people hostage late into Friday morning.
US
rules out apology for Pakistan
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
WASHINGTON
:
US
Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta all but ruled out an apology over an air strike last
year that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and badly set back efforts to improve
U.S.-Pakistani ties, saying it was “time to move on.” Panetta, in an
interview with a British news agency, suggested that past expressions of regret
and condolences were enough and held out hope that troubled talks on re-opening
Pakistani supply routes for the NATO war effort could succeed anyway. Asked
whether he would oppose any further apology, Panetta said: “We’ve made
clear what our position is, and I think it’s time to move on.” “If we
keep going back to the past, if we keep beating up each other based on past
differences, we’ll never get anywhere,” he said. “The time now is to move
forward with this relationship, on the (supply routes), on the safe havens, on
dealing with terrorism—on dealing with the issues that frankly both of us are
concerned about,” Panetta said. But the supply line negotiations have become
wrapped in a larger debate within Pakistan about what it sees as U.S.
violations of its sovereignty, which includes everything from covert CIA drone
strikes to the U.S. incursion into Pakistan last year to kill al Qaeda leader
Osama bin Laden. During a trip to
Kabul
, Panetta,
using unusually harsh language, said the
United
States
was
reaching the limits of its patience with
Pakistan
because of
the safe havens it offered to insurgents fighting in neighbouring
Afghanistan
. But in
his interview, he appeared to temper those remarks, saying: “It’s a
complicated and frustrating relationship. But it’s a necessary relationship
and one that we’ve got to continue to work at on both sides.” At the same
time, Panetta acknowledged pressures building in Congress to put conditions on
aid to
Pakistan
. “It’s
not something that we’re pushing in the Congress. But the reality is that the
more problems we have, the more difficult it’s going to be in the Congress to
continue to provide assistance without conditions,” Panetta said. He also
acknowledged the likelihood that a protracted cut-off of the supply routes,
costing Americans millions of dollars a day, would ultimately impact aid to
Pakistan
as well.
US
refuse to release CIA drone strikes details
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
NEW YORK
: The
US
government
has asked a federal court here to dismiss lawsuits that sought release of
documents about CIA’s drone strikes abroad targeting militants, including
American citizens, associated with groups like al Qaeda. In a 50-page
memorandum filed in US District Court, Southern District of New York on behalf
of the
US
government,
the lawyers, including India-born Manhattan Attorney Preet Bharara, said the
court should grant summary judgment and dismiss the complaints as the
information about the drone strikes is “classified”. The New York Times and
rights group American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had through a Freedom of
Information Act sought records relating to the
US
government’s
“use of targeted lethal force against US citizens and other persons
associated with al Qaeda and other terrorist groups”. One instance of
information requested through the lawsuit is about drone operations that led to
the death of US-born cleric Anwar al-Aulaki. ACLU also wants information about
how the government got the evidence that led the administration to kill three
Americans, including a 16-year-old boy, last year. “Whether or not the CIA
has the authority to be, or is in fact, directly involved in targeted lethal
operations remains classified. And that is so notwithstanding the unsourced,
unofficial statements and media reports that plaintiffs have identified.”
“None of those statements or reports constitutes an official disclosure that
could vitiate agencies’ ability to safeguard the classified and other
statutorily protected information at issue here, and none eliminates the
national security harms that could result from disclosure of such
information,” the government said. The brief was filed by the Obama
administration shortly before a
midnight
deadline on
Wednesday. ACLU condemned the move by the
US
government
to defend the secrecy surrounding the “targeted killing” program. “The
notion that the CIA’s targeted killing program is still a secret is beyond
absurd. Senior officials have discussed it, both on the record and off. They
have taken credit for its putative successes, professed it to be legal, and
dismissed concerns about civilian casualties,” ACLU deputy legal director
Jameel Jaffer said.
Pakistani
harassment of
US
diplomats said to rise
Special
to The Montreal Tribune
WASHINGTON
: Pakistani
government harassment and obstruction of
U.S.
diplomats
is increasing dramatically, reaching the point where it is “significantly
impairing” the work of the American embassy and consulates there, the State
Department’s internal watchdog said Thursday. The department’s inspector
general report said official harassment “has reached new levels of
intensity” since the May 2011 U.S. raid on a compound in Pakistan that killed
Osama bin Laden, and it rose further after November NATO airstrikes killed 24
Pakistani soldiers, prompting Islamabad to suspend most military cooperation
and look to fundamentally revise its relationship with the United States.
“Official Pakistani obstructionism and harassment, an endemic problem in
Pakistan
, has
increased to the point where it is significantly impairing mission operations
and program implementation,” said the report, which was based on visits to the
U.S. Embassy in
Islamabad
and
consulates in
Karachi
,
Peshawar
and
Lahore
between
January and mid-February. The 76-page report, labelled “sensitive but
unclassified,” described the harassment as “deliberate, willful and
systematic” and said ending it should be a top priority in high-level
discussions with Pakistani authorities. The report said the harassment included
delays in getting visas; blocked shipments for aid programs and construction
projects; denials of in-country travel requests; and surveillance of and
interference with mission employees and contractors. Extensive parts of
report’s section on harassment are blacked out, including all details of
specific incidents as well as the State Department’s response to the findings.
It noted that
U.S.
diplomats
and other government workers “have long been subjected to unusual,
government-initiated obstructionism and harassment” but that it had gotten far
worse.
All
foreign diplomats enjoying full courtesies’ privileges: Pak Foreign Office
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: A Foreign
Office Spokesman on Friday clarified that all foreign diplomats in
Pakistan
who have
been duly notified by their Embassies and accorded accreditation by the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs are extended full courtesies and privileges in accordance
with the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic and consular privileges and
immunities. Responding to a question with regard to media reports quoting US
State reports on alleged harassment of US diplomats in
Pakistan
, the
Spokesman said that the same courtesies and privileges are also extended to duly
accredited US diplomats and consular representatives in
Pakistan
.
Indo-Pakistan
flag-meet on Poonch LoC Saturday
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
NEW DELHI
:
India
and
Pakistan
will hold a
‘brigade commander’ level flag meeting along the LoC in Poonch on Saturday.
“Brigade Commanders’s flag meeting is being held tomorrow at Chakan-Da-Bagh
LoC point in Poonch sector at 1100 hours.
Pakistan
has agreed
to the meeting”, a senior Army officer told PTI. The Indian Army had sent a
hotline message to Pakistan Army and called for a Brigade commander-level flag
meeting to discuss the issues of alleged incidents of firing and ceasefire
violations in Poonch sector on June 19. The issue is serious in view of the fact
that two jawans have been killed and four others injured in direct firing on
them by
Pakistan
troops,
unseen in the past, the officer alleged. Usually, a commandant-level flag
meeting is held on the LoC to sort out the differences, but this time we have
called for Brigade Commander-level meeting, he said. Earlier,
Pakistan
had
cancelled Commandant (
Col
) level
meeting on Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point in Poonch on June 16 without assigning
any reason. The trade via the Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point remains suspended,
awaiting de-escalation of the situation in the Krishna Ghati Sector.
BUSINESS/COMMERCE
NEWS
Balochistan
road development project rated successful by ADB
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: The Asian
Development Bank (ADB) has termed Balochistan road development sector project as
successful in achieving the targeted objectives. According to the project review
mission of the ‘Balochistan Road Development Sector Project’ of the ADB, in
the project completion report approved in June 2012 noted completion of 120 km
of national highways and 189 km of provincial highways in Balochistan. The ADB
provided a project loan (Loan 2019-PAK) of 20,266,370,000 ($185.7 million
equivalent) from ADB’s ordinary capital resources and a technical assistance
(TA) loan (Loan 2020-PAK) in various currencies equivalent to $1.0 million
equivalent from its Special Funds Resources in 2003 for the Balochistan Road
Development Sector Project. The project was aimed to improve connectivity and
allow better access in Balochistan through sustainable road sector development
and maintenance, including enhancing efficiency of the national highway (NH 25).
The road development projects have helped improve inter-provincial connectivity
and trade stimulating income opportunities and reducing poverty in
Pakistan
’s largest
and least developed province. The province’s economic development potential is
constrained by its inadequate infrastructure, lack of connectivity between the
poor rural population and market and district centers, poor access to education
and health facilities, and limited job opportunities. The project has improved
the road connectivity in the poorest area of
Pakistan
,
facilitated trade, and improved the performance in the road sub-sector. Despite
highly challenging circumstances relating to security, unprecedented floods, and
earthquake, the majority of the project outcome has been achieved. About 120 km
of national highways (out of the total 230 km) and 189 km of provincial highways
(out of the total 426 km) were reconstructed; the remaining road sections are
under reconstruction. The reconstructed highways have significantly improved the
connectivity in the project area. Travel time and the vehicle operating costs on
the completed roads were reduced by 59% and 20-40%, respectively, which are much
higher than those anticipated at appraisal (each by at least 25%). Although the
cross-border development component was canceled, the project is likely to
benefit a total of about 761,000 people along the national highways and about
238,700 people along the provincial highways and rural roads. The total project
cost was estimated at $267.3 million equivalent, for financing by ADB (69.5%)
and the government (30.5%). The total TA cost was estimated at $1.25 million,
for financing by the TA loan (80%) and the government (20%). The executing
agencies were (i) CWD in Balochistan for the provincial access component, the
provincial institutional development component, and the TA; and (ii) the
National Highway Authority (NHA) for the cross-border development and national
highway components. The project and TA loan were to be completed by
30 June 2009
. The
national highway was reconstructed under 4 civil works contracts. Two contracts
were completed with reconstruction of 119.8 km of national highways. Works under
the other two contracts, with 110.6 km of national highways, are still ongoing
(48-50% completed) and are expected to be completed by September 2012 with
government funding. The civil works were mainly to reconstruct and widen the
existing national highways to a standard of 7.3 meter (m) carriageway with a
3.0-m-wide shoulder on both sides. To facilitate large traffic volume near
Quetta
, 15.5 km of the Quetta-Kila
Adbullah section was widened to dual carriageway. Asphalt concrete pavements
were (or will be) provided to all sections of national highways; realignments on
some sections were made according to real needs, and six bridges and 883
culverts were (or will be) constructed. According to ADB’s completion report,
the provincial highways and rural roads were improved under 15 civil works
contracts. Nine contracts were completed with a total length of 189.08 km of
roads improved. The remaining 6 contracts for 237.1 km of roads (including the
section transferred to the Balochistan Development Authority) are still being
implemented and expected to be completed by September 2013 with government
funding. The civil works were mainly to reconstruct the existing provincial and
rural roads to a standard of 7-m carriageway, 3-m-wide shoulders, and pave them
with asphalt. Many bridges and a large number of culverts were (or will be)
constructed. Realignment of some road sections was done according to geographic
conditions and real needs. The institutional development component and
capacity-building programs have significantly improved the road sub-sector’s
performance.
CRIME
CORNER
Cop
among 4 shot dead in
Karachi
violence
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
KARACHI
: At least
four people were killed in firing incidents in different parts of the city.
According to police, some unidentified persons riding on motorcycles opened fire
and killed CID police official Muhammad Khan in Mangupir area. In another
incident of target killing, 30-year-old man was shod dead near Qatar More in
Orangi
Town
. The
identity of the deceased is not yet known. In
Steel
Town
area,
22-year-old Fida Hussain was killed while resisting a robbery attempt while some
unidentified persons shot dead Furniture Market president, Hassan Ali Jaffary,
in Ghareebabad area. Meanwhile, police have arrested an alleged target killer,
involved in killing more than 30 people, Arshad alias Chota. Police have also
recovered two Kalashnikovs from his possession. Police have also arrested an
accused Ilyas alias Guddu from
Jinnah
Hospital
area
involved in supplying arms to target killers and other criminals. Police have
also recovered arms from him.
June
21, 2012
Pakistan
National
Assembly to select new PM Friday
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Major
political stakeholders are flexing their muscles vigorously to launch their
candidates as a short term Prime Minister in political arena as the selection
of new Prime Minister would be carried out on Friday in a National Assembly
session. President Asif Ali Zardari summoned National Assembly’s session
under Article 32 and 33 of the Constitution to elect 25th Prime Minister of the
state after the disqualification of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani by
the Supreme Court while voting for new Prime Minister would be materialized on
the basis of division. Under this method two lobbies of the parliament would be
reserved for voting and the voter would go to their respective candidates while
the staff of national assembly secretariat would register names of the voters
who are standing in two different lobbies. The speaker National Assembly would
announce detailed result of the polling, including the name of winner, total
vote cast and how many votes each candidate gets after the completion of voting
process. This way the process of selection of new Prime Minister would come to
its end. For the selection of PM it is necessary that the candidate must get
172 votes out of 342 votes. After election on Friday, the majority candidate
will emerge as the Prime Minister-elect, till he takes oath of the office to
become a Prime Minister. After taking oath, the new Prime Minister will seek
vote of confidence from the House. The newly elected Prime Mister would deliver
speech to the parliament afterward oath taking ceremony of the PM would be held
in President House.
5
aspirants in the run for
Pakistan
’s premiership
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: A total
of five candidates including the consensus candidate Makhdoom Shahbuddin
submitted the nomination papers for contesting the coveted slot of Prime
Minister of Pakistan, the election will be held on Friday at Parliament House.
Makhdoom Shahabuddin was the former Textile Minister of
Pakistan
. Raja
Pervaiz Ashraf will be the covering candidate of Makhdoom Shahbuddin. Former
Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira of Pakistan
Peoples Party has also filed his nomination papers. Thursday was the last day
for filing nomination papers. Besides ruling coalition, veteran politician
Maulana Fazlur Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Sardar Mehtab Abbasi of Pakistan
Muslim League (Nawaz) have also filed nomination papers to contest for
Premiership of the country. Meanwhile, PPP has decided that Raja Pervez Ashraf
will be party’s leading candidate for prime minister. This decision was made
after the PPP dropped the name of Makhdoom Shahabuddin as its leading
candidate. According to media reports, the name of Makhdoom Shahabuddin was
dropped due to his involvement in the Ephedrine scandal case. Earlier, an
anti-narcotics court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Makhdoom
Shahabuddin and Ali Musa Gilani. It is expected that Raja Pervez Ashraf will be
introduced as the PPP’s candidate for prime minister to coalition partners
later today (Thursday) and a power sharing formula will be discussed. Raja
Pervaiz Ashraf had earlier been chosen by the PPP to be the covering candidate
for Makhdoom Shahabuddin. Three MNAs from the PPP (Makhdoom Shahbuddin, Raja
Pervaiz Ashraf and Qamar Zaman Kaira) have filed nomination papers. Speaker
National Assembly, Dr Fehmida Mirza will scrutinize the nomination papers on
Thursday. Election will be held on Friday.
President Asif Ali Zardari has already summoned the session of National
Assembly on Friday afternoon.
Prevention
of dual national MPs necessary for stopping imported Prime Minister: CJ
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
: Chief
Justice of
Pakistan
, Justice
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry Thursday remarked if Parliamentarian are not
prevented from holding dual nationality then the influx of imported premiers
would continue. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry heard the proceedings of the dual nationality case. No one appeared
before the court on behalf of Member National Assembly (MNA) Farhat Mehmood,
Members Provincial Assembly (MPA’s) Nadia Gabol and Dr. Ashraf. Anwar Mansoor,
who is counsel of Rehman Malik (former Advisor and ex-Interior Minister), told
SC that they could not present nationality renouncement form because the
British lawyer is on leave to
Spain
. The court
said it has been asking for nationality renouncement form of Rehman Malik for
the last 11 hearings. A petitioner Waheed Anjum Advocate presented evidences
regarding dual nationalities of MPA Tariq Alona and MNA Zahid Iqbal by
submitting photocopies of their passports. He said MPA Nadia Gabol and MPA
Khadim Nazir hold British nationality. The SC then said the photocopies of
passports provided are unclear and remarked if Waheed Anjum was found guilty,
then his license would be suspended. Waseem Sajjad, counsel of Farah Naz
Isphahani, said lots of the overseas Pakistanis would be affected if the court
continues to interpret in this particular fashion. Justice Jawad S. Khawaja
said overseas Pakistani’s are loyal and send 13 billion dollars to the
country. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said law allows general
public to hold dual nationalities but it prevents parliamentarians from holding
dual nationalities and they can’t amend the constitution for interests of 10
to 15 people. The court issued notices to absent respondents and adjourned the
hearing till Monday.
Benazir
Bhutto birth anniversary celebrated
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
LARKANA
(Sindh): The 59th Birth Anniversary of the assassinated Chairperson and the
former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was celebrated with due reverence here
Thursday by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) amidst the arriving PPP leaders and
workers at Garhi Khuda Bux Bhutto who poured into pay homage to her leadership.
In this connection Qura’an Khawani was held in Garhi Khuda Bux Bhutto,
president House Naudero and other places of the Larkana and Kamber-Shahdadkot
districts. The Sindh Ministers, MPAs
and PPP members laid floral wreaths and offered condolence prayers at the graves
of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, Late Begum Nusrat Bhutto
and others. Sindh Ministers Agha Siraj Khan Durrani, Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Ms.
Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto, Ex-Ambassador to UAE Khursheed Junejo, Vice
President PPP Larkana district Khair Muhammad Shaikh, District General Secretary
of PPP Larkana Abdul Fateh Bhutto and others attended the Quran Khwani held
inside the mausoleum of Martyrs of Bhutto Family in Garhi Khuda Bux Bhutto. Ten
blood donation camps were established on the day where prominent leaders
including the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal
Bhutto, former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Asifa Bhutto (daughter of
late Benazir Bhutto) and a large number of PPP workers donated blood.
No
progress on Nato supplies: US
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
WASHINGTON
:
United
States
has said
that talks with
Pakistan
regarding
resumption of Nato supplies are underway, however added that no breakthrough
took place as yet. We are continuing conversations at a political level, but I
don’t have any progress to report, State Department’s Spokesperson Victoria
Nuland told reporters during a daily press briefing on late Wednesday. Replying
to a query regarding political situation in
Pakistan
, she said,
“We spoke about this a little bit yesterday. We’ve been able to work with
the Pakistani Government throughout this period. They’ve now announced plans
of their own for their own political transition, so our hope and expectation is
that we can continue to try to work through these issues.” Victoria Nuland
said that US have seen cross-border militancy for more than a decade. She said
“it is important to have action against terror on the
Pakistan
side, on
the Afghan side, and for
Afghanistan
,
Pakistan
and ISAF to
continue to work together.” Regarding the 2014 transition plan, Nuland said
that US is expecting ISAF forces will begin to flow home as Afghan forces take
on lead responsibility for security. “We’ve seen the same press reports
that you have. I don’t have anything to add there or any information specific
to us,” she commented on Hosni Mubarak’s health.
Use
carrot and stick policy with
Pakistan
: Former US officials
Special
to The
Montreal
Tribune
WASHINGTON:
With the Obama Administration preparing to ramp up pressure on Pakistan, two
former top US officials have said this policy of “stick” should accompany
“carrot” too, arguing that Washington can’t afford to do away with
Islamabad at this point of time. “Given the distrust in the relationship, the
United States may be tempted to escalate its indirect conflict with Pakistan
over Afghanistan, break any pretense of cooperation, and instead seek to contain
the Pakistan-based insurgency to prevent it from operating in Afghanistan,
India, or elsewhere,” said Stephen Hadley and John D Podesta in article in
July-August issue of the Foreign Affairs magazine. “Proposals for ramping up
pressure on
Pakistan
include
increasing the drone strikes, conducting US Special Forces operations in the
country, cutting
Islamabad
off from
international financial resources, labeling
Pakistan
a state
sponsor of terror, and imposing sanctions,” they wrote. “But ending
cooperation with
Islamabad
would
considerably undermine US interests in the country. And given the resiliency of
the Taliban insurgency and the inability of the Afghan government to support
itself, such a break is unlikely to achieve US goals in Afghanistan, either,”
wrote Hadley and Podesta. While Hadley was the National Security Advisor under
the
US
President
George W. Bush, Podesta was the White House Chief of Staff under President Bill
Clinton, from 1998 until 2001. “The
United
States
should thus
attempt to de-escalate tensions with
Pakistan
and restore
security and political cooperation.
Washington
should
maintain the ability to act unilaterally in cases in which the
United
States
’
immediate security is at risk or if renewed cooperation with
Islamabad
fails. But
this approach will prove too costly - for both the
United
States
and
Pakistan
- if
pursued over the long term,” they wrote.
June 14, 2012
Pakistan
demands unconditional apology from US
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
KABUL
(
Afghanistan
): Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar has
said that
Pakistan
wants an apology for the Salala strike that killed two
dozen of its soldiers last year before it considers reopening supply routes to
foreign troops in
Afghanistan
. “
Pakistan
still wants an unconditional apology and the
reassurance that the Salala type of incident does not happen again,” Hina
Rabbani Khar told reporters.
Pakistan
on Thursday called again for an apology for a NATO
cross-border strike that killed two dozen of its soldiers last year before it
considers reopening supply routes to foreign troops in
Afghanistan
. “
Pakistan
still wants an unconditional apology and the
reassurance that the Salala type of incident does not happen again,” she said,
referring to the border area where the incident took place. The supply lines for
goods shipped to
Karachi
and trucked to
Afghanistan
have been vital for US-led forces in their involvement
in the landlocked country, a conflict now in its eleventh year. Now, the routes
are seen as important for the withdrawal of most foreign troops from
Afghanistan
before the end of 2014. The
United
States
has rebuffed
Pakistan
’s demands for an apology for the air strike in
November and last week Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said the
United
States
was at the limits of its patience over the existence
of safe havens for militants in
Pakistan
who were carrying out attacks in
Afghanistan
. Khar said
Pakistan
was not supporting any militant group and that it was
doing whatever it could to advance the peace process in
Afghanistan
which she said must be “Afghan-led, Afghan-owned.”
Pakistan
, US
trying to deal with complicated issues
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
ISLAMABAD
(
Pakistan
): Pakistan Foreign Office in
Islamabad
has said
Pakistan
and the
United
States
are trying to deal with difficult and complicated
issues and that is why their resolution is taking time. Responding to questions
at the weekly news briefing here on Thursday afternoon’ Foreign Office
spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan said there is desire on both sides to resolve these
issues. He said
Pakistan
and
United
States
knew that their relationship was important and
critical for stability and prosperity of the region. The spokesman said there
were several issues and those were being discussed in the light of the
recommendations of the Parliament. He said these issues had become complicated
particularly after Salala incident and both sides were trying to bring their
relationship back on track. Asked about the issue of charges for the NATO supply
routes’ Mr. Moazzam said he would not go into specifics but there were other
bigger issues as well besides supply routes that were being discussed. When his
attention was drawn towards statement of the
US
Secretary of Defence about so-called safe-havens’
the spokesman said
Pakistan
had repeatedly maintained that it was fighting
terrorism and extremism in its own national interest. He said
Pakistan
had also made it clear that it would not allow any
sanctuary or save havens and would also not allow its territory to be used for
another country. Similarly’
Pakistan
expects that other countries will not allow their soil
to be used against
Pakistan
. To a question about alleged delay in issuance of
visas to US officials by Pakistan Embassy in
Washington
’ the spokesman said all requests for visas go
through a process’ which takes some time. He said it is a normal practice. The
spokesman said talks between
Pakistan
and
India
on Sir Creek would take place in
New Delhi
on 18th and 19th of the month. Foreign Secretary level
talks between the two countries would be held in
New Delhi
next month’ which would be followed by a meeting of
the Foreign Ministers in
Pakistan
also next month, he said. He said the leadership of
both
Pakistan
and
India
has underscored the importance of resolving all the
issues in a result-oriented and sustained manner.
Balochistan
Assembly approves Rs 27.97 billion supplementary budget of 2011-12
By
Naseeb Ullah, Special to The
Montreal
Tribune
QUETTA
(
Pakistan
): The Balochistan Assembly, provincial assembly of the
largest
province
of
Pakistan
, on Thursday approved Rs 27. 97billion supplementary
budget of 2011-12. The assembly
session was chaired by Speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhutani. Balochistan Chief
Minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani was also present in the House. Provincial
Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd presented demands of Rs 12.31 billion of ongoing
non-development expenditures of 2011-12 and Rs 15 billion of development
expenditures, including Rs 666 million of other demands. Taking part in the
debate on the Provincial Fiscal Budget for Year 2012-13, Minister for Mines and
Minerals, Mir Abdul Rehman termed the budget a balanced one. “The incumbent
government has undertaken a record development works,” he said and added that
adequate funds had been allocated for public sector development program in the
new budget. Minister for Rural Development, Haji Ismail Gujjar said that
sufficient funds were earmarked for sectors, including health, and education
which would directly benefit masses. MPA Ghulam Jan Baloch alleged that his
development funds were not released. Another Minister Zahoor Buledi while
appreciating the budget said that allocated funds would help in improving
livestock sector of the province. Later, the house was adjourned till Friday.
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